October 2, 2020
We're excited to announce a special online Learning Right Relations October Gathering. Details below.
Continue reading for related events & news:
You are invited!
The Work That Reconnects Us With Our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters
Thursday, October 15th 7:00-9:00pm
Zoom Workshop
Facilitated by Lynn Fitz-Hugh and Carolyn Treadway
Click here to register for this event. Registration is required.
In our Learning Right Relations gatherings, as we listened to our Coast Salish neighbors, we learned that the indigenous ecological wisdom of the presenters themselves and of their communities is integral to their daily life; or perhaps, it is their life way. We have been learning that this closeness to nature is central to being in rIght relations with all life. Reconnecting in this way to the natural world is critically important in this time of environmental and climate crisis. For non-Indian people engaged in learning/living right relations work, it can be particularly painful as we discover the actual history, and learn of the roles of our ancestors in that egregious history.
Joanna Macy, an eco-feminist Buddhist, is founder and root teacher of The Work that Reconnects (WTR), also known as Active Hope. Since the early 1980’s she and WTR have helped thousands of people all over the world reconnect with themselves, each other, and the Earth, thus transforming personal pain into caring action on behalf of our beloved planet.
Carolyn Treadway and Lynn Fitz-Hugh are both white, therapists, environmental activists, and trained WTR leaders. The Work moves through stages of a spiral: gratitude, honoring our pain for the world, seeing with new and ancient eyes, and going forth into action. Lynn and Carolyn will focus this spiral on our relations with Native people. They will lead us through a series of exercises designed to help us process our own feelings about longstanding mistreatment of Native people by white American culture, and to shift out of our “settler”/dominator paradigm into deeper relationship with our Earth--as practiced by Native peoples since time immemorial. (This workshop has been designed to be a space for white allies to address emotions that come up in confronting the injustices perpetuated by our ancestors. This Work does involve sharing of our feelings and emotions. If you are not comfortable with doing so, please consider whether this workshop is right for you.)
The final section of the spiral, Going Forth, will focus on things we can do as allies of Native people. Several leaders of Learning Right Relations will offer some current possibilities. Participants describe the WTR experience as spiritual, insight provoking, unburdening, profound, inspiring, and connecting. Please come join us!
Click here to register for this event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
CALL TO ACTION:
It is impossible to ignore the impact of wildfires this season, and our hearts go out to the all those who have suffered loss. Last week, devastating fires deeply affected Colville Tribes. Click here to read in depth stories in this article: Families facing loss from fire
You can support those who are being directly impacted. Morning-Star Means (Syilx, Kainai, Lakota) has organized a GoFundMe to raise funds to help prevent Tribal members from losing their homes, as well as providing for the safety of those who are evacuating. Click here to donate to WA State Tribe Support Fire Disaster Relief.
The Wet'suwet'en community continues to organize against the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. Despite the Covid-19 crisis, TC Energy is still going ahead with construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline and sending more workers and federal police officers onto Wet'suwet'en territories, putting communities at even more risk. In June 2020, KKR - a NYC private equity firm with an atrocious record of putting profits over people and the environment - purchased 65% of the pipeline. We are being asked to put pressure on KKR to back out of its CGL investment. Click here to tell KKR: Respect Indigenous rights now & withdraw investment from the Coastal GasLink Pipeline!
IN THE NEWS:
Savanna's Act (H.R. 2733) and The Not Invisible Act (H.R. 2438) both passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 21st. Click here to read more about how these bills address the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.