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.

Join Us For an Informational Town Hall Meeting

We welcome and invite: 

local residents of the towns around Malheur National Forest, 

members of the U.S. Forest Service, 

and individuals attending the Rainbow Gathering 

to join us for an informational 

~ TOWN HALL MEETING  ~

at 6pm on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 

at the Canyon City Community Hall.

The purpose of this meeting is to allow local folks to ask any questions they may have about the Gathering, and for Gathering participants to provide history and background information, health and safety practices, etc.

Town Hall Meetings are a great place for local residents to meet Gathering participants, ask and answer questions, and address concerns. 
This is an open meeting. We encourage all interested individuals in the communities surrounding the gathering to come meet with us and ask what ever questions are on your mind.

We hope to see you there!

Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

6pm

Canyon City Community Hall

129 South Washington Street

Canyon City, Oregon 97820

On Freedom (a video)

So this brother is making a documentary about intentional communities in America, maintaining mutual respect, keeping the peace, freedom and equality. and some of the more challenging issues we face in being free. It's called The Idiocratic Life   From  - http://theidiocraticlife.wordpress.com

Part 1




Part 2

Teaching Our Strengths

In my humble opinion, the gathering is good at many things, but what we are best at is creating communities made up of diverse people.  One of my fondest memories is of the Utah gathering in 2003. Just across the dirt road from INFO and CALM was a small meadow that held three small camps sharing one bliss pit:  Krishna Camp, Jesus Camp, and a punk/anarchist camp.

Evenings when I stopped by the bliss pit, people were discussing and sharing ideas, perspectives, and yes sometimes arguing a bit.  Communication and community were being created. When we gather in rural towns, many gatherers connect with many of the locals in sometimes strange but usually positive ways. Many locals plug into the gathering and give deeply despite disagreeing with some of our behaviors.

On the surface, I feel this is what our entire country needs to do. Have those conversations around a bliss pit or coffee table, online, or via the phone. Talk about what we can agree on. Encourage those who do not want a dictator-in-chief to unite and stand up for quality education for our children, health care for those in need, social justice for all, aggressively address climate change, care for our seniors and special needs family, love and protect our water, air, trees, small creatures, owls, bears, wolves, moose, bees, etc. etc.  We can do this if we realize that "we" are the change that is needed.

Take the time to listen to people, especially people who perhaps are socially more conservative than you are and see where you might make a personal connection.

Some people want a return to a more faith based world, but many of us have beliefs that are less than traditional and equally important but are coming from a faith in something, be it Gaia, Buddha, Krishna, or Ifa. So let's share our beliefs.

Many of us are full of love for the world.  Let us take this blissed out, hippy love into the small towns and cities, and infect everyone.  Let's build relationships with those we do not know and find areas of commonality. Let's hug and love everyone. We do it at the gathering and it works magic. Let's take this to every street in the USA and show the world how we create peace through love, compassion, and amazing food.