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Winona LaDuke Speaking for the Earth
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Those who know me well would probably not say that I am
reluctant to voice my opinions. I do speak up when I have something to say.. However, at
times I speak in such a direct, forceful manner that it puts some people off.
Why? I think I can be blunt is that, even after many decades of speaking my
mind, I am still not wholly comfortable with doing so.
I think it stems from the utter suppression of my voice I
experienced as a child. My father was not really interested in my opinion, or
even to hear about a need I might have. It wasn’t that he didn’t care so much
as it was the old “a child should be seen and not heard” attitude that many
parents in the 50s and 60s believed. Even though I do express my opinions to
most everyone, somewhere inside me I am fighting against hard wiring that what
I say and feel doesn’t matter. So why express it? Surprisingly, many women I know in their prime still can’t speak
their mind, express their needs, or voice an opinion on a current issue
because they 1.) were conditioned to be submissive, 2.) lack confidence that
their feelings, thoughts, and opinions matter, 3.) are afraid of standing out,
4.) avoid confrontation, or 5.) are people pleasers.
No matter why we don’t speak our minds, it is important that we
tell ourselves that what we think and feel is important…that we are important.
The next step is to practice speaking up for ourselves.
Consider the following ways to practice using our voices:
- Journal your feelings. Write through
your grief, anger, and insecurities.
- Don’t say “yes’ when
you really want to say “no.”
- Join a women’s group
where you can safely learn to practice your voice.
- Sing. It’s a good way
to practice using your voice creatively.
We all have wisdom and
important ideas and feelings to share with others. We can all make a difference
by using our voices to speak our truths. We can support one another and
encourage other women to speak out. Sometimes we won’t always have our words received
as we want. When we can touch our inner self and speak from our deepest core,
we can better deflect the challenge posed by those who would suppress our
voices. We cannot all be like Winona LaDuke, climate activist and water protector, who courageously opposes oil pipelines on native lands, yet we can raise our own voices.
I know I need much
practice in using gentler words and a milder tone. Yet even if our presentation
isn’t perfect or doesn’t conform to the standard of being “ladylike,” we still
must power on and hone our communication skills. We women will come into our
collective power when all of us, one by one, learn to speak our minds in our
own unique and precious voices.
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