Blog Posts

Ally Mistakes - Oops ~!

7/7/2018

PEGI EYERS

In our work as Allies to BIPOC we need to stay away from the methods of the colonizer, which include perpetuating stereotypes, patronizing behavior, the use of perspectivism (assuming others share our worldview), or making rules for the disenfranchised group. It is quite possible that BIPOC hear the solutions and aspirations as offered by white people as patronizing, arrogant and ill-informed. Assuming we know what BIPOC communities need in terms of western ideology or infrastructure, and imposing these “benefits” on them intentionally (or with subterfuge), is known as the “white savior” complex.

White people are not heroes or heroines riding in on a white horse to save everybody (!) we are assisting a group of people who already have a plan in place. Allies cannot presume to know about the experience of BIPOC, or to speak authoritatively about BIPOC community. Targets of oppression are experts on the totality of their oppression and we need to listen to them. Our task is to be mindful of how power is operating in any given context, to think before speaking (if we must speak), and to let BIPOC voices be heard. We are cautioned by experienced activists to understand that our anti-oppression work is not about the needs of the ally, or to feel good about ourselves.

It's about the needs of the targets NOT to be oppressed!

"First Nations Peoples and the decision of Canadians to stand
alongside them, will determine the fate of the planet."
The Guardian
more on Allyship >HERE< PDF download "Good Allies" by Pegi Eyers

Pegi Eyers is the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for social justice, uncolonization, ethnocultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon

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Love from the Earth

5/6/2018

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PEGI EYERS

All my life the clock has been ticking, and the ideological pendulum has been swinging. Finally, my awareness has come to rest in vital knowledge – that I was raised with a false paradigm on “Kanata” and am living on stolen land. This shattering reversal of reality transformed and radicalized me, but I don't feel disempowered. For to use a common cliché, “the truth will set you free.” I am a white woman, a Gaelic Scot born into the colonizer agenda, the great Empire-building project, "the grand and glorious experiment” on Turtle Island. And at the same time that I am a product of the status quo, life choices have given me an acute awareness of colonial oppression. I consider myself blessed to be thriving in the traditional homelands of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, and I battle with cognitive dissonance and the dismantling of my whiteness every day. For example, the “acknowledgment of territory” so popular in white spaces can only go so far, when it is Indigenous flags that should be flying on municipal buildings, and the land repatriated and returned to First Nations.

I woke up from a childhood cushioned from reality and blind to the walls around me, walls that separated people of color from those privileged by Empire. Yet with each new layer of whiteness and coloniality I unpack within myself, my personal obligation and responsibility to tear down those walls grows in equal measure.

Back in the 1980’s I was a teenager living in various regions of British Columbia, traveling here and there as the impulse struck. With my young husband, we eventually put down roots in the Similkameen Valley, just before the first wave of First Nations resistance and resurgence began to rise. Day after day we witnessed members of the Smalqmix community arriving at the bar, where the cheap beer kept flowing and the cowboys kept singing. “Welcome to the Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” In those days we offered many rides home, giving “safe passage” to our native friends, taking them back to their dark and broken shacks, with no running water or warmth in the winter. I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

One day we found ourselves drifting through Hope B.C. and decided to sleep under the stars on the bank of the Fraser River. We approached a circle of Stό:lō folk beside their nets and liquor bottles, and in the common way of vagrants everywhere, were immediately made welcome. Language and cultural differences were definite barriers, but at the moment the need to set the nets and harvest the salmon took priority. As the evening wore on, the drinking took center stage. Farther down the rocky shoreline, I fell asleep listening to the sing-song Stό:lō speech. Screams in the night woke me, as inebriated people ran back and forth along the riverbank as a Stό:lō man became caught in the current. His body washed up downriver many days later, and I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

Fast forward through a kaleidoscope of cultural events; teachings from the Elders; pow wows; Indigenous arts, books, film, theatre and music; and First Nation friends who sparked my life for decades. Deep in the canyon of city streets, I pass a crouching woman with long black hair hidden in the corner where bus shelter meets skyscraper wall. Urgent with my own necessities and agendas, I feel helpless in the face of such obvious need, and press on. What happened to this Indigenous woman? Her Toronto was not my Toronto, and I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

A few years later I am working in an art gallery in a mall, and an Indigenous artist appears day after day to take his cues from the paintings. Over coffee, I hear he has a terminal illness, in addition to PTSD. What is PTSD? It is being pushed beyond one’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits not once, not twice, but repeatedly - over and over and over. I see the dark spirits circling above this man, both from his own Ojibway heritage and the other chthonic realms. I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

In recent times I have reached middle age. Empowered by the words of Haudenosaunee and
Anishnaabe Elders, I
notice the cultural appropriation rampant
in my own community,
mostly by my white
sisters who practice
New Age Spirituality.

I distance myself immediately and learn all I can about white privilege and Allyship Theory. I hesitantly enter solidarity spaces and become bolder as confidence grows. From both native and non-native people, I encounter hostility, denial and confusion. I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

I continue to do anti-racism work on principle, and as a Settler-Ally, I know I have no right to speak. Then, a prominent academic tells me that keeping silent is an extension of the colonial agenda to infantilize us all, and I try to stay in middle ground. I learn how kind words can change lives. But in the shadows, the tears of Indigenous people continue to flow, and my care is yet another burden, another misguided platitude that does not fit the healing pattern.
I hold the despair etched into the actions of this devastation.

I am listening. First Nations have called me the enemy, and it’s absolutely true. My people have been the carriers of genocide and slavery, and are the worst disseminators of racism the planet has ever known. I am privileged, I am white, and I carry the same colonial patterns of violence endured by my Ancestors, that were then forced on everyone else. No longer can I pretend that white people are the authority on human nature, and I need to just sit, beyond redemption, with the harm that has been done. It may be beyond my power to remove the burden of history or the trauma of BIPOC, but I can be accountable and make amends. I can continue to change my own beliefs, and uncolonize my inner and outer reality. And with the agency that belongs to me alone, (i.e. the "power of one") I can fight for the rights of Indigenous people and the land - as writer, ally, friend. And as I dismantle my whiteness, I know that my life’s work is to honor the Earth in all I think, say and do. And above all, to reject the patriarchal ethics that dominate our humanity and the land.

Suddenly, in the midst of the activism, rallies, discourse and friendship, an idyllic vision rises in my heart. Should I speak of it? Do I dare? My vision touches on “inclusivity,” which is linked to neo-liberalism, white privilege and power. And yet regardless of blowback, I continue to hold a vision of hope. It will not go away. It is based on mutual healing. Without pretending we are all the same, my vision is of a thriving collective of diverse folk bonded to the Ancient Spirit of the land.

