:: What is Real Power? ::

Women hold the power of influence over the course of human events and they often make it look so effortless that they’re not taken seriously. Women effect change with wisdom and grace, and they have historically been the ones chosen to pass cultural traditions and norms on to the next generations. Increasingly we’re seeing women elected by their cultures to represent and guide their governments. Think Finland, for example, right now. Think about indigenous cultures across the globe fighting to preserve their ancestral lands and cultures and to defend their traditions from imperialistic cultures with purely extractive, material and colonial values. Look at all the front lines in activism around the world. Women are leading.

The dynamics of power, which include the dynamics of oppression, aggression, abuse and the experience of being disenfranchised, invaded and victimized, are real and terrible. Women feel the brunt of these conflicts. You can see it in their eyes. Women have learned to transcend the status quo so that the culture might survive and prosper. Women have excelled at living outside of fear and the limitations of ego. Women are our future, and I believe indigenous women especially.

This series is about strong, wise and powerful women from all walks of life and from a wide range of cultures and traditions. I’m hoping to share their strength with my audience. This is a placeholder gallery for now. Many more portraits are coming soon!