Eva Marie Carney is Founder and Board President of the Kwek Society: an organization working to eliminate period poverty in Native schools and communities across the United States. She is a human rights lawyer and an elected legislator of the Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Citizen Potawatomi Nation – of which is also a citizen.

In this episode, Eva dives into her passion for fighting (and shining a light on) menstrual inequities in tribal nations; how the Kwek Society is serving rural, pubescent and un-homed menstruators; and all about the organization’s evolving impact in schools and communities across the country.

Highlights:

• What inspired Eva to become a menstrual equity champion within the Native American community
• The unique and universal factors driving period poverty for Native American menstruators – including financial and resource barriers in rural reservations and lack of free products in schools
• How the Kwek Society is fighting period poverty in Native-majority schools and communities across statelines
• The importance of reaching communities in isolated, hard-to-access areas
• All about the “Berry Fast,” an Ojibwe/Potawatomi tradition that celebrates the beginning of a girl’s menstruation
• How Eva’s role as an elected legislator for the Potawatomi Nation has shaped the Kwek Society’s impact and reach

Connect:

Website: kweksociety.org
Instagram: @kweksociety
Twitter: @kweksociety
Email: [email protected]

Bio:

Eva Marie Carney is The Kwek Society’s Founder and Board President. She holds elected office as a Member of the Legislature of the Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Citizen Potawatomi Nation and works as a human rights lawyer through Just Neighbors, a nonprofit law firm. Eva is a citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and lives in Virginia. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in history, and received her JD from Stanford Law School. Her two adult children actively support The Kwek Society and their dog Bailey serves as the organization’s Chief of Morale.

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