Can we allow the Earth to heal us? That is the vision, and the rejuvenation of our ancient and timeless connection to the land in the face of massive change, as our way forward. Can we hold on to this vision with all of our might?

VISIONING

Pre-colonial and Indigenous societies all over the world know Mother Earth as sacred, and the source of all life, enchantment and joy. Without exception, the wisdom and cultural traditions of all people emerge from the land. Not to know this is to remain disconnected from the Earth, the source of our spiritual ecology, and to perpetuate the goals of Empire that separate us from our embeddedness in the natural world.

How do we bypass the dominance of modernity and go directly to the source of our eco-being? We – eternal reflections of the Great Mother – red, yellow, black, brown and white – all of us, People of the Earth – are sacred vessels for spirit, ever loving, ever perfect, always blessed. We are strong in our bones as the Earth is strong! When we reclaim our true power, our circles form in bonds of protection, and we speak for the green realm, for all beings.

We align ourselves with natural law and care
for Earth Community,
and when we return to the source of all knowing
– an intimate and humble interaction with the land - experiences in companionship with the elements, spirits, and
forces in nature are
equally available to all.

Recovery from colonialism has no timeline, yet our urgent task is to reclaim the sacred essence that spirals us back, to our deepest and most ancient connection. Nourished by the web of life that sustains us all, we become re-rooted in our own earth-emergent heritage, our own ancestral traditions, and our own rites of passage. And in a true coming-together of hearts and minds in emotional integrity and right relationship, we find our way home to peace, and then, to peaceful co-existence.

The love of the land is the only true wealth we have – we are part of the Earth and the Earth is part of us! And in this fledgling love, a small fire in the darkness, the spirit is luminous in every person. Before time and before place, there is something we all share. We are each a spark of the Great Mystery, in our primal being we are whole, and nothing has ever been broken. Knowing our true heart’s home on the land, we hold ourselves gently, in perfect love and perfect trust.

"Love from the Earth" originally appeared in Confluence: Youth
Passageways Journal Volume II, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2017.

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The Problem with Far-Away Ecotherapy and Nature Connection Retreats

2/28/2018

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PEGI EYERS

At this point in history, with late-stage capitalism and climate disaster events coming at us in waves, how can anyone justify going on nature-bonding trips to exotic locations? This activity is particularly absurd when it applies to members of the Ecopsychology community, who could be providing important role models for other folks. If a particular demographic or professional group focused on nature connection fails to take a stand on reducing our carbon footprint, why should anyone else feel motivated to change?

Travel to exotic locations is a privilege, not a right, and in terms of carbon impact, a typical 747 aircraft burns 4 litres of fossil fuel every single second! A flight to Australia from Europe creates 4.5 tonnes of carbon. By comparison, traveling 2000 km by car emits less CO2 than one transcontinental flight, and the average emission per capita globally is around 1 tonne. In the face of these devastating statistics, it may be a good idea to ask ourselves if we care enough about the Earth to just STAY HOME!

Going away on "retreat" from the ecosystem where we actually live is a strange phenomenon, coupled with the promise that we will make a "special connection" with nature that somehow doesn't exist at home. The lure of exotic experiences is a big draw, such as enjoying "rhino tracking" or “respectfully encountering dolphins in the wild." Yet isn't it possible to find the magic and mystery of nature - and the beautiful creatures of Earth Community - right in the ecosystems of our own home places, that need our care and attention?

Travel to exotic destinations is made possible by socioeconomic privilege, and especially the wealth accumulated by the boomer generation. We hold a lifetime of conditioning that prompts us to enjoy our wealth and privilege, with exotic travel being one of our most popular normalized pleasures. (Next to body care, fancy clothes, restaurants and live entertainment, that is!) We have also been indoctrinated to admire the ultra-rich and emulate their jet-setter lifestyles (whether or not we will ever be ultra-rich). We have to ask ourselves if members of the nature-relatedness field really want to follow these aspects of the capitalist paradigm, that promote the excess consumption of both material goods and experiences?

Another diversion that often comes up with "nature retreats" is the option to "meet with local Indigenous people." From our positionality in the west as members of the dominant society, this suggests a number of ethical considerations. Is the meeting superficial or based on long-standing relation-ships? Meeting with the more enterprising of the local people can be seen as "tokenism," as one or two individuals do not speak for, or represent the concerns of the entire Indigenous community. And even if a local tourism industry has sprung up to accommodate western travelers for economic development (often under the guise of "intercultural sharing") there is still an underlying consideration, and a macabre one at that. How ethical is it to normalize the subjugation that our own Colonial ancestors created in the first place? The eco-tourism or "teachings to outsiders" industry is one way for Indigenous people to recover from colonialism, but coming into their space with paternalism or white saviorism can be perceived as just more neo-colonialism. Adding insult to injury, in all our variations the presence of white westerners obstructs the sovereignty of Indigenous societies, and their right to live free of colonial pressure within their own landbase and epistomologies.

Instead of fleeting encounters with Indigenous folks, a better approach may be to contribute to the cultural survival of specific Indigenous nations from afar, and practice good Allyship to support healthy boundaries and the principles of non-interference. In addition to Indigenous groups in Hawaii, the Kogi in Colombia have recently asked North Americans to JUST STAY HOME. Their beleaguered ecosystems are becoming more and more fragile, and it is increasingly seen as an extension of socioeconomic privilege to assume we can travel anywhere just because we feel like it, and insert ourselves into the precious homelands and narratives of peoples in other places.
.
If you are a member of the Ecopsychology community and decide against traveling to an exotic location for nature connection, a public statement outlining your objections, including your assessment of the carbon that has been offset, would be most welcome. And thank you for your inspiration!

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Earth-Emergent in the City

2/20/2018

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PEGI EYERS

The Ancestral Arts are on the rise today, as we embody a more harmonious way to live, interconnected with nature, the other-than-human world and Earth Community. And yet depending on where we live, it may be impossible to fully re-create the vibrancy of an earth-wise culture. In places of urban sprawl, the environment may be in an eroded condition, or we may find our access to wild nature denied. The challenge then, for those living in the city either by choice or necessity, is to reclaim or enhance the aspects of a foundational bond to the land that gives rise to our spiritual ecology, and find our kindred spirits and community links in the process.

