Reflections on Water for Life Decade

A decade ago, we built a bridge to the future spanning the infinite past to what we hope will a be a future paved with harmony...

Ten years ago I was engaged in an intense effort to increase environmental literacy and motivate behavior change that would result in measurable improvements in our local efforts to achieve sustainability.

One of the many workshops and train-the-trainer sessions that was organized, developed and implemented during that #decadeforwater was the Giganawendamin Nibi Women and Water leadership retreat. At that time, the three day workshop served as a much needed break to strategize, synchronize and share knowledge among a multicultural and multi-generational cohort of women leaders.

What follows is a short post I wrote as a guest writer for Sacred Horewoman, a blog by Renee Sans Souci. Here are my wintery thoughts upon returning from one of many workshops and events we were working on at that time.

https://sacredhorsewoman.blogspot.com/2008/03/reflections-by-bawshkeeng-wabigun-tara.html

Cover Art for "Giganawendamin Nibi"by Sharon M. Day
2006 World Water Council Local Actions, Global Change
Kyoto Prize Global Semifinalist

Road to the Equinox...

On this year's observance of  #InternationalIndigenousWomensDay there is so much to be thankful for while also acknowledging how many concerning items we must consider.

I celebrated the day, like many if not most women across the globe, by rising before dawn, waking my two children, drawing water into the filtration system, ensuring my children are clothed, groomed and fed, and getting them off to school before getting myself to work.

After school I picked them up, dragged them to the local school board meeting so they could voice their opinions on the need for continued district funding for art and science fieldtrips, fed them, helped them with homework, and put them to bed before washing dishes, washing clothes and drawing water again for the next day's cooking and drinking. 

In between I fielded work and personal calls, considered the many house and self care tasks that just don't always get done, planned the weekend #miamirising climate justice art events we will participate in, and spent at least 60 minutes more than I should have on social media catching up with friends, family and whatever real news snippets make it through the mathematical algorithms to reach my eyes.

Now it's to fold and put away the laundry while the little one sleeps and the high schooler finishes off the last of the homework due. Meanwhile I do my best to allay the constant worry of health, bills and wellness, which seems so simple and yet turns out to be so very complicated in this moment in history...

Good, strong thoughts to you, my fellow warriors, as we prepare to set off in the battle to strive toward completing another day of daily life in the war against oblivion....

@bawshkeengwabigun

P.S. After writing and before publishing this post, I did manage to at least boil a pot of cedar tea, so I'm happy to report checking at least one item off on the care list, thanks for the encouragement....  ;)

Opening pathways to the future…

World Premeiere of "Creating Tradition"
American Heritage Gallery, Epcot Center
Walt Disney World Resorts, Orlando, FL

July 27th, 2018

A sea of patchwork at the opening of a new exhibit at Epcot highlighting Native Art in North America

On this day when Mars is closer to the Earth than it’s been in a decade and a half, since July 2003, a beautiful dedication and opening ceremony was held for the new American Indian art exhibit in the American Heritage Gallery of Epcot Center’s World Showcase. Amid a global display of cultures, “Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art” stands as a marker, reminding us all, residents and visitors alike, of the history, contemporaneity and future that Indigenous art, heritage, traditions, knowledge hold on this continent and around the world.  With elegance, grace, dignity and courage, the exhibit speaks to the enduring role of tradition and how the cultural geography of our shared past continues to inform the future of cultural, artistic, linguistic and intellectual knowledge in Indigenous communities and the lands they influence both within and beyond ancestral homelands, locally and globally.

[Footage courtesy Walt Disney World News]

On the occasion of the recent exhibition opening, the main floor of the American Heritage Gallery was transformed into a celestial sphere, gathering community, sharing the sound of human voices and rhythmic percussion. It was a brief moment where together we created a space to celebrate the existence of life.  

