White Water folk band from Michigan honors America's first domestic violence shelter for Native American women and childrenBenefit concert for South Dakota tribal domestic violence shelter

Michigan musicians hold benefit concert for battered woman's shelter serving Lakota tribe in South Dakota

The Turtle Island Project is recognizing The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc. in Mission, South Dakota - America's oldest domestic violence shelter for native American women.

The shelter has been helping all battered women and children since 1977.

For 30 years, the White Buffalo Calf Woman's Society has been serving the Lakota Rosebud Reservation

The Turtle Island Project and northern Michigan folk groups - White Water & Duo Borealis - are sponsoring a free benefit concert for the shelter on August 12, 2007.

"The Turtle Island project hopes you will be inspired to donate to keep the shelter open another three decades and longer because the White Buffalo Calf Woman's Society is a very important group providing crucial protection to women and children," said Turtle Island Project founder Rev. Lynn Hubbard.

The White Water folk group and Duo Borealis from northern Michigan immediately agreed to put on a benefit concert for the White Buffalo Calf Woman's Society shelter in Mission, South Dakota - serving the Lakota Rosebud American Indian reservation and surrounding areas, Hubbard said.

The music groups are comprised of family and close friends - and for decades have toured the world bringing their unique style and sound to millions.

White Water performed a Fourth of July 2007 concert at Eden on the Bay Lutheran church in Munising, Michigan - home of the Turtle Island Project.

The Turtle Island Project is devoted to environment and Native American issues.

The project promoters respect for the First Nations Peoples - the indigenous peoples - also known as American Indians.

Rev. Lynn Hubbard, the founder of the Turtle Island project, is a longtime friend of the Lakota Souix tribe

The North American territory of the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Nation is in the present day state of South Dakota and five neighboring states.

The Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Nation are known as the Great Sioux Nation.

"Descendents from of the original inhabitants of North America, members of the Great Sioux Nation are truly the original indigenous peoples," Hubbard said.

The White Buffalo Calf Woman's Society shelter in Mission, South Dakota was opened 30 years ago by Tillie Black Bear - the shelter's current executive director.

Tillie Black Bear hoped domestic violence would end by the turn of the century.

Sadly - women around the world continue to be beaten and murdered every day.

"Domestic violence is literally America's black eye - as the abuse is prevalent in all segments of society - the violence crosses all lines - social, economic, race, creed," Hubbard said.

Tillie Black Bear founded the shelter to protect all women and all children.

The shelter provides emergency homes to all domestic violence victims and provides of counseling and services including a Women's Support Group, meetings for sexual assault survivors, and men's re-education project.

Those are just a few of the reasons that the Turtle Island Project and White Water have organized the August 12, 2007 benefit concert, Hubbard said.

The goal of the concert is to raise funds to support the shelter and its many worthy projects, Hubbard said.

If you'd like to donate or have questions about the concert contact:

White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc.
Tillie Black Bear, director
North Main St.
Mission, SD

You can call the shelter at: (605) 856-2317

Those wishing to help can also contact the Turtle Island project and the Munsing, Michigan non-profit will pass along donations.

Turtle Island Project
P.O. Box 624
Munising, MI. 49862
(906)-387-5615

email Rev. Hubband at either address:
lynn@turtleislandproject.org
TurtleIslandProject@charter.net

"The Turtle Island Projects recognizes 30 years of excellent community service by the White Buffalo Calf Woman's Society and its domestic violence shelter," Rev. Hubbard said.

"We also thank the northern Michigan music groups - White Water & Duo Borealis for agreeing to hold the August 12 benefit concert in Mission, South Dakota," he said.

The benefit concert is at 5 pm local time on August 12, 2007 at the Custer Lutheran Fellowship, a Custer, S.D. Church.

While the concert is free donations are urged.
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Articles with background on shelter and the Lakota Rosebud tribe.

Battered Woman's Shelter related websites (followed by Turtle Island related websites):

Lakota Rosebud Tribe website:
http://www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov/

Article on shelter history:
http://www.ruralwomyn.net/prayerwalk.html

Article with Great Souix Nation tribe graphic:
http://www.crystalinks.com/sioux.html

great article:
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1034861579

Tillie Black Bear article:
http://www.womenenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1637#Bear

Great story on White Buffalo teachings of Chief Arvol Looking Horse
http://paulapeterson.com/White_Buffalo.html

Claudia Slate on ''Lakota Women's Shelters''
http://www.holysmoke.org/fem/fem0194.htm

WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN SOCIETY, INC.
http://calthunderhawk.tripod.com/wbcws/wbcws_index.html