There are many ways to practice our ancestral wisdom and reclaim the wonders of nature in the city! As we explore the green commons, public parks, planted spaces, borders, cemeteries, quiet corners, abandoned lands and (so-called) wastelands, we can revere urban space just as much as wild or semi-wild ecosystems. Strolling around city neighbourhoods, or wayfaring and hiking through woods and parks (with or without an agenda) has obvious health benefits, and enhances the intimacy and detail of a more grounded, grassroots perspective. And as we get to know the landforms and ancient cultures that were there before urbanization, we find that the magic of the earth is ever-present in the older landscapes beneath the surface of the city. As they always have, the genius loci - the ancestors, spirits of place, primordial forces and beings of myth and mystery - are willing to communicate with us, if we are open to their messages.

All land is sacred, but places that embody "genius loci" can be said to be more highly charged with spiritual energy or healing power from natural formations such as ley lines, songlines, wellsprings or forest groves. Known as “numina” to the ancient Romans, these special places are home to the numen - ancient earth spirits, intelligent entities, orbs or deities - or are sites that still resonate with culturally-significant historical events.

In today's world, places that evoke "genius loci" can be sites of human architecture imbedded in the land, that hold deep meaning to our personal mythology and cultural history. Consciously or not, the effects of natural locations play a role in our psychogeography, which are the emotions, memories, behaviors and epiphanies we hold in response to special places. Even sites in the city that are often overlooked or neglected can be approached with an attitude of reverence and reciprocity, which helps to re-enchant these green zones and contribute to the remediation of marginalized spaces.

Paying attention to the tree people, stones or birds in the city, and bringing elements and natural objects from the wild into our urban interiors, are all ways to stay connected to the land. Marking the seasons and cycles of the moon, celebrating the quarters and solstices, and coming together with like-minded community in ceremony and ritual are ancient practices that express our earth-rooted beliefs in urban spaces. Rewilding, re-greening the commons, urban herbcraft, natural medicine and community farming are all ways to create deep connections to the actual and spiritual gifts of the soil.

Earthing is another wonderful practice available to us in the city. Walking barefoot on the grass or at the beach, sitting or reclining on the ground in parks, gardens or private yards accesses the healing and energizing properties of the earth, which has been identified by science as the transfer of electrons (the earth’s natural, subtle energy) into our bodies. "Earthing" gives us strength from the healing frequencies of the land, and promotes the vitality of the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. The most amazing thing about the soothing, grounding and cleansing practice of "Earthing" is the simplicity and access, and it certainly gives new meaning to the term "earth-connected!"

Without a doubt, it is our immersion in green spaces and our bodily contact with the Earth that promotes tranquility, reflection and restoration for the human spirit. Even in the city, the movement of waters and stars, or the growth of plants and animals, imply the presence of indwelling spirits. Stones, trees and other aspects of the natural world are self-aware, autonomous and willful beings who possess their own traits and dispositions. A spiritual force pervades all of nature, and the other-than-human world embraces a host of endlessly expressive and individualistic living entities. The Earth is aware, and even in the city, green zones hold elemental forces inhabited by sentient beings and creatures. As we reconnect deeply with these wonders and our eco-selves in the city, our re-landing will sustain the sacred ground of our collective being, for generations yet to come.

photograph © Milissa Mulligan

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Voices of Earth ~ Archaic Whispers

11/30/2017

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PEGI EYERS

hands in earth, green growing
cavern sweet with flowers and leaves
(diving deep)
earth that is her body
ten thousand things rise and fall

Ancestors!
Ancestors!

the deepest sound is silence
next to hard rock she can remember

listening ~
not with the ear with the spirit

Ancestors!
Ancestors!

the trail is cold
cave walls echo

………..

summoning
blissful hallowing
voices of earth, archaic whispers
guided, protected and inspired

rhythmic drums and sacred songs
homelands etched on the heart

Ancestors!
Ancestors!

diving deep
earth that is her body

] [

(wings to fly)
rising up to meet the light

"Cave Painting" by Elaine de Kooning

Excerpt fom Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers
"Ethnic Memory & Connecting with the Ancestors"
Do You Remember?

Pegi Eyers is the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for social justice, uncolonization, social justice, ethnocultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon.com
www.stonecirclepress.com

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Good Allies BY PEGI EYERS

11/3/2017

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Allyship Theory provides an excellent framework for correct protocol, ethical interactions and solidarity with First Nations. To explore the guidelines for cross-cultural relationships in your own community and beyond, access your complementary copy of "Good Allies: A Synthesis of Contemporary Ally Theory" by Pegi Eyers here:

good_allies_by_pegi_eyers.pdf
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Song of the Ancestors

10/30/2017

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"Ancestors" by Black Dicefish

PEGI EYERS

With deep pre-Christian roots, the Celtic fire festival of Samhain (an old Gaelic word meaning “harvest at summer’s end”) celebrates the beginning of the Pagan Year in many traditions, and marks a liminal time when the Wheel of the Year turns from light to dark, and winter is coming. In Celtic Reconstructionism, Celtic Spirituality, Avalonian, Druidic and Pagan traditions today, Samhain or All Souls Day has been revived as an important holy day for solitary ritual or “gathering of the tribes,” with practices emulated the ancient traditions and rituals of lighting the sacred fire, divination, masquerades and costumes, feasting, dances, songs, storytelling and practical jokes.

At Samhain, when the veil between the worlds is thin, spirits, deities, fairies (the Fair Folk or “aos sí”), or souls of the dead may choose to visit, and with offerings, rites or libations, much can be accomplished in communing with our Ancestors or interacting with the gods, goddesses and spirit beings. The borderline time of Samhain is excellent for remembering our Beloved Dead, receiving their wisdom and guidance, and acknowledging the cycle of life, death and rebirth according to our own specific ancestral traditions.

“In many non-western cultures, the Ancestors have an intimate and absolutely vital connection with the world of the living. They are always available to guide, to teach and to nurture. They embody guidelines for what is most valuable about life.” (Malidoma Somé)

All during the year and especially at Samhain, we can keep the connectivity to the Ancestors alive by invoking their memory on a daily basis, with prayer and gratitude, making offerings, and politely asking for assistance and guidance. Contact with the ancestral realm brings rewards of empowerment, resilience and strength, and we may find that our ethnocultural path is meaningless without the recognition of the Ancestral Spirits. The best way to revive the magical potency of Ancestral connection and receive their blessings and wisdom, is to give them an honored place in our hearts and homes.

Designing ancestor altars with special objects such as photography, artwork, poetry or heirlooms that represent our Beloved Dead, create a vibrant channel or “portal” between the living and the spirits. At Samhain, candles, flowers, incense, fragrance, and offerings of food and drink can be arranged to honour and welcome the spirits back home. Portable Altars are great for travel, pilgrimage, offerings, outdoor installations, creating sacred space or visiting grave sites, and also function as containers for our grief, respect and honor.