This collaboration between institutions provides Epcot visitors with the opportunity to engage with various forms of authentic art and cultural artifacts within the World Showcase. The exhibit itself was conceptualized during a multiyear effort by Disney to connect with American Indian communities, including Native communities of South Florida. The outcome is a model for long term collaboration in knowledge sharing; juxtaposing ancient with modern, traditional with experimental; resulting in the co-creation of an incredible visitor experience infusing authentic art and history into the fabric of Disney magic.

[Detail of Brian Zepeda's work]

[Brian Zepeda and his parents]

Brian Zepeda, Seminole Artist, Cultural Historian and Liaison for Seminole Tribal members living in the Naples community, led a traditional dance and song during the opening ceremony. Mr. Zepeda had this to say about having his work featured in the exhibit:
   

“It means a lot to me to have my work on display for a few reasons:

[Bag by Brian's grandmother:
Juanita Osceola]

a. This is the first time Disney has included Native American Art work on a long term exhibit and it is an honor to be one of only a few artists hightlighted [from around the country].

b. My late Great Grandma’s patchwork was chosen to be in the same display case. She had a profound impact on my art and my pursuit of expression through art.

c. Epcot is a major platform to reach people from around the world in a positive way.”

[Pedro Zepeda and a few members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida dancing and singing the Catfish Dance]

Video clip of opening ceremony

Courtesy Gordon Oliver Wareham

[South Florida is well represented in the new Native Art Exhibit that opened last week at Epcot]
Photo courtesy Gordon Oliver Wareham

In a time when many communities, native and non-native alike, are working hard to gain, reclaim and share an understanding of our human interrelationship with earth’s natural cycles, the presence of this exhibit in Epcot’s World Showcase helps to bridge the gap that too often occurs in the policy and practice of knowledge sharing when it comes to the history, current role and future of American Indian presence in the United States.  

We are all connected. What happens in one community region habitat or ecosystem affects us all. The display of both historical and contemporary art in this world showcase exhibit literally provides a global platform for Indigenous Peoples of the Americas to advance their work, support their values and promote their messaging. Whatever the viewpoint from which one views the facts of history, the continued endurance of Indigenous People on this continent is undeniable. Despite everything that has happened on these lands, Native People are still here and shall remain.

78 of the 562 federally recognized tribal communities in the US are represented in Epcot's new "Creating Tradition" exhibit.

GLIMPSES FROM THE OPENING:

Artist Brian Zepeda addresses attendees at the VIP reception

Just a little clip from last week's exhibit opening... #SadieBuck pic.twitter.com/14tegwKenZ

— Tara Chadwick (@wabigun) August 5, 2018

[A recording of Sadie Buck was one of several beautiful voices filling the hall before the opening]

[Photo of Native Music interpretive panel, courtesy Tom Corless, Walt Disney World News]

 

 

Sincere gratitude and congratulations to all the artists, curators, visionaries and everyone who created this exhibit as well as this very special private opening ceremony. Looking forward to seeing the possibility of a larger, public celebration in the future!

(All pics and text (c) Tara A. Chadwick, unless otherwise noted.)

Summer solstice 2018

Beauty. Work. Hope.

These are some of the things that come to mind during this time of year when we celebrate the Summer Solstice in this region of our planet. This year we took a moment to reflect on the strong rays of sunlight that were literally shining through the clouds surrounding us this longest day of the year. As human beings, we all have those things which distract us, just as we all have gifts that are immeasurably important to the human family. A condition in which each of us has the opportunity to fully develop and share those gifts with all of humanity is, for me, the ideal goal of a healthy economy. I also published an article that describes some of the current work that I've been helping Fort Lauderdale Historical Society engage in which can be found in this month's edition of InterpNews (p. 84-88, there is a great article on concretions immediately preceeding mine too!).

#MictlaC

A post shared by Tara Chadwick (@bawshkeengwabigun) on Jun 21, 2018 at 11:03am PDT

This month I also had the opportunity to share some of these thoughts briefly with a gathering of a few of Broward County's brilliant people. I'm looking forward to contributing more to widening our base of passionate, accountable and inspired community builders.

