A Tribe Called Red

              Last night, while I was hanging out with some friends, one of them asked me if I had ever heard the electronic dance music (EDM) group called “A Tribe Called Red.”

            “A tribe called what?” I asked.  My friend shook his head and put on this song. The first thing that ran through my mind was, “I’m in love.” My second thought was, “Should I even listen to this?” I really hoped I wasn’t listening to cultural appropriation in the most blatant, bass-pumping, chill-giving form imaginable.

            So today, I did a little homework and found out some very exciting things. Not only is 100% acceptable for a culturally sensitive person to listen to A Tribe Called Red, the group deserves a big shout out for everything they’re doing. 

            The group is comprised of deejays Shub, Bear Witness and NDN. All the members are First Nation indigenous people from Canada. They remix traditional powwow music with electronic music to produce a sound that is unique to say the least. Through their music exploration, they’ve created a new niche in the ever-changing EDM scene called “electric powwow.”      

            Not only do they make great music, they give voice to issues affecting native populations.  Their song “Woodcarver” is about the 2010 shooting of John T. Williams, a totem wood carver in Seattle, Wash. The song combines audio of the shooting itself and news reports of the incident.

            They have addressed their fans directly when it comes to issues of cultural appropriation. They weighed in on the issues of racist sports team names and white fans wearing headdresses. Beyond social commentary, they’ve rallied together native communities across Canada and the U.S. “The way that the aboriginal community has owned our music is amazing,” DJ Bear Witness said in an interview with Noisography.com. “A Tribe Called Red is more than what we do, it’s the movement that started around what we do and the way people in our community have said this is what we need, we identify with it, this is for us.”

            I might be jumping on the bandwagon a little late, but I’m glad I’m on it. Listening to music from an amazing group can only be improved knowing that they’re working to increase awareness about issues that often go unnoticed by “the mainstream.” 

            If you’re interested in hearing more from this band, download their debut album for free here, and check out their Facebook page.  

            Happy Listening!

http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/10/frank_walns_new_video_will_blow_you_away.html

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

Finding Your Voice

 I was immediately drawn to Molly.  She was quiet, painfully shy, and very hesitant.  It’s not often that people like her stick out in a crowd, especially in a lunch room filled with middle school students.  I noticed her before she even started attending our GUTS! group when I first visited the lunch room at C.S. Porter Middle School to recruit girls for my group. Seeing her sitting alone at lunch struck me.  I approached her individually and invited her to join Girls Using Their Strengths, although I assumed she’d never actually show up.  She didn’t seem like the kind of girl who would jump at the opportunity to be in a group that challenged young girls to try new things and step out of their comfort zones.  But the very next week, to my surprise, she did show up, and I was very glad.  By now I could see on her face that she was longing for relationships with other girls her age, confidence, and a trusted adult to listen to her even if she was unsure of what to expect. 

On the first day of group we made “Me Trees.”  On our trees we used the branches to represent our goals for ourselves.  When it was her turn to share her goals, her cheeks turned bright red, her eyes looked toward the ground, and all she said was, “I want to be better at speaking out loud in front of people.”  After she spoke, I showed her my Me Tree.  On my paper I wrote the very same goal for myself. 

            I am drawn to Molly because I see so much of myself in her when I was in middle school, and I feel like I can understand how she feels and connect with her personality.   She is smart, observant, and deeply caring.  She has so much to say, but she hadn’t found her way of saying it yet. 

Since our first group, I have watched her gain more confidence in herself, build off her strengths, and express her feelings.  She tries new things, she listens, she speaks out loud, and she has made new friends in the process.  I have been inspired by Molly’s bravery and honesty since day one, and she has embodied the true meaning of what it means to be a GUTS! girl.  

Posted by Maddy, Practicum Student with GUTS! 

Crossing the Line

            This blog post was really hard to write. And when I say hard, I mean it’s 3 a.m. and I’m rewriting this for the fourth time because I still can’t get it right. In this post, I wanted to talk about something that’s been bothering me since I started my job as a racial justice intern this summer. When I took this job, I had a fairly strong background in women’s and children’s issues, however racial justice was something I was (am) still learning about.

Since taking on the role of racial justice intern, I’ve noticed patterns in myself and those around me regarding how we externalize our perceptions of race and privilege. For the first time, I’ve begun to think of myself as more than female, and more as a white female, and what that means. I’ve begun to look more closely at who my friends are, and how they influence my experience of race and gender. Looking at these aspects of my life revealed a wall I’d unconsciously built between who I am at work and who I am outside of work.

I draw inspiration from my personal life and put it into writing for my internship, but I don’t really take a whole lot from my internship into my personal life. This is a big problem because it’s a symptom of the very things I’ve been trying to address; internalized racism and sexism.  

