Animals Speak: Native American Creation Stories

Alexandra Cock’s fascination with and advocacy for Native American culture and people began in

the small town of Rapid City, South Dakota, where she received a fellowship to work with Legal Services in the town during her time in law school. When she arrived, she was told that a Native American family was willing to rent her a room. At the end of the summer, her host mother, a Lakota Sioux named Evelyn Handboy, invited her to attend a sweat lodge, a sacred ritual that she shared with the women of Evelyn’s tribe.

 “It turned out to be a very profound experience. That was my initiation into some of the spiritual practices of Native Americans. That certainly increased my awareness of their spiritual beliefs, which I have been a student of ever since. On a deep level, I feel a connection to Native American people and their challenges and wisdom and vision.”

 With her mother’s passing in 2010, Alexandra decided to use some of her inheritance in a special way. “I decided that I was going to give part of my inheritance away to places where I am spiritually inspired.” She met with Colleen Hicks, the executive director of the Marin County Museum of the American Indian, and they decided upon an exhibit with a spiritual focus. Thus, Animals Speak an exhibit of Native American creation stories cameto be. In ancient times Native Americans had their own ways of explaining how the earth was born and how people came to be. Their explanations were based on their knowledge of nature, their reverence for nature and their feelings of kinship with the animals and all living things, human or not.

 The exhibit opens on January 18th, 2014 at 2pm at the Marin County Museum of the American Indian. Visitors will be able to tour the displays, hear Alexandra speak about her love of Native American culture, and experience traditional, Native American food. The exhibit will run at the museum through June 16th.

 As for Alexandra, her reason for giving back is simple: “I know that when I give, I always receive in return. And the giving fills my heart.”

 Please join us this Saturday for this enlightening and inspiring exhibit! To learn more about the Marin County Museum of the American Indian, click here.