Bozho jayek!
Hello everyone!
December 2023
We are excited to update you on our ongoing work to end period poverty. We’ve done a lot, but we are just getting started! And we hope you’ll join our Society of givers if you haven’t already!
We have reached the milestone of 2.85 million supplies donated since our 2018 start, and given out more than 21,000 puberty education books and moon time bags. We now have 193 partner schools and organizations across 16 states — Wisconsin and Minnesota are new this year — and Canada’s Ontario province. Last year we had “just” 95 partners!. Our partnerships with some large school districts — Oklahoma City Public Schools (OK), Flagstaff Unified Public Schools (AZ), Central Consolidated School District (NM), and Grants Cibola County Schools (NM), among others — contribute to the large count.
Our accomplishments are due to the generous support of our many foundation, corporate, nonprofit organizations and individual donors; the ongoing work of our Board of Directors and young band of independent contractors — Dara Anhouse (donor data), Ashley Pechinski (social media), Myah Wells (packing and promoting), and Leah Wright (outreach and grant writing); and the dedication of our many volunteers who sew and stuff moon time bags, host period care drives, and share information about our work with their networks. Chi migwetch (big thanks) to all of you!
We are delighted to report that Native Voices Rising recently committed meaningful financial support to us. As a resutl, we expect to hire a professional Executive Director in 2024! (I’ve served in this role to date.) We also are one of four nonprofits selected by Outside PR to receive their promotional and branding support during 2024 as part of its JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity) work!
There’s so much more to do to end period poverty across Indigenous North America, and we can’t wait to increase our footprint and successes with help from you and other terrific folks! A link to all the ways you can help us is highlighted at the end of this newsletter. Migwetch nikanek (Thank you, friends).
Happy and safe holidays to all,
Eva Marie Carney
Founder + Executive Director
Hopi Teachings: The Corn Grinding Ceremony
We recently learned about the Hopi Corn Grinding Ceremony from Meet Mindy: A Native Girl from the Southwest, written by Hopi author Susan Secakuku (Mindy is Susan’s niece). It’s one of the books in the delightful National Museum of the American Indian series, “My World: Young Native Americans Today.”
Mindy shares that her ceremony lasted five days and was held at her grandmother’s house. Her aunts and grandmother were there to encourage her, but she was left alone most of the time, quietly spending the first four days using the traditional mata and matàaki, or grinding stone, to crush corn kernels into fine cornmeal. She explains how hard the work is, but how special too, since “Hopi women for many generations also performed this ceremony. … Each day, I prayed hard that I would have the strength to do well.”
Girls grinding corn in Puberty Ceremony, Shungopovi Village-2nd Mesa.
Left, Belvera Nuvamsa, Right, Mary Anna Nuvakaku, June 28, 1949 (captioned by photographer Milton Snow), available here.
As part of the ceremony, her aunts and grandmother spoke with her about what it means to be a mature young Hopi woman, the new responsibilities Mindy now has as a young adult member of her clan, and the community’s expectations of her. Mindy also describes going through a purification ceremony on the final day of the ceremony, including a ritual hair washing, noting, “Some of my hair was cut, and the rest was styled into the traditional Hopi squash-blossom hairdo, which is only worn by unmarried women.”
After the ceremony concluded, “I walked through my village,” Mindy says. “The people who saw me wished me well, and the men said a special prayer for me to live a long and healthy life and to have a good marriage and strong children. When I got to my mother’s house, she was there to greet me with my grandmother and aunts. Then, the men in my family joined us for a feast.”
While she isn’t ready to get married quite yet, Mindy believes it was important for her to participate in the ceremony. “The ability to give life is sacred, and as we get older and develop that power and responsibility, it is important to spend some time thinking about this. … Now I’m a young woman in Hopi society, and I’m expected to help more, to be more responsible, and to continue to learn more about Hopi traditions and my clan.”
We encourage you to buy Meet Mindy: A Native Girl from the Southwest or borrow it from your local library to read more about modern Hopi life, Hopi history and traditions, and to see the lovely photos Mindy shares from her Corn Grinding Ceremony.
A Secure Period Tracker
Looking for a period tracker that doesn’t track you? You might consider Euki. It’s an app that is free to use. It’s available in English and Spanish and on Android and iOS.
We’ve consulted with experts and conclude that Euki offers a secure means to track your period on your smartphone. Learn more by visiting the Euki website and reading this resource that reports on Euki’s privacy features.
Not interested in using a smartphone app to track your moon? For a lower-tech and lovely option, check out the Moon Time Prayer paper period tracker, available on our website for you to print out and use.
Wyoming Indian Schools
Ethete, Wyoming
At the start of this school year, Wyoming Indian Middle School hosted a program for students that focused on respect for self and others during one’s moon time. The students were joined by elder Gloria Goggles, White Buffalo Youth Mentors Shota Runs Close To Lodge and Shoshanna Miller, school nurse Jessica Cecrle, and librarian/cultural mentor Jenn Runs Close To Lodge.