No matter how I act at work, there is a certain line I don’t cross outside the office. That line appears when someone makes a joke about how women are hormonal and unnecessarily dramatic. The line appears when one of my friends (who, if I’m being honest, are predominately white) pretends to be “hood.” The line is there when someone enforces a stereotype about a particular race. The line is there when I laugh along with these jokes, and the line is there when I don’t say anything. The line is there. What I find so hard to accept is the fact that I put it there

My friends all know what I do. They know I’m involved in social activism surrounding racial justice and gender equality, but even those who support my work don’t really like it when I bring it to Friday night get-togethers. Commenting on everyday racism and sexism elicits eye rolls and sarcasm or, if I’m lucky, polite interest.

            At work, I write about racism and sexism because I’ve seen them in action and I’m aware enough to know that it’s wrong, but what I write is irrelevant if I can’t follow my own advice and challenge the problem in the company of my own friends.

            We laugh off issues that affect millions of people because we can; the reason we don’t want to see the issues as anything more than a joke is because when we do, we have to make changes to deeply ingrained behaviors. This is hard. It’s a lot easier to keep laughing than to be the person who points out why it’s not funny, and run the risk of alienating yourself.

Usually when I write a blog post, I try to offer a solution, or at least a helpful hint as to how a problem can be avoided in the future, but this time, I don’t. I don’t have a solution because I’m still learning how to translate the work I do, and the things I believe, into something I don’t have to sugarcoat in order to be accepted. It’s hard for me, but living with sexism and racism is harder for all of us. Facing my bias’ will always be a challenge, but as my mother likes to remind me, I am stubborn as a mule so…

… challenge accepted!

By Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

Uncover Missoula Fails to Recognize the True History of Missoula

According to an article in “Uncover Missoula, “a publication of the Missoulian newspaper the city’s history began in 1860 with a settlement known as Hell Gate. The standard article included in the past two editions failed to recognize important events relating to American Indians and their deep historical connection to Missoula.

According to the Flathead Watershed Sourcebook Archaeologists have found sites in the South Fork of the Flathead River that indicate people have been living in Western Montana as far back as the end of the last ice age (10,000 years ago).  Ancient stories of the Salish and Kootenai people tell of living in this area 40,000 years ago.  To say that Missoula’s history begins in 1860 is misleading. That’s like saying gravity began when the apple fell on Isaac Newton’s head. Newton was simply pointing out that gravity exists, in the same way that C.P. Higgins and Francis Worden pointed out to settlers that Missoula was a great place to live. Indeed, it had been a great place to live for many tribal nations for thousands of years. However, Native people were forcibly removed from this region and relocated to reservation lands throughout the state of Montana.

American Indian tribal communities clearly have had significant and sustained relationships with the area of Montana currently known as Missoula. Historical portrayals to the contrary are not only inaccurate, but they are disrespectful, ethnocentric and potentially hurtful to tribal communities – including the Salish tribe, whose language provided the original word that has been altered into “Missoula.”

According to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes website Salish-speaking tribes (the Séliš and the Qĺispé) and a Kootenai-speaking band (the Ksanka - Ktunaxa) occupied a huge territory covering Western Montana, parts of Idaho, British Columbia and Wyoming, It was in Missoula where they dug bitterroot (sp̉éłm) and fished for bull trout (aáyčst) in the icy cold water of the Clark Fork River (nmisuletkʷ)[1]. Indeed, the Salish place name for the Missoula area is nłˀaycčstm, which translates literally to “Place of the small bull trout.”

The picture painted in the “Uncover Missoula” article portrays early pioneers in Hell Gate, Fort Owen, and St. Ignatius as the few humans strong enough to live in a harsh and “unknown” land. American Indians had been living in these places long before outsiders came to live in this region.  

After the area began to see more White settlement, especially from missionaries and homesteaders, local tribes faced increasing pressure to change their means of subsistence, their religion and to give up their traditional homelands. Agricultural and industrial development in the 1880s put heavier demand on resources like water and land that had once been plentiful.

When Chief Charlo’s band of the Bitterroot Salish were forced to march to the Flathead Reservation in 1891, the region’s tribes began to see a whole new level of cultural erosion. Indian children were taken by force from their families and placed in boarding schools (for example, the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius) where they were forbidden to speak their Native languages or participate in their traditional tribal spiritual practices. 

History is, for the most part, written by the conquerors, and the history of American Indians is often whittled down to the simplified version of settler versus Indian as taught in elementary schools. The chopping of Native history from basic education demotes an entire people’s history to second-class status. When we treat a people’s history as second class — or even worse, deny it all together — we continue to marginalize tribal people and systematically treat them in unequal and possibly discriminating ways. If the news media desires to educate their readership on Missoula’s history accurately, American Indians must be acknowledged, and their history valued.   We hope future issues of “Uncover Missoula” will portray an inclusive history of not only the White settling of Missoula, but also of local tribes and their history in the Missoula area.

