Our mission is to gather each other and collectively heal each other with our own personal medicine that we carry with us; our spirit. This medicine is administered in so many ways, but some of the strongest versions of medicine exist in creativity and knowledge. Thusly, it is through arts, music, dance, poetry, chanting, drumming, collectively learning, expressing, exploring, we heal and grow and love; ourselves and others around us, which simply speaking boils down to:
We are here to heal our people, our communities, and ourselves.
Enjoy a restful, blissful, & Spirit-filled weekend in a safe, all womyn's space where there are fabulous performances of poetry, dance, & music by performers both locally and nationally know. There will be great workshops on natural health and healing techniques; yoga & meditation & drumming. There will be fire circles; canoeing on a private spring mountain lake; and each year we average between 250 - 400 womyn from all parts of the United States, Canada, England, and beyond.
We are now calling out for Sistah Summerfest volunteers, who can help out in various activities such as cooking, childcare, security and registration, and pre-festival promotion. However you fit in, get into the festival spirit.
Anything is possible with dedication, time, and effort on the part of everyone who loves the idea and has resources to birth reality. Invest your time, your dollars, your follow-up, and your unique talents to help Sistah Summerfest make a home.
In the midst of dizzying times, we can be grounded in the safe have we create at Summerfest. If you have been there before, you know the beauty of the experience. If this will be your first time, take a leap of faith on the hearts of our vision and make it yours.
Here are just a few ways you can help:
--- Make a donate of $100 or more ---
--- Join a growth committee to set the agenda
--- Start to organize Sistah Summerfest 2005 now, an excellent work for next year.
--- Organize and host a benefit creative event with proceeds going toward Sistah Summerfest Land.
--- dream up your own way to help, plan it, see it through, and enjoy it.
Amethyst & Indigo, Inc. the National Non-profit Foundation of Womyn of color for Cultural Exploration, Retention, and Healing through the Arts, Education, and Outreach, was founded in August 1995 and received incorporation status in the state of Maryland in April of 1997. Founded by Amikaeyla Proudfoot Gaston, a lesbian woman of color, this organization was founded on one simple mission and principle—
We are here to heal our people, communities, and ourselves. This very basic, yet very complicated vision has birthed this organization and all of her projects, and it all stems from a very beautiful and very rich Herstory.
STORY
In August of 1995, I, Amikaeyla went to a spiritual celebration known as Coumba Lamba, which happens once a year, but only in Senegal. The celebration is in honor of a holy woman and her lineage of spiritual healers and visionaries. The woman’s name is Maam Fatu Sekk and she is still alive today (117 years old). In 1995, this celebration would be held in the United States for the first time ever and Maam Fatu Sekk would be there. An organization known as the Coosan (pronounced Chosan or chosen) Foundation was sponsoring the event in honor of Maam Fatu Sekk and her request to also have the Native American Tribes present as well as to be honored.
I arrived in the Gullah Islands and found everyone there garbed in traditional African or Native American dress and attending spiritual workshops after feasting and drumming. There were guided meditations, and each workshop focused on alternative healing and spirituality. I was very happy because for the first time, all parts of me were wedded together in one common event. But the impetus or charge to begin Amethyst & Indigo had not yet been recognized.
On the last day, the large celebration was to take place. Maam Fatu Sekk and her entorage was front and center and she called the Native American Chief, Chief Eaglehawk to speak first to the people. As he rose to speak, he prayed, poured libation, and called our attention to the skies. He pointed out that a family of eagles had just begun to circle and that this same family of eagles follows him wherever he goes—thus the name Eaglehawk. He said for us not to take lightly the signs that nature surrounds us with because this is how our ancestors speak to us. He then called up his younger colleague, a man whose name that I cannot recall. This man was substantially younger than the chief, but he was a chosen medicine man because of the visions that he has been given. This younger man went on to explain that in the Native American tradition, the buffalo was a sacred animal, representing the purity of a people. Also, in the Native American tradition, the birthing of an albino buffalo (all white) was the fulfillment of a long ago prophecy, that times were changing and that we were to take note of this and begin to prepare spiritually and intensely. He then went on to say that in 1995, the fourth white buffalo had been born (four being significant because it represents the four earthly directions—east, south, west & north, as well as the four tribes of people on turtle island, also known as mother earth—west for the black people, north for the red people, east for the yellow people, and south for the white people). In his vision, he was told that once the fourth white buffalo has been born, he was to gather 100 eagle feathers from around the country. This is no easy task—especially since the possession of eagle feathers, unless you are a chosen tribal healer, is illegal. Yet, he persisted. In July 1995, he obtained all 100 and made the sacred hoop—the hoop for all of he prayers of all of the peoples in each direction. It was also prophesied by him that this hoop had to be passed to each nation to purify them in preparation for the changing times.
When he pulled out the hoop, everyone in the audience began to cheer and cry all at the same time because it was just breathtaking. We all put the ashes of our prayers (which had been burned in the sacred fire and made into prayer ties) into the hoop from each direction and had to make a pledge to call out to the universe and gather our people. Each one of us had to gather our own respective communities and begin to heal all the people. And I took that charge very seriously. Thus, that very day, Amethyst and Indigo, the colors of healing and insight (represented in crystal form—amethyst, and third eye chakra color—indigo), was born. Interestingly enough, about three days after the name had been chosen, I found out that the color for Capricorns (I’m a Cappy) is indigo, and the stone for December (the month I was born in) and Capricorns, is amethyst (now, many books have variations to this, but in most of the books that I have seen, its this way).
Since there is so much energy in what you call out, I knew that the name had to be just so…that’s why the title is soooo long, but it must incorporate all aspects of this endeavor. The rest is herstory. One year and one-half later, we received our articles of incorporation and the first festival was done and a huge success.
mail to Sistah Summerfest/T.Harris
PO Box 12220
Washington DC 20005