UPCOMING EVENTS
01/28/13 to 03/15/13 BUILDING BRIDGES SEMINAR SERIES
The Mission of Building Bridges is to enable our community to confront and overcome racism through a continuing process of changing attitudes and hearts through education, consciousness-raising, nurturing, and ongoing support. Our goal is to be intentional in respecting diversity within our community. This seminar is an introduction to the dynamics of racism and is an opportunity to explore how race has impacted our relationships, communities and institutions. Past participants are welcome. Time is 7 PM to 9 PM on Monday evenings, and location is MAHEC at 121 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. Cost is $30. Registration is limited, please call 828-777-4585 for an application form.
01/28/13 PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING
Public Safety meeting regarding Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell’s civil liberties resolution Monday Jan 28th at 3PM. This is at Asheville Fire Station, downtown, on the 2nd floor. This resolution states that Asheville police will not comply with federal statutes regarding targeting and arrest of undocumented workers.
01/28/13 ASHEVILLE EARTH SABBATH
A monthly interfaith celebration of the Earth with words and music to nourish your soul coordinated by NC Interfaith Power & Light. This month lead by Maureen Linneman and Chas Jansen. St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Charlotte Street from 7 to 8 pm. All welcome. For more information, contact Jean at larson_jean@hotmail.com.
01/28/13 IDLE NO MORE RALLY
There will be a local Idle No More rally at Vance Monument at Pack Square at 4 PM. Contact Andy at 258-2642 or email grace@heartofmothearth.org for more information. See the end of this email for more information also.
01/28/13 UPDATE ON THE STRUGGLE ON LA ZAD
Time is 6:30 to 9 PM, and location is Firestorm Café and Books. La Zad (Zone a Defendre) is a 4,000 acre piece of occupied land in Nantes, France. For the past 40 years, the State and multinational building company Vinci has been planning development of an airport, but all this time locals have been fighting the project, joined by squatters in the last 5 years! Cue countless actions and demos and constructions, building a place where people strove to be autonomous, with libraries, treehouse villages, a bakery, a farm, collective gardens, a goat dairy etc, all horizontally organized. Then in October the military and riot police came and knocked it all down. But they didn't expect the resistance they got and had to extend their initial planned operation by 3 weeks. It's been almost 3 months now that there is a daily military presence, and 2 people have gone to prison so far, with hundreds wounded. So there was a big demo and 40,000 people came to re-squat some new land. Over 200 "collectives of support" were created and the government proposed negotiations (which were refused by the people involved). Evictions were supposed to be the end and now instead of 100 living there we are 500 and it's on the national news!
01/29/13 CONCEALED CARRY IN SCHOOLS DEBATE
WZGM Presents: "Take a Stand!" Speaker Series – Debate. Time is 6 to 8 PM and location is the Double Tree Hilton in Biltmore Village. "Conceal Carry for Teachers in Schools" a debate addressing guns and safety in today's culture. Debaters are Ned Ryan Doyle and Dr William Forstchen. Tickets are $5, with all proceeds going to Green Opportunities and Asheville Humane Society. Tickets may be purchased online at www.1350wzgm.com or at www.mattandagnes.com. Call 828-505-8439 for more information.
01/31/13 350.ORG ASHEVILLE MEETING
Big Money is about to buy bad policy at Duke/Progress Energy and it’s time to get the word out to the community before that happens. 350.org Asheville will meet at 5 PM at the Grove Arcade Book Exchange. Find out how you can get involved.
02/01/13 ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE FOOD POLICY COMMUNITY MEETING
The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council (A/B FPC) collaborated with the Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment (SACEE) to create the first City of Asheville Food Action Plan. To find out more about this, or to help them with their goal of improving the city’s food security, please come to the meeting at the Mountain View Room at the UNCA Sherrill Center. Meeting is from 4 to 6 PM. (3:30 for new folks orientation)
02/02/13 OCCUPY ASHEVILLE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Occupy Asheville will hold their monthly General Assembly at 2 PM at Pritchard Park. All are welcome to attend. Free. Please note the new time.