This commentary is a product of the racial justice initiative of the YWCA Missoula. Our goal is to promote racial justice in Montana through timely, informed, news-based education. For more information about the racial justice initiative, visit ywcaofmissoula.org. This is Juliana Rose, the Racial Justice Intern with the YWCA.  Thank you for listening. 

By Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

This commentary aired on Montana Public Radio on Friday, Oct. 11

(Click here to access the archived podcast of this newscast. Juliana's  

commentary begins at 22:59)

Links Referenced:

“New evidence puts man in North America 50,000 years ago”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041118104010.htm

Louis Adams and Tony Incashola (two Salish elders) interviews

http://www.spatialsci.com/PlaceNames/files/tours/SalishPlaceNames_2008.kmz

“Montana Indians, Their History and Location”

http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/indianed/resources/MTIndiansHistoryLocation.pdf

---

[1] Also thought to be the origin of the name Missoula. Root is suuˀ - subsided water. (Pete, T. , 2010, seliš nyoˀnuntn: Medicine for the Salish language.  Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press.)

---

 [AO1]Find correct pronunciation or read for radio as, “Indeed the Salish place name for the Missoula area translates to ‘Place of the small bull trout.’”

Advocate Training-- An Insider's Perspective

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” These words spoken by Maya Angelou, clearly align with the work of an advocate, as advocates help survivors validate their feelings, discover their strengths, learn to choose for themselves, and work towards change.

Entering into the first Saturday morning of advocate training, I slowly became awakened to the role of advocacy and its roots within empowerment. As advocates, we are in the unique position of being a witness to individual stories, to listening with an open heart, and engaging in a process where individual survivors begin to regain their own personal power.

The first training presentation, through the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), quickly got a room of thirty trainees to wake-up, clap, cheer, and be recognized for characteristics that define, and give meaning to who they are. I was recognized as an oldest child, someone born in a state other than Montana, and a woman. I was immediately engaged. I laughed, waved, and smiled as if I were on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. It was clear that the presentation was meant to recognize all of the diversity within the room, while simultaneously creating space for unknown traits and experiences that piece together to make our own individual story. It broke down stereotypes while giving us the tools to understand our own biases and perceptions when we approach others. They identified labels we make for ourselves and each other, illustrating how we interact within and outside the caucuses in which we engage. Subsequent presentations built off the NCBI presentation, forming a foundation of invaluable knowledge needed to volunteer and provide services.

Advocacy training lasts more than two weeks, which equals over forty hours spent within the YWCA’s center room. For those forty hours, thirty trainees, including myself, had the chance to interact and listen to numerous stories revolving around the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. The stories and training delve deeper into the issues, and create a holistic picture of how domestic violence relates to other human rights topics such as homelessness, culture assimilation, and mental health.  Throughout training, we learned about the services provided within Missoula that aim to address these issues. However, more importantly, we learned how to advocate for survivors that come to us with varying experiences and stories.

When training concludes on October 3^rd, I am confident that I will have the necessary tools to become an engaged advocate working to empower survivors and their children. 

Posted by Jessica, YWCA Missoula Advocate Trainee

VISTAs Collect 862 Toiletry Items for Women and Families

As AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America), we are expected to participate in any and all National Service Days to help give back to the community directly - Sept. 11 being one of them. The purpose of 9/11 Day of Service is to honor the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in America through a voluntarily observed national day of service, charity, and compassion and encouraging people everywhere to set aside time to help others in need. 

This year, the VISTAs and VISTA leaders organized the 2nd Annual “Great Roll Out” toiletry drive benefiting YWCA Missoula! Sept. 9 -11,VISTAs and members of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps of Missoula set up at four store locations and collected toiletry donations that the YWCA housing programs and Pathways program were in need of. I was so surprised with how generous people in the community were! We not only received more toiletries than we ever expected, but we collected cash donations as well. Maura, the Pathways VISTA at the YWCA is responsible for putting a great amount of work into the project. 

Because of the time and dedication from our AmeriCorps volunteers in Missoula, the "Great Roll Out" 2013 was a huge success: we collected $2,079.74 worth of cash/in-kind donations, including 862 toiletry items, to benefit YWCA programs. Thank you to Orange Street Food Farm, Super Wal-Mart, Patty Creek Market and Albertsons East for participating in our toiletry drive and allowing for this to happen!

Posted by Miranda, YWCA Missoula Transitional Housing VISTA

New AmeriCorps Volunteers Ready to Fight Poverty in Missoula!

Hey there! My name is Miranda, and I am the new AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) in the Transitional Housing Program at YWCA Missoula. I am originally from Napa, Calif., but I moved up to Missoula for my undergraduate studies in Psychology and Communications. I started out volunteering at the front desk about two years ago and couldn’t get enough, so I went through Advocate training and Children's Advocate training to gain more knowledge and skills and give more time to the YWCA. During my senior year of college, I had an internship through the GUTS! program, which helps girls identify and use their strengths. 

