"Indigenous Perspectives on Equity in Philanthropy Solstice is nearing. We note how early evening comes and how long the nighttime lingers. We eagerly await springtime to welcome its warmth, sunshine, and promise of new life. This is a transitional time of ending and renewal. We can feel it in our bodies, and in the depth of our very bones. These feelings are known as instinct, ancestral memory, and blood knowledge; we sense and are aware that significant change is coming and that we have a part in it. We are participant, contributor, and co-generator. For many Indigenous Peoples, this is a very sacred time, enriched with a redistribution of weath and giving of positive energy through giveaways and vigorous all-night ceremonies to balance all things. Actively re-aligning that which is within ourselves, within our communities and nations, and within and for the Earth herself. Dancers and singers enter into the footsteps of their ancestors for days-long circuits that were initiated hundreds and thousands of years ago to support the reciprocal cycles of life, death and renewal ... a nonanthropocentric objective for world well-being. Sacrifice, reciprocity, and responsibility. This is the foundation of Indigenous philanthropy. Traditional storytelling is abundant at this time, especially stories about emergence and physical/spiritual migration. This season offers a cultural construct to reflect on who we are, how we got here, and where we are going ... our identity, location, and consciousness in time, space, and being." ~ Tia Oros Peters, executive director, Seventh Generation Fund
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:40:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015