02/02/13 “ASK A LAWYER” FREE EVENTS
What: A panel of local attorneys will be available to answer legal questions to individuals for free. There will be attorneys representing a variety of practice areas available to talk to participants on a one-on-one basis. All members of the general public are invited and encouraged to come with legal questions. This is from 10 – 1 PM at The Grove Arcade, One Page Avenue in Downtown Asheville, NC and from 2 – 4:30 PM at the Henderson County Public Library (Kaplan Auditorium), 301 North Washington Street Downtown in Hendersonville, NC Sponsored by: The Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association
02/02/13 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIGIL
Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East will have a vigil at Vance Monument on Saturday February 2 from 2-4 PM to protest illegal Israeli settlements and the product Sodastream which is produced in one of those settlements. Contact Susan at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
02/04/13 GREEN PARTY MEETING
The Buncombe County GREEN Party's business meeting is open to the public. It is held on the first Monday of the Month. It will be held at 6 PM in the Fortune Building (upstairs), at 729 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. Parking in back and on the street. Contact Ronald @ 828-LUCK-180 or Larry @ 828-225-4347 for more information.
02/06/13 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Beyond Coal,” transitioning from coal to clean energy, will be presented by Kelly Martin of the NC Beyond Coal Campaign. Kris Cunningham of Sierra Club will answer questions on why nuclear power is not suitable for replacing coal. Time is 7 PM by Sierra Club & Green Drinks at the Unitarian Church, Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.
02/07/13 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/
02/07/13 “40 YEARS LATER – NOW CAN WE TALK?”
This film will be shown at AB Tech in Ferguson Auditorium from 11AM to 12:30 PM. This documentary film explores the impact of racial integration in the Mississippi Delta through powerful and moving intergroup dialogue. Black and white alumni from the class of 1969 recall and comment on memories of that time, from their very different racial positions and experiences. The documentary tells a multi-layered story intercutting archival historical footage, vignettes from the high school today, personal profiles of participants, and the inter-group dialogue. “40 Years Later” provides a contemporary way to examine the impact of desegregation on those who participated in the first integration projects and to reflect on our progress as a society and the challenges that remain for reaching the goals put forth in the 1955 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Free. Sponsored by AB Tech Diversity Committee and Film/Media Studies.
02/08/13 “40 YEARS LATER – NOW CAN WE TALK?”
This film will be shown at UNCA in Highsmith Union at 7 PM. See description just above about this film. Free. Sponsored by UNCA Africana Studies Program.
02/08/13 WALKING BACKWARD INTO THE FUTURE W/PUEBLO ELDER
“A Tribal American Spoken Word Legacy” with Pueblo Indian Elder, Larry Littlebird. Suggested Donation: $15. Doors open at 6:30 PM, starts at 7 PM. Walking backward into the future is about slowing down and learning to listen. This spoken word legacy connects past, present and future for living in concert with the land, to one another and all of our relations at this critical hour on earth. For more information contact Debra at 828-712-0880. This event is sponsored by the Living Room Series - Lenior-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, which is located at 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville.
02/12/13 JUSTICE FRIENDS NIGHT
An inclusive monthly gathering to explore social and environmental justice through presentations, films and performance art. A discussion group and social event for locals with an activist mindset. Bring your causes and local issues to the roundtable! Share, listen, learn, network. Location is Firestorm Café and Books and time is 7 PM.
02/14/13 ONE BILLION RISING IN ASHEVILLE
On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to violence against women.. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders. This event will take place from 7 to 10 PM and location will be the YWCA on South French Broad Avenue in Asheville.
02/14/13 SYMPOSIUM ON REDISTRICTING REFORM
This is sponsored by Common Cause NC, League of Women Voters of Buncombe County, and Alliance for Retired Americans. No matter where you live in the US, Redistricting can affect the relevance of your vote. Learn how this subverts the will of the people, how that can be avoided and what citizens can do to help. It will by a panel discussion with audience Participation and lunch is included. Time is 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This will be held at the Mountain View Room at UNCA’s Sherrill Center. Free. SIGN UP TO ATTEND: We want to make sure we have enough food; RSVP to tomcoulson@aol.com or call 828-674-3046.
02/17/13 CLIMATE RALLY IN DC
Possible bus for local activists to go to this. More details later.
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nat_signup_feb17
02/19/13 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE PERMACULTURE POTLUCK SERIES
Each month in 2013 a different local teacher will present a new permaculture principle explaining how that principle can be applied to the redesign of our lives, homes, and communities to create a more resilient and sustainable human culture. We invite you to join us for these “Potlucks with a Purpose” on the third Tuesday of each month at Community Action Opportunities (25 Gaston Street) to share ideas, connection, and great food! Time is 5:30 PM.
