Respect

The gathering of the tribes is dedicated to creating peace on earth and the positive evolution of the planet. Sometimes peace seems so hard to attain, it can be helpful to focus on strategies that create opportunities for peace.  Today's concept is "Respect."

From the beginning, the gathering included concepts of respect. The invite to the first gathering in 1972 started off:

We, who are brothers & sisters, children of God, families of life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves Rainbow Family Tribe, humbly invite:
All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love.
All nations & national leaders -- out of respect
All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith

 If I were authoring the invite today, I would modify it to:
All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of respect and love.

So how then does respect contribute to creating peace?

Peace needs nurturing and dialog to plant its roots and grow.  Peace needs food and water.  If we do not respect the needs of peace and honor those needs, we are doomed to failure.  So how then do we go about creating respect at our gatherings?

When we gather, we are a community with a diversity of backgrounds, religious beliefs, political affiliations, interests, hopes and dreams. Honor that diversity in each of us -- our differences are what make us capable and interesting. Our connections are what make us strong.

The following ideas are commonly shared ideas, I didn't invent them, but I find it helpful to be reminded of them.

Respect is one of the core values in our attempts to create an egalitarian culture. By approaching my family with respect I am laying the roots for a relationship. By treating people the way they wish to be treated, I can connect with others. If I offer respect to another person, that person is more likely to offer respect to me and to others. People who are treated with respect, learn how to treat others with respect.

We are all part of this big, wonderful planet called earth and hence we are all connected. Rather than trying to severe these connections, let's strengthen them. In 1994 at the Wyoming annual gathering, a forest fire occurred at the edge of the gathering up on a ridge. We formed a human bucket line from the creek at the bottom of the meadow to the ridge. None of us could have individually carried enough water up that hill quickly enough to put out that fire. But standing shoulder to shoulder and passing buckets hand to hand, we connected water and fire and extinguished the flames.

Separate issues from people in a respectful manner. When someone is engaging in non-respectful behavior, respect the person enough to explain why the behavior is creating an issue that needs to be addressed.  And always focus on the behavior that is the issue.

Acknowledge the emotions behind the inappropriate behavior and ask the person if they could refrain from the behavior and share their feelings with us instead. We all do this with our children when we refrain from saying "you're bad" and instead say "you made a poor choice"  or "please use your words to tell your brother why you are upset instead of hitting him."  Why can't we use this same method with adults?  Especially those of us who are children in the bodies of adults.

As the early gatherers (or earlies as they are more commonly known) wrote a long time ago "we are all of us children" as we are just now learning how to live with each other.  Be patient. Some of us learn more quickly and some of us learn less quickly. We all started from different places so we all have different journeys ahead of us. Let's be fellow travelers on this uncharted sea.

Everyone has an opinion and their opinion is no better nor worse than my opinion or your opinion. When we create space for people to freely share their thoughts without fear or judgement, we are creating a space where we respect each other.

Listen. We show our respect to others by listening to what they have to say. We not only listen with our ears, but our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our hands.  When people feel heard, they feel respected. When they feel respected, they are more likely to respect others.

Respect is an important starting point for creating peace.

Rap 121 Sexuality and Consent

 This is a gathering based on love and respect.

Please help create a safe space for everyone.

 

Respect each other and do no harm.

 

Ask before hugging or touching anyone.

 

Nudity is natural, and not a sexual invitation.

 

“No” means NO! The absence of “Yes” means NO!

 

A sleeping or intoxicated person cannot consent.

 

A person under the legal age of consent cannot consent.

 

A person unable to competently consent for any reason cannot consent.

 

Consent at one time does not imply consent at any other time.

 

Consent for one action does not imply consent for any other action.

 

Consent given can be revoked at any time.

 

Respect yourself and trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable being intimate or alone with someone, or with what someone wants you to do, you have the right to say “no”.

 

If planning on engaging in sexual activity, open and forthright sharing about sexually transmitted infections is necessary.

 

Love happens – protect yourself – use condoms! If you don’t have one, just ask.

 

If you observe what you believe to be a boundary or consent violation, offer support or get help.

 

If you see immediate danger of any kind, yell out “Shanti Sena!” and other gatherers will rush to your aid. If you hear someone yell “Shanti Sena,” approach quickly, carefully and peacefully.

We are all Shanti Sena – Peace keepers!

Spring Circle / Council / Counsel

Spring council/counsel/circle
 

Spring council starts June 10.  Directions to spring council will be posted here and on the light line on June 8.  Light line = 530-ITS-INFO (487-4636‬). Please wait for June 8th when more info on Spring Circle/Counsel/Circle will be available. Any updates we have will be on the light line or posted here.

Spring council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site.

People talk about critical issues and plant the seeds for a positive and healing gathering.

The council usually takes one to seven days and normally ends with either a consensus by silence among people at the council or an exodus of the majority of people heading to the preferred site. Spring council goes until a decision is reached by consensus or by foot. The exact location for this council will be announced her on Saturday, June 8th.

Until the spring council process reaches a site, there is no home.  This being said, spring council is usually but not always in within 100 miles of the area of where the best potential site(s) for the gathering are located. 

Spring council takes as long as it takes to reach a decision. If you want to have a voice in the decision making process, please be there on the land. Once Spring Council reaches a decision, then we move to the land and start building the gathering aka Seed Camp.  If you are not a self-sufficient gatherer and are not willing to do the work of preparing the gathering for family coming home, please don't show up until at least June 20th.   Even then, water systems will be under construction,  kitchens may not be prepared to feed anyone but their own crews, and engagement with government entities will be ongoing.

Once spring council reaches a consensus, directions to the gathering will be distributed widely including on this blog.

