Cosmetic Confidence

Used to be big into basketball. Not so much anymore #aintgottimeforthat So while everyone is fixated on the Heat and Spurs game, I’m going to take this opportunity to break from generally serious topics and priorities to talk about… Makeup. Yes, there are super-important issues boiling my blood at the moment (Tonto! Whiteclay! Juvenile justice reform! Native studies! ICWA! Affirmative action!), and while I plan to give them equal blog space, tonight’s post is about my newfound enjoyment and application of… Makeup. Yes, I’m going there.

I never was a makeup person. Too much of a jock to fool with crappy face-cake products that never seemed to stay up when sweat* was pouring down (which was pretty much always – I was a very active youth). For years – decades – I was a slave to habit. Seriously, up until a few months ago I wore my makeup the same way since high school. Thankfully I never got into super-thin or painted eyebrows or too-80s blush, but still, when I think about how long it took me to figure out a look that better fit my face, I cringe a little.

My foray into the world of makeup began in 7^th grade. My friends and I were cleaning up after a volleyball game when a girl told me I should try some of her makeup. The offer may have been a shadowed insult, but I took it as charity, and asked her to show me how to apply the liquid foundation and eyeliner. I don’t know if anyone else has had this experience, but I was instantly addicted to the “mature” look the eyeliner gave me. She lined my bottom lid with a thick badge of honor and I went from sweaty jock to goth rockstar in seconds. The foundation was another story. Maybe it was my virgin pores or a reaction to the brand or the fact we were sharing makeup without properly cleaning the application tools (#yuck), but I broke out into these small little pimples all over my face within an hour of putting the foundation on. I was mortified and vowed never to wear the stuff again.

I kept the eyeliner, though. At first the black line went all the way around my eye. Looking back at some photos (and memories) reveal how I may have used the stuff as a type of war paint to hide my many insecurities. I looked tough, and being super tall the stuff made me look years older (the goal, I think, for most teenage girls, probably – and stupidly). The way my eyes are shaped, however, caused the liner to smudge and stick to places I didn’t want it to. After a few hours, I’d look like I slept on my face or rubbed my eyes with a fist. Two words: Hot Mess. So when I saw a Seventeen article recommending using less makeup for more impact (the tip: line lids halfway from the outside edges = minimalism), I grasped on to that like a lifeline and have been using that strategy ever since (although I dropped lining the upper lid altogether – I could never get it to stop smudging and eye shadow techniques eluded me). When Cover Girl began making liquid powder, I used that to cover blemishes only – I was traumatized from my pimple experience. But that left me with two-toned skin (blending was not a word I was familiar with). Must not have been that bad, though, because those two products (black eyeliner and Cover Girl liquid powder) kept me going through college and into my professional life.

That’s no exaggeration: I’ve been using the same makeup application process (cover blemishes, line half the bottom lid) since high school. You wouldn’t know that from my makeup bag, though. I always loved the idea of makeup – red lips, flashy eyes, defined cheekbones… I even went to the Clinique beauty counter once a few years ago and asked for a makeover. The lady was like, “What’s your base color?” And I was like, “What’s a base color?” And she started from zero. I wasn’t impressed, though. I came home and was mortified that I had been going around the mall after the makeover looking like someone Photoshopped a face three shades darker than the rest of my body. No way that was my base color. Figuring out makeup was like trying to read my favorite book in a different language. I knew the plot points, but my translations were way off. Many people would praise me for being “natural,” but I’d always feel a bit frustrated, because I WAS wearing makeup, goddammit!

Then, this past March, a friend on Facebook – we’ll call her Hermoine – shared a status about some magical company named Sephora and how she was super-excited it was opening a store in the local mall. She was so jazzed that I commented: “What’s a Sephora?” Thankfully, a mutual friend posted the same thing – she had no idea either, but I think she’s one of those purposefully no-makeup people (and rightly so! She’s a natural beauty!). Anyway, Hermoine praised Sephora and through an epic comment thread among many friends, we set up a makeup tutorial party. I was pumped.

