Racist Event 'GO NATIVE' Must Be Challenged!

To the promoters of this event,

This is so racist. You are promoting racism and essentializing me and my family. I am an American Indian. Emails, events, and messages like this are a key reason that Native people continue to be oppressed and despicably subjugated in our own land. I understand that colonizers long to assume our image – or what they assume and invent to be our image – so that they can surpass the guilt of taking part in the ongoing occupation of North America, but this fakery cannot succeed in washing the blood from American hands.

If you want to make a constructive statement about the state of Native America, try the following “Indian” costumes:

(1) Come in jeans and a T-shirt, hooked up to an IV or in a coffin to represent the fact that Native people in this country have the poorest health and highest rates of nearly every preventable disease than any other ethnic group. When you walk into the party, ask fellow party-goers if they have access to adequate health care and nutritious food. If they do, tell them that they better get involved in the struggle to make these available in Indian Country.

(2) Come in Khakis and a button-shirt, without any of your children to represent the century during which Indian people in the United States and Canada had their children forcibly taken from them for years at a time and sometimes permanently, resulting in entire generations of people disconnected from their families, histories, and selves. This ultimately caused rates of alcoholism, mental health conditions, and violence to skyrocket in our communities, which continues to haunt us.

(3) Come in cargo pants and a tank top, in a noose, with slit wrists, or with a belly full of pills to represent the fact that we have the highest suicide rate of any ethnic group. Ask your fellow party-goers if they could maintain their will to live if they went through everyday in a country in which their ancestors’ land is continually occupied in a most violent manner, in which they and their family were not granted American citizenship or the right to vote until the mid 1920s, and any rebellion on their part was met with a return to wholesale slaughter of their family, long-term wrongful imprisonment (never forget Leonard Peltier), or even worse – completely ignored, while fliers and promotions for events encouraged everyone to come dressed as an invented idea of a romanticized, mono-spiritual, one-dimensional and INVENTED version of them.

By the way, the Native American Church – as great of a survival tool as it is, for we indigenous people have been forced to become great at survival – is not an ancient “Indian” religion, but a CHRISTIAN church, an attempt to keep some of ourselves in the midst of our colonization, of which religion played a key role.

TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO ARE RECEIVING THIS – please take a moment to voice opposition to the promotion of this event. It is essential to the struggle against our continued colonization. Please email brain_dancing [at] yahoo.com and SacredLiving [at] yahoogroups.com to voice your concern.

Dear Visionary Village, Evolutionary Temple and Native American Church Organizers,


So far as I can understand their is a collaboration with Visionary Village, Evolutionary Temple and Native American Church in the upcoming GO NATIVE event on March 28th. As a Native American (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) going to Stanford University and studying Engineering, and Architectural Ecology I can only stand by my opinion and the opinions of my community when I say the advertisements for your event are insensitive, ignorant, and perpetuate the racial stereotypes that Native Americans as a collective have been persecuted for, and trying to escape for centuries.

The Native American Church , although legitimized in its practices, does not and has never received the full support of ANY of the Tribes mentioned as THEMED rooms. Theme-ing, by the way is the prostitution of Native American culture. I have cried many tears and stood silent in many parties where Pocahontas’ pranced around with no idea of the history it implies and forgets. Even white men, descendants of native enslavers and murderers, dress in acrylic feathered war bonnets, have no remorse for their actions.

The Maori (Polynesian Islanders), Anasazi, and Shipibo have no direct relationship with Peyoteism, and to make them accomplices to the event invokes a deep misunderstanding of the not only their cultures, but conflates them with the practices of the Native American Church. The associations to the Native American church and membership in its chapters, does not make transferable the approval of those practices by the tribes of its members.

The idea of Native costuming reveals the shallow understanding, and lack of respect the event holds for the particularly sacred outfits used in ceremonial rituals. To ask the general public to prance around in ridiculous aberrations of what they think Native attire is, promotes ignorance and disrespect of the people and cultures you imply you are fund raising for. Since the Native American Church's activities do not primarily benefit the Educational Institutes, Physical Health, or Economic Entities of any specific tribal group. In fact, this whole event, the way it is currently handled, takes us a large step back ward in supporting any of those aims.

As a past participant and future participant in the Burning Man Project I am deeply upset to see this event go on without any kind of retraction of the afore mentioned problems. 1.) The rooms should continue to be elementally themed, hey a lot of cool things do this. 2.) ABSOLUTELY no "NATIVE ATTIRE" should be promoted or rewarded based on the terms implied, unless you make explicit its understanding as NOT related to Native American Peoples clothing. 3.) The names of the tribes should be removed and any implicit relationship to them should be accounted for and severed . 4.) A public apology and amendment to the events online advertisement, should be changed as to keep the integrity of all tribes, and your groups, intact. Such action would show the greater community you understand and care about authenticity and respect of Native Peoples.

I am deeply upset to be writing this letter as I hoped your contact at the Native American Church would have raised these concerns before it got this far.

I will be awaiting your response anxiously, as other members of the community are ready to take action on this bastardization of culture. These actions on your part are not difficult in light that they do not ask you to change the event status, location, or accommodations of its participants. Only that you remove associations of non-recognized relations to the Native American Culture. That you do not perpetuate the Mascoting of Native peoples, and that through your public apology show that you understand the mistakes made and wish to amend them.


