No. 64: November Reading and Reconciliation
Indigenous Heritage Month, "Dawnland" and "Bounty Screening, Susu Ghanaians Economies, FREE Book Downloads on Palestinian Liberation, and MORE!
Good afternoon Rē School Community,
We hope that your November is unfolding beautifully, filled with deep breaths, curiosity, and gratitude. As we step into this month, we invite you to join us in celebrating Indigenous heritage and peoples. It's a time to recognize the rich tapestry of cultures, histories, and contributions that Indigenous communities bring to our collective story.
One meaningful way to engage in this celebration is by listening to indigenous voices and acknowledging the land we call home. We encourage you to explore native-land.ca, a virtual resource that provides valuable insights into the ancestral land you reside on. This platform serves as a catalyst for conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations.
To further enrich our understanding, we're excited to announce a special event we are presenting with Imagine Studios and The Upstander Project on Thursday, November 16, at 7 pm in the Screening Room, Newburyport, MA. We will be showing TWO Award-winning documentary films, “Dawnland” and “Bounty.” Following the screening, there will be a moderated Q&A discussion with Upstander Project Researcher Kristine Malpica, providing an opportunity to delve deeper into the stories and issues presented in the films.
Not only is this event an educational experience, but it also offers a chance to contribute to the well-being of Indigenous communities. All profits from the event will benefit Wabanaki REACH and the MA Center for Native American Awareness, supporting indigenous initiatives that foster understanding and empowerment.
You can reserve your tickets in advance or purchase them at the door. For more details, please visit this link, or contact Kristine at kristine@imaginestudios.org.
Let's come together as a community to honor and appreciate the richness of Indigenous cultures, histories, and the land we all share. By actively engaging in events like these, we contribute to a collective narrative of respect, understanding, and unity.
Keep scrolling for our November reading list. We hope everyone is safe, cozy, and taking care.
Best,
The Rē Team
“Susu: Ghana’s Informal Economy is a Case Study in Post-capitalist Development” by Caroline Shenaz Hossein and Natalie Holmes. Susu means “little by little” and also “to plan” in Ghana’s Twi language. Members of a Susu contribute a set amount of money regularly, which is then pooled together and given to each member in turn over a defined period. Learn more about this centuries-old financial system here.
“Guardians of the Land: Understanding the Genocide Against Armenians in Artsakh” by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian for Atmos. After months of blockade that deprived the predominantly Armenian population of Artsakh of food, medicine, and fuel for eight months, Azerbaijan launched its most recent military incursion 53 days ago. In the last month, 120,000 Armenians have been forced to flee their homelands to escape a second genocide. Read this important article here.
Haymarket Books has made three crucial books on the history of Palestinian liberation FREE for download. Click this link to download the following titles:
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights by Omar Barghouti
Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze
Palestine: A Socialist Introduction edited by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean
“Kenyan Government Again Evicts Ogiek Communities From Mau Forest” by Caroline Chebet for Mongabay News. On November 2, the Kenyan government began demolishing houses and evicting Indigenous Ogiek from the Maasai Mau Forest. The evictions are taking place despite a 2017 ruling by an African court of human rights that acknowledged the Ogiek’s claim to the forest as well as their traditional role in preserving it. Click here to continue reading.
“Rāhui and the Art of Marine Conservation” by Tiare Tuuhia for Hakai Magazine. The word rāhui has many meanings in French Polynesia. It can refer to a management system, a practice, a place, a belief, a law, or a lens through which related actions are assessed. Today, a rāhui is an area of land or water with a temporary limit on collecting a resource, such as a particular fish or fruit. In time, once the resource has had time to replenish, the rāhui is lifted. This ancient lens is putting everyone in charge of protecting the sea. Click here to read more.
“Tribes Are Building Food Sovereignty With Help From the Nation’s Largest Hunger-Relief Group” by Kate Nelson for Civil Eats. Five tribal nations are working with Feeding America to improve their ability to produce more food and respond to disasters. This pilot could inform a larger shift in how massive organizations work with Indigenous communities. Click here to keep reading.
“America’s War in Afghanistan Devastated the Country’s Environment in Ways That May Never Be Cleaned Up” by Lynzy Billing for Inside Climate News. Afghans who lived near America’s vast bases say the U.S. military's lack of even minimal environmental protections polluted their land, poisoned their water and sickened their children. The consequences of the contamination may last for generations. Click here to read this sobering investigation.
“Drought is Transforming the Amazon, Fueling Fires and Killing Dolphins” by Nicolás Rivero for The Washington Post. A degraded Amazon would have big consequences for the world’s climate. “The ancient forest stores 123 billion metric tons of carbon — more than three times as much as humans emitted last year — and its intact western region pulls millions of tons of carbon out of the atmosphere each year. But wildfires and deforestation have turned the eastern fringe of the forest into a net carbon emitter.” Click here to read more.
“Climate Change is Keeping Therapists Up at Night” by Brooke Jarvis for The New York Times. This article is an examination of ow anxiety about the planet’s future is transforming the practice of psychotherapy. Click here to read.
Sequoia Samanvaya’s has just launched a four-part course for Thanksgiving to engage more deeply with the histories and myths of Thanksgiving. Reach out to Michael at Michael@sequoiasamanvaya.com to learn how to join this timely RElearning opportunity. Click here for more details.
That’s all for this week. We will see you on Friday, November 24th with some Rē School updates and offerings.
What have you been reading? What have you been listening to? Write to us at admin@regenerativeschool.org and let us know.
Stay grounded. Be well. Deep breaths.