Honored with a Blanket

This evening, I received a phone call from a UPS driver, at 9pm, so I toddled off in my PJs to the main door of my apartment building and signed for the package. Once I brought it in and opened it,  I will be honest I started to cry.  I was not expecting a gift of a blanket. As many of you know, in contemporary North American Indigenous culture, receiving a blanket symbolizesa variety of things based on who is gifting the blanket. Most of the time in First Nations cultures, blanket gift-giving acknowledges relationship, honor, respect, and recognition of an individual's achievements. It’s with this blanket, I will carry the comradery and teamwork of Akwe:kon with me.
I am so humbled by Akwe:kon’s generous gift of a blanket. 

I just want to say,  I am so happy to co-founded Akwe:kon and worked with such a variety of dedicated staff from so many divisions. It really is a thing that I will always carry with me in my career and look back on it with joy that  Suzanne and I were able to convince a large organization like NWA to form a collective workgroup to advise on NWA’s reach into Indian Country.

I am so happy that Mel will be leading the charge going forward because I know he will not only bring thoughtfulness but a generosity of spirit in being the servant leader of Akwe:kon. To those of you who may be unaware, I proposed Akwe:kon as our work group’s name, because it means “all of us” in Mohawk. It is that spirit I felt it was important to keep in the collective mind of the organization, that it takes all of us, in collaboration, to do hard work, especially in Indian Country.  And deep down, it tickles me that Mohawk presence will remain after my departure, though the name.(Chuckle)

It could be that I was already primed to cry, because of the announcement that ICWA was saved today. But, like the collective actions of Indigenous people working to save ICWA,  I know our rag-tag team of dedicated and passionate people on Akwe:kon will be able to accomplish so much for the organization.
These are tears of joy. And I want to thank you all.

Akwe:kon enska entitewahwehnon:ni ne onkwa’nikon:ra tanon tenthshitewanonhwera:ton ne Shonkwaia’tison tsi akwe:kon roweienenta:on ne ohwentsia:ke tsi naho:ten tehshonkwa:wi…eh kati’niiohtonhak ne onkwa’nikon:ra.