To all my relations I send out a prayer that we may all find agreement,

Please forward to your communities...Organizing with folks at Native Health Center, Stanford Native Students, UC Berkeley, Oakland, et al. ... about this "GO NATIVE" event in Oakland this Saturday, billed as a "fundraiser for Evolutionary Temple/Burning Man, and the native American church" (Google GO NATIVE to see their ads online, their graphic design, etc.)

Below are some of the email communications from several people to the organizers requesting changes in their advertising, etc and some not so cooperative responses. Might wanna read from the bottom up...

Write to:
visionaryvillage [at] gmail.com and at: http://groups.google.com/group/sacred-spaces (the listserve for Evolutionary Temple at Burning Man, one of the event cosponsors)

Zamora


~~~~~~~~
To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to voice my concerns on the promotion of your fundraiser that involves a study on the Native American Church as I am a member and have been for most of my life. I am also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and Great Great Grandson of the last Navajo Chief who surrendered to the United States Government back in the 1866. I therefore speak from a place to defend my birth right and that of my fellow Native Americans, especially as it involves Native ceremonies.

I first have to tell you that I am appalled at the audacity taken to promote your fundraising efforts by encouraging people to dress as Native Americans for a reduced admission. It is utterly ridiculous in this day and age that cultural sensitivity is not at the forefront in the planning of your event. Regardless of whether the study is authentic with good intentions, the spirit in which you are promoting this is distasteful and disrespectful. There are many Native people who are members of the Native American Church and there are many more, particularly non-Natives who have experienced it who do not know it's origin and the history embarked upon by our Native forefathers and mothers who fought to legally use it in this country. Who ever you are using as a "front" to study the Native American Church should be made accountable in conjunction with you and the rest of your group to ensure your event is culturally appropriate and sensitive. My recommendation would be to reevaluate what you are doing by enlisting Native Americans who know about the Native American Church and who understand why the study is taking place. If it is to validate the use of Peyote for medicinal purposes, that has been proven by the sheer fact that it has saved countless lives and promoted a life of health, healing, hope, faith and charity.

I pray to our Creator that you and your group will hear my words and understand that it is not appropriate to do what you are doing and to take action to understand what the implications would mean, especially to the Native American people. It's enough that a legacy full of broken promises have been dealt to the Native Americans since the coming of the Europeans and their introduction to a way of living that does not promote balance and harmony with nature and the universe. Now that it's "hip" that Natives have been using medicinal healing remedies for centries, it's not that simple to just join the band wagon to promote medicinal uses of medicines by doing what you are doing.


With Sincerity and Respect for the Native American Church, I sign off here!


Dennis Manuelito
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From: Zamora
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 3:11 PM
To: 'Visionary Village'
Subject: RE: STOP the Go Native fundraiser for Evolutionary Temple/Burning Man, and the native American church


I have every right to base my opinion about this event on the text of your advertisement, as seen in emails and online. It is a racist advertisement and if it represents the themes and ideas of the event organizers, it indicates it is a racist event. I suggest you put us in contact with your fellow organizers so they can confront the issues at hand and do something about it. To produce this event "as is" would be a travesty.

Please do not mock me. Your tone is dismissive. I am willing to discuss these issues with the organizers and so are the other folks you've been getting emails from. You and any other contacts we become aware of will continue to get emails protesting this. If you want to protect the reputation of your organizations and its endeavors, then let's move forward to discuss what can be done to correct a poorly conceived event.

Please send me contact info for your organization ' s representatives if you cannot proceed with this conversation.

Zamora

~~~~~
M. Zamora

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From: Visionary Village [mailto:visionaryvillage [at] gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 2:52 PM
To: zamora
Subject: Re: STOP the Go Native fundraiser for Evolutionary Temple/Burning Man, and the native American church

Hi, Zamora.

Must say we were a little shocked at your email. There has been zero conversations or correspondence with the event organizers. Yet, without knowing what was going on, you insist that it must be bad and shut down?

Without knowing how the event was conceived, you call its conception racist.
Without knowing what the organizers believe, you claim they believe histories can be owned.
Without knowing the meaing of "GO NATIVE" or the Evolutionary Temple, you co-opt the word "native" to fuel an unnecessary outrage.
brain_dancing [at] yahoo.com isn't even involved in producing this event.

If you still feel you must censor us from your place of ignorance, what can we say?

Best regards,
The Visionary Village

From: Zamora
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 1:08 PM
To: 'visionaryvillage [at] gmail.com'; 'brain_dancing [at] yahoo.com';
Subject: STOP the Go Native fundraiser for Evolutionary Temple/Burning Man, and the native American church

To The Promoters & Organizers of the GO NATIVE Fundraiser Event,

I write to ask you to reconsider your involvement with this fundraiser called GO NATIVE and to intervene with its organizers. The fundraising event, in its very conception, is racist in the way it appropriates Native Americans, their history, and spiritual practices. Perhaps most offensive is the manner in which the organizers believe that these histories are so easily owned as property by themselves and those participating in this event that the advertising actually asks people to come dressed as Natives, in "native costume."

