Executive Director 

Aanii! Boozhoo! My name is Melody Harris. I am a formerly incarcerated Indigenous Odawa/Ojibwe Aniishnaabe. I know first hand the unjust, and disparity of Cultural Teachings within the MDOC. There is no hope for our people to begin to remember who they are, or heal from the catastrophic impacts of colonialism. Much less, the reasons that sent them to prison. During my 15 year incarceration at the only womens prison in Michigan, I desperately sought to remember who I was as an Aniishnaabe. In 2007 I was one of five women who requested and was approved for a Religious Service from MDOC. We were to be named Native American Traditional Ways. This group did much to help one another learn as much as we could on our own, about Indigenous Culture, and Ways. It suffers deeply to this day because MDOC allows this Religious Group to be run by inmates, which creates self destruction in the way of "who are you to run this service, and not me" type of oppression. I know if Traditional healers, Elders, Language Teachers, Wellbriety Facilitators can get in there and lead this group, the opportunity to change the direction of so many of our peoples lives in there is worth the effort, even if we only touch one life! Since my release in 2018 I have witnessed so many come out of incarceration not being able to handle that transition, and subcoming to drugs and alcohol, even suicide. If given the opportunity our people can lean on the teachings of our culture, while incarcerated and learn to begin to heal themselves, their family, their community, and then their nations. They will be prepared with the knowledge that " Culture Is Prevention"! They will understand their impact and place in the next 7 generation teaching. They will understand that prayer is their greatest weapon inside and outside of incarceration. I pray my brothers and sisters incarcerated get the cultural teachings they deserve. Aho'