02/23/13 BRADLEY MANNING
He spent 1,000 days in jail as of today with no conviction yet.
*******************************************
ONGOING EVENTS
*******************************************
MONDAY
Occupy Asheville Weekly Meeting at 6:30 PM at First Congregational Church of Christ.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse in Waynesville.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
Anti-racism Group Discussion at 5:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month at Firestorm Cafe.
Veterans for Peace Group Discussion at 6:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month at the Phil Mechanic Studio on Roberts Street, Asheville.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square (Asheville) on the first Friday of the month.
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Homeless Network Parade on the last Friday of the month at 2 PM at Pritchard Park.
SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard.
Occupy Asheville General Assembly on the first Saturday of the month. 2 PM at Pritchard Park.
*******************************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
*******************************************
Eight ideas on how to participate in Idle No More
(from a Canadian publication)
So the question is -- how can you, an average non-indigenous, non-activist, yet conscientious citizen of Canada, support us? Here are a few ideas:
Go to the rallies. You might think that doesn't accomplish anything, but it is a visible show of solidarity, and that matters. Participating in (and bearing witness to) ceremony in a respectful way is an important gesture. Make signs, participate in the days of action, and share photos through your social media networks. Be brave; join a round dance. We are gathering our strength in a visible way, and it all keeps up the momentum.
Get educated. People know less than they think they do, even the smart ones. Canada's indigenous question is a big, abstract issue, and the mainstream media is clouding it horribly, with some notable exceptions. There are good resources at idlenomore.ca and elsewhere, if you only look for them.
Challenge stereotypes. The most garish stereotypes are symptoms of poverty, not ethnicity -- let's look at why that poverty exists. Many stereotypes are simply false. Some of them are symptoms of deeper systemic issues that need to be addressed by Canada as a whole, for the good of Canada as a whole. Not one of them arises from some genetic quirk unique to indigenous DNA.
Confront racism. This is deeply tied to getting educated and challenging stereotypes. Many of my non-indigenous friends told me they spent their holidays listening to their relatives undermine INM over Christmas dinner and didn't speak up because they didn't know what to say. I told them all the same thing: keeping quiet is perpetuating the problem.
Participate in democracy. Write your MP and MLA. Vote. We elect these people to office. They work for us and we need to hold them accountable, starting with your MLA and MP and working right up to the prime minister. They can only represent us if we give them a clear mandate and hold them accountable.
Write letters to the editor. Idle No More has exposed astonishing hidden recesses of bigotry in otherwise respectable journalists, and not enough people are calling them on it. Don't just add a snarky post to the online comments section. Don't assume that INM campaigners are on it; most people deeply involved in the movement are so busy putting out fires elsewhere that much is being left undone and unsaid. Champion truth and fairness at every level you can as an individual.
01/28/13 to 03/15/13 BUILDING BRIDGES SEMINAR SERIES
The Mission of Building Bridges is to enable our community to confront and overcome racism through a continuing process of changing attitudes and hearts through education, consciousness-raising, nurturing, and ongoing support. Our goal is to be intentional in respecting diversity within our community. This seminar is an introduction to the dynamics of racism and is an opportunity to explore how race has impacted our relationships, communities and institutions. Past participants are welcome. Time is 7 PM to 9 PM on Monday evenings, and location is MAHEC at 121 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. Cost is $30. Registration is limited, please call 828-777-4585 for an application form.
01/28/13 PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING
Public Safety meeting regarding Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell’s civil liberties resolution Monday Jan 28th at 3PM. This is at Asheville Fire Station, downtown, on the 2nd floor. This resolution states that Asheville police will not comply with federal statutes regarding targeting and arrest of undocumented workers.
01/28/13 ASHEVILLE EARTH SABBATH
A monthly interfaith celebration of the Earth with words and music to nourish your soul coordinated by NC Interfaith Power & Light. This month lead by Maureen Linneman and Chas Jansen. St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Charlotte Street from 7 to 8 pm. All welcome. For more information, contact Jean at larson_jean@hotmail.com.