It is clear that the concept of "tribe" and "tribal" ways is being appropriated here by these organizations so deeply that I believe it will be difficult to ask them to reconceive the event without relying on references to traditions they are not truly apart of or they would not be "celebrating" them in these ways (e.g. referring to the prayer practice of the Native American Church as research on brainwaves?!). So I ask you to take action immediately: STOP the event. It is unacceptable to gather in such a disrespectful way. I plead with you, please do something immediately to intervene on the behalf of those people, Native Americans and non-Natives alike, who find this entire event to be deeply racist and offensive.

~~~~~
M. Zamora
Yaqui/Chicana
Ph.D. Candidate, Modern Thought & Literature
Stanford University


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Hello, Ricky.

This morning all event coordinators confirmed that you had neither spoken nor corresponded with any of us before writing such an ill-informed and anatagonistic piece. Your understanding of the event, its production, and its intent is quite incorrect. We don't know why you chose to be hostile before being informed. We're just sad that you chose to slander our fundraiser before choosing to fact-check. If you're going to continue advocacy work, please bear in mind that libelous behavior is illegal, Ricky, and such actions hurt the very people we should be helping.

The Visionary Village

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From: Ricky Triana
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 12:37 PM
To: visionaryvillage [at] gmail.com

Dear Visionary Village, Evolutionary Temple and Native American Church Organizers,

So far as I can understand their is a collaboration with Visionary Village, Evolutionary Temple and Native American Church in the upcoming GO NATIVE event on March 28th. As a Native American (Pascua Yaqui Tribe) going to Stanford University and studying Engineering, and Architectural Ecology I can only stand by my opinion and the opinions of my community when I say the advertisements for your event are insensitive, ignorant, and perpetuate the racial stereotypes that Native Americans as a collective have been persecuted for, and trying to escape for centuries.

The Native American Church, although legitimized in its practices, does not and has never received the full support of ANY of the Tribes mentioned as THEMED rooms. Theme-ing, by the way is the prostitution of Native American culture. I have cried many tears and stood silent in many parties where Pocahontas’ pranced around with no idea of the history it implies and forgets. Even white men, descendants of native enslavers and murderers, dress in acrylic feathered war bonnets, have no remorse for their actions.

The Maori (Polynesian Islanders), Anasazi, and Shipibo have no direct relationship with Peyoteism, and to make them accomplices to the event invokes a deep misunderstanding of the not only their cultures, but conflates them with the practices of the Native American Church. The associations to the Native American church and membership in its chapters, does not make transferable the approval of those practices by the tribes of its members.

The idea of Native costuming reveals the shallow understanding, and lack of respect the event holds for the particularly sacred outfits used in ceremonial rituals. To ask the general public to prance around in ridiculous aberrations of what they think Native attire is, promotes ignorance and disrespect of the people and cultures you imply you are fund raising for. Since the Native American Church's activities do not primarily benefit the Educational Institutes, Physical Health, or Economic Entities of any specific tribal group. In fact, this whole event, the way it is currently handled, takes us a large step back ward in supporting any of those aims.

As a past participant and future participant in the Burning Man Project I am deeply upset to see this event go on without any kind of retraction of the afore mentioned problems. 1.) The rooms should continue to be elementally themed, hey a lot of cool things do this. 2.) ABSOLUTELY no "NATIVE ATTIRE" should be promoted or rewarded based on the terms implied, unless you make explicit its understanding as NOT related to Native American Peoples clothing. 3.) The names of the tribes should be removed and any implicit relationship to them should be accounted for and severed . 4.) A public apology and amendment to the events online advertisement, should be changed as to keep the integrity of all tribes, and your groups, intact. Such action would show the greater community you understand and care about authenticity and respect of Native Peoples.

I am deeply upset to be writing this letter as I hoped your contact at the Native American Church would have raised these concerns before it got this far.

I will be awaiting your response anxiously, as other members of the community are ready to take action on this bastardization of culture. These actions on your part are not difficult in light that they do not ask you to change the event status, location, or accommodations of its participants. Only that you remove associations of non-recognized relations to the Native American Culture. That you do not perpetuate the Mascoting of Native peoples, and that through your public apology show that you understand the mistakes made and wish to amend them.

To all my relations I send out a prayer that we may all find agreement,

Ricky Triana (Pascua Yaqui Tribe; Tucson, AZ)
B.A. Science, Technology, and Society
Class of 2008
Stanford University

I reference the event posting bellow as to the source of tribes affiliated.

http://www.visionaryvillage.org
evolutionarytemple.com/


http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/event/GO-NATIVE-Fundraiser-for-Evolutionary-TempleVisionary-Village-Burning-Man-and-Native-American-Church/oakland-ca/c9aa2876-0b5e-40dc-aefd-7297df487618?tribeid=2a015c8a-8c2f-4657-8716-9395874aa780&nextpage=%24thispage





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----- Original Message -----
From: "Cora Lee Garcia"

To the promoters of this event,

This is so racist. You are promoting racism and essentializing me and my family. I am an American Indian. Emails, events, and messages like this are a key reason that Native people continue to be oppressed and despicably subjugated in our own land. I understand that colonizers long to assume our image – or what they assume and invent to be our image – so that they can surpass the guilt of taking part in the ongoing occupation of North America, but this fakery cannot succeed in washing the blood from American hands.

If you want to make a constructive statement about the state of Native America, try the following “Indian” costumes:

