Dear Community & Friends,
I’m so glad to be presenting the “No More Stolen Sisters” interview featuring indigenous singer-songwriter Kelly Jackson.
This is the first of So Am I-Worthy’s series of virtual events entitled, “Celebrating Songs That Inspire Change.”
Thank you for checking this out, and for your help in expanding awareness and support around the disproportionately high rate of violence towards indigenous women and girls.
Wishing you peace,
Colleen Akiko
Partnership Outreach Coordinator
So Am I-Worthy, LLC
soamiworthy.com
and
Council Member
OEF Seventh Generation
The first event in So Am I Worthy’s virtual series, Celebrating Songs That Inspire Change (CSTIC), is entitled “No More Stolen Sisters.” It addresses the untold high number of Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered, kidnapped or gone mysteriously missing on native reservation lands where little justice is accomplished to prosecute predators for their crimes.
Lac du Flambeau singer and songwriter Kelly Jackson recently released a music video for her song “Don’t Speak” in hopes it will spark a broader conversation about the prevalence of sexual violence, particularly in indigenous communities.
Her song was written in response to a personal encounter with sexual violence which occurred about a decade ago.
“Music for me individually, has always been a medicinal and healing component of my life,” she said. “I wrote ‘Don’t Speak’ because I’m a survivor. It was my way of putting into music what my own emotional recovery was.”
When she started performing the song for audiences, she quickly realized it resonated with many people.
In hopes of opening up this conversation further, Jackson created the music video for the song which was released as a centerpiece of a fundraising and awareness campaign entitled “Impact Change,” to bring attention to violence against women, an issue which disproportionately impacts indigenous people.
Her music video features some real-life indigenous survivors, from a military veteran to a college student to a wife.
In the video, each woman stands alone as her world literally turns upside down.
“You are not alone,” Jackson sings in the video. “You are not alone. You are not alone.“
She encourages people with a desire to support the cause to simply start a conversation with family, friends and community members.
“People need to be more aware of what’s happening in their own communities, but also about the disproportionate and dire effects currently existing in Indian Country. I think part of the conversation is just having a conversation.”