At the party, another friend – aka the Yoda of makeup masters – took individuals and showed them step-by-step how to use makeup to bring out the best features of their face. I can’t tell you how much of a talent this is. With each new application of eye toner, highlighter, lip buffer, blush, and – yes – even fake lashes, I was transformed. I had never heard of half the products she used, but she explained each one’s purpose. Yes, she said, there are products that help your eyeliner and shadow stay put. The right powder will not make you break out and will actually help keep your makeup in one place. Concealer is your friend. Within minutes, she had me completely redone. I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to see myself as sexy. Sure, everyone around the room made generous comments, but it was MY reaction to the mirrored reflection that counted for the most: I loved the way I looked. And, better yet, the way I felt about how I looked.

Makeup Party Fierceness
I’m not smiling purposefully. This was how I looked after Yoda used the Force on me. I wanted a photo showing how different my face looked standing still. My expression is kinda mean, but I love the definition and shape my face has, even if I’m not smiling (and when at rest – even if I am at my most peaceful and amiable – I suffer from what people call “bitch face” – I just kinda have a fierce-looking gaze, I guess. But I’m a pretty nice person, I’ve been told!).

Outwardly, I’m a pretty confident individual. I know I have lots of great strengths to offer people. I really do have better and more important things to concern myself with than makeup. But some of my inward conversations are self-depreciating. I keep those to a minimum (UGH! Another popped button on a different pair of jeans?!), but it’s definitely a struggle to fight societal standards of beauty. Especially when you’re raising a daughter in the era of mega media. So to say I knew I looked good is one thing, but to feel good about how I looked is a boost unto itself. I’m not going to pretend these newfound feelings of self-confidence aren’t in some respects hypocritical (I’d be glad if my daughter never touched makeup, personally), but if correctly applied makeup can help me feel better about myself – and help others feel the same – then I’m all for it.

Self-portrait. Minimal editing, aside from more exposure and some tinting on the edges.
I mean checkout that definition!
I LOVE my face, and especially my eyes! 

A couple weeks later, Hermoine took me shopping at Sephora, a wonderland of high-priced makeup and skin products. It was a little overwhelming, but she guided me through goods that were worth the investment, and tipped me off to the stuff I could get at Target for a dollar. After an hour of wandering, I had an amassed an arsenal of WMDs – Wonderful Makeup Doodads. I went straight to Target and collected the cheap stuff Hermoine suggested. Then I went home and got to work.

Makeup Bag Essentials
From left: foundation applicator brush, concealer, highlighter, foundation, blush, blush/powder brush, powder, and lip gloss.

Makeup Bag Essentials No. 2
From left, first row: mascara, eye shadow
Second row: eyelid primer, eyebrow filler, liquid liner (for special occasions), and eyebrow brush
Third/fourth row: Brow filler, eyeliner (for daily wear)

It’s been about two months now, and while I don’t use all the products on a daily basis, the general feeling of confidence remains. For a map of the eye a la makeup, check out this site.

1. I apply eyelid primer to the whole upper lid, from lash to brow.

2. Under-eye concealer comes next – a little goes a long way, I have observed. Yoda taught me to apply as a “V” with the point hitting at the top of the cheekbone. Blend the concealer (brush or fingertip) to fill in the V.

3. Then I use an actual makeup brush (like a fat paintbrush, but for makeup) to apply foundation. Using the back of my hand as a painter’s palette (Yoda said this lets the foundation set better to your face, because it will be the same temperature as your skin), I mix two tones to create a color that suites me. I have noticed that I don’t need nearly as much foundation as I was using before now that I’m using the brush and temperature tips.

4. A bit of tangerine orange blush (I KNOW, right?! But it looks fab on my sweet cheeks) goes below my cheekbones. One swipe is sufficient.

5. After that comes translucent face powder (which has NOT made me breakout) to seal in my work.

6. Then I apply liner to the top lid only. I’ve played around with extending the lid for a dramatic look (awesome, btw), and a simple swoop for everyday wear. I don’t do mascara unless it’s a special occasion (my eyes are old and I can literally see the mascara – very distracting and heavy stuff).

7. If it’s a dress up day, I’ll use a bit of dark shadow (silver is fun) along the socket bone above my eye, what some people refer to as a crease, except I don’t have an actual crease. I dab some silver along that crease beginning on the outer edge and curving slightly to the middle of the crease. Very dramatic (the effect is seen in my first picture a la The Force).

