Sunday, March 29, 2009
Article on gathering in Communities magazine
Communities magazine, Spring 2009 - #142 - Festivals and Gatherings. There is a great article on the gathering written by Scott who usually hangs at Info. The article isn't available online so you'll have to run out to you nearest co-op or other cool store and pick up a copy.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sister Energy and Sexism at the Gathering
Today is International Women's Day -- a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. I thought it would be a great opportunity to check in with my sisters on the state of sexism at the Rainbow Gathering.
Take shitter digging for instance. I love to dig shitters. Yet even when I am participating in shitter digging, there are usually three or four men, and me. I know a few other sisters who love to dig shitters. But generally it seems shitter digging is a male dominated service at the gathering. Why is that?
I have experienced my fair share of sexism at the gathering ranging from my opinion being discarded by a bunch of old white men, to brothers trying to "protect me." - As if I needed protection. Believe me, when I need help, I'll ask for help from my sisters or my brothers. Until then, I'm perfectly capable of finding my way back to my tent, hauling water, working front gate, dealing with an over tripped brother, or pitching my own tent.
Don't get me wrong, I highly value sharing work at the gathering. Many of my closest friends have come out of shared hands on a heavy task, but there's a difference between shared work and work that protects me from reaching my potential as a human being.
A few weeks back I was talking to a male early gatherer and told him I thought my younger sisters were less impacted by gathering sexism than my older sisters. I have no idea what I based that thought on, but it's been eating at me. So what's your experience with sexism or the lack there of at the gathering? Where do we need to make improvements to meet the needs of our beautiful family who have vaginas? What is our vision for creating a gathering where every participant is treated as a unique, valued, important, human in the process of evolving, one of a kind creature of the earth?
If you don't feel like posting your thoughts publically, I'd love for you to email me and let me know. Let's make New Mexico the gathering of strong sisters.
Take shitter digging for instance. I love to dig shitters. Yet even when I am participating in shitter digging, there are usually three or four men, and me. I know a few other sisters who love to dig shitters. But generally it seems shitter digging is a male dominated service at the gathering. Why is that?
I have experienced my fair share of sexism at the gathering ranging from my opinion being discarded by a bunch of old white men, to brothers trying to "protect me." - As if I needed protection. Believe me, when I need help, I'll ask for help from my sisters or my brothers. Until then, I'm perfectly capable of finding my way back to my tent, hauling water, working front gate, dealing with an over tripped brother, or pitching my own tent.
Don't get me wrong, I highly value sharing work at the gathering. Many of my closest friends have come out of shared hands on a heavy task, but there's a difference between shared work and work that protects me from reaching my potential as a human being.
A few weeks back I was talking to a male early gatherer and told him I thought my younger sisters were less impacted by gathering sexism than my older sisters. I have no idea what I based that thought on, but it's been eating at me. So what's your experience with sexism or the lack there of at the gathering? Where do we need to make improvements to meet the needs of our beautiful family who have vaginas? What is our vision for creating a gathering where every participant is treated as a unique, valued, important, human in the process of evolving, one of a kind creature of the earth?
If you don't feel like posting your thoughts publically, I'd love for you to email me and let me know. Let's make New Mexico the gathering of strong sisters.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Natural First Aid with 7Song Podcast
I found this very cool podcast with a long time gatherer who oftens does herbal healing and plant walks at the gathering.
"7Song is director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, NY. He is also a teacher at the California School of Herbal Studies. In this interview we discuss herbal first aid, natural first aid, an herbal first aid kit, and his work at the Rainbow Gathering and other public service. Podcast from Daily Splice
"7Song is director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, NY. He is also a teacher at the California School of Herbal Studies. In this interview we discuss herbal first aid, natural first aid, an herbal first aid kit, and his work at the Rainbow Gathering and other public service. Podcast from Daily Splice
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