The Sacredness of Women

While staying at Re-Member, every night there is a guest speaker who shares a little bit about Lakota culture.  Each one is unique and different.  There is one particular speaker who helped me feel more comfortable with the idea of the 'women's cycle' as he puts it.  Will Peters is a local Lakota speaker, and also cherished by every person who comes to Pine Ridge.  His words have helped many many people on and off the reservation, but especially younger boys who are involved with gangs, drugs, or violence.  He also knows a lot about the sacredness of women, which is what I wanted to tell you about.  Sorry guys who are reading this....

Women, as you know, have our little visitor one week of every month.  Most of the time, we dread the arrival, we moan and complain.  It's never a fun experience, and we just have to wait it out.  Every time we start, its a damper on the day right?  Well, I changed my mind about that.  Will told us stories about what a sacred time it is for a woman to go through her menstruation cycle.  It shows the strength of a woman and her ability to bring life.  Hundreds of years ago, when a young girl would begin, she was brought into a tent with her elders and was taught the meaning of this time.  For the men, there was a place called a 'sweatlodge'.  The sweatlodge was a place for men to go when women started their period, and there they would cleanse their minds and spirits.  They also had to take care of themselves.  The men had to provide for themselves. When Will explained all of this to us, I had never felt so proud to be a woman.  He really stressed these explanations to the young men and elders who were listening to the speech.  Will really wanted the guys to understand that it is not disgusting, or gross, or annoying when a woman starts her cycle, it is sacred, and wonderful.  Personally, I am glad he targets the men, sorry guys, its true.  It is just a reminder that we are who we are because God created us to be the person he meant us to be.  There is a reason that we are who we are.  

God bless.  Stay strong women, and thanks guys for thinking about this a little more.