8. Then, the pièce de résistance: Eyebrow filler. All I can say about this stuff is… Wow. I’ve always been proud of my generally thick and well-shaped brows, so I was surprised when Yoda showed me the power of the eyebrow filler pen. It’s like a thin marker, a lighter shade of brown than I would have chosen on my own, that fills space within your brows for a fuller look. I also use this sort of putty-type-shadow stuff that helps me keep my brows from looking too much like Ernie’s.

9. A dab of lip gloss and then I’m done!

The whole process takes me less than 5 minutes now. And I actually enjoy it!

Here are some cool links (Highlighter tips & Natural-looking makeup) my friends have shown me to help transition from makeup newbie to expert. If makeup isn’t your thing, that’s totally cool, but as a former hater I can tell you it’s not only fun, but a nice boost to the ego. Enjoy!

*I still sweat, but not because I’m anywhere near as active as I was way back when. Mostly because I’m old and overweight, and because I inherited sweat glands the size and humidity of Georgia. I haven’t had major problems with using makeup and my sweaty tendencies, however, which is a good thing. The eyeliner smudges (and not in a sexy way) when the pores open, so I just forego the fancy eye stuff when I plan to be out and about in the sun. Cool thing is the lid primer, concealer, and eyeliner take less than 2 minutes to fully apply if I want to from sweaty to fab in a jiffy.

A note from Mimi, on Father’s Day.

Another great year to be Mimi’s dad.

We visited Rhode Island beaches, got a new puppy, went dancing, spent quality time at Mimi’s favorite haunts (zoo, bookstore, and the bouncies), registered for Kindergarten, braided each other’s long hair… Essentially, Daddy and Mimi enjoyed being together – wherever, doing whatever.

When I asked Mimi what she wanted to do for her dad on Father’s Day (she brought up the subject about three months ago), she had a few ideas: We could take him to the trampoline park, color him a picture, make him a special movie, get him some cool hair ties, visit the circus, watch Wreck It Ralph, go to the park for a picnic… She was full of fun thoughts; what’s so magical about her relationship with her father is they do stuff like this – and more – on a daily basis, so it was easy for her to come up with things to do for him on Father’s Day.

As you can see below, we decided on a video. We also went to a local craft shop and created a special coffee mug (yellow, pink and full of butterflies – just as Dad likes it). The video was fun. In one take we got through some important “Daddy Facts,” and Mimi came up with an epic song on the spot. These projects – the mug and video – show how Mimi is loving, caring, hard-working, and creative.

Just like her dad.

Doing Good Work

I had another piece in this past Sunday’s Life section I’m proud* enough to share. After the story on George Eagleman and his ITCA group was published, I got a message from the president of the Native American Council of Tribes to do a story on the work they do from inside the state pen. While I was honored they recognized my writing as beneficial to and for the Native community, my expectations were low. I thought if anything, it’d be a bunch of guys praying behind bars telling me they were saved. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s a tough sell to an editor, and therefore readers.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out this group – NACT – was actually up to some good work, not just within the prison walls, but the community, as well. Really good work. Like, getting kids scholarship money for college. And putting together community celebrations to honor fallen heroes. Better still was the impact on other inmates – NACT is known for its Lakota spirituality teaching skills. Incarcerated Native men at the county jail raised outside of their culture look forward to going to prison because of the spiritual teachings awaiting them.

On one hand, it’s sad that the best place to be educated in the Lakota ways is prison. On the other, considering Natives make up a large, disproportionate number of the prison population (nearly 30 percent statewide, while Native adults are less than 10 percent of the total state population), these are teachings that should and must be available to these men (and women/youth). Everyone I spoke with for this story talked about how getting in touch with their Lakota ways has helped them more than any other treatment available to them. Considering our culture was systematically and methodically smothered by the dominant society since First Contact, it’s no wonder why so many Native men and women (and youth) are lost to drugs and alcohol, which account for a majority (53%) of the adult crimes committed in South Dakota. You’d think state lawmakers, educators, and the community at large would recognize the need to create legitimate curriculum on Native American history/culture/government/law/art/food/etc., in order to create better potential for successful adulthood among Native Americans. Like, “Let’s teach them this stuff BEFORE they turn to alcohol and drugs to fill the void in their spirits.” Concept?! Having taught the Native American Connections curriculum for the Sioux Falls School District, I know some administrations are trying. But not hard enough – it’s not enough. Not yet.

