Second Annual Round Dance Raises Awareness, Brings Movement as Medicine to the Community
Dancers encircle singers as they drum at the Columbia River Round Dance on May 3, 2024.
By Cole Goodwin
The Dalles, Ore., May 9, 2024 – The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission hosted its second annual Columbia River Round Dance last Friday, drawing 430 attendees to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIW/P).
Attendees shared a meal of fry bread, corn, beans, salmon, and salad and took part in community healing with a round dance to honor those missing and murdered people alongside their ancestors. This year's round dance also incorporated a resource fair, vendors, guest speakers, dancers, drummers, and a special tribute to families affected by MMIW/P, featuring a display where attendees could display photos or posters or write the names of their missing loved ones.
“It was an amazing evening,” said Charlieann Herkshan, a Victims Advocate for CRITFC and the lead organizer for the event who helped to coordinate with the Columbia River Round Dance Committee and volunteers, including local youth.
“Movement is medicine, I said it last year too but the thing I love is that, truly when we’re out there dancing, you leave everything on the floor,” she explained.
Herkshan also encouraged Native Americans and non-native folk to attend next year's event.
“I want people to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they belong in this space with us as our allies, you know, as our Native relatives, and that it's okay to join us when we're out there dancing. But also just to be respectful of our culture because we are sharing a piece of us with you and to pay attention to the MC and the protocols and what they're sharing, because we're trying to teach you our protocol.
“Historically, round dances are a closed ceremonial event. And it was used as a way for us to connect with our ancestors, our loved ones that have passed on. It was used to help us heal in our morning and the loss. And it connects us with our ancestors. So when we're out there, dancing in a circle, we're dancing alongside them. “
“So I think that the important message to take away is that if you're coming here and you have things to let go, then you can do that as well even as a non-native person. So if you're feeling lost or you're mourning somebody close to you that has passed on, come and join us,” said Herkshan.
Kola Shippentower, pro MMA fighter, Women’s Nation Football Confrence player, domestic violence survivor and founder of the Wisáwca Project delivered a powerful speech at the event emphasizing native people’s strength and resilience as a community and efforts being made to take preventative measures and advocate for MMIW/P’s and systemic changes to protect Native people’s from violence.
Kola Shippentower.
She encouraged everyone in the crowd to check out the Wisáwca Project, an initiative that helps people create their own personal safety plans that match their lifestyle and that list all the information law enforcement needs to know within 24 hours of someone going missing.
She highlighted both the struggle and the strength involved in the project's work.
“It’s essentially telling law enforcement where their shortcomings are, but also to let them know we’re advocating for our personal safety. We’re taking it seriously. We’re taking back that power. And so when we do come to you asking for help, we’ve essentially done the majority of the job for you. Now you need to pick up where we left off and continue on,” said Shippentower.
She also called on government agencies to pay attention and put pen to paper to make legislative changes.
“The message that I have for any government law enforcement agencies, any judicial personnel is if we're taking this seriously and we're willing to do the work and do all the boots to the ground type of work then you get the cushy job sitting in your office. So we just ask you to put that pen and paper and start making legislative changes and actually following through. And ensuring that the other people on the ground are willing to follow through with the work that's being established. And we'll continue doing what we can on our end,” she added.
Shippentower’s other message?
Honor your worth, your strength and put it to work..
“We are valuable. We are strong, we're not weak individuals, we're natural born fighters and we'll continue doing that until we know that all of us are coming back home,” said Shippentower.
“It’s about showing that we are proactive in ensuring our safety and advocating for systemic changes to protect our people," she stated.
The event also served as an educational platform, with displays and speeches that illuminated the ongoing MMIW/P crisis, its causes, and the measures needed to address it. Herkshan hopes that the round dance will continue to serve as a beacon of awareness and activism, not only within Indigenous communities but also among non-Native allies. "We want everyone to feel welcome, to learn about our culture and to support us in this critical fight," she expressed.
To learn more about the Wisáwca Project create a safety plan or request safety coaching click here.
For more information about the Columbia River Round Dance and other CRITFC initiatives, visit their website or follow them on social media.
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