Purpose. Plan. Position. Priceless experience being in a room with these amazing visionary women connecting and collaborating in planting seeds of love, unity, education, growth, opportunity, and prosperity in our community! ❤️ thanks for the great pic @bawshkeengwabigun #creativesconnecting #build #community #engagement #art #culture #culturalheritage #creative #women #visionary #entrepreneurs #collaborate

A post shared by Lisé Galezo (@creativesconnecting) on Jun 22, 2018 at 10:28am PDT

Beautiful performance at the pre-Synergy Summit for Cultural and Heritage Tourism! #Broward #FortLauderdale @chatsummit2018 #tourism @FTLCityNews pic.twitter.com/A6n8x0UxlC

— Invest: GFL (@InvestGFL) May 16, 2018

Today we had a great pre-summit symposium, tomorrow, join us for #chatsummit2018 and get in on some of the most important #tourism discussions for the 21st century! pic.twitter.com/5fy6JiOBc0

— Tara Chadwick (@wabigun) May 17, 2018

#NeverAgainWhen?

This week as I blissfully go about my daily business, it is with a little more deliberate effort at intentionally blocking out the sights and sounds associated with yet another school shooting massacre here on our own soil.

It should not be so surprising, and yet the horror of it, children being massacred in their own classrooms, by their peers, is the stuff that can stomp hope out of the most optimistic of hearts.

My teenager has almost no recollection of a time when school did not involve violence. There is of course, the daily meanness and bullying that seems to have happened in public schools since they were instituted in this country as a mechanism for socialization into the melting pot. But then there is also the unimaginable lockdown drills practiced on a regular basis that my son tells me he cannot talk to me about because it will be too upsetting to me. And then there are the drills that only the teachers prepare for... Teacher prep time used to be for grading, lesson planning, and designing the best hallway bulletin board in the school.  Now it's for laminating dark poster paper to darken windows in the hopes that it will reduce the chances of an active shooter taking aim at a classroom window.

Yes, I have been putting a lot of effort into not thinking about it this week. Since I heard of the Santa Fe shooting last Friday, my approach has been, just don't think about it... I wonder how many of our business leaders, legislators and lawmakers follow suit with my attempt at self-imposed apathy? How many of our children have to do their best this week to "just not think about it..."? Is that the solution to problem solving that we are role modeling now?  "Just don't think about it." If we do just pretend that the problem does not exist... will it actually cease to exist? If we wish to take the approach of the legendary ostrich in the sand... that is our choice, however, as we have learned from Columbine and Sandy Hook and Red Lake, and Pulse and Parkland and Santa Fe, we can forget and pretend and ignore and deny, but sooner or later, the reality is going to hit us too. If we continue to do nothing to support the action required to successfully ensure that gun violence never again plucks the hearts out of parents and siblings and peers who will never again touch the hands or kiss the cheeks of their loved ones, then inevitably this preventable public health epidemic of disasterous proportions will eventually touch each of us. Like one of the parents of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School said, "We didn't think it could be us."

We have choices to make. Sit and do nothing, or stand and deliver change into the waiting arms of our young people. Their ability to live is determined by our perseverence in maintaining our level of civic engagement in the process of democracy which by its very nature requires us to participate, share our views and work together to provide solutions. Together we can solve this crisis. Today if we all wanted to. Re-authorize the collection, compilation and analysis of gun violence data as the public health crisis that it is. Apply standard epidemiological, intervention and prevention procedures and practices. Fund local grassroots, community organizations to provide outreach, case management and harm reduction services. Do what has been proven to work through science. Replicate successful programming, not just in the property-tax-rich schools but in all neighborhoods, schools and organizations.

My 6 year old is counting the number of days left until the end of the school year. Today marks the 97th day since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the northern edge of our public school district. How many more days will go by until we can all assure our Kindergarten children that it is safe for them to go to school....? What are we doing to ensure that day comes?

