A Huge Thank You to the Burns Paiute Tribe

The Burns Paiute Tribe are the First Nation people upon whose traditional lands this year's gathering was held. Thanks to some long time gatherers contacting the tribe in the spring of this year, we were able to create positive relationships between gathering participants and tribal members to protect Flagtail Meadows and the surrounding areas.  A huge shout out to the tribe for staffing an information station in the main meadow adjacent to INFO.  Many great conversations took place and I personally learned quite a bit about the land used by the Paiute for generations.

One of the members of the Burns Paiute tribal council spoke to a workshop taking place in the teepee on July 3 regarding the rainbow gathering/Standing Rock connections. He told us that when he heard we were coming to their traditional lands, he was upset due to the Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 in which damage to culturally sensitive artifacts occurred. He told us he was afraid that the gathering would be a similar event. When, he saw what was happening for himself, he was happy. He asked us to protect the creek and said the rest would heal over time. 

Vision council/counsel/circle put out together this consensus on July 8, 2017:

"The Rainbow Family of Living Light vision council (counsel) on the land day 2, Oregon, July 8, 2017 thanks the Burns Paiute Tribe for welcoming us to gathering on your traditional lands. We appreciate working closely with you to protect sacred sites and the environment. We deeply empathize with the loss of your traditional lands by colonization. We support your ongoing work to build a strong, healthy, and vibrating Burns Paiute Tribe now and for future generations."

Here is a photo of the letter as written out in council/counsel/circle.

This letter, along with several pieces of Obsidian that had been turned into INFO (without a location provided), were delivered to Dean Adams, Vice-Chair of the Burns Paiute Tribal Council, on Monday, July 10 about 9:30 a.m. by myself and a friend.

While we were at the reservation, we drove by the children's park called Rainbow Park.  Here's a photo in case you are curious about the synchronicity of our interactions. I look forward to continuing this relationship after the gathering and cleanup are over.