November 12, 2019 — Learning Right Relations

Due to a scheduling conflict, we will not be having a Gathering on Sunday, November 17th. In lieu of our regular monthly Gathering, we hope that many are able to attend the upcoming screening of Dawnland on Thursday, November 21st.

Please continue reading for more details and related news:

Meaningful Movies & Learning Right Relations Presents
Dawnland
Thursday November 21st 6:30pm
Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
2315 Division St NW, Olympia

As we gather to watch this film together, we recognize the deep sadness and trauma that these stories evoke for Native people who have survived and continue to survive the intergenerational trauma inflicted by systematic separation of families and cultural genocide. After the film, we will be engaging in discussion with individuals deeply invested in initiating a process of Truth and Reconciliation in Washington State, and invite you to join us as we work to support this effort.

This powerful documentary follows the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the United States, which happened in Maine and explored the experiences of Wabanaki children taken from their homes and placed with white families through the foster care system. For over two years, Native and non-Native commissioners gathered testimony and bore witness to the devastating impact of the state's child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribal communities. Collectively, these tribes make up the Wabanaki people.

For most of the 20th century, government agents systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families. As recently as the 1970’s, one in four Native children nationwide were living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes, or boarding schools. Many children experienced devastating emotional and physical harm by adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity. Now, for the first time, they are being asked to share their stories.

Click here to read synopsis of the film.

Click here to read article published in High Country News on the history of Indian boarding schools in the US: The U.S. stole generations of Indigenous children to open the West

IN THE NEWS:

On November 6, 2019 a Unist'ot'en supporter was arrested at approximately 9:45am for enforcing provisions of a temporary access agreement with Coastal GasLink. The Access Protocol Agreement between CGL and Unist'ot'en/Dark House states that the corporation or its contractors will provide at least 24 hours of advanced notice for any attempted entrances. An update posted notes that the supporter was later released with no charges. Click here to watch video posted of the arrest on facebook.

Click here to watch new short film, Invasion, about the Unist'ot'en Camp, Gidimt'en checkpoint and the larger Wet'suwet'en Nation standing up to the Canadian government and corporations who continue colonial violence against Indigenous people. (Full length film coming in 2020)

Click here to read article published by the Cherokee Pheonix: Trump honors U.S. founders in same month for Native heritage