After graduating from college, I decided to join the VISTA program and chose the YWCA as my host site to serve for the next year. I am not sure what my plans are for the future - perhaps graduate school, perhaps more non-profit work - but either way, the YWCA is a great experience and opportunity for me on so many different levels.

Traveling is one of my passions, and as I started to travel more often I realized that poverty and suffering is everywhere. I hope to go back to these places and help to end poverty across seas, but it is very important to recognize the issues folks in our local community face every day as well. That is why I am here. My other passion is giving and helping out those in need, whether it be resources, a meal, or even a literal helping hand.

I have a year full of capacity-building and service ahead of me, including being a part of YWCA Missoula's Brown Bag Lunch Series team, conducting focus groups for our program participants, working on Project Homeless Connect, doing presentations about YWCA services at other local organizations, assisting with orientations and interviews, as well as outreaching to the community so that we can improve our services. It has been such a pleasure being part of the YWCA crew already! It is so comforting knowing that I work with a group of strong, smart, considerate and giving women every day and that we are making a difference in countless families’ and community members' lives. 

Miranda (left) and Maura (right) are excited to serve YWCA Missoula this year! 

Greetings! My name is Maura, and I am so sincerely happy to be here at the YWCA as the new AmeriCorps VISTA for the Pathways Children’s Program.  I first came to the YWCA two years ago as a volunteer with the GUTS! program and was immediately impressed by the variety of services and the scope of impact the YWCA has in our community. 

Working with children has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and this passion has resulted in many adventures, such as traveling to China to teach English, as well as discovering AmeriCorps in Spokane, where I taught children skills to help them achieve success in reading as a member of Washington ReadingCorps. 

Each time I leave Montana, I know it is only temporary because Montana is my home and indeed where my heart is. I grew up outside of Bigfork, and I am fortunate to be able to continue to go home and visit my family and pets often. I find peace in the beautiful views of the Swan Mountains and Jewel Basin, as well as the spectacular night sky.

I attended the University of Montana and received a bachelor of arts in Psychology with a Philosophy minor, and I also enjoyed many Sociology and Social Work courses.  I am currently taking online classes to become certified in Non-Profit Administration, and one day I hope to have a position in an organization like the YWCA, working to help children and adults develop the skills and tools that will enable them to reach their goals and make their dreams a reality.

Keff-what? Art and Appropriation

On the very first day of one of my high school art classes, my Theory of Aesthetics teacher sat us down and asked us a question: “What is art?” Surely this was a rhetorical question - this was an art class after all, and he, the teacher, was supposed to answer that question for us. But it wasn’t a rhetorical question.

Here’s the thing about art: it needs inspiration. The Greeks knew this better than anybody; they worshipped nine muses dedicated to the preservation of the creative spirit. But where we get our inspiration and how we use it can have a big impact on whether art is art, or say, plagiarism.

We all know that plagiarism is a major no-no because it’s a lie. It’s fine to draw inspiration from artists who’ve already done really cool stuff, but downright copying, especially without giving credit where credit is due is not okay.

But what about cultural plagiarism? Does that even exist? Can you steal someone’s culture? Is it even stealing when you do? I mean, we live in America, the melting pot, isn’t that kind of the point? We take everything and make it better?

Well, no. It is stealing when you take someone’s cultural traditions and symbols and make them your own, in whatever sense that may be. In fact, it’s called “cultural appropriation.”

So why do you have to worry about it? Well, let’s look at one form of art I can guarantee you’ve been exposed to on an everyday basis since you were old enough to know what cool is: fashion. Fashion is everywhere and trends come and go about as quickly as boy-bands.  Somewhere in that drive to hop on to the next big thing in fashion, we’ve forgotten to stop and check whether or not that absolutely adorable Aztec print top is buying into the latest and greatest cultural appropriation trend.

What’s the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation you ask? Let’s take a look. The clothing and accessories worn by different cultures are important because they symbolize certain elements of their heritage or their religious practices. A pattern and the colors in it could have a very specific meaning for a group of people. For instance, in many regions of Africa and the Middle East textile patterns were and are used to identify tribes, heritage and political loyalties. When those patterns start popping up on shelves in the U.S. there are a couple of issues. The first and foremost is that no one really understands where the pattern comes from or what it could mean, only that it gets you “that look.”  There’s no understanding about who the original creator of that pattern is, or what cultural implications it has beyond how well it matches your new pants.

Photo courtesy http://sunshinejoy.com/page/Keffiyeh_Scarves.html. 

Ever heard of a Keffiyeh? How about those cute hipster scarves with those cool patterns? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. BAM. Cultural appropriation. The scarf trend draws its inspiration from the Keffiyeh. The Keffiyeh is worn throughout the Middle East, and it carries a lot of significance in countries like Jordan and Palestine. So that cute hipster look isn’t just a fashion forward way to keep your neck warm; it’s a symbol of patriotism and heritage to people clear on the other side of the globe.