Getting to know the men of NACT was a lesson in hope. They know how bad their criminal records look. They hurt people. They’re in prison for a reason. But they’re doing what they can to not only make themselves better people, but to help others. Long-time inmates teach newcomers how to build the sweat lodge, how to prepare tobacco ties, how to make regalia and Lakota crafts, they encourage each other to get educated and earn their GEDs, they run relay races for the memory of an 11-year-old girl none of them have met, they read through hundreds of applications and award an aspiring college student $500 every year, they sponsor and plan a community feed and memorial for two heroes no one else in this town has thought to honor…

And they pray.

*I did not choose the title. I would never have put “Indian” in the title to refer to the sovereign tribal nations of America. Hey, South Dakota! 1492 called. It wants its maps back. 😐

INMATE GROUP CHAMPIONS INDIAN CUSTOMS

By Jonnie Taté Walker
For the Argus Leader

Robert Horse was 19 years old when he built his first sweat lodge for a Lakota inipi ceremony.

He watched as the willow poles were pulled and stretched in such a way that an eight-point star formed at the top of the lodge before it was covered with canvas and tarp.

“Some people think you just put the poles in the ground and bunch them up and you’re done,” said Horse, affiliated with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and now 29. “But there’s a certain way to do it; the way our ancestors did it.”

His first lodge, and all the lodges Horse helps to rebuild every spring, are located inside the tall barbed-wire fences of the South Dakota State Penitentiary, otherwise known as the Hill.

Now the president of the Native American Council of Tribes Inc., Horse teaches inmates new to Lakota traditions and ceremonies how to build a sweat lodge, how to make prayer flags and tobacco ties, and how to pray in a language struggling to survive.

“Back home on the rez there was lots of ceremonies and sweats going on, but youth aren’t educated on what was really going on or why,” Horse said in one of several phone interviews from the Hill.

Horse thinks this lack of culture and knowledge of Lakota ways is a major reason Native Americans account for a disproportionately high percentage of prison inmates in South Dakota: 29 percent for adults, according to the 2012 annual report from the Department of Corrections.

This keeps Horse, his executive board and other members motivated to make NACT what one prison official calls the most active religious and advocacy group on the Hill. But it’s the group’s efforts reaching outside the walls that make it a unique rehabilitation and educational tool, Horse said.

On Friday, NACT will sponsor a community gathering and feed honoring Kimberly Rose Means, an 11-year-old Pine Ridge girl killed in 1981 while participating in efforts to support the religious rights of Native American inmates, as well as Lyle Eagle Tail and Madison Wallace, who died March 14 in a heroic effort to save Wallace’s younger brother from drowning at Falls Park.

This will be NACT’s first time sponsoring such an event outside the prison walls, and it’s being organized by statewide groups and local NACT supporters. However, the group created and has overseen the Kimberly Rose Means scholarship since 1987, awarded annually through an endowment from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. In addition, NACT members and non-Native inmates participate in an annual relay in memory of Kimberly Rose Means.

“It’s not always easy to do something good in a bad place,” said Cody DeSersa, NACT’s secretary. “But there’s a big payoff when you see the good it does for the brothers in here and for families outside.”

Establishing freedoms

Native American inmates haven’t always had the freedom to practice their spirituality and perform ceremonies on the Hill. Long hair was cut, medicine bags were banned and the sacred pipe — akin to a Bible — was not allowed inside the walls.

“There was a time when the state did not allow the Native American Indian inmates to practice the religion of their choice,” said Rosebud Siouxtribal member Roscoe Primeaux in a letter written from prison. Primeaux is 32 years into serving a life sentence and remembers the early years of NACT.“It was taboo to even think of an Indian doing his ceremonies since the more common religious activity was only Christian.”

That all changed in the ’70s.

In 1972, Native American inmates were part of a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court — Crowe v. Erickson — requesting access and money to pay for medicine men, ceremonies, cultural classes and spiritual paraphernalia, among other civil rights. In May 1977, the state agreed, even allowing furloughs for inmates seeking participation in sundances on their reservations.

A year later, the federal government passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, which established protections to preserve the traditional religious rights and cultural practices of Native Americans. These rights include, but aren’t limited to, access to sacred sites, use and possession of objects considered sacred and freedom to worship through ceremonial and traditional rites, including within prisons.

