Indian children were forcefully taken from their families to what were called Indian Boarding, or Residential Schools. These schools were sometimes hundreds of miles away. There, attempts were made to erase their Indigenous culture and force them to adopt White culture. There was widespread emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Thousands died.
They Found Us
Following are stories about the documentary They Found Us by Curt Sipihko Paskwawimostos who is a member of George Gordon First Nation. My friend Christine Nobiss is also a member and has been working to get funds to support the video. The documentary is about the search for unmarked graves at their rez, George Gordon…
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Great Plains Action Society and Midwest Quakers
What follows is a history of the development of relationships among people of the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) and some Quakers in the Midwest. I’ve had a lifelong concern for our environment and always wanted to learn more about Indigenous peoples and their spiritual and sustainable ways of living. But I hadn’t known how…
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Truthsgiving 2022 Pledge
Sadly, but importantly, white settler colonists such as me, at least those paying attention, are learning a great deal about the genocide of native peoples, in large part facilitated by the institutions of forced assimilation. Sometimes referred to as Indian boarding or residential schools, though school is a misnomer, an example of whitewashing. The remains…
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Spiritual connections for survival
For many years I’ve been praying, thinking, writing, and discussing how we can prepare for an increasingly dystopian future. In an article in Friends Journal, Donald McCormick asks “why is there no vision for the future of Quakerism?” I wrote about my vision in the article What is your vision for the future? The increasing threats from…
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Foundational stories now: Quaker faith
[My foundational stories are related to the intersections between my Quaker faith, protecting Mother Earth, and photography. My faith led me to try to share my spiritual experiences and show my love for the beauty of Mother Earth through photography.] I’ve been praying and struggling for many days to discern how to express the state of my Quaker…
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FCNL and Seven Weeks of Action for Seven Generations: Week 5
A fundamental principle of justice work is to follow the leadership of those impacted by the injustice. The 7 Weeks of Action for 7 Generations are what Native peoples are asking us to do to help them. This week we are asked to contact US House representatives belonging to the Indigenous Peoples Caucus. I recently…
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Quakers and Religious Socialism 