Wearing these trends like it’s nothing is a problem because they come from a place of history. There’s meaning and importance associated with a lot of symbols that we have no clue about. It’s one thing to travel somewhere, learn about a culture and bring back a piece of clothing or an accessory as a memory of that trip. In doing so, you are demonstrating cultural appreciation and you actually have some clue what you’re wearing and why it means something.

Going into American Outfitters and picking up the latest in tribal prints is one of the most blatant forms of disrespect out there. When we buy clothes without understanding what we’re wearing, we’re basically telling a lot of people around the world that their cultures and traditions aren’t important to us; that they’re just part of a trend that we can cast off whenever something better comes along.

It’s not easy to avoid cultural appropriation when you’re out shopping. But you can do it. Helpful hint: those feather headdresses you’re about to drop a couple hundred bucks on are definitely not okay. Take a second and research the history and significance of headdresses to Native Americans and you might find yourself thinking twice about wearing one to your next rave. Understanding where these trends are coming from not only increases your knowledge, but helps you to avoid the pitfalls of spending your money on something that disrespects someone else.

In fact, the more you know, the more you can direct your spending choices toward something that can actually help other people. Take the project 3Strands, which employs victims of sex trafficking and produces bracelets that you can buy in stores like Whole Foods and Apricot Lane. Money from sales helps free women from trafficking and employs women who would otherwise be shunned.

Money speaks pretty gosh darn loudly, and you say a lot with what you buy. Art is beautiful and wonderful. It’s great to push the boundaries with what counts as art and what’s acceptable, but when it comes to your closet, make sure you understand the fashion statements you’re making, or else you could end up saying more about yourself than you realize.

Take a look at this photographers’ take on cultural appropriation in fashion.

Planet Kids' Staff Are Keeping New Hampshire In Their Thoughts

While some of us at Planet Kids were working on Sunday morning of Aug. 11, 2013, providing supervised visitation; there was a horrible tragedy happening in a place providing the very same services in Manchester, N.H.

Please keep all of the children and parents that are victims of domestic violence in your thoughts. Help to cure the cycle of violence. Report any form of violence that you suspect and help to promote peace.

The victims in New Hampshire are in our thoughts here at Planet Kids, and we send the utmost love to you.

Posted by Amber, Planet Kids visit monitor.

Expanded Secret Seconds Thrift Store to Reopen August 14

The Broadway location of Secret Seconds  is reopening on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The new store looks great, and we are so excited! 

We are now accepting donations, and we even have room for gently used furniture with all of the additional space. 

Take a look at how it's coming along, and come see us on Wednesday. 

And of course, Secret Seconds staff can help you pick out exactly what you need. We are pretty talented. 

Thanks for your support!

Posted by Shelby, Secret Seconds store staff

Paula v. Paul

In legal cases of defamation, there is a certain standard that is applied to people in the public eye. In order for a celebrity to prove that she has been defamed, she must prove that there was something called “actual malice.” This means the celebrity has to prove the person defaming her spread lies on purpose and completely ignored the truth. Now let's look at what happens when a celebrity is the one doing the defaming. Do we hold celebrities to the same standard? Do we look at the intent behind the celebrity’s words and actions and judge him accordingly?

A celebrity perpetuating racism could be accused of spreading lies — after all, isn't racism one big lie after another – A lie to himself and to humanity? By what standard do we judge celebrities when they spread racism? Celebrities need publicity in order to be, well… celebrities. News media sources know this; they also know that if they can get us to pay attention to a story, they can run with it.

We need to start using the actual malice standards when it comes to celebrities behaving in ways that are detrimental to our society. Let’s look at an example of the actual malice standard at work with two public figures who messed up big time with racist behavior.

The celebrity chef, Paula Deen, was once associated with extreme butter usage – now she’s associated with racism and a career that's going up in flames. On top of that, allegations of Deen running a hostile and racist work environment have surfaced. Okay, she screwed up. We all screw up sometimes, but the question is, how did she fix it? Well, she apologized…and she fired her agent. Great! Real change has been made. Now that Deen begged forgiveness, a serious transgression has been righted and the world has learned a valuable lesson: When you screw up, fire your agent.

Earlier this year, celebrity chef Paula Deen dealt with allegations that she was running a hostile and racist work environment. Photo courtesy Digitas Photos. 

Pause. Remember that actual malice standard? Was there intent? Did Paula Deen know that she was spreading lies and ignoring the truth? I think her behavior indicates that she did know what she was doing; she’s just floundering now that she’s been caught in the act of bigotry.

Let’s take a look at someone else who screwed up. More specifically, a company — Paul Frank Industries. You probably know the company by its trademark monkey face logo. For 2012’s "Fashion's Night Out," Paul Frank LA held a Native American Powwow-themed party. The entire event capitalized on stereotypes about Native Americans through the usage of feathers, tomahawks and war paint. The company was called out by blogger Adrienne K, administrator of Native Appropriations.  Much to her surprise, not only did Paul Frank Industries respond to her letter, but also asked for her help to learn and grow from the situation.