Indigenous and earth-emergent societies worldwide practice Ancestor Veneration with altars, ceremonies, processions, celebrations, offerings and elaborate burial grounds. Honoring the Ancestors at Samhain and keeping them close creates a powerful link between the past and the present, and can bring us great joy, peace and good fortune. As we become more comfortable with interacting in the continuum of nonmaterial reality and honoring the Council of Ancestors - politely engaging their help with visualization, prayer, song, offerings and ceremony - we are participating in the ancestral veneration that is at the heart of all indigenous societies.

Also, honoring the Ancestors opens a valuable channel of knowledge that travels back and forth from the Ancestors to ourselves. The Ancestors are waiting to make contact! As much as we want to communicate with our Ancestors, they are willing to communicate with us.

Waking Memories are the sudden realizations and "epiphanies" that arise from spending time with the memorabilia and myths of our Beloved Dead, and travel to the geographic places of our our ancestral heritage. Tapping into the reservoir of "epigenetics" or ancestral messaging that resides in our physical essence can affirm the vitality of the unseen worlds, and the deep sense of belonging that dwells in our hearts and souls.

Dreamwork and Intentional Dreaming allows us to deliberately create the conditions for the Ancestors to meet us in the dreamtime, and to return to the exact same dream for more information. The process of Dream Archaeology is the extensive research that can be done to validate the symbols, messages, and direct communications we receive. In addition to paying attention to our dreams - guided meditations, visualization and pathworking are other kinds of spiritual modalities that can bring us closer to the spiritual realm of the Ancestors.

"Motherline" by Ulla Anobile

Constellation Work is a deep healing process whereby participants "stand in" for the members of one's extended family circle. Magically and spontaneously, from the deep inner knowing of the participants (or possibly the Ancestors themselves?) gestures and simple words indicate the residue of family blessings or intergenerational trauma. These often cryptic messages are interpreted by an experienced professional, and are then acknowledged and incorporated into present-day reality. A deeper awareness of family dynamics leads to the healing that is possible for both the subject and the Ancestors themselves. The experiences and stories of our relations do not need to hold us back, as we can transform our family legacy and grow into our best selves with inner work and other modalities such as meditation, therapy, journaling, poetry, expressive arts and dance.

“With prayer, you may be offered help by those who have crossed over into Spirit. Many cultures make invoking the wisdom and assistance of the Ancestors a part of their daily spiritual practice. The spirits of the Ancestors live on and can connect to us, and they are there to help us everyday.” (Sonia Choquette)

As we become more attuned with our heritage, both our own stories and the memories we hold from the family soul, can become a rich source of guidance and strength. Any healing work that we do in our lives heals our ancestors as well, as they continue to send us their blessings, and cheer us on! Samhain is the perfect time to renew our respect for the Ancestors, reconnect with their energy, and receive their gifts, support and spiritual guidance.

Working with the Ancestors and reviving the magic of ancestral veneration is vital to the re-enchantment of our world, and is an organic part of the recovery process for the reconstruction of earth-rooted societies. By honoring our ancestors on All Souls Day, we acknowledge that these “wise mentors,” “special messengers,” “spirit elders” and “loving spirit guides” are there to help the living. As they shaped us, and passed on the gift of life with their intentions, sacrifices and achievements, thanking the ancestors is an extension of gratitude for our entire Earth Community.

“We call upon those who have lived on this earth, our Ancestors, who dreamed the best for the future generations, and upon whose lives our lives are built. With gratitude we call upon them to teach us and show us the way.” (Chinook Blessing)

~ BLESSED SAMHAIN! ~

Pegi Eyers is the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for social justice, uncolonization, ethnocultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change.
Amazon.com www.stonecirclepress.com

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Decolonization ~ Meaning What Exactly?

10/5/2017

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PEGI EYERS

With all the dialogue happening on decolonization today, a reminder on baseline definitions can be helpful, before widening out to other personal/collective interpretations and actions. There are movements happening right now across ethnic and cultural lines (including the dominant white society) that use "decolonization" to describe a wide array of practices. Do we need to re-examine how we use the term? What does “decolonization” mean to you? The following definitions can offer starting points for discussion, and for action going forward.

(1) Break Free
The first and most basic meaning for “decolonization” is when a nation seeks to become free of the oppressor/oppressed regime imposed on them by a colonial power, and to physically and legally undo the colonial state, or Empire, that has dominated their society. Dependency can be transformed to independence through nonviolent revolution, or national liberation wars, and there have been several active periods of decolonization in modern times. For example, the breakup, or dissolution, of the Spanish Empire in the 19th century, the German, Ottoman and Russian Empires following WWI, and the Soviet Union following the October Revolution.

(2) Settler Removal
The next profound meaning for “decolonization” is for the colonizer to “de-colonize” - that is, withdraw and leave the lands of the oppressed they have taken by stealth or force. Here in the Americas, there is a justified belief among First Nations that the colonizer (folks of European descent) must return to our lands of origin. So far, there are a few progressive Settlers who are exploring their own removal, yet for the majority of us this is beyond our capabilities. Everyday life in the homogenous American or Canadian nation-state does not place any value on heritage, or any substantial link to a European homeland. And the trail to Europe may be very cold, if one's motherline has been on Turtle Island for over 12 generations. So, if it is impossible to leave the Americas (as much as we want to) it may be helpful for Settlers to think of this directive symbolically, and to ask ourselves what exactly an America or a Canada would look like, if we were to abolish our Eurocentric imposition, dominance, supremacy and power? And what would a re-indigenized society look like, if First Nations and POC were in the ascendant position?

In the face of these realities, we can be grateful for alternative approaches being offered by First Nations leaders such as Robert Lovelace (Tslagi/Algonquin).

“Indigenous peoples and Settlers have our own histories, where those histories have led us, and where the possible futures might lie for us together. Because guess what? We are here and now, and we’re not going to change that fact, but what we can do is change the possible futures that we face.”

To maintain cultural continuity, and to show up for common causes with our diversity intact, the most we can hope for is to practice good intercultural competency skills, tolerance for "the other," mutual respect, and peaceful co-existence. Throughout human history, these are the elements that have been missing.

