Photos from MANA 2007

Sunday, October 21

The MANA Board had lots of fun sharing their version of "Doing the Board Walk" with the attendees at breakfast. Click here to see the performance on YouTube!
(photo by Barbara Lahey)

Makeda Kamara gave the Sunday keynote address.

Gera Simkins (left) and Diane Holzer (right) present the Sapling award to Tammy McKinley (center)

MANA 2007 Sage Femme Venus Mark joined Gera Simkins . . .

. . . to a drumming dance accompanied by these wonderful drummers!
(photo by Debbie Pulley)

Here Ms. Mark receives the Sage Femme award and a cash grant from the Foundation from the Advancement of Midwifery.

Foundation from the Advancement of Midwifery Board members BJ and Priya give the final report of funds raised by FAM during the conference. Attendees loved the new, limited release, FAM tee-shirts, and several offered large donations in order to receive a shirt directly off a Board members' back!

Gera Simkins (MANA Vice President in charge of conferences) and Anne Hirsch (MANA 2007 local coordinator) are excited that the conference is nearly over!

Thanks so much to Nina McIndoe and Candace Robinson who sent me these lovely photos from the closing circle.

(photo by Candace Robinson)

(photo by Nina McIndoe)

(photo by Candace Robinson)

(photo by Nina McIndoe)

(photo by Candace Robinson)

MANA 2007 logo designed by Emily Bowman Reeder

The concept of Sankofa is derived from Adinkra of the Akan people of West Africa. Sankofa is transliterated in the Akan language as “se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki.” Literally translated it means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” Sankofa is used today across the pan-African world to promote the idea that African people must go back to our roots in order to move forward. Visually and symbolically “Sankofa” is expressed as a mythical bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth. Click here for more info.

This symbol is used for our conference to mean that, as midwives, we “must go back to our roots in order to move forward,” without losing what is precious and powerful in birth.