01/28/13 IDLE NO MORE RALLY
There will be a local Idle No More rally at Vance Monument at Pack Square at 4 PM. Contact Andy at 258-2642 or email grace@heartofmothearth.org for more information. See the end of this email for more information also.
01/28/13 UPDATE ON THE STRUGGLE ON LA ZAD
Time is 6:30 to 9 PM, and location is Firestorm Café and Books. La Zad (Zone a Defendre) is a 4,000 acre piece of occupied land in Nantes, France. For the past 40 years, the State and multinational building company Vinci has been planning development of an airport, but all this time locals have been fighting the project, joined by squatters in the last 5 years! Cue countless actions and demos and constructions, building a place where people strove to be autonomous, with libraries, treehouse villages, a bakery, a farm, collective gardens, a goat dairy etc, all horizontally organized. Then in October the military and riot police came and knocked it all down. But they didn't expect the resistance they got and had to extend their initial planned operation by 3 weeks. It's been almost 3 months now that there is a daily military presence, and 2 people have gone to prison so far, with hundreds wounded. So there was a big demo and 40,000 people came to re-squat some new land. Over 200 "collectives of support" were created and the government proposed negotiations (which were refused by the people involved). Evictions were supposed to be the end and now instead of 100 living there we are 500 and it's on the national news!
01/29/13 CONCEALED CARRY IN SCHOOLS DEBATE
WZGM Presents: "Take a Stand!" Speaker Series – Debate. Time is 6 to 8 PM and location is the Double Tree Hilton in Biltmore Village. "Conceal Carry for Teachers in Schools" a debate addressing guns and safety in today's culture. Debaters are Ned Ryan Doyle and Dr William Forstchen. Tickets are $5, with all proceeds going to Green Opportunities and Asheville Humane Society. Tickets may be purchased online at www.1350wzgm.com or at www.mattandagnes.com. Call 828-505-8439 for more information.
01/31/13 350.ORG ASHEVILLE MEETING
Big Money is about to buy bad policy at Duke/Progress Energy and it’s time to get the word out to the community before that happens. 350.org Asheville will meet at 5 PM at the Grove Arcade Book Exchange. Find out how you can get involved.
02/01/13 ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE FOOD POLICY COMMUNITY MEETING
The Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council (A/B FPC) collaborated with the Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment (SACEE) to create the first City of Asheville Food Action Plan. To find out more about this, or to help them with their goal of improving the city’s food security, please come to the meeting at the Mountain View Room at the UNCA Sherrill Center. Meeting is from 4 to 6 PM. (3:30 for new folks orientation)
02/02/13 OCCUPY ASHEVILLE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Occupy Asheville will hold their monthly General Assembly at 2 PM at Pritchard Park. All are welcome to attend. Free. Please note the new time.
02/02/13 “ASK A LAWYER” FREE EVENTS
What: A panel of local attorneys will be available to answer legal questions to individuals for free. There will be attorneys representing a variety of practice areas available to talk to participants on a one-on-one basis. All members of the general public are invited and encouraged to come with legal questions. This is from 10 – 1 PM at The Grove Arcade, One Page Avenue in Downtown Asheville, NC and from 2 – 4:30 PM at the Henderson County Public Library (Kaplan Auditorium), 301 North Washington Street Downtown in Hendersonville, NC Sponsored by: The Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association
02/02/13 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIGIL
Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East will have a vigil at Vance Monument on Saturday February 2 from 2-4 PM to protest illegal Israeli settlements and the product Sodastream which is produced in one of those settlements. Contact Susan at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
02/04/13 GREEN PARTY MEETING
The Buncombe County GREEN Party's business meeting is open to the public. It is held on the first Monday of the Month. It will be held at 6 PM in the Fortune Building (upstairs), at 729 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. Parking in back and on the street. Contact Ronald @ 828-LUCK-180 or Larry @ 828-225-4347 for more information.
02/06/13 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Beyond Coal,” transitioning from coal to clean energy, will be presented by Kelly Martin of the NC Beyond Coal Campaign. Kris Cunningham of Sierra Club will answer questions on why nuclear power is not suitable for replacing coal. Time is 7 PM by Sierra Club & Green Drinks at the Unitarian Church, Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.
02/07/13 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/
02/07/13 “40 YEARS LATER – NOW CAN WE TALK?”