This Friday at Miramar Cultural Center, I will join with students from Parkland and throughout our Broward County School District and Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam to stand with them, listen, and help form a plan for action. What will you do...?

Poem dedicated to students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School

by Francis Vernon

http://thewestsidegazette.com/i-vote-we-vote/

Listen to @elstentorres new song, "Never Again" here: https://t.co/dVO3wr2aYH

— WLRN Sundial (@WLRNSundial) May 22, 2018

On Vernal Equinox 2018

13 years ago today I sat with my almost two-year-old son Mictla, under the stars of the Mesoamerican sky in one of the Plazas in the great city of Teotihuacan. We sat up all night by the fire watching the stars and listening to the ladies share stories, trying to keep warm, it was chilly up there in the hilly countryside of central Mexico. We danced at sunset and deep into the night. And at sunrise we got up and journeyed into the ancient city to the plaza at the base of a 5000 year old building now known as the temple of the moon.

There we prepared to meet tribal members of the great Hopi nation who had come running from their home territory to this ancient capital of Mesoamerica, bringing with them the memories that their grandparents held of a great connection that had been lost for over 500 years. A migration that had once occurred on a regular basis in order to account for the counting of time and to ensure that balance continues on our continent and among all our people.

Without any sleep and in the dry heat of the Sierra Madre mountains, it was very hard to dance that day. But it was a beautiful, epic moment. One of those moments that you know marks time for all of humanity. And so I just wanted to remember on this sunrise on the morning of March 20th, 2018. I  wanted to take a few moments to remember and reflect on this amazing event that took place 13 years ago. And to honor the beauty that that memory has for me and to do what I can to pass that on...

Ometeotl.

 Here's the link directly to this spot in the video :) we were watching the H2OPI Eagle dancers, then after, we shared our version of the Eagle dance.
https://youtu.be/aoEY8XYJUyY?t=3457

 Spring Equinox sunset at #MiramarPinelandPark 2018

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has volunteered, shared, supported, fed and hired me this year. A special recognition to Broward Cultural Division, Puffin Foundation West, Inc. and the Broward Chapter of the United Nations Association for the support you all have provided this past year, without the encouragement, it would be difficult to get through the rough times!

Join me this Friday for a pop up celebration of #WorldWaterDay at #FTLhistory on the banks of the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

How do we move forward? #WhatNOW?

Healing crisis is a constant necessity in today's complex, stratified, divisive society. The events that unfolded 9 days ago in #Parkland, near Coral Springs, Florida have pushed many of us to the tipping point. And yet, in communities throughout Florida and the US and around the world, crisis, especially children in crisis is an ongoing issue that has required attention for a very long time... generations in fact.

A post shared by Tara Chadwick (@bawshkeengwabigun) on Feb 15, 2018 at 11:53am PST

This week, while our attention south of the border has been on dealing with grief, funerals and the immediacy of school safety issues within the nation's sixth largest public school district, our neighbors to the north were dealt two completely independent court decisions in which the killing of two Indigenous youth by two different people, in two different provinces, in two very distinct circumstances, both resulted in European males receiving not guilty verdicts, while the children victims are no longer alive to tell their side of the story.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tina-fontaine-verdict-march-1.4548692
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/world/canada/canada-saskatchewan-murder-indigenous.html

It is imperative that we all employ our intrinsic critical thinking skills in everyday decision making. Especially so in this day and age. It is equally important that we also take time to allow the growth, repair and healing of our emotional skills as well.

We need both, together, integrated and healthy. After a week like this, wholeness and restoration of wellbeing is going to take some time and effort. The students, teachers, healers, counsellors, administrators and decision makers must all be included in efforts to intentionally regain wellness, within our selves, families and communities.

Here are a couple of resources courtesy of thunderbirdpf.org that have helped other communities move forward after experiencing traumatic crises. Check em out. See what you think. Call,text, msg. Reach out. Let's chat. Let's build together!!