(1) Come in jeans and a T-shirt, HOOKED UP TO AN IV or in a coffin to represent the fact that Native people in this country have the poorest health and highest rates of nearly every preventable disease than any other ethnic group. When you walk into the party, ask fellow party-goers if they have access to adequate health care and nutritious food. If they do, tell them that they better get involved in the struggle to make these available in Indian Country.

(2) Come in Khakis and a button-shirt, WITHOUT ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN to represent the century during which Indian people in the United States and Canada had their children forcibly taken from them for years at a time and sometimes permanently, resulting in entire generations of people disconnected from their families, histories, and selves. This ultimately caused rates of alcoholism, mental health conditions, and violence to skyrocket in our communities, which continues to haunt us.

(3) Come in cargo pants and a tank top, IN A NOOSE , with slit wrists, or with a belly full of pills to represent the fact that we have the highest suicide rate of any ethnic group. Ask your fellow party-goers if they could maintain their will to live if they went through everyday in a country in which their ancestors’ land is continually occupied in a most violent manner, in which they and their family were not granted American citizenship or the right to vote until the mid 1920s, and any rebellion on their part was met with a return to wholesale slaughter of their family, long-term wrongful imprisonment (never forget Leonard Peltier), or even worse – completely ignored, while fliers and promotions for events encouraged everyone to come dressed as an invented idea of a romanticized, mono-spiritual, one-dimensional and INVENTED version of them.

By the way, the Native American Church – as great of a survival tool as it is, for we indigenous people have been forced to become great at survival – is not an ancient “Indian” religion, but a CHRISTIAN church, an attempt to keep some of ourselves in the midst of our colonization, of which religion played a key role.

TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO ARE RECEIVING THIS – please take a moment to voice opposition to the promotion of this event. It is essential to the struggle against our continued colonization. Please email brain_dancing [at] yahoo.com and SacredLiving [at] yahoogroups.com to voice your concern.

Sincerely,
Cora Garcia

--- On Sun, 3/22/09, gigi wrote:
From: gigi
Subject: [SacredLiving] 3/28: GO NATIVE: A fundraiser for Evolutionary Temple/Burning Man, and the native American church
To: SacredLiving [at] yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009, 3:25 AM

Visionary Village and the Evolutionary Temple at Burning Man 2009 present:

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~

Oakland: GO NATIVE pt 1: Descend-Dance

Descend-Dance will raise funds for the Native American Church's medicinal work, specifically the neurofeedback research demonstrating causality between medicinal use, improved brainwave patterns, and heightened mirror neuron activity in users.

Come dance to 20+ DJs an 1870s bordello complex built in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering ground in Oakland. There will be a discount for Native costume, and the four rooms themed to the four elements:

Water:
Island Natives (Maori) :

Air:
Cliff Natives (Anasazi) :

Earth:
Jungle Natives (Shipibo) :

Fire:
Desert Natives (Pueblo) :

20+ DJs, including Mozaic, Chlorophil, Ultraviolet, Janaka Selekta. Performance Troupes including Venus in Velvet and Elana of Bella Fuego, Fashion Show, Micro-Massages, Raw food, Absinthe Bar, Coconuts, and more.

March 28th: GO NATIVE : Descend-Dance @ The Bordello, Oakland
Doors open 9:30 pm $15 in native costume, $20 without
The Bordello is located at 1247 E. 12th St., Oakland, CA, 94606

This event is NOT endorsed by the NAC!!!!

The Native American Church does not need, nor has it ever asked for funds from outside our communities. The NAC does not own property or have a staff that requires such funding!

Do not believe anyone that asks for money on behalf of the NAC - EVER!

The local bay area NAC members are OUTRAGED by this obscenity!!!

This event IS IN NO WAY CONNECTED WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH!!!

We would never, ever consent to be "studied" during our sacred ceremonies!

Someone please help stop these people. This "event" is grotesque...

Edited version of letter we sent to the 'Go Native' organizers and their response:

Greetings Organizers of Visionary Village,

We recently became aware of your event 'Go Native. As individuals who have made a commitment to creatively heal intersections of oppression, we are alarmed and offended by how your event is being conducted.

We write in hopes of stimulating dialogue with you and in the creative communities that your ‘Go Native’ event reaches out to. Our hope is that it will be a catalyst for the continued dismantling of ingrained patterns of racism as well as for respectfully recognizing and supporting native communities who are working for self-determination, who are on the front lines fighting for cultural survival, for their sacred ancestral homelands, for the environment and for their and all of our lives essentially.

We understand that one of your goals is in support of the work of the Native American Church. More support for Native Freedom of Religion, for sovereignty and self determination is sorely needed in today’s world. However, the way that that you are going about throwing this benefit is careless and grotesquely disrespectful. In particular We are referring to your clear and intentional reference to Native Americans in your promotion materials: Across from an ancient Ohlone shellmound, with themed rooms (called "Water: Island Natives (Maori): Air: Cliff Natives (Anasazi) : Earth: Jungle Natives (Shipibo) : Fire: Desert Natives (Pueblo)") with discount if you show up in Native costume, ‘GO NATIVE’ promotion materials also uses the southwest buffalo skull graphic with feathers on it..

Only Indigenous peoples collective stories can speak to the larger context of very old and complex struggles. Native communities such as Ohlone endured and continue to endure a genocidal assault. UC Berkeley’s decision last year to demolish the Memorial Oak Grove was also a decision to trample Native American rights! The Memorial Oak Grove housed Ohlone Indian burial remains, which was documented by UC Berkeley's own Anthropology Department. There is evidence of 2 shell mounds sites in that area, with 19 ancestral remains found within them. Additionally, UCB currently holds the largest human remains collection in the United States. The Hearst Museum houses human remains from approximately over 17,000 sacred remains and objects of which it is not in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The desecration of The Memorial Oak Grove & burial area, as well as UCB's Hearst Museum to hold hostage their remains, directly undermines Native American cultural integrity, trampling their right to religious freedom. Indigenous resistance struggles such as the Ohlone, who is still not a federally recognized tribe, are still here on the frontlines resisting and standing for what truly matters. Ancestral remains, such as the ones that UCB found at the Memorial Oak Grove, have significant spiritual and cultural value to many tribes. Have the Ohlone been approached about how they might feel about about your event across from their ancient burial ground? We were a little surprised that your group would be hosting something like this because on your website it says that your goal is to support things which are innovative "beyond prior socio-economic models". But this event seems to mimic the same tired patterns of paternal colonial capitalism, where some privileged people turn a profit off the oppression and at the expensive of native and brown people.