Last year, Paul Frank Industries apologized for capitalizing on Native American stereotypes at one of its fashion parties. Photo taken at Paul Frank store in Berlin, courtesy of Brian Caldwell.

The president of Paul Frank Industries responded to Adrienne K directly and requested the blogger's help to change how the company was using Native American imagery. Since then, the company has collaborated with Native designers like Dustin Martin and Autumn Dawn Gomez, in addition to pulling offensive imagery from its stock photos. The company's response to the incident demonstrated contrition and a true willingness to change.

Actual malice standard? I think we can safely say that Paul Frank Industries realized they had unintentionally offended a lot of people and tried to make sincere amends. Paula Deen? Not so much.  

Every turn of the Paula Deen saga has been picked up by major news sources and spread across headlines. Meanwhile, Paul Frank has received limited media attention. Who are we rewarding? Paula Deen. By paying attention to her story and continuing to read and watch stories about her, we are only encouraging news sources to continue their coverage. In looking for news sources that are covering people who actually strive to rectify their mistakes and move beyond their bad behavior, we let the world know what we do and don’t support.

As long as we keep paying attention to people like Paula Deen and ignoring stories like Paul Frank Industries, we will never see the change that is trying to happen. The media has made a very clear declaration of which story it thinks is important for the public to see. As a result, Paula Deen is the story that will influence the people who hear it. It's the story that people will remember when they think of racism. It's the story that will ultimately influence their behavior.

Is Paula Deen's behavior really the standard we want the media to set for us?  

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Racial Justice Intern

Hey, It's 2013!

When I was younger, my mom and I butted heads a lot over the state of my room. She wanted it clean; I didn't want to clean it. Not exactly a unique situation — what kid actually wants to clean her room? When I did get around to cleaning, I'd tell her when I was done and wait, fingers crossed, for the inspection that would follow. Without fail, Mom would come in and point out what I'd missed (or tried to hide). I'd like to say that I've gotten better at keeping my room clean as I've gotten older, but you'd have to check with my roommates on that one.  

   

So what does my room have to do with racial justice? Think of our society as my bedroom: even though we might think we’re done with the whole “racism thing,” we still have a lot of cleaning to do.

When it comes to racial justice, we still have a lot of cleaning to do.

Every time I see something new going on or talk to someone about the latest occurrence in the world of -isms (racism, sexism, etc.), the phrase, “It’s 2013!” undoubtedly pops up:    

"It's 2013, why are people so up in arms about a mixed-race family on TV?"

   

I recently found myself repeating the phrase often, especially in this internship as I examined the issues I wasn't aware of before. There are a lot of things going on in the world that I thought were problems of the past, and it never fails to shock me that these things happen today. For instance, constantly questioning a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body – why is that still on the agenda?
   

The more I thought about it and talked about it, the more I began to see a problem. Let's think about our society as my bedroom again: We've cleaned it pretty well; we've taken out the garbage; we've picked our clothes up from the floor; made the bed; done the laundry; maybe even sprayed some Febreeze around for good measure. Now take a minute, put on your Mom goggles, and look again.
    

Uh oh, what's that under the bed? Racial bias in the media. Racial profiling (think: Trayvon Martin). And in the closet? Are those some stereotypes we're still holding onto? For example, housing discrimination. It still exists. People of color are shown fewer properties by landlords than their white counterparts. 

Okay, you can take your Mom goggles off now. Yes, we've made a lot of progress, and that's wonderful. But as far as the deep dark corners of our metaphorical room are concerned, we've still got some major issues. Thinking that we've already cleaned them up only allows them to sit in the corner and grow into a bigger problem. 

   

We need to stop saying, "It's 2013! We should be done with racism!" That phrase is easy; it's a trap waiting to stop progress. It's dangerous, and it lends us a false sense of security about the work we still need to do. Just because we cleaned our room once, doesn't mean we get to stop. We need to start looking at our society with our Mom goggles and look at the things we missed before. 

   

We can't let the progress our parents and grandparents made in working toward equality go to waste. We have to carry that momentum forward and keep working toward change. I'm making a personal pledge not to use that phrase anymore whenever I hear about modern racism. 

It's 2013, and we're not done. It's 2013, and racism still exists. It might not look the same way as it did to our parents, but it's there all the same.
   

So put your Mom goggles on and keep an eye out for that mess under the bed. Cleaning is never easy, but it must be done. 

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

P.S. Thanks for the inspiration, Mom!

P.P.S. Check out these motivational pictures. Warning: may contain humor.

Respectful discourse.

Down with this sort of thing.

Do something.

The Zimmerman Verdict: Is Race An Issue?

Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman. Still with me? I know we've heard those two names a lot lately, but there’s still a lot to be said about the verdict in the Zimmerman trial.