This film will be shown at AB Tech in Ferguson Auditorium from 11AM to 12:30 PM. This documentary film explores the impact of racial integration in the Mississippi Delta through powerful and moving intergroup dialogue. Black and white alumni from the class of 1969 recall and comment on memories of that time, from their very different racial positions and experiences. The documentary tells a multi-layered story intercutting archival historical footage, vignettes from the high school today, personal profiles of participants, and the inter-group dialogue. “40 Years Later” provides a contemporary way to examine the impact of desegregation on those who participated in the first integration projects and to reflect on our progress as a society and the challenges that remain for reaching the goals put forth in the 1955 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Free. Sponsored by AB Tech Diversity Committee and Film/Media Studies.
02/08/13 “40 YEARS LATER – NOW CAN WE TALK?”
This film will be shown at UNCA in Highsmith Union at 7 PM. See description just above about this film. Free. Sponsored by UNCA Africana Studies Program.
02/08/13 WALKING BACKWARD INTO THE FUTURE W/PUEBLO ELDER
“A Tribal American Spoken Word Legacy” with Pueblo Indian Elder, Larry Littlebird. Suggested Donation: $15. Doors open at 6:30 PM, starts at 7 PM. Walking backward into the future is about slowing down and learning to listen. This spoken word legacy connects past, present and future for living in concert with the land, to one another and all of our relations at this critical hour on earth. For more information contact Debra at 828-712-0880. This event is sponsored by the Living Room Series - Lenior-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, which is located at 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville.
02/12/13 JUSTICE FRIENDS NIGHT
An inclusive monthly gathering to explore social and environmental justice through presentations, films and performance art. A discussion group and social event for locals with an activist mindset. Bring your causes and local issues to the roundtable! Share, listen, learn, network. Location is Firestorm Café and Books and time is 7 PM.
02/14/13 ONE BILLION RISING IN ASHEVILLE
On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to violence against women.. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders. This event will take place from 7 to 10 PM and location will be the YWCA on South French Broad Avenue in Asheville.
02/14/13 SYMPOSIUM ON REDISTRICTING REFORM
This is sponsored by Common Cause NC, League of Women Voters of Buncombe County, and Alliance for Retired Americans. No matter where you live in the US, Redistricting can affect the relevance of your vote. Learn how this subverts the will of the people, how that can be avoided and what citizens can do to help. It will by a panel discussion with audience Participation and lunch is included. Time is 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This will be held at the Mountain View Room at UNCA’s Sherrill Center. Free. SIGN UP TO ATTEND: We want to make sure we have enough food; RSVP to tomcoulson@aol.com or call 828-674-3046.
02/17/13 CLIMATE RALLY IN DC
Possible bus for local activists to go to this. More details later.
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nat_signup_feb17
02/19/13 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE PERMACULTURE POTLUCK SERIES
Each month in 2013 a different local teacher will present a new permaculture principle explaining how that principle can be applied to the redesign of our lives, homes, and communities to create a more resilient and sustainable human culture. We invite you to join us for these “Potlucks with a Purpose” on the third Tuesday of each month at Community Action Opportunities (25 Gaston Street) to share ideas, connection, and great food! Time is 5:30 PM.
02/23/13 BRADLEY MANNING
He spent 1,000 days in jail as of today with no conviction yet.
*******************************************
ONGOING EVENTS
*******************************************
MONDAY
Occupy Asheville Weekly Meeting at 6:30 PM at First Congregational Church of Christ.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood Country Courthouse in Waynesville.
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.
Anti-racism Group Discussion at 5:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month at Firestorm Cafe.
Veterans for Peace Group Discussion at 6:30 PM on the third Thursday of the month at the Phil Mechanic Studio on Roberts Street, Asheville.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square (Asheville) on the first Friday of the month.
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Homeless Network Parade on the last Friday of the month at 2 PM at Pritchard Park.
SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard.
Occupy Asheville General Assembly on the first Saturday of the month. 2 PM at Pritchard Park.
*******************************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
*******************************************
Eight ideas on how to participate in Idle No More
(from a Canadian publication)
So the question is -- how can you, an average non-indigenous, non-activist, yet conscientious citizen of Canada, support us? Here are a few ideas:
Go to the rallies. You might think that doesn't accomplish anything, but it is a visible show of solidarity, and that matters. Participating in (and bearing witness to) ceremony in a respectful way is an important gesture. Make signs, participate in the days of action, and share photos through your social media networks. Be brave; join a round dance. We are gathering our strength in a visible way, and it all keeps up the momentum.