Whether you intended it or not, this 'playing Indian' by non-indian peoples, whether it’s clothing, themed rooms, or having a dream-catcher, ARE acts of spiritual appropriation and degradation. Indians are still alive and perfectly capable of being indian themselves. Ask yourselves: Is this party visionary or just more of the same tired Every year controversy and dialogue erupts across the nation when a few white college frat boys dress in black face. Folx in the Native community have to witness this with every kid who dresses up like Pocahontas on Halloween, or every time they turn on the TV to watch the Redskins, Braves, or Indians play. It's disrespectful and racist to immitate and (mis)appropriate indigenous people and indigenous culture in the same fashion you would a spider man costume or a sesame street theme party. It is exactly this sentiment which has for centuries allowed non-Native peoples to feel entitlement to rightfully own indigenous peoples identity and land.
We have a lot of un-leaning and learning to understand this history, to read and talk to a person whose cultures you are using. (although it is not their duty to educate privileged people about ways we may be carrying out oppressive behaviors).

So before your event please take a few moments to again think about why you are throwing this event. What is your relationship to the land, to the people, to these struggles.?

Out of respect for Indigenous peoples, and for all peoples, we ask that you to take off all Native American references in your promotion materials and at your party, Issue a public apology. Be clearer in your wording about the event and get the word out there! Own it and be accountable. Use this as an opportunity to engage in deeper discussions at the event and beyond.

~Dixie Pauline & Crystal Uchino, Volunteers with Black Mesa Indigenous Support


And to keep with the metaphor of where we stand, we can also think of it as where we locate ourselves in this struggle. We acknowledge that participants are coming from a variety of locations. By location we mean the way our backgrounds, our experiences and relationships have been informed by race, class, gender, sexualities, religion, Nationalities, and urban or rural physical locations, and our histories of working within different movements and with each other. Our location frames our perspective and shapes what conversations we have and what comes out of those conversations.

We want to be engaged in discussion around the historical and current manifestations of white supremacy and colonialism that have created repression around freedom of religion, of not being federally recognized, of forced relocation, and the continued assault and genocide of Native people here in the Bay Area and throughout occupied territories of Turtle Island. We also want to draw attention to how white supremacy, colonialism and interlocking systems of oppression can play out within our best intentions and want to center leadership from Native and people of color within and at the forefront of these crucial resistance struggles. We hope this is part of continuing to build a multi-racial movement that recognizes Native resistance at the center of climate, environmental, and racial justice.

We’d like to conclude with the idea that “solidarity is to attempt the impossible wherever you might stand” (Rethinking Solidarity). We see this as resisting imperialism and striving for collective liberation from wherever we stand. We challenge ourselves to think of the possibilities for restructuring our roles in ways that truly support our root goals in the work that we do as supporters, collaborators and organizers.

----------------------
Visionary Village Response:

Blessings.

Your concerns are heard sadly. You've been radically misled by people who chose to be combative instead of informed. Zero people wrote us asking about the event first, and now there is egg on their face. Worst, the NAC fundraiser has been hurt by it, our staff has been hurt by relelntless accusations from these "activists'" ignorance, and our organization has been slandered and libeled, which is grossly illegal.
At what number may we contact you? At what number may we contact the other people spreading these illegal lies?

We mourn the suffering you and they must have endured over the years to provoke such hostility instead of first verifying that we are indeed conscious allies.

Bless,
The Visionary Village

Enough.

A) The only two fliers we've created are viewable at our website: visionaryvillage.org under events.

B) The first one lists "4 Elemental Rooms", and the second one lists them as: "Fire Room", "Earth Room", "Water Room", and "Air Room". There are zero Native American themed rooms.

C) The text that this was came from was posted by someone who had zero involvement in the production of this event.

D) This event is serving as a fundraiser for the Native American Church members who work with the Visionary Village in our efforts to document the physiological feedback which occurs from ingesting sacred medicine. We are not "asking" for money for the NAC. Neither us, nor the members of the charters we work with could imagine anyone on Earth would intervene to prevent gifts of money.

E) The Visionary Village's Burning Man presence will include a complex referred to as the Evolutionary Temple. This temple draws heavily from exobiogenesis, recapitulates the progress of Life on our planet, and recognizes that biological organisms must calibrate to the native environment, or perish. The series of events which run under the banner GO NATIVE! came from this. It's about adaptation not Amerindians. Again, read the documents on our website and this can be verified. Or ask us and we can provide even more documents. Believe us, we'll talk to you about abiogenesis, speciation and cosmology all afternoon.

