We, as women, are the gatekeepers of knowledge and wisdom for ourselves and our families. In my experience, gaining knowledge is a very creative process, involving struggle followed by new discovery.
We contribute to the world as we learn, innovate, and then pass our understanding to others. Because we wear so many hats, our opportunity to learn is endless. There is always more to learn and we can pass lifelong learning to our children.
I recently met Dorothy Bigman, a Navajo woman and native farmer in Monument Valley. She told me about culturally important plants which medicine people use for healing and in traditional ceremonies. She learned how to use them by going with her grandparents to harvest, dry, then prepare these plants for use. Her grandparents taught her to use every part of a plant, to conserve precious desert resources. Now she teaches Navajo language and culture at the local high school, passing these traditions to her children and other children in her tribe.
Important cultural traditions are often passed through women. Which cultural traditions do you pass to your family? What do you hope they learn from you?
— Alicia Moulton
