Tillie Black Bear is the executive director and one of the founders (31 years ago) of the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc. (WBCWS) that serves the Lakota Sioux Rosebud Reservation in Mission, SD
She spoke to the Northern Michigan University 2008 Uniting Neighbors in the Experience of Diversity (UNITED) Conference on September 23, 2008.
This is the first of several videos about her talk in the Great Lakes Room of the NMU University center and a roundtable discussion that followed down the hall. Black Bear is introduced to the northern Michigan audience and sings the Direction Song.
With traditional sage burning, Black Bear sings as she and the crowd face the four directions - West, North, East, South - and honor the Sky and Earth. Her visit was coordinated by the NMU Center for Native American Studies and the non-profit Turtle Island Project (TIP) in Munising, MI. The TIP has held several concerts and other events to raises funds for the WBCWS. TIP Director Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard travels several times a year to the Rosebud Reservation. Black Bear was greeted by Dr. Judith Puncochar, NMU Professor and an organizer of the annual UNITED Conference. Tillie Black Bear was introduced by Grace Chaillier, an NMU Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Native American Studies and a registered member of the Sicangu Lakota band of the Rosebud Sioux.
Please watch the other Turtle Island Project videos on Tillie Black Bear's talk in northern Michigan. Black Bear addresses the Lakota teen suicide crisis, domestic violence, people respecting people and many other important issues.
Black Bear is an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation/Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
She is one of the leading experts on violence against women and children. She is a founding mother of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and a founder of the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SDCADV&SA) both in 1978. She was the first woman of color to chair NCADV and continues to sit on the SDCADV&SA Board of Directors.
Black Bear presently serves on the advisory board of National Sexual Assault Resource Center, Pennsylvania and is past member of the professional advisory board of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Austin, TX. Black Bear was the recipient of an award from the U.S. Department of Justice for her work with victims of crime in April 1988; and in 1989 was one of President Bushs Point of Light.
In 1999 at the Millennium Conference on Domestic Violence in Chicago, IL, Black Bear was one of 10 individuals recognized as one of the founders of the domestic violence movement in the United States. She was awarded an Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 2000 by President Clinton. In May, 2003 Black Bear was a recipient of the first annual LifeTime Achievement Award from LifeTime Television. Black Bear was selected as one of 21 Leaders for the 21st Century award by Womens eNews in 2004. In 2005, she received an award from NOW. She is retired from Sinte Gleska University as a part-time instructor in Human Services; Casey Foundation as a licensed foster parent. Currently, Black Bear works as a teacher of 13 years teaching students taking a course on cross-cultural ministry at Catholic Theological Union through Shalom Ministries out of Chicago, IL. Black Bear and colleague Sally Roesch Wagner, Ph.D. have completed a poster series on D/Lakota women elders on each of the nine Dakota/Lakota Nations in South Dakota entitled: D/Lakota Women Keepers of the Nation.
Another collaborative work is workshops on issues of Racism and Cultural Diversity.
She has worked as a therapist, certified school counselor, administrator, college instructor and comptroller. She holds a Master of Art (1974) from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD; Bachelor of Science (1971), Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD. She has served on the St. Francis Indian School Board of Directors, St. Francis, SD; and Sinte Gleska University Board of Regents, Mission, SD. Black Bear is single mother of 3 girls, grandmother of thirteen and survivor of domestic violence.
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NMU Center for Native American Studies
www.nmu.edu/Centers/NativeAmericanStudies
nasa@nmu.edu
April Lindala, Director
906-227-1397
alindala@nmu.edu
Grace Chaillier, NMU Professor
906-227-1390
grachail@nmu.edu
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WBCWS
www.wbcws.org
Javier H. Alegree, WBCWS Public Relations Specialist
605-856-2317
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sicangu Lakota
www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov
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UNITED
www.nmu.edu/UNITED
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Turtle Island Project Munising, MI
Co-founders Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard, Rev. Dr. George Cairns
http://turtleislandtv.blip.tv
www.youtube.com/MunisingWhiteHorse
www.myspace.com/TurtleIslandProject
TurtleIslandProject@charter.net
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these ceremonies should stay within the RED NATION, not sold out for prophet. Its hard enough being Lakota in this day and age without our own selling us out.
LisaSelwyn 1 year ago
MunisingWhiteHorse 1 year ago
@LisaSelwyn
fyi - tried to send message but you have block if not friend.
Sent friend request because we respect your comments.
MunisingWhiteHorse 1 year ago
I was wondering. I really want to learn about 4 directional prayers, not sure if this applies as well, but sacred circles and altars as well. I want to learn from the native earth based indigenous people about this, but all I find online is from Wiccan sources. Any recommendations?
Davylp 3 years ago
Yes we do - I will send you private message with many links on medicine wheel etc.
Can't remember the exact reason but yes there is a significance to starting with west.
I am Greg aka yoopernewsman on youtube - the volunteer media guy for Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard aka munisingwhitehorse
MunisingWhiteHorse 3 years ago