F) Because our over-arching theme is successful adaptation to ecosystems, we did cite the Anasazi as successfully adapting to a cliff environment, the Shipibo as adapting to a jungle environment, the Pueblo as adapting to the desert, and the Maori as adapting to the islands. The rooms were never "named" that, and the decor doesn't theme the room around tribes, either. The Water room will have blue lighting, the Fire room will have red lighting, the Air room will have a cloudy parachute and be held in the atrium (possibly with white balloons floating around with LEDs inside), and the Earth room will have some plants. There is zero Amerindian decor.

G) If you come to the event, you'll see that the event organizers have identified and outfitted their native essences as: time-travelling aliens, a fire-dragon, a Nickelodeon cartoon character, and a Celtic feather-creature. Because that's how those people identify their native selves. We're not sure which of those outfits are imitative of any Native American ceremonial garb. Perhaps, once again, it's because nobody checked with us on any of this before broadcasting lies and libel across the internet.

The event described by the AIM, the Stanford student group and others sounds horrible, and we would most likely join you in protesting. The groups listed have all been informed of this, as well as what is actually going on, who we actually are, and what the Evolutionary Temple is actually about. Nevertheless, this absurd campaign of lies against an intent that doesn't exist persists .

It's divisive to the community, painful for our staff, and hurtful to the very people we should all be trying to help.

The ones who have persisted in this most, and are accountable for misleading so many include:


Cora Garcia (continues) ~
Mark Anquoe of AIM-West ~
M. Zamora ~
Ricky Triana (the Stanford Student) ~

These are the people who have wasted your time, and stirred up your emotions despite having been repeatedly informed as to what we were actually doing. None of the above have apologized doing so, and some, recognizing they no longer have a leg to stand on, even go so far as to insist we must be lying about what our temple project truly is, just so they can cling to emotional outrage. This is libel and slander, and provable. They have hurt our fundraiser, and we are considering what legal actions to pursue at this time. Please do not replicate their error.

We can only imagine the long years of suffering each of them must have endured to respond with hostility before inquiry.

May peace be upon us all now,

The Visionary Village

Are they ever going to address anyone's concerns, or will they continue the write from some BS template? Why blame the people who have valid concerns? Why not tell them who they can speak to about this whole racist event instead of sending dismissive and condescending letters masked as a courteous response?

Visionary Village, you deserve whatever all these folks are giving you. Jump off of your high horse, stop trying to "educate" folks on things you clearly don't understand, and issue an apology at once.

Saturday will be interesting

u guys are the racist ones! freaking take this shit off ur website, im banning this website, at least we dont have cops killing indians as the theme of our party! go out there and protest something that matters not this simple party that we made up! palestinians are getting raped by israel supported by your tax money!

Visionary Village,

Concerned of your themed rooms, asking for event participant's to "GO NATIVE" and your alleged claim that you are working with NAC members, I have contacted local NAC members, local Native Ohlones and community members of the larger Bay Area Indigenous Community, of which is the 2nd largest urban Native population in the country. Not one person that I have been in contact with is in support of your Native-themed fundraiser. Not one person have I talked to is in support of alcohol sales allegedly used to support Indigenous ceremonies.
A much respected road man with the NAC responded "No I have never heard of this group or its research.I seriously doubt that the NAC is conducting chemical research on the brain wave effects of Peyote. No real Indian would ever do something so lame. Sounds a little wierd to me. This may be some kind of college kids research group or something like that."
Why is it that you feel that not only can you appropriate "Native" costume for the purpose of appropriating our ceremonies as well? Your defensive claims of "trying to help" take on a paternalistic attitude that we have seen many times, and are very weary of. Your claims of being conscious are empty as if you were, you would not have organized an event such as this and instead would honor our right to be angry.
The people that you slam below are much respected and well connected into the local Native community. I do hope that you will rethink your paternalistic view towards "helping" Native people as your "help" includes the appropriation of Native Traditions and customs which is disgraceful and disgusting.
We are much better off without it.

old website

I am requesting again, the name or names of the people you are referring to as your advisors. The tribal members you contacted, we need their names.

I am requesting again, public notice of your cancellation of this event

A retraction of the terms on the flyer, I don't care who said them, as they are attributed to your organization.

All excuses and brilliant essays can continue AFTER THE EVENT IS CANCELLED AND DISTRIBUTED TO YOUR LISTS.

We want the names of the people you are working with, in this study, and the names of the indigenous people whose information you are using.

If you do not agree to supply us with those things, you can make all the excuses you want, we will broadcast yours and all known associates information in every corner of the web we can find access to.
And will pursue our friends in your area, and support them to be at your event onsite.

Jennafer Waggoner Yellowhorse
936-264-7257

The problem, as I see it, is dysconscious racism.

Because of oppression of indigenous people in this country, many people are simply not aware that their actions are racist.

Many people believe that they are "honoring" the cultures, when in fact it is only adding insult to injury. We have this same problem of being poorly understood with regard to sports team mascots.

The goal of those within the American Indian Movement is to educate people and to heal those natives who continually find themselves in this insidious and pervasive form of oppression. No other culture would put up with this kind of exploitation. Native Americans often find themselves on the receiving end of Culture Vultures, whether they are aging sports fanatics who wish to be pretend warriors and whitewash history or whether they are of the New Age variety whom have read far too many plastic shaman books.

Honoring the culturally diverse native community requires education and care, if that is one's intent. History does not bear out the premise of honoring through the use of Indians as mascots. It is the same with the New Age movement.