Get educated. People know less than they think they do, even the smart ones. Canada's indigenous question is a big, abstract issue, and the mainstream media is clouding it horribly, with some notable exceptions. There are good resources at idlenomore.ca and elsewhere, if you only look for them.
Challenge stereotypes. The most garish stereotypes are symptoms of poverty, not ethnicity -- let's look at why that poverty exists. Many stereotypes are simply false. Some of them are symptoms of deeper systemic issues that need to be addressed by Canada as a whole, for the good of Canada as a whole. Not one of them arises from some genetic quirk unique to indigenous DNA.
Confront racism. This is deeply tied to getting educated and challenging stereotypes. Many of my non-indigenous friends told me they spent their holidays listening to their relatives undermine INM over Christmas dinner and didn't speak up because they didn't know what to say. I told them all the same thing: keeping quiet is perpetuating the problem.
Participate in democracy. Write your MP and MLA. Vote. We elect these people to office. They work for us and we need to hold them accountable, starting with your MLA and MP and working right up to the prime minister. They can only represent us if we give them a clear mandate and hold them accountable.
Write letters to the editor. Idle No More has exposed astonishing hidden recesses of bigotry in otherwise respectable journalists, and not enough people are calling them on it. Don't just add a snarky post to the online comments section. Don't assume that INM campaigners are on it; most people deeply involved in the movement are so busy putting out fires elsewhere that much is being left undone and unsaid. Champion truth and fairness at every level you can as an individual.
Remember that this isn't about blame. There will always be individuals who lash out. But the spirit of this movement as a whole is about standing together and making change for a better future for all of Canada. Allies need to work at remembering that this isn't about colonial guilt -- this sort of defensive instinct is one of the biggest barriers to new allies getting involved.
Be a leader in your own sphere of influence, whatever that looks like. Model the respect and commitment you think other allies should show. Don't get hung up on big, abstract concepts like "decolonization" and "self-determination." Start by committing to them at your own level -- for myself, I'm committed to decolonizing my relationships, and practicing personal self-determination in a way that strengthens me as an individual. You can support that process in others whatever your background is.
Not all of these actions are concrete or measurable, but all of them truly do matter. If, after reading this, you're still uncertain how to show support, you can always reach out and ask. People within INM who are committed to its core ideals show 100 per cent support for non-indigenous allies getting involved in a respectful and meaningful way -- indeed, that involvement is critical to the success of the movement.
http://thetyee.ca/Life/2013/01/19/Idle-No-More-List/
******************
RALLY IN SUPPORT OF IDLE NO MORE
Please join us at the Vance
Monument in downtown Asheville on January 28th as a call to action
to protect Mother Earth and Her peoples. We will pray and move to the heartbeat
of Mother Earth in honor of IDLE NO MORE.
We will gather together in a circle to create a sacred space of reflection and prayer in a ceremonial way. In honor of the indigenous women who are leading Idle No More, women will drum and rattle the heartbeat of our Mother Earth while men hold signs, banners and flags. Everyone is free to round dance in a sunwise direction if so moved. We shall envision a world where our Mother Earth and all beings shall once again be respected and honored, in mind, heart and action.
***ALL first nations people are invited and welcome to drum, rattle, sing, speak or offer their hearts in what way they feel called.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO BRING:
**Hoop style drums (only) and rattles of all kinds. The hoop drum represents the sacred hoop of life and respect for the First Nations people indigenous to Turtle Island aka North America. If you would like to bring hoop drums and rattles to share that is also much appreciated. Please honor that the women will be the ones drumming and rattling during this event.
**Sage, sweetgrass, copal, cedar and other sacred plant incense native to North America, shells or other smudging containers, feathers & fans (no songbird feathers, and no raptor feathers unless you have legality papers please), and lighters & matches.
**Signs, banners and flags in honor of Idle No More, Mother Earth and all Her beings, esp. First Nations peoples everywhere
**An open, humble, powerful and prayerful heart
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:
We do need a few more reverent volunteers still. If you are interested please send us a message. Thank you!