(3) Return the Land
For Indigenous freedom fighters, scholars and community peoples, decolonization cannot happen until the ancestral lands are returned. As the source of epistomologies, cultural keystone(s), TEK (traditional ecological knowledge), food sources and medicine for good health, the land is deeply embedded in the communal heart and soul. At the root of Indigenous community, the priority to care for and protect the land is for the Web of all Life, and the Seven Generations yet to come. In marked contrast, Empire has failed miserably in the protection of pristine ecosystems. Now, all people, including Settlers, who reject the paradigm of endless growth and recognize the value of IK (Indigenous Knowledge), can support the repatriation of lands to the original Earthkeepers and First Nations of Turtle Island.

In the truest sense of the word, for the recently colonized (Indigenous and POC) "decolonization" is not a metaphor. Those in the dominant society are being asked to avoid using "decolonization" to refer to ideas or actions that do not hold indigenous resistance, sovereignty, land restoration, and other repatriations at the center. As "decolonize" refers specifically to the repatriation of land and sovereignty to Indigenous peoples, Settlers are being urged to use alternate terms such as "uncolonize" instead. The process of "decolonization" is also completely different from "social justice," and again, learning about intergenerational trauma, and dismantling Euro-supremacy, systemic racism or current socio-economic structures, is part of an "uncolonizing" process. Simply put, it is impossible for Euro-Settlers to "decolonize" on stolen land. Important articles by Tanya Rodriguez (Taino) explain how the term "decolonization" as used by Settlers, continues to erase those most impacted by colonialism.
Decolonization, A Guidebook For Settlers
Living On Stolen Land Tanya Rodriguez
Uncolonizing Decolonization Tanya Rodriguez

(4) Resistance & Resurgence
As a baseline here in the Americas, for the recently colonized (Indigenous and POC) "decolonization" is the active principle that attempts to undo the Settler State on a daily basis, both from within and without. Eurocentric dominance, white supremacy, racism, ethnic cleansing, genocide, slavery, land theft, imposed treaties, broken promises, relocation, forced assimilation, government manipulation, corporate control, psychic violence and all the associated forms of oppression that continue to impact Indigenous people and POC in the Americas are identified, confronted, called out, and resisted. One step at a time, and marking the victories along the way, decolonization attempts to undo the colonization of the individual, the community and the land with protest, social justice activism, civil disobedience, education, cultural projects and legal battles.

At the same time that the Settler State is challenged, the necessary recovery and rejuvenation of pre-colonial heritage, language and tradition is taking place, with further preservation of culture ongoing. A focus on health and healing translates into relationships that realign individuals and entire communities with their Original Instructions. The majority of references to "decolonization" by BIPOC refers to the active principles of resistance and resurgence, and the ongoing education that supports and empowers these actions.

From the PhD dissertation by Ioana Radu (Cree) ~ "Healing in Chisasibi"

(5) Neurodecolonization
The minds of ALL people who navigate within Empire have been occupied, or colonized, by the memes and values of the Settler State. In today's era of massive change and climate disaster, root causes such as monotheism, imperialism, white superiority, hetero-patriarchy, capitalism, corporatism, resource extraction and binary political systems are rapidly being exposed as outdated frauds. Even if we have learned to thrive within the simulacrum of these human-created systems, the fact remains that Empire is toxic to all life, including our own. The conditioning and domestication we have received over millennia has translated into many artificial beliefs, habits and behaviors. Here is a sampling - what others come to mind?

Placing human entitlement and humancentric needs above Earth Community,
a disconnect from nature and the normalization of urbanity,
control and domination showing up in our own lives with "Me" instead of "We" behaviors,
implicit or overt judgement of people who don't fit the white cisheteropatriarchy ableist "norm,"
intense competition and the "cult of the individual" resulting in narcissism linked to low self-esteem,
a measure of personal value situated on a hierarchy of wealth or class,
a reliance on consumerism to provide "fulfillment" with fleeting pleasures, experiences and material things,
developing self-identity from the workplace, commercial enterprises and other disconnects from the real,
a lack of rites of passage, low emotional IQ and infantile behavior throughout the adult years,
a fear of the natural cycles of life such as birth, adolescence, aging and death.

The term "neurodecolonization" was created by Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) and any use of the term must include a reference to his work and cultural property. Neurodecolonization is a process that challenges the memes of Empire (western thinking) in our individual or collective consciousness, and replaces that ideology, or action, with pre-colonial, or ancestral thinking. For ourselves, our families and our communities, the move toward life-enhancing patterns, and compassionate and inclusive solutions, can be a life-long undertaking.

The key thing to remember when engaging with the ongoing neurodecolonization of our psyche is that "humans are not fundamentally flawed creatures. That is a myth perpetuated by industrial capitalism in order to naturalize the behavior of violent imperialists. They are the insane." (Derrick Jensen)

(6) Re-indigenization
Neurodecolonization and the reprogramming of the psyche can naturally lead to an interconnection with the evolving processes of all life, and return us to our essential bio-lineage. We are invited to learn from, and emulate the values of IK systems without indulging in cultural appropriation, and a natural extension of this work is to recover specific indigeneities based on our own ethnoculture (if possible), as suggested by Zainab Amadahy (African American, Cherokee and Seminole).

“If the aim of decolonization is to rid ourselves of colonial mindsets why not centralize our own wisdom traditions when they enable us to think and act in ways that support our communities, including Mother Earth, Our Relations and the Great Spirit?”

Uncolonization insists that we understand ourselves as we existed before modern civilization, and that implementing holistic solutions and traditional earth-emergent ways of life are vital to the survival of the human race. In these times of unlimited access to information, reclaiming our own root ancestral heritage(s) or EIK (European Indigenous Knowledge) has become a real possibility. The most exciting movement of our time is underway to Reject Empire and its toxic hegemonies, and to shift toward rewilding, economic alternatives, food sovereignty, spiritually-based ecological wisdom, uncolonized community, bioregionalism (if possible), and inclusion in the Sacred Circle of all Life.

To recover our pre-colonial eco-self we must stop taking our cues from the dominant society, and become spontaneously directed by the natural world.

(7) We Have All Been Colonized
By the time the Settler Society arrived on the shores of Turtle Island, honoring natural law and living in balance with Earth Community had already been outdated concepts for centuries in Europe. They were part of a social organization based on hierarchy and control, and instead of taking their cues from the Indigenous civilizations already thriving in the “new world” our Ancestors went on to repeat the colonial pattern. For our generation today, the question remains - what are we going to do about it?

Here are a few questions to consider, as we look at how we use the terms "uncolonize" and "decolonize."