There are a variety of legal issues concerning the use of Native American imagery and one would do well to educate themselves concerning these issues.

This dance, as I see it, is offensive in that it named specific Native American tribes while asking people to come dressed and "Go Native". Please don't add to the history of oppression by not making conscious choices. That was a bygone era and we are doing everything we can to heal our communities so that future generations do not suffer the same racial strife.

It does not make sense that the Native American Church would ask for outside donations. I would like to see the names of the people who are collecting money for this purpose. In this day and age fraud and identity theft, think about this. Native Americans suffered the original Identity Theft. Be creative. Come up with themes that are not racist. And learn how to see through the filters that the dominant culture has created to dismiss what is in fact racist.

On another but similar topic, here are some links so you can learn what dysconscious racism is and what the legal issues are concerning racial discrimination. They may help you to understand our position a lot more.

Use your Burning Man events as an opportunity to educate people, not as a means of further racial strife. It might simply be a fun night out on the town for you, but our people have to live with this for generations.

http://www.racismagainstindians.org/STARArticle/WhyEducatorsCan%27tIgnoreIndianMascots.htm
http://www.racismagainstindians.org/STARArticle/IssuesAndLaw.htm

Peace

If you don't want to talk to the haters, don't play at the event.
YOU ARE CANCELLED. THE NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH DOES NOT NEED YOUR FUNDRAISER

I'll take you out in the sun for a few days with no food and water,
and see how much chlorophyll you have left in you.

And somebody give us the address of this person who says he's doing research at a University,
we can educate you too, little tree.

Jennafer Waggoner Yellowhorse

its up to u to stop being ignorant, u really believe we are racist!! join the war figure that shit out!! americans are racist!!!!!!!!!!

Not allowing others to voice there opinion without threat of violence is ignorance, it is also the action of the oppressors.

Why become what you despise?

If we do not work together to understand and teach, even though we might be offended, how are we supposed to grow and get beyond?

i just did a party last weekend in the mojave blessed by a double rainbow and hail and snow nearby, a trail of ravens, crows vultures guided me on my way, i rather relate to the true spirits that roam the earth than some hateful humans that are not true themselves!!
lets all protest against sports, the military and whatever that dont seem right, stop worrying about yourselves, we are all equal besides these illusions we are caught up in!! christopher columbus day is still a holiday, but we dont pledge allegiance to the flag anymore! stop wasting ur energy on stupid shit we are not some huge corporation ruining the environment, before agreeing to this party i had no clue who this church was, its sure did make me know about it though, and what is wrong with letting people know about your past, at least u guys arent hiding in a hole like how saddam hussein was found, this whole country is racist, the system in which it was brought up from!

Putting someone out in the sun is not a threat of violence. I thought you people wanted to be Indian right? Vision Quest and all that? Come on, I thought you wanted a little education on what its like to be indian. You wanna be Indian right? You want know what its like, you want to dress up like an indian, we got places where you can do that. Real Indians do it all the time. it's called Sundance. Pierce you up, and hang you on a tree. What's violent about that?

Pretty traditional if you ask me. I know guys that will pierce you up too. They did it for me.

We have just spoken with Michael, the Executive Director of the American Indian Movement, Santa Barbara.

We informed him that there were zero Amerindian decoration. And that the flier clearly lists the rooms as, "Earth, Fire, Wind, Air".

The decorations in the Air Room include a parachute. Our organizers are dressing as time-travelling aliens, Nickelodeon cartoon characters, and fire-dragons because that is how they identify their native identity. That is their NATIVE ATTIRE/COSTUME.

Michael said he would take the appropriate next steps so that the lies which have been spread about this event are revealed for what they were.

Read the flier yourselves.

Go to visionaryvillage.org and read the other flier which clearly lists the rooms as Elemental, and please stop slandering our event and misleading people.

Force and Willingness are two different things.
and for the record no one is going to dress up and play "indian"
Im a little surprised that you prefer this terminology.
non traditional piercing and hanging is called suspension.
some people love it.
thanks : )

Are you actually going to respond to any of the questions stated below or are you going to go off your template as you have previously?

The only one that has been misleading is you as you are now claiming ignorance to the promotion included on your own website!

You are stating that "We don't want to consider legal action against our own community", yet if you claim to be a part of our community then why are you hiding behind email aliases and not coming forth with who you are?

Are you aware that your own performers (the ones that aren't backing out as I am sure you are well aware of) are making the following statements: "Chloro Djinn (San Francisco, CA) wrote
at 12:52pm
i wanna see some protestors out there! bring it!"

Please do your part in being accountable and transparent. You are the one that that it would be fun to "GO NATIVE" and play Indian for a night, and now you need to own up to it and deal with the repercussions of it.



Good morning, Morning Star, and thank you for writing for clarity. We wish the small group of rash individuals who have misled you and others would have engaged in such due diligence as well. We don't want to consider legal action against our own community, but we do not know how else to stop the spread of their lies.

Allow us to clarify:


* There is zero Amerindian decor.
* There are zero "Amerindian themed" rooms.
* The text which has been copy+pasted around was not posted by anyone affiliated with our production team.
* The only promotional material we publically released were the fliers which I've included here and have been available on our website for all to review.
* As you can see, the rooms are "Elemental", and called "Earth, Air, Fire, Water".
* The flier only says "costume, not "native costume" let alone "Native American ceremonial attire".
* If you come to the event, you'll see the organizers have identified their native attire as: a time-travelling alien, a Celtic feather-creature, a fire-dragon/reptile, and a character inspired by a Nickelodeon cartoon. Because that is how those people identify their native selves and essences.