Prayer for World Peace on Interdependence Day (July 4th)

Circle on July 4
Photo from Colorado 2006 (thanks Solace)

The silent prayer/meditation for world peace is the culmination of our attempts to create a peaceful and harmonious gathering. Starting as the sun rises on the morning of July 4th, the gathering will become silent. As people wake up and get ready for their day, most people respect the silence. As people are so inclined they head to main meadow to pray for world peace, do yoga for world peace, meditate for world peace and all sorts of other mellow and silent manifestations of creating the energy of world peace and the healing of the planet.

 We hold this peace in preparation for the arrival of our children. The children's parade (meet at Kid Village or Dirty Kid Village a few hours before noon if you have kids and want them in the parade) will come into the center of the circle. Please hold the silence until all the children (even the ones at the end of the parade) have made it into the center of the circle. Our children our are future and deserve our respect. Oming/Auming can start when most of the children are in the circle. PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WIDELY.

At some point before breaking the silence we will om/aum. Not a short 1-2 minute om, but a long drawn out 15 minute or 30 minute om/aum. If we are all focused and om together, not in a hurry to get it down, but to be with it in the moment, we can create energy that will change the world.

Each of us has a crucial role to play in this sacred ceremony that is the core of the Annual Gathering of the Tribes. This is why I and so many people I know go to the gathering, dig shitters, chop wood and carry water. This is why so many people dedicate so much resources and energy to the gathering. Please if you choose not to participate, please be silent and let those who wish to create a sacred ceremony do so.

California Rainbow Gathering Lightline

Recorded info on the gathering plus the ability to leave a message if needed. Call will be returned as volunteers have time to do so. The line will be staff until late summer.

Fires and California

California has a long history of fires that have wiped out homes, communities, habitat and wild places. While 20 or 30 years ago, we often considered wildfire part of the natural landscape, due to the climate crises, wildfires are hotter and more destructive. Although many plants here have evolved to recover from occasional wildfires, the frequency and heat-level created by climate-change fueled fires burns so hot, that it kills off our vegetation and many plants can't survive the inferno.

For those of you who don't live in the west, you may not understand that wildfires can burn 1/2 million to over a million acres per fire. Most of the largest wildfires in California's history have been in the last decade.  

Wildfires can burn up at a rate of one mile per minute, much faster than humans and wildlife can run!!!!!

Wildfires are serious business in this state and wildfire safety is treated equally earnestly.

Over the years, wildfire safety has been a paramount concern at gatherings. However, this year, we are going all out on wildfire prevention.

The short list of things we always ask all gatherers to do:

• Always have 5-10 gallons of water and 1-2 shovels at every fire.Make sure fires are supervised by responsible adults all the time.
• Build fires away from tents, trees, and brush. 
• Remove duff (flammable organic matter on the forest floor), and all debris down to the dirt for at least ten feet around fires and smoking areas.
• Please community fires only. If you have a camp with 20-40 people, that's a community, but all of the above still applies.
• If a fire can no longer be supervised, it needs to be put out well enough that you can put your hand in the ashes and they feel cool to the touch. This means you have to use water to put out fires. 
• If you will be part of a kitchen, make sure you have a fire extinguisher that can put out a grease fire! (Water doesn't work on a grease fire).
  

TIP!  Please don't smoke while you're walking down the trail. Kick it at a kitchen or other space while you smoke and make new friends!   

Smoke Safely: 1. Shade 2. Sit. 3. Smoke. 

 

Be forewarned

Spark arrestors are required on all portable gasoline powered equipment including chain saws, generators, weed eaters, mowers, etc.. 

Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires you won’t even see, until it’s too late!
Don’t pull your vehicle into dry grass or brush. Check with Parking Crew on the land for more info.

These requirements can change at a moment's notice! Weather influences fire danger. Check in with the Fire Safety Station by INFO off Main Meadow for the latest rules and regs frequently if your camp has a fire or is cooking with a fuel stove!

Get your Free Fire Permit

The State of California requires all users camping in the woods who want to have campfires or cook on a propane/gas stove to have a personal fire safety permit. The permit is free, and IS NOT RELATED to any Federal government or United States Forest Service Group Use permit.

They are free, fairly simple and super quick to get off the internet. This is information that all folks considering having a campfire or propane/gas stove in California should understand. THIS IS A STATE OF CALIFORNIA REQUIREMENT!

Get your free CalFire fire permit here. Print it out, put it in a plastic sleeve or laminate it, and bring it with you to the gathering! 

Be warned!  We will have a fire watch crew that is damn serious about fire safety this year.  Don't expect to be able to slide on our fire safety protocol as we do not want you to endanger our children, our elderly, gathering participants, and surrounding communities. We will have fire safety information at our Fire Safety Station near the INFO Booth off Main Meadow. Please check with the Fire Safety Station before building a fire or using your propane stove, even if you already have the above mentioned CalFire Fire Permit! Situations on the ground will change and the best place to get the latest updates for the gathering is at the Fire Safety Station.

For the latest fire information in the State of California, including active fires and Red Flag warning areas, visit CalFire's website.

Don't Forget to Breathe

Here we are again. It's May before the Annual Gathering of the Tribes. Everyone is excited and emotions start spinning.  People panic about what may or may not happen -- especially those on social media where rumors spread like wildfire and everyone wants to know where the gathering will land.

This has been happening for decades and the negativity online is never what plays out at the gathering. I am feeling a bit of stress too as there are so many preparations I want to do for the gathering, yet I know I won't get it all done. Plus, dealing with the social media shit show can drain a person's emotions.

So what is a gatherer to do?

Breathe.  Listen to the medication music of your choice. Limit your use of social media.  Focus on getting your vehicle and camp ready for the gathering.  Click on the links at the top of this blog to learn how the gathering site is selected and how to prepare your vehicle to get into the gathering without a mandatory court appearance ticket.