“That is how NACT Inc. came into existence, and a sacred sweat lodge was constructed inside the South Dakota State Penitentiary,” Primeaux recalled. “And we were allowed our sacred pipe of peace.”

Five executive board members, including a group pipe carrier, and seven council members serve as NACT’s elected officials who meet once a month. Anyone can participate in the quarterly meetings, and Horse said NACT considers all of the prison’s 180-some Native American inmates as group members, even if they don’t participate regularly.

Through the years, a few privileges have been removed, including the sundance furloughs, because some inmates were abusing their time away from prison, Primeaux said. The state also discontinued funding religious activities as more faith groups were established inside the walls.

NACT and two Native American plaintiffs filed suit after the state issued a blanket ban of tobacco in Department of Corrections facilities in 2000, including tobacco used in tribal ceremonies. NACT recently won the case, and Native American inmates are allowed to use mixtures that include 1 percent of tobacco to be smoked in the sacred pipe or used for tobacco ties and prayer.

In addition, NACT members and other Native American inmates on the Hill continue to enjoy access to spiritual leaders, can participate in the inipi ceremony and host wacipi celebrations, or powwows, among other religious freedoms.

“It’s important to have groups created inside prisons working together for positive reasons,” said Hope Johnson, who oversees cultural and religious programming as the corrections program and contracts manager for the penitentiary. “Inmates don’t often have positive people to associate with, and this gives them the opportunity to create good while incarcerated.”

Johnson thinks NACT, which was established in 1976 as one of the first Native American religious groups in the country, is the most active of the prison’s eight religious groups.

“For me, it’s powerful to watch these inmates find a reason to change,” Johnson said.

Practices at prison

Built next to the prison’s recreation yard is the NACT sweat lodge. It’s big enough to hold about 30 worshippers and is used for an inipi ceremony twice a week during recreation time. The lodge, including the patch of earth surrounding it, sits on land comparable in size to its Christian chapel counterpart inside the prison.

Twenty-two-year-old Lucas Waugh, a Rosebud Sioux tribal member serving a 25-year prison sentence, participates in the inipi ceremony and is one of NACT’s youngest members.

“I sweat every week,” Waugh said during a recent roundtable interview at the prison with NACT members. “It clears my mind. It helps me be better. It lets me pray for the people who are suffering.”

This past month, Waugh signed on to run the prison relay race in honor of Kimberly Rose Means. NACT organizes the noncompetitive race annually at the prison beginning in early May and draws about two dozen inmates — Native and non-Native — to participate.

The inmates track their laps — four-and-a-half laps to a mile — and will tally up the total on Friday. The goal is 350 miles, the distance between Rapid City and Sioux Falls, to symbolize support for Native American inmates across the state.

Running alongside and sometimes himself holding the NACT eagle staff, Waugh laps the outer rim of the prison yard four miles a day. He and other NACT members will pass the staff to community members Friday, when it will be taken to Falls Park for the memorial gathering and feed.

“It’s an honor for me to run for a reason, for a purpose,” Waugh said. “I had no purpose before I came in here. That wasn’t me before. This is the true me now.”

Growth, maturity

Mary Montoya was introduced to NACT 20 years ago when, as a CPA, she volunteered to help the group apply for its 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

Today, she is the prison chapel volunteer for Native Americans, or NACT’s “hands and feet,” she said with a smile. Among other duties, Montoya helps the group gather donations for the sweat lodge and prayer and coordinates correspondence between NACT and the public.

“I was a volunteer at the county jail for three years, and it always amazed me how interested and eager men were to get to the prison so they could learn the Native ways,” Montoya said.

In her 20 years of volunteering with NACT, Montoya has noticed more — and younger — inmates participating in the group.

“When you see them growing and maturing, when they start accepting responsibility along with their culture and religion, that’s a great feeling as a volunteer,” Montoya said.

Horse, who has chaired NACT twice in the 14 years he’s been in prison, is proud of the work his group accomplishes.

“I wish I could say we all had a better beginning,” said Horse, who was 16 when he was handed a life sentence that was reversed in 2002 when the South Dakota Supreme Court said law enforcement questioned Horse illegally without parental notice or consent. He now is serving a 40-year prison term.