In a recent Pew poll, respondents were asked whether they were satisfied with the results of the case and whether the issue of race is receiving more attention than it deserves. Conversely, they were asked if the case raises important issues about race that need to be discussed. Of the respondents who were white, most responded they were satisfied with the results, while the majority of black respondents reported dissatisfaction with the results. Black respondents were more likely to respond that they believed the case raised important issues that need to be discussed while the majority white respondents said the issue of race was getting more attention than it deserved.

So what does this tell us? It tells us that when we’re getting tired of the discussion and thinking it’s been talked and written about to death, we need to take a step back and think about where we’re coming from. Who are we in the conversation? Are we someone who has felt the effects of racism in its many forms? Or are we someone who has grown up with the privilege of not having to think about our racial identity?

Race is an issue in this case because people who experience racism are telling us there’s an issue. Shouldn't we take a step back and think about that for a minute?

The thing is, any one of us could have just as easily been George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin. In fact, most of us will assume roles similar to those seen in this case. We will experience judgment based on our appearance, and we will judge others based on their appearance. For that very reason, we can’t dismiss the conversation about the Trayvon Martin shooting and the subsequent trial. It isn't just a conversation about people of color or white people. It’s a conversation about the choices we make as individuals and as a society. It’s about the moments when we look at another person and decide who they are and what they can do to us based on snap judgments and stereotypes.

If we aren't talking about this, we aren't acknowledging that a serious tragedy happened. A young man is dead. The value of human life is too great not to examine why he’s dead, what led to his death and how to stop it from happening again. The same snap judgments that George Zimmerman made about Trayvon Martin could be the same you or I have made when we were walking down the street and we started walking just a little bit faster because someone fit a certain stereotype. The same judgments people have made about Trayvon Martin being a troublemaker and a delinquent could be the same judgments thrown on you as a young person who chooses to dress in a certain way, or even as a parent who would allow it.

We need to talk about these perceptions and judgments because, while they don’t seem that big of a deal in our everyday lives, it only takes that perfect storm of a moment when, you’re holding a gun and that profile goes up in your brain and your fear or anger turns into a finger on the trigger.

So have the conversation. Stick it out. Think about how you might have acted if you had been in George Zimmerman’s shoes. Then think about how you can act differently in your own shoes every day.

Posted by Juliana Rose, YWCA Missoula Racial Justice Intern

Wild Horse Island Adventures, Girls and Their Leaders Using Their Strengths!

I’m Miranda, a former intern for the GUTS! program here at YWCA Missoula. I had the pleasure of volunteering on the GUTS! Summer Adventure to Wild Horse Island a few weeks ago. I had never been to Wild Horse Island before, so I was just as thrilled as the girls were to get off that boat and discover this historical island! 

GUTS! trips are set up to give girls in our community the opportunity to learn new skills, utilize their strengths and explore Montana. However, this trip was also a life-changing one for me! It was so rewarding getting to develop relationships with each one of the girls as well as the leaders. Whether it was sleeping out on the dock, watching our Program Manager try to do a headstand on a paddleboard, or walking down the “catwalk” (also known as the dock) in our Inner Beauty Fashion Show  - which consisted of writing our personal strengths on body parts that we may not be so confident about, and then strutting our stuff while being cheered on by the others - my motivation and inspiration for life was rejuvenated thanks to a group of 16 strong and unique girls and women.

Wild Horse Island is just one of the Summer Adventures where GUTS! girls discover their inner strengths.

One of the activities that we organized for the girls was a Team Challenge Course, where these 11- to 13-year-old girls got to put their strengths to use while working as a team. The last challenge they faced was to build a raft out of the driftwood from the beach and rope we provided and  navigate to the end of the bay to retrieve their prize (a box of cookies that one of the leaders had planted there.) My GUTS! girls had more survival skills than those people on the TV show "Survivor"! I am confident that we have a group of strong, independent, charismatic, and inspiring young girls on our hands, hopefully serving as role models for their peers around the community. 

Throughout the trip, I kept wishing that the community I grew up in had a program like GUTS!. It would have made adolescence a lot easier and exciting to go through, that’s for sure! At the end of our trip, we encouraged the girls to write affirmations about one another, including the leaders - an activity we refer to as “Fill your cup." Sitting around the campfire expressing what we appreciated about one another was a really moving experience for me. I now have a piece of paper filled with comments from our lovely bunch to remind myself of my positive intrinsic qualities that will ALWAYS pick me up when I start to question myself!

Posted by Miranda, YWCA Missoula Ada's Place AmeriCorps VISTA

Women's Shelter Swing Set Has Seen Better Days

As the summer takes full swing in Missoula, blue skies and sunshine have kids at our shelter itching to enjoy the good weather. For the past several weeks, every time I’ve come to the shelter at least one child has begged me to play with them in the backyard.  