Students were encouraged to appreciate themselves and each other and given teachings about moon times. They were presented with period supplies, sage, and small backpacks with stickers provided by The Kwek Society. Students were taught they could use the sage for comfort and cleansing during their moon times — for comfort as their bodies are changing and they may feel discomfort or out of balance during their moon time; for cleansing as burning sage or carrying sage helps to maintain balance while tying students to traditional ways as they find their place within their community.
Jenn, our school contact, told us the school scheduled this program early in the school year to foster a sense of community and sisterhood among the students, encourage respect for all, and instill a sense of confidence. We were excited to learn that students were informed about where in the school they could find period care items and directed to trusted adults who stand ready to discuss their moon time needs as appropriate. Jenn reported that another event will be taking place this month (December), during which our moon time bags and other period care items will be distributed and students will be offered instruction on personal safety during the holidays.
Jenn made all our hearts happy when she shared that Wyoming Indian Schools are very proud to be among the first schools to participate in what she called “the Kwek Society’s Movement to End Period Poverty.” “We [at Wyoming Indian Schools] continue to address needs within our schools that we didn’t realize needed to be met until this partnership was created,” she said. “Bringing in not only elders but also different aged women to share their stories and encouraging words has created a sisterhood that wouldn’t have existed without the assistance of The Kwek Society.”
Proctor & Gamble
We are delighted to share this shout-out from Proctor & Gamble, one of our key supporters. The students with whom we work are always delighted to receive Proctor & Gamble’s Always brand pads. And we’ve been delighted to receive donations of Always pads from Proctor & Gamble this year and last!
Migwetch (thank you), to our main P&G contact Louie Morante, Communications Director, North America Always Innovations & Social Impact, Global Equity & Inclusion, for helping us meet students’ need for quality period care products.We look forward to continuing our work together to help #EndPeriodPoverty.
“At Always, we are committed to championing confidence and ensuring that everyone has access to the period products they need to thrive. We recognize that period poverty is still very much a reality in the U.S. as 1 in 4 teens have missed school due to the lack of access to period products. When someone isn’t properly protected during their period, it puts their confidence, dignity, and education at risk.
“We are grateful for our partnership with our Always 50 Period Heroes, including The Kwek Society under Eva’s leadership, as we expand the distribution of our period product donation across all 50 US States. We want all students to live a worry-free life when they get their period, and we are dedicated to help #EndPeriodPoverty to help ensure that no one loses confidence or has to miss school because of their period. We applaud Eva and everyone at The Kwek Society in their relentless efforts to deliver on the same mission in ending period poverty.”
Barbara Hannigan
Board President, The Kwek Society
Barbara Hannigan began serving as our Board President in December 2022. Previously, she served as Board Vice President since our 2018 start.
Barbara reports that she has felt very connected to The Kwek Society’s mission since she first began exploring the issue of period poverty. She believes there is no reason, in the 21st century, that anyone should miss work or school because of menstruation. “We know how having a period affects our lives. And to think that anybody would not have the supplies that they needed to navigate this time, with dignity and serenity, is heartbreaking.”
One of Barbara’s favorite things about being involved with The Kwek Society is the relationships she gets to build with people across the country. She also feels it is a special organization because its mission goes beyond handing out free period products: “I really love the fact that we’re not just giving out supplies, but we’re giving love, support, encouragement, and respect” to those who receive our supplies, in the form of moon time bags, educational resources and the knowledge that some of the supplies come from community drives and gifts from individuals.
Barbara lives in Virginia with her husband, Bill, and their two West Highland Terriers. To everyone’s delight, their two adult sons, Grant and Kent, live nearby. Barbara spent a large portion of her career as an ethics lawyer. She recently retired and now focuses on helping migrant families through her church and serves as a senior adviser to the Ethics Compliance Initiative. Barbara also enjoys taking classes about art, art history, literature and theater, and studies French in addition to her work as president of The Kwek Society Board of Directors.
She is humbled and honored by the experience to lead the board as it continues to fulfill its mission. She notes, “I look forward to the day when period supplies have become just another type of bathroom supply, like soap and toilet paper.”
Be sure to check out our swag shop! We’ve added these new t-shirt designs that we think you’ll love. All profits fuel our work!
We hope you’ll visit our How to Help page for volunteer and donation ideas, including links for giving to us one-time or monthly. Do you like to use GooglePay or Venmo when donating? It’s easy to do that, by accessing the link to ActBlue Charities. We are grateful for each and every donation!
The Kwek Society, incorporated in Virginia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN # 82-4369803). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our financial statement is available on written request from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs, PO Box 1163, Richmond, Virginia 23218. Our Candid/Guidestar report can be found here.
Follow
Stay connected.
Share
Give a review.