WILLOW JACK

Bunnuh, Nu Nanewanuh. Hello my peeps my name is Willow Jack and I am a mixed blood Indigenous woman who is motivated and wants to see good things happen for our future generations. I am a jingle dress dancer in the powwow circle and honored to be a champion jingle dress dancer. I have great respect for this style of dance because it has truly brought me to be where I am today, physically and spiritually. Although I do participate in the contemporary world of powwow dance, don't be fooled. I am also a dancer of my ceremonial dances and participant of my ceremonial ways. I do not claim NAC, but I believe in NAC, Sun dance, Sweat lodge, Longhouse and much more.

I believe that our ways are sacred and all ways that are truly good are given to us for a reason and we must keep them alive. I am spiritual, getting back into my praying and enjoy how refreshed and beautiful it makes life feel.

I am a descendant of Sacajawea and member of the Lemhi Shoshone Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. I am a rez girl and not scared to say it, regardless I am still versatile where ever I may be, whether it is the big cities or in the mountains. Now, I come from the bloodlines of the Lemhi Shoshone, Bannock, Colville, Couer d'Alene, Spokane and Kootenai people. I have more bloodlines that I carry but these are my most prominent.

I follow the ways of the Agai Dika, the Salmon Eater, Lemhi Shoshone because my people are matriarchal so follow the ways of my mother. I was born in our homelands because my family has remained connected to that place for generations, we still have special places for collecting our medicines and herbs. Unfortunately in these modern times I need to seek an education to make a life and BELIEVE me, my homelands doesn't have any major Universities to attend near by. I was born in the Salmon River Valley of the Bitteroot Mountains where the Salmon come all the way home from the Ocean through the Columbia River to spawn (I feel they are connected so much that they have spawned here since time immemorial, regardless of all these dams, some still make it home like the Lemhi).

I was raised around some of our respected elders, most of whom are gone. I smelled their coffee, injun bread, bacon grease, cedar, and tobacco.. When I smell brain-tanned buckskin it brings me back to the smell of my Cugoo, plus she still smells of hides because she is a renowned beader. I enjoy having these memories and the opportunity to be around our wisdom keepers (I love you Cugoo, you influence all our lives, we respect and love you). I was raised hiking, hunting, fishing, digging roots, berry picking and more.. so yeah, guess u could say injun style, and now I am the opposite..hehe.

In all, regardless of being raised on a reservation or off a reservation I am pretty versatile where I am, I have been able to feel at home. I have walked in a lot of shoes and seen a lot of things, but I am still learning. I do, bring these experiences with me. Yeah I am from the rez, so you already know .

As for life right now, I am currently attending the University of Kansas for my Master of Social Work in Advocacy Administration and Policy SWAAP. I enjoy school and it is a blessing to be going well. I plan on furthering my education upon completing my Masters degree in May of 2010. I dream of working for Indigenous peoples on a National and International level and I know these dreams will someday come true.

Now that you know more about me, here are some more blanks I did not previously fill: I am a single mother, I have a son, I been through horrible things in my life but don't let them bring me down but shape me into a strong woman, I travel extensively, I like to be with my buddies, watch movies, sew, bead, cook, and I LOVE FOOD. Food is my weakness and hopefully not my demise! If I was given any super hero power, I would be able to eat and never gain weight or get diabetes..lol But, I'd rather not worry about weight and just CULTIVATE these curves because that's how I roll, or actually that's how I muffin lmao.. OOSE

If you would like to contact me for any reason please feel free to email me at smokinmoccasins@yahoo.com