Where do you see yourself on the uncolonize/decolonize continuum? Do you belong to the historic colonizer Settler Society or the colonized group?
How can reparations be made to First Nations?
Are you recovering your connection to a landbase that has nurtured your people for generations?
Do you center Indigenous and POC resistance in your uncolonization work?
How are you educating your own cohort on issues of racism and oppression?
Do you consider the recovery of your own heritage part of the uncolonization process?
What habits in your thinking, or daily life, can be uncolonized?
How can you dedicate more time to the rewilding of both soul and place, and the protection of wild nature?

At the local level, the popular "acknowledgement of territory" before public events provides a solid foundation for the uncolonization of self, family, community and the wider world. After decades of denial and ignorance, the unadorned truth of this "first step" declaration centers Indigenous reality, and is integral to the uncolonization journey.

"I acknowledge that I am living in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, stand in solidarity with First Nations land claim processes, support First Nations sovereignty and cultural recovery efforts, and respect the traditional values of the Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Alderville First Nations."

Pegi Eyers ~ Nogojiwanong (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)

Find out whose land you are on, and honor it
https://native-land.ca

"Decolonization ~ Meaning What Exactly?" was published by Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice October 11, 2017 >link<

Quotes in Order of Appearance
1) Robert Lovelace (Tslagi/Algonquin), "The Architecture of a Decolonized Society: Reindigenizing the Self, Community & Environment," Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC), Trent University, Peterborough, January 18, 2013
2) The term "neurodecolonization" was coined by Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD, website: Neurodecolonization and Indigenous Mindfulness
3) Derrick Jensen, Deep Green Resistance, comment on social media
4) Zainab Amadahy, “Why Indigenous and Racialized Struggles will Always be Appendixed by the Left,” Unsettling Settlers: Where We Talk about Unsettling Our Settler Selves, August 1, 2012
Resources
Joyce Green and Michael Burton, 12 Steps to a Post-Colonial Future," Rabble http://rabble.ca/news/2013/12/12-steps-to-post-colonial-future
Pegi Eyers, Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, Chapter 19 "Rejecting Empire: Re-centering Indigenous Values /The Psyche & Myth-Busting," Stone Circle Press, 2016
Pegi Eyers, "Rejecting Empire 1" and "Rejecting Empire 2" Academia.edu
https://independent.academia.edu/PegiEyers
Jürgen Werner Kremer and R Jackson-Paton, Ethnoautobiography: Stories and Practices for Unlearning Whiteness, Decolonization, Uncovering Ethnicities, ReVision Publishing, 2013
Tanya Rodriguez, "Decolonization: A Guidebook for Settlers Living on Stolen Land," Medium, December 26, 2020
Tanya Rodriguez, "Uncolonizing Decolonization," Medium, April 18, 2021
Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang, "Decolonization is Not a Metaphor," Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice, September 26, 2012
https://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/decolonization-is-not-a-metaphor
Michael Yellow Bird, MSW, PhD, Neurodecolonization and Indigenous Mindfulness www.indigenousmindfulness.com/about

Pegi Eyers is the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for uncolonization, social justice, ethnocultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change.
www.stonecirclepress.com

2 Comments

Animism Unbound

6/15/2017

1 Comment

PEGI EYERS

As a positive term for activating our most primal and authentic eco-self in the wild, many important definitions for Animism exist today. And yet these descriptions can obscure an ancient way of knowing, with the clutter of western mind. As we "return to the garden" today, seeking out the reassurance of intellectual complexity may be the norm for a society that has been disconnected from the land. But Animism is as natural as the flowering of our senses, and it's not that difficult to bypass linear thinking and experience the wonders of nature first-hand. Animism is simple, direct, immediate and profound, and as close to us as the green space, seasonal cycles, and other-than-human-world that surrounds us.

“Everything in nature is alive and speaking. Our spiritual practice is about opening our eyes, ears and hearts to hear, understand, and communicate back. The elements, the Ancestors and the spirit beings that surround us want us to communicate with them. They want to work with us to heal the Earth, but they need our invitation.”[1] (Starhawk)

ANIMISM UNBOUND You wander far into the wilderness, to where it seems no human being could possibly have gone before. You wait quietly for something to happen. And sure enough, although you cannot pinpoint the source, small bell-like notes rise up in a pure waterfall of sound, like seeds floating in orbits or flower circles chiming in bliss. Surrounded by harmonious bands of singing green and streaming blue, somehow you traverse bogs, meadows and the antlers of branching trees, to find yourself at your cabin door once again.

Looking to Indigenous societies worldwide (including those in Old Europe), we are reminded that humans thrive best within an animistic reality in which everything, inanimate or animate, has life, energy and spirit. To the practicing Animist, every part of Earth Community is aware, and a mountain or an entire territory can be the outward form of spiritual presence, or an abode of elemental forces inhabited by sentient beings and creatures. Without a doubt, the life force in nature such as the movement of waters and stars, or the growth of plants and animals, implies the presence of indwelling spirits.

Deeply personal messages and affinities are all around us, and the appearance and timing of phenomena like a rainbow, the cawing of a raven, patterns etched in sand, or the visitation of a snake can have great individual purpose and meaning. Interpretations can either come easily with an undeniable “knowing,” or become clear over distance and time.

In my own case I have always held an Animist knowing and companionship to wild nature, as I continue to see, feel, sense, observe, know and communicate with other presences out on the land - creatures, beings, elementals, earth spirits, deities, plant allies, and the archetypal animal spirits. These conversations can be one-off, or depending on the place, evolve and strengthen over time, with great care and devotion.

"Sympathy binds human beings to plants, animals, rocks and stars. Therefore they become beings rather than objects, fellows rather than things, and members in a circle of social relations.”[2] (Peter Nabokov)

Having interactions with the ecosystem as part of our daily lives, Animists are in agreement that our dependency and reciprocity binds us to the Earth Communities with whom we share our world. Deeply connected to the land and its seasonal cycles, Animists are in rapport with the animals, plants, living spirits, Ancestors and spiritual forces, and “Indigenous animism looks to the wholeness of nature for its principal teachings.”[3] (Emma Restall Orr)

ANIMISM UNBOUND The day you finish a Daniel Quinn book that reinforces the sentience of Earth Community and changes your worldview forever, you leave the house, and just outside the door a magnificent toad is waiting. You long for the day when you are as at home in your environment as this attentive being. You place a blessing of protection on the small creature, which leads to a conversation full of magnetic knowing and mutual love. And from that day onward, you remember Wise Toad as the guardian of life's passages.

Western society has finally realized what Indigenous societies have always known, that Earth Community is awake and aware, albeit in different ways than how we perceive consciousness as humans. Stones, trees and other aspects of the natural world are autonomous and willful beings who possess their own traits and dispositions. A spiritual force pervades all of nature, and the magical and mysterious presences and spirit beings in forests, shorelines, caves, mounds, springs and meadows continue to present themselves to us, and communicate great insight, awareness and numinosity.

