Music, prayer, unity at Indigenous Womxn's March

A soggy Sunday turned clear amid whooping and drum-beating in downtown Portland, where hundreds of women prayed, sang and marched to celebrate unity.

Unlike some other marches in the U.S. this weekend, Portland's rally celebrated indigenous and marginalized women, including those who identify with the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transsexual and queer community.

"We're saying we want to empower all women," said Candi Brings Plenty, a Portlander of Oglala Lakota descent who organized the march. "They are warriors because they are leading in their everyday walk of life."

The event, which included a rally and a march, with speeches, prayers, ceremonies and dancing, drew up to 500 people.

Billed as the Indigenous Womxn's March -- the "x" represents the LGBTQ community – it started at 1 p.m. at Terry Schrunk Plaza in Southwest Portland.

It was a colorful affair, with marchers in feathered headdresses, some wearing beaded accessories and flowing dresses.

Old and young turned up, from elderly women with canes to babies in strollers. They huddled around the red brick circular center of the plaza, listening to speakers.

They called for support for Native Americans. They talked about marginalized people. They said they wanted white women to express support.

"It's time for white women to show up," one woman said. "We show up all the time."

Some carried signs that called for solidarity with Red Fawn Fallis, a Dakota Access oil pipeline protester who was arrested last year. She was charged with shooting at police officers. She's still behind bars, and reports say she's reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

Others held banners for Berta Cáceres, a high-profile Honduran environmental activist. She won the Goldman prize in 2015 but was shot to death at her home in March 2016.

Other women carried signs that read MMIW: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Crimes against Native American women far surpass those against white women, speakers said.

Just about everybody donned something red – a scarf, hat, jacket or headband – in tribute to humanity.

"All of our blood is red," Brings Plenty told the crowd, "We're all relatives."

Josie Thompson and Mika Davies listened, wearing necklaces of red prayer flags.

"We prayed for Red Fawn, indigenous people and solidarity," Thompson said.

Casi Massingill and her daughter, Sarah Ruibal, carried a sign celebrating Mother Earth. "We came to support indigenous Native cultures today," Massingill said. "Mother Earth is for us all."

The organizers sang a prayer song and whooped. They breathed in the billowing smoke of burning sage in a ritual called smudging. The smoke brings healing to the mind, body and spirit, said Karry Kelley, a Portlander of Palute and Modoc descent.

From the plaza, they walked east down Southwest Columbia Street, beating drums, blowing through conch shells and singing Native American prayers.

They crossed Waterfront Park and gathered at the water's edge, where they performed a ceremony of unity.

Water is common to all plants, animals and people, said Brings Plenty. "We all need it to live."

And then they returned to the plaza.

Not everybody had peace on their mind, however. Rachel Dreilinger, of Navajo descent, turned up with her two sons and husband from Beavercreek to express their dislike with President Donald Trump.

Her sign read: "I'm tired of winning."

"We have a president who is sexist and racist," Dreilinger said.

"We're at a time where healing is needed," said Meg Vogt, a self-professed "white girl who grew up on the res." She carried a drum which she beat as the crowd headed back to Terry Schrunk Plaza.

"It's the mother's heartbeat," Vogt said. "This resonates with everyone."

Participants let out whoops. They said they were cries of unity.

The event ended with dancing and prayers and drumbeats, with the crowd encircling the drummers in the middle of the plaza.

And then they left, filing out as the circle unwound.

"This is how you need to continue moving," Brings Plenty said. "We move forward with love and solidarity."

-- Lynne Terry

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