Summit looks at abuse of Indian women

In many American Indian cultures, the beginning began with a woman.

There are White Buffalo Calf Woman, Spider Woman and Celestial Woman, to name a few. The women are revered in their cultures through creation stories.

Cecilia Fire Thunder, former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, S.D., recounted these stories and others during the United Tribes Tribal Leaders Summit at the Bismarck Civic Center on Wednesday.

Stories taught life lessons. Fire Thunder cannot recall any that taught American Indian men to abuse and rape women.

She spoke about efforts to end domestic violence, along with Carmen O'Leary of the Native Women's Society of the Great Plains and Linda Thompson of First Nations Women's Alliance.


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