The world is alive with purpose, energy and sacred life. The elementals, earth spirits, plant allies, faeries and “devas” can have identifiable characteristics, personalities or gender, and narratives from oral traditions can portray these other-than-human beings as neutral, lovable, exuberant, terrifying or even mischievous!

ANIMISM UNBOUND You find yourself encountering turtles everywhere you go - images and other icons - and you spot them on summer lawns and in the wild. You feel a sense of the miraculous beyond serendipity, and begin to know a closeness to Mother Turtle, who tells you life lessons of the most sacred symbols unfolding, in the deep recesses of both cosmos and Feral Earth. Then one day you encounter a broken turtle beside the highway, psychopomp and sing to her as she crosses over, and are driven to spend the next four years raising exorbitant sums of money for a turtle rescue organization.

With love and thanks to the many artists who contributed to "The Art of the Turtle"

"Animism, because it seeks to relate and converse with the world, rather than to define and control it, always renews itself. It wakes up every morning fresh and alive, and every evening it tucks itself to bed to dream again for the very first time. Since animism involves a relationship with the world, a living being that exists in the now, the present moment, what more relevant perspective could you find?”[4] (Willem Larsen)

If we are open to sharing through our heart, mind, dreaming body and other senses, the stones, trees, plants, animals, birds, insects and sacred creatures with whom we share this wondrous planet have an infinity of healing, guardianship, and learning experiences to offer. By stilling our inner dialogue, focusing on positive intent and emotions, and listening deeply with our ears plus our entire range of senses, we have the ability to initiate conversations with earth spirits and energetic beings. The results can be surprising and awe-inspiring! Some people hear actual speech, for others it is a waking dream, powerful vision or spontaneous experience, while others receive messages through night-time visitations, strong feelings or intuition.

We have never been separate from the life-affirming power of the natural world. As it was in ancient times, the other-than-human world embraces a host of endlessly expressive and individualistic living entities whose actions we may adore, emulate, decipher, predict and even influence! Our relationships with all beings, whether spiritual or physical, indicates an acceptance of multiple realities in the world.

Deeply related and interactive in our mutual admiration, kinship and needs, the cycles and manifestations of growth that occur in self and nature correspond both materially and spiritually. The macrocosm and microcosm meeting within ourselves, the divine principle of “as above so below” are also realized. By virtue of being connected to the holism of Earth Community, we become attuned to a vast cosmovision, and all notions of monotheism fall away. Animists evoke, honor and obey a multiplicity of spirits, deities, elements and powers.

“In tribal societies, there is so much to see and hear. The bear speaks, the river speaks, the rainbow signifies, the eclipse is a sign. The animistic personification of natural objects may be difficult for us to accept in any ‘literal’ way. Yet, judged solely on intellectual grounds, animism can be credited with a more sophisticated perception of physicality than Western Knowledge. Far from regarding matter as dead stuff, tribal societies perceive it as infused with mind, will, and intention.”[5] (Theodore Roszak)

As a clear example of an Indigenous tradition, within Anishnaabe epistomology the intrinsic cooperation and communication between humans, animals, birds, insects, plants and spirit beings is known as the “Council of Life.” Also, in the traditional language of the Anishnaabe, most nouns are animate, indicating that in this conceptual framework “things” are alive, and have autonomous standing and spirit.

The Animist perspective is also apparent in the cosmology of the Haudenosaunee, as “the world around and all its features – rivers, trees, clouds, springs and mountains are regarded as alive, endowed with spirit and sensibility every bit as real as those of humans, and in fact of exactly the same type and quality as a human’s. Among the Iroquois this was called Orenda, the invisible force inherent in all parts of the universe.”[6]
(Kirkpatrick Sale)

ANIMISM UNBOUND "Like echoes like" you are thinking, as you pick up a stone marked with lines of red ochre, exactly the same as the ancient petroglyphs you have visited with Indigenous friends. Asking permission, the patterned stone willingly joins the other objects in your sacred pouch, that includes a small figure of divine feminine blessing. Weeks later on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico the pouch is lost to human greed and grasping, yet when you return home, the stone marked with red ancestral pigment is on your altar waiting. You accept this magic as willingly as the Petroglyph Stone has accepted you.

There are an infinity of examples found worldwide that reflect interactive success between the human/nonhuman world, such as the miraculous communications in the Findhorn community. By developing empathy skills, opening up their consciousness and widening their sensory abilities, Eileen Caddy, Peter Caddy and Dorothy MacLean were able to hear the wisdom and tutelage as expressed by the overarching nature spirits, or “Devas” of the plant realm.

In a state of heightened awareness - a space of great joy, freedom and unconditional love - they found that the Devas were thrilled to be noticed by humans, and with ongoing interaction became close companions in cooperative gardening and co-evolution. All forms of life start with energies that are materialized into specific physical form by the overarching soul essences of each being, the “Kingdom of Devas” who hold the archetypal patterns. Feeling and harmonizing one’s self with the soul essence of a plant can evoke a response, such as this communication received from the Flowering Gentian.

Blue Gentian

"We bring breaths of open spaces and hills, of sunshine, showers, and breezes. All of these are part of your being. Even if you live in the midst of a busy city, these natural things are home to you. They are part of the atmosphere of this Earth, part of the surroundings in which you live and grow. Even if your life and thinking are completely enmeshed in the human world, still you are part of our Deva world, which works for the perfect flowering of all life. This is your birthright. You may turn your back on it, but someday you will learn the truth and live in connection with all life on this planet. Only then will you tap your highest potential.”[7]
(Gentian Deva)

An abundance of interactions with the other-than-human-world are just waiting to happen! Numinous encounters tend to be immediate and profound, and then morph into the heart and soul of one's personal mythology. Lived experiences on the land can even form the basis for new oral traditions, as the storied landscape gives rise to new cultural narratives and lifeways. As we focus on the wild as our cultural and spiritual practice Animism will thrive, and by sharing these old/new ways of living with others, the syndrome of nature disconnect will fade away. By extension, our collective responsibility to all life applies to our human clans and kinship groups as well, with the all-inclusive community practices of sharing, care and support.

