Sunday, October 16, 2022

Roots Ritual: Connecting with Our Ancestors

I want to do some connecting with my Ancestors. I got inspiration from a local Indigenous group who has asked us white people to do this (more). (I'm doing a three-part event (6 hours) with Western Mass SURJ (* see below about Reparations) about this and my homework for this week is feel in my body the loss of not being connected to my ancestors, and to notice how I might be/am connected already. Recommended reading from WMSURJ about this: Roots Deeper than Whiteness: Remembering who we are for the well-being of all)

I did a little research last week about fall harvest festivals in the Netherlands and England (some of the areas my Ancestors came from)... and noticed a connection to potatoes. That spoke to me for some reason. So at my local farmers market yesterday, I cradled a purple potato in my hands and tapped into emotion right away; I cried! But just a little since it was not the time and place for more, but found that intriguing anyway. I bought multiple potatoes to take home and use to connect with my Ancestors. 


I decided to start with this ritual today, in my compost pile. The compost represents the cycle of life and nourishment. This is what I planned:
- stir it
- put bare feet and hands in it
- connect to worms who process the waste from our kitchen into rich, nutrient soil for use back in the garden
- thank the worms for doing what they do so well
- thank my Ancestors who grew food and flowers too and taught me to care about the land and what grows from her
- give offering of water


My feet are still tingling from this experience. I feel cleansed by the soil.



This was the plan for my personal connecting to my Ancestors with potatoes:

- they come from the earth, sustain me as food
- represent for me my Ancestors who ate, (maybe) grew, and (maybe) celebrated them
- encircle me with 6 of them on the grass (on top of heart shaped leaves)
- each one represents a generation (the last one represents all other generations)
- bare feet and hands
- hold each, one at a time
- listen to what my Ancestors want to share with me at this time
- thank them
- apologize for being disconnected
- show my openness to being connected more

- continued to listen with family gathering later
    (got the new message from my Ancestors that they are always with me, I am not alone)



I connected on my own after my partner took these pictures to share with you. I don't want to be performative, just motivational...if any of this speaks to you to practice for yourself, I invite you to connect with your Ancestors in your own way.


I am wondering if you would want to be a part of this exploration with me as my birthday celebration this year? If so, let me know. I will invite you to bring a potato (or another root vegetable, or a potted plant that's in soil) to a Zoom gathering. Bring something that once was/is very deeply connected to the earth. One thing we could do with the potatoes (or other root) is hold them and think how they connect us to our Ancestors. We could imagine and feel out what our Ancestors are telling us, how they are supporting us, and what they have passed on to us...what gifts we received from our Ancestors? Then we can share the messages we heard with each other.


I want to start this and some other new traditions that work for me as I don't connect with most holidays of the year. I have an idea for the spring too...connecting with the hope our Ancestors had. 

Tulip bulbs 
- represent hope
- give one each to family members to plant in their own ritual of appreciation and thoughtfulness
- about potential for them to be flowers after a season of rest, then root growth
- mindful of the earth and water that is given to them to sustain them

Hope Ritual: Connecting with Our Ancestors 
- in April (or when tulips open)
- share appreciation... 
    for the miracle of flowers coming from seeds and roots
    for bees who spread pollen
    for the earth and water that sustains them 
- more on this event later.


Western Mass SURJ has a reparations program that we are a part of too.

Hugs, 
Diana
- they, them/per, pers


Sunday, October 2, 2022

Indigenous Solidarity

I am in SURJ Boston, part of the Indigenous Solidarity group and have been for years.

We are learning that our role as descendants of settlers is to listen, learn, and share what we learn from our Indigenous hosts (we are guests on this land of theirs) to support unerasure of their culture and contributions (the opposite of the erasure perpetuated by society's teachings and history lessons). For example, about the genocide of Indigenous people, and what survivors are doing to continue their culture and advocate for their rights. We (including you, dear reader) can help with this unerasure by signing petitions, going to rallies, and sharing what we learn in our personal communities. Below are examples of things we have been doing to support unerasure of Indigenous history, culture, and contributions:

We attended and volunteered at a Pow Wow hosted by NAICOB at Prowse Farm in Canton recently.

This week we attended an Orange Shirt Day rally outside Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, for those who survived Indian residential/boarding schools and those who never came home. Here is a 2 minute YouTube video presentation on Orange Shirt Day by Phyllis Webstad, an Indigenous woman and the creator of Orange Shirt Day. < Please share this widely.

In the Indigenous-Palestinian Solidarity Webinar, From Turtle Island to Palestine: Indigenous Solidarity with Palestinian Resistance, presented by UAINE and NAICOB, we heard about Nakbas happening every day in Palestine with Indigenous people and children there. Everyday Nakba documentary

Call to Remove Racist Stereotyping Native and Himalayan Views
From UAINE: ‘Please sign the petition to get rid of this stereotyped statue of a Plains Native man outside this store in Charlemont, MA. (Don't give any money to the change.org petition site, though.) The tipis need to come down as well since they fit into the stereotype that "All Indians live in tipis," even though Indigenous peoples from this region of course did not do so.’

I am being personally affected by what we learn from our prospective partners. For example, because Mahtowin from UAINE posted on their FB page: “If you are not an Indigenous person and sage is not part of your cultural practices, stop buying it or using it!”, I canceled plans for an upcoming job involving sage and planted some seeds by sharing my experience in this blog and during a recent Action Hour (join me, Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 pm ET), and communicating with a non-Indigenous store owner who sells sage and smudge sticks.

Join us at Indigenous People’s Day Celebration in Newton, Monday, October 10 at Albemarle Park, 11am-6pm. Click here to volunteer!

Please sign the petition above, and watch and share the Orange Shirt Day short video, and take other actions above (and beyond this post). Thank you for joining us to support unerasure of Indigenous history, culture, and contributions.