How we began
This Memorial is personal for me, as I lost my son, a little over a year ago and I am now a part of a community who have lost loved ones, whose lives were taken too soon. Who lost their life to opioids or alcohol.
We are now connected to a web of grief, the river of tears that will flow forever, emotions that will come and go like the wind, whipping into the storm, sometimes hits like lightning coming down from the sky to remind you they are no longer here. Grief also comes with gratitude, blessings, memories to remind you of the best moments you shared with your loved one, like the day they were born, the first cry, the first words, the first laughter reminding us how blessed we were to have them in our lives. Brief moments of happiness, sadness, anger. Grief is not knowing which feeling will show up next. Grief is knowing we lost love and we were loved.
At this memorial we want to share your story, the light of your loved one. Change the stigma and bring awareness that these are real people and not just statistics. Shouting out to our loved ones, “WE SEE YOU!”
This memorial is dedicited to those who lost their loved ones and to my son, JOEY NASH, I Love you. LOVE MOM
Suzanne Nash, Program Manager
Remember Our Loved Ones is a program of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force in coalition with others.
For 37 years, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force has been at the forefront of closing the health equity gap for Native American and other marginalized communities impacted by HIV/AIDS across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. Based on Indigenous values and ways of knowing, our programs have grown to include services that promote the integral role of first medicines, the use of cultural arts to support youth development, and programs that foster food security in ways that reconnect Indigenous and other peoples to the land and waters.