--- If a crowd too large for the Vance Monument attends, we will move down to the Roger McGuire Green ---
PLEASE READ: We are not Idle No More and do not claim to represent Idle No More. We are simply a group of local human beings coming together in support and solidarity, recognizing and honoring Idle No More’s call to action. We are deeply grateful to all of our indigenous first nations elders, sisters and brothers who are rising up to protect their indigenous sovereignty, cultures, lands and reclaim treaty rights, and who are pressuring governments and industry to clean up and protect the environment. We are their allies. May this grassroots movement founded by four women with no designated hierarchal leadership inspire us all to heed their call to action. We are all children of the Earth, completely dependent upon Her for survival.
For more information about Idle No More:
http://idlenomore.ca/
Worldwide rallies are being organized uniting all of our peoples to protect Mother Earth. Friends of and Indigenous peoples everywhere are being called to action. The time is ripe, the time is now, here is the peaceful revolution that shows us how.
For more info about this event you can send an email grace@heartofmothearth.org.
Hope to see you there! Mitakuye Oyasin!
The Official Idle No More Website - Idle No More
www.idlenomore.ca
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PETITION TO SIGN
We will gather together in a circle to create a sacred space of reflection and prayer in a ceremonial way. In honor of the indigenous women who are leading Idle No More, women will drum and rattle the heartbeat of our Mother Earth while men hold signs, banners and flags. Everyone is free to round dance in a sunwise direction if so moved. We shall envision a world where our Mother Earth and all beings shall once again be respected and honored, in mind, heart and action.
***ALL first nations people are invited and welcome to drum, rattle, sing, speak or offer their hearts in what way they feel called.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO BRING:
**Hoop style drums (only) and rattles of all kinds. The hoop drum represents the sacred hoop of life and respect for the First Nations people indigenous to Turtle Island aka North America. If you would like to bring hoop drums and rattles to share that is also much appreciated. Please honor that the women will be the ones drumming and rattling during this event.
**Sage, sweetgrass, copal, cedar and other sacred plant incense native to North America, shells or other smudging containers, feathers & fans (no songbird feathers, and no raptor feathers unless you have legality papers please), and lighters & matches.
**Signs, banners and flags in honor of Idle No More, Mother Earth and all Her beings, esp. First Nations peoples everywhere
**An open, humble, powerful and prayerful heart
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:
We do need a few more reverent volunteers still. If you are interested please send us a message. Thank you!
--- If a crowd too large for the Vance Monument attends, we will move down to the Roger McGuire Green ---
PLEASE READ: We are not Idle No More and do not claim to represent Idle No More. We are simply a group of local human beings coming together in support and solidarity, recognizing and honoring Idle No More’s call to action. We are deeply grateful to all of our indigenous first nations elders, sisters and brothers who are rising up to protect their indigenous sovereignty, cultures, lands and reclaim treaty rights, and who are pressuring governments and industry to clean up and protect the environment. We are their allies. May this grassroots movement founded by four women with no designated hierarchal leadership inspire us all to heed their call to action. We are all children of the Earth, completely dependent upon Her for survival.
For more information about Idle No More:
http://idlenomore.ca/
Worldwide rallies are being organized uniting all of our peoples to protect Mother Earth. Friends of and Indigenous peoples everywhere are being called to action. The time is ripe, the time is now, here is the peaceful revolution that shows us how.
For more info about this event you can send an email grace@heartofmothearth.org.
Hope to see you there! Mitakuye Oyasin!
The Official Idle No More Website - Idle No More
www.idlenomore.ca
******************
PETITION TO SIGN
Subject: CTS Site Asheville, Fullscale Cleanup
CTS Corp left a TCE (trichloroethylene) leaking mess in the Mills Gap community of South Asheville. The plant closed in 1987 initial investigation in began 1991. Since that time, TCE and other carcinogens have been found in the communities' well water. We the undersigned ask for CTS corporation for a full scale cleanup of the toxic chemicals leaching into the soil, water, and air.
INFO: www.facebook.com/CTSasheville
INFO: http://www.mountainx.com/xpressfiles/040908ctssite#.UKUPHrJlTAP
That's why I signed a petition to James L. Cummins, Senior Vice President, Vinod Khilnani, Former CEO; Current Board of Directors, and 3 others.
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
http://signon.org/sign/cts-site-fullscale-cleanup?source=s.icn.em.cp&r_by=181732
Thanks!
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