“I have to deal with what I did every second of the day. I am reminded about what I did every second of the day. I’m going to repay all my life through service to the people,” said Horse, who crafts pieces of Lakota beadwork in his spare time. “How we got here, we’re not proud of that. But we’re able to make a difference now with the time we have left.”

Horse, in particular, is credited by many members of NACT for his passion in keeping the group active and focused. He spends hours typing letters and agendas and newsletters for NACT, coordinates speakers for the group’s spiritual conferences and ensures that his board is doing good work in the prison.

“In these positions, our behavior is watched closely by the other inmates,” said DeSersa, who is serving a 15-year sentence. “That alone helps keep me out of trouble, because you never want to disrespect the board.”

DeSersa, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, stays on point by tutoring inmates in GED coursework, showing others how to make traditional regalia and encouraging new inmates to seek spiritual guidance through NACT.

“Men are able to learn and grow here,” DeSersa said. “Even me. I’ve become more aware of my culture and spirituality through my involvement with NACT. It gives me a chance to be 38 — now almost 39 — years old, and not thinking I’m 22 years old like I used to act.”

Back in society

Drinking and drugs landed Gary Weddell in the prison system when he was 17 years old back in 1973. He served what he called three tours on the Hill, his last stint from 1984 to 1998.

“Young people — sometimes we think we know everything when we’re young,” said the Yankton Sioux man, now 57 of Sioux Falls, who credits NACT and family support with his success both in and outside the walls. “When I went in the third time, I was really focused on the culture, and I had a daughter I needed to change for.”

Johnson said this is why groups like NACT are supported and encouraged by prison officials.

“Our goal is to rehabilitate, and see inmates be better people,” Johnson said of the activities NACT and other religious groups organize. “It’s our job to provide inmates opportunities so they may continue growing while in the community. What they learn here can help them face challenges on the outside.”

Weddell recalled NACT’s creation and evolution through the years, describing it as a living entity and a savior to struggling Native American inmates. He remains an active NACT supporter and is helping to organize the community gathering at Falls Park by collecting donations of food and lining up speakers for the event.

“When you step into the sweat lodge for the first time, there’s an understanding that you can be reborn right there, that you go into that sweat and pray and believe,” said Weddell, whose early years were spent in an abusive boarding school atmosphere.

“I didn’t know anything about sweat lodges or sacred pipes growing up,” he said. “… That’s the same for a lot of Indian guys going to prison. We don’t know the good way to live and pray. For me, (NACT) gave me life. I would probably be dead now if it weren’t for them and what I learned from them spiritually.”

BREAKOUTS

If you go
What: A free community gathering and feed will take place to honor the lives and sacrifices of Kimberly Rose Means, Lyle Eagle Tail and Madison Wallace. The gathering is sponsored by the Mankato Memorial Riders and the Native American Council of Tribes. 
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. 
Where: Falls Park. 
Cost: Free.

About NACT
The Native American Council of Tribes Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating out of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. It provides religious, cultural and educational opportunities to inmates and the public. It depends on monetary and in-kind donations to complete its outreach and spiritual efforts. 
NACT is in need of items related to the inipi ceremony. Sage bundles, firewood and large rocks are of particular importance; however, donations of cedar, sweet grass, buffalo meat, bitterroot, red willow and bear root are also appreciated. 
For information on making an in-kind or cash donation, contact NACT volunteer Mary Montoya at 605-332-0147.

About the Kimberly Rose Means Scholarship
This scholarship benefits graduating high school seniors who are enrolled members of a South Dakota Native American tribe or South Dakota tribal members who are returning to school after an absence. Applicants must: 
• Plan to attend an accredited college, university or vocational school 
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher 
• Have participated in school and community activities (only applies to high school seniors) 
• Have the desire and ability to accomplish his or her goals 
• Award: $500 
• Deadline: March 
From the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, http://www.sfacf.org

Wambli Wakan Wi
The NACT Freedom Singers drum group performs this song every year to honor Kimberly Rose Means:
Little sister, little sister
Dream me a song to sing while I run
For all my relations I will run
For all my relations I will run
Little sister, look at me
No prison walls can hold me when I run
For all my relations I will run
For all my relations I will run
The road to freedom lies within
Little sister, for you I will run
Little sister, for you I will run
Until I can run no more.