Throughout a year and half process, Women's Mountain Passages collected stories from Plumas County women, which slowly became a series of sketches tied together in a production called, A Cry for Hope. Performed by survivors, story tellers and other community members, this production shared these stories with over 250 people.
Story Importance
These stories are important to both the story tellers and the broader community. By tracing the history of a rural Sierra Nevada town's response to violence against women and girls and exploring the impact of California legislation on that effort, both Plumas County and the state of California will gain insight about how their policies directly impact the reality of women's lives.
Judith Herman, author of Trauma and Recovery states that taking action is an essential part of recovery from any trauma. "We do know that the women who recover most successfully are those who discover some meaning in their experience that transcends the limits of personal tragedy. Most commonly women find this meaning by joining with others in social action." And this means concrete things such as: hearing other people's stories, providing outreach and joining organizations that change policies, which would decrease violence against women and girls. This project provides opportunities for survivors to engage in these activities. Sharing stories with our rural counterparts will empower women to take back their lives as they proceed through the storytelling process, and teach both young women and old about the importance and power of healing.