We play tag, soccer, football, and numerous games invented by the kids themselves, but by far and away our swing set is the Number 1 favorite for kids playing at the shelter. The swing set has worn many hats throughout the years, including Tree House, Star Ship and Monster Cave. 

The swing set at the YWCA women's shelter is on its last legs. 

Sadly, our beloved swing set has seen better days. Due to the wear and tear over the past few years, two of the swings became too dangerous for children to use. With only one safe swing remaining, our outdoor play set is struggling in its last days. 

We would love to have a new swing set for kids to enjoy safely! If you have one to donate, call the YWCA Missoula office at 406-543-6691. 

Posted by Hattie, YWCA Missoula Pathways VISTA

Quirky Finds in Secret Seconds' 'Pretty Room'

Our new store on Broadway is mere weeks away from being finished! We are very excited! Unfortunately, contrary to previously stated, the Broadway store will have to close for a couple of weeks in August. During that time, Secret Seconds employees will be hard at work reorganizing the store and making it look great! 

While the Broadway store is closed, take the opportunity to frequent our other thrift store location at 920 Kensington.


Due to our expansion, a charming little nook that we like to call the "pretty room" will cease to exist. This is a place where we keep extra special treasures at the Broadway store, like vintage jewelry and accessories. Be warned, not everything in the 'pretty room' is pretty (ex. creepy dolls). But come find these gems while you still can!

Posted by Shelby, Secret Seconds Thrift Stores Clerk

Keep Showing Up: A Child Advocate's Story

I have spent a lot of time this year witnessing trauma. In my position as a Children’s Advocate in a domestic violence shelter, I have served children who have survived and witnessed a staggering range of violence, abuse and anger.  

Trauma looks different in each child. It can speak through blank stares and distant gazes, or it can lash out as confrontation, defiance and anger. It can trigger refusals to eat, sleep, listen, share, use the toilet, go to school, or respect authority figures. 

One 13-year-old boy I worked with closed himself in the closet, screamed at the top of his lungs and threatened to harm himself. A nine-year old girl wet her pants every time she heard her father’s voice. A five-year old boy would scream, “I hate you! I’ll mess you up!” when he disagreed with your suggestions. One four-year old boy stopped talking altogether, opting instead to spend his day rocking back and forth in a ball on the carpet.

It can break your heart to watch kids surviving violence. But it reminds me every day about why showing up to them matters.

What children develop as coping mechanisms to survive and process violence can damage the rest of their lives. The attachment disorders, mental illness and violent behaviors that develop in response to trauma pose life-long obstacles to children – and later, adults – who endure them. Often, the women in our shelter who grapple with complex, multiple diagnoses (on top of the trauma of their current situations) cite the violent homes they grew up in as the root cause of their struggles.  

But what can we do about it? We can’t erase memories, nor should we. We can’t “fix” families, nor should we. We can’t heal every wound – we can’t even perceive them all.

But we can keep showing up.  

As a children’s advocate, my role is to be a peaceful, safe, fun adult that the kids in shelter can trust to be there for them. I’m the one they can play with, talk to, goof around with, earn stickers from, and accompany on outings. Sometimes I’m the one to cook their meals, tie their shoes, and help them with their homework. We talk about Spongebob and coloring books, boogers and fairies, dinosaurs, pancakes, calm bodies, and feeling angry. We talk about their friends, their pets, their stuffed animals, and their superpowers. We talk about what it’s like to move to a new place, to leave your grandma behind, and how a reservation is different from a city. There are giggles and high fives and temper tantrums, and a lot of messy dishes.

Sometimes it’s hard to understand the impact of service. It can be hard to see families return to abusive situations, or to see kids leave the shelter only to continue being homeless. But the greatest joy in my position is to witness the change – however small – that comes over children during their stay in shelter. Perhaps it’s as subtle as understanding the difference between gentle and violent hands, or it’s as monumental sharing your toys rather than hitting people with them. It can be that kids feel allowed to be kids again – to choose their favorite clothes to wear, belt their favorite tunes, blow bubbles in their milk, smile when they say hello, or shake their tail feathers when you turn on the radio. When a child who’s played a protective role can leave mom’s side, knowing she’s safe, I know that what we do matters.

Miranda, a YWCA Children's Advocate, stands with a tree created by children in the domestic violence shelter and attending support groups. 

Earlier this year, I was pushing a four-year-old girl and her brother on the swings in the backyard. The girl started singing and laughing. 

“Felicity*, I love to hear you sing!” I exclaimed. 

“Oh, I know!” she shouted. “Everybody does!” 

When I asked her why I hadn’t heard her sing before, she replied, “We only sing when we’re happy!”

I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of our time together finding reasons for Felicity to sing.

A domestic violence shelter can change a child’s life. Sometimes, it even saves it. And whether or not I ever understand the full impact of my relationships with the children I meet there, I’ll know that it’s a privilege and a joy to keep showing up for them.  

Posted by Miranda, Jesuit Volunteer Corps member, YWCA Missoula Pathways Program