“Nature is alive and talking to us. This is not a metaphor.” (Terence McKenna)

Honoring the life force in creation and knowing that all beings are sacred are the core beliefs of Animism, and it is our collective responsibility to support this interexistence with the highest respect and generosity of spirit. Human beings are just one strand woven into the complex systems of Earth Community! By respecting the Earth as a living entity and acknowledging all forms of consciousness in the natural world, Animism is the worldview that works best for humanity when we take our appropriate place within (not above) the Circle of All Life. Our reawakening to Animism, arising from our collective ancient past, will naturally move us forward to a future of ecocentric ethics and reciprocity with Earth Community.

ANIMISM UNBOUND   In a state of shock and confusion you practice earthing on the lakeshore for a few hours. Your cares and doubts fall away, and you focus on one particular small shrub who has been gently waving. Remembering your lessons on green energy you pay close attention, but the plant spirit is offended and turns away. After a while other layers open up, and in the healing waters of the deep lake currents you sense a great and ancient feminine being. You think you know her, but hesitate to call her name. It is a brief yet incredible encounter, and as you walk home a voice crystallizes in your mind. "Thank you for seeing me. I have been here since time immemorial, and I will be here after you are gone. Gather your kindred spirits who love the Earth - the time to act is now."

NOTES
[1] Starhawk, “A Pagan Response to Katrina,” Starhawk’s Tangled Web: Goddess and Pagan Resources, September 14, 2005.
[2] Peter Nabokov, Where the Lightning Strikes: The Lives of American Indian Sacred Places, Viking Penguin, 2006
[3] Emma Restall Orr, The Wakeful World: Animism, the Mind and the Self in Nature, Moon Books, 2011
[4] Willem Larsen, “Becoming Traditional: Animism, Culture, and the Newly Born,” The College of Mythic Cartography, March 6, 2007
[5] Theodore Roszak, “The Greening of Psychology: Exploring the Ecological Unconscious,” The Gestalt Journal, Volume 18, Number 1, Spring, 1995
[6] Kirkpatrick Sale, Dwellers in the Land: The Bioregional Vision, University of Georgia Press, 2000
[7] Dorothy MacLean, To Honor the Earth: Reflections on Living in Harmony with Nature, HarperCollins, 1991

RESOURCES ~ ANIMISM
Indigenous Narratives ~ Immediate and Fluid, Lived Experience
The Sacred: Ways of Knowledge Sources of Life – Peggy V. Beck, Anna Lee
Walters and Nia Francisco >link<
Messengers of the Gods: Tribal Elders Reveal the Ancient Wisdom of the
Earth – James Cowan   >link<
The Manitous: the Supernatural World of the Ojibway – Basil Johnston >link<
The Seven Dawns of the Aumakua: The Ancestral Spirit Tradition of Hawaii –
Moke Kupihea   >link<
The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living – Joseph M. Marshall III
>link<
Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future – Melissa
K. Nelson >link<
Western Interpretations ~ Structured, More Complex
Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology - David Abram >link<
Animism: Respecting the Living World - Graham Harvey   >link<
Everything You Need to Know About Animism - Sarah Anne Lawless >link<
The Wakeful World : Animism, Mind and the Self in Nature - Emma Restall
Orr   >link<
Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings - Marko Pogacnik >link<
Talking with Nature, Journeys into Nature: A Michael J. Roads Reader -
Michael J. Roads >link<
Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings – John Seed,
Joanna Macy, Pat Fleming and Arne Naess >link<

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More Settler-Colonialism: Boomers and the Rez (True Story)

4/28/2017

0 Comments

PEGI EYERS

So the privileged creatures of civilization, the white sybarites of the comfortable boomer generation, have decided to “get back to the land.” They already tried that in the hippie era, but never mind (!) this recycled idea has merit what with property values these days. Retirement is looming on the horizon, so why not re-land yourself in the neo-romantic crucible of beach, fen and forest? After all, the Canadian wilderness goes on forever, and everyone is entitled to those magnificent vistas of sunrise and sunset. What are wide open spaces for - except to “be yourself,” let loose, and express that inner “lord and lady of the manor” that has been caged up for so long?

Now, taking into account your boredom with the mainstream and your disdain for the hillbillies in the back of beyond, why not purchase property right next to First Nations as a way to exotify yourself? Then, you can brag about being so urbane, sophisticated, multicultural, and “spiritual” that you had the foresight to position yourself right next to the “tribal~!”

And be sure to benefit from your romanticization of the “other” by making your business more interesting and palatable to other culturally-starved and spiritually-deprived white people. Of course, your “gentrification” of the colonizer/colonized relationship allows you to claim there is “cultural diversity” in your neck of the woods, which makes everything just so much more inclusive, colorblind, “one tribe” and kumbaya~!

Smooth move, neo-liberal.

Now, in the interest of wage slavery and your "zoomer-boomer" business plan, don't forget about the folks right next to you on the "Rez." Desperate to put food on the table (or make some sort of progress in the white world) you will find willing people (“tokens”) from the native community to support you in your scheme. You might also need personal assistants, wait staff, dishwashers and groundskeepers ~ no problem! There is no place for cognitive dissonance in capitalism, so feel free to draw on the interchangeable pool of Indigenous labour right next door. And then, by all means let everyone know that your First Nations neighbours are on board with your project, so that makes it 100% alright!

Of course, (and in keeping with your fantasy) you and your clientele of cultural tourists would not dream of helping the First Nations community as a whole, or conducting Allyship in solidarity with First Nations struggles, or fighting in the trenches, as that is too far beneath you. Rallies, marches, mobilizing and political actions are NO place for fashion statements, artistic expressions, great music or food! And for sure, getting your “hands dirty” with social justice or activism, would only tarnish the exotic representation of Native People you have so carefully constructed to bring in the business.

So my dear Zoomers - never mind that the First Nations community right next door are still in the throes of recovery from 500 years of cultural genocide, oppression, displacement, racist microaggressions and land theft - that’s "all just in the past!” Let's just keep quiet about all that, for when it comes to obnoxious white-privileged Settler interloper-opportunists and snake-oil sellers, it truly is about “me-me-me.”

RESOURCES
Don't Move to the Country to Build Your Dream Home

Pegi Eyers is the author of "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award winning book that explores strategies for uncolonization, rejecting Empire, social justice, ethnocultural identity, apocalypse studies, building land-emergent community and resilience in times of massive change.
PURCHASE LINKS
Stone Circle Press or Amazon

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Love from the Earth

The Problem with Far-Away Ecotherapy and Nature Connection Retreats

Earth-Emergent in the City

Voices of Earth ~ Archaic Whispers

Good Allies BY PEGI EYERS

Song of the Ancestors

Decolonization ~ Meaning What Exactly?

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Animism Unbound

More Settler-Colonialism: Boomers and the Rez (True Story)

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