A lengthier rebuttal may be read here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/25/18582184.php?show_comments=1#18582732

Please do your part to stop the spread of these lies. They are painful, illegal, and unnecessarily dividing the community. If you have any other questions, feel free to write us again at this address.

May peace be upon both our houses.


The Visionary Village

The flier still says NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH BENEFIT!!!

I for one, as a Native American and an NAC member, find this to be highly offensive. NAC benefit and Absinthe should NOT be on the same page!!! Along with the Native motif of buffalo skull & feathers (conveniently on the other side of the flier). AND the reference to Ohlone ceremonial grounds on the Visionary Village web site!! Plus the people who are advertising this event on other sites like facebook and tribe.net who have NOT changed their advertising!!!

Your statements below are precisely the problem


"go out there and protest something that matters not this simple party that we made up!"

"all this native racism is BS, are indians a bunch of haters! i try not to celebrate thanksgiving because so many turkeys die each year from this holiday!its time to move on, i am not responsible for the mass genocide throughout history, indians today should be standing up for the shit going on in the middle east!
this is just a party , until i see indians driving mechs around and shooting up the white house, then all i can say is how can u guys let this go, we are not lynching indians like the palestinians on there homeland! and if u guys are against this church then bring them down, why the fuck they still around!???????? all churches should be banned, maybe start with this one and use it as an example that this is not the only one leading people the wrong way! sign a petition if u know how to get one going, and for the people that care,go out there and protest!"

dont make us hate indians for this one? dont let the one indian or two ruin it for the whole like some tuskan raiders did to anakin's mom





+++++

Who are you to think that we are not in support of Palestinian people or work in solidarity to connect our struggles. Who are you to think that the fight for self determination, the right to exist, and live with dignity is not just as important in one part of an oppressed region as it is in another? A young Native man was shot by police last year on New Year's eve nearby where the party will be held, but I am not surprised if you did not know that because unless you are perpetuating stereotypes of us, Native peoples are invisible....


You have been diagnosed with the ultimate liberal disease of Tibeten Syndrome. Recognize your privilege and recognize the continued oppression and occupation that you are participating in.

Just because you post that you are talking with AIM is not a CANCELLATION of this event.

YOU ARE BUYING TIME, THE FLYER STATES THE EVENT IS ON MARCH 28TH AND ACCORDING TO YOU PEOPLE'S GREGORIAN BROTHERS, IT IS MARCH 26TH, TODAY.

AIM is clearly the final word on the matter, but regardless, there are plenty of people that are members of this Visionary Group, Burning Man and others that are clearly squealing that they are being threatened and being called liars.

We are asking for THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES (not physical unless they don't have e-mail) of the people you are referencing for your information.

The fact that we can post here and tell you that we have a vested interest in our religious freedom, should clearly illustrate, that if we don't know who they are, someone we know will know them. I understand that many of you have identifyers with the lingo used to describe ceremonies, and that is why it is important, that you don't use such language, because IT IS CLEARLY USED to relate to Indian People's ceremonies, like I mentioned earlier. Education of Little Tree is an Indian flick, the fact that I've never seen it alone, is more of a threat, than the fact that you would interpret it in a negative way. Or in a threatening way. However, mirroring language perpetuates stereotypes. You would probably run to a "ceremony" if someone asked you to. I understand if you are desperately seeking something in your life that mimics what American Indians have, but assimilating their ceremonies, or barging in on them, is not only abusive, it is generationally a part of the strategy of conquest and assimilation that your government, and you by proxy, are conducting upon people living under occupation.

We are prisoner's of war, how can you suggest what we do with ourselves. Instead we are sitting here trying to convince you with these essays of 'intrinsic spiritual value' that you are completely oblivious to the genocidal oppression you enforce with these stereotypes and this is the reason why blood quantum is continued to be enforced as a racist doctrine of who can go to what ceremony in our nation. This is the religious freedom we have, and dancing all over it, and calling us racist because we are hurt that we don't love you and invite you to our little pow-pows isn't helping you.

YOU NEED TO CANCEL THIS EVENT. WE CAN TALK ALL WE WANT AFTER YOU CANCEL.

It would appear that the organization calling itself "Visionary Village" is deliberately trying to dodge any accountability for their actions. They continue to attack the victims of this outrage in this forum, as well as others. They have changed their website to try to substantiate their claims of innocence. It has apparently been changed multiple times today and currently (as of 2pm), in addition to the flyer, which has been widely posted, the description for the event reads:

----
GO NATIVE pt 1:

Descend-Dance will raise funds for the Church's medicinal work, specifically the neurofeedback research demonstrating causality between medicinal use, improved brainwave patterns, and heightened mirror neuron activity in users. The venue is an 1870s bordello complex built in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering ground in Oakland. There will be a discount for wearing a Native costume that represents your roots, and the four rooms themed to the four elements:
----

However yesterday, the text was different. It read:

----
GO NATIVE pt 1:

Descend-Dance will raise funds for the Church's medicinal work, specifically the neurofeedback research demonstrating causality between medicinal use, improved brainwave patterns, and heightened mirror neuron activity in users. The venue is an 1870s bordello complex built in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering ground in Oakland. There will be a discount for Native costume, and the four rooms themed to the four elements:
----

This version is plainly visible in the following screenshot, taken yesterday:

http://www.aimwest.info/public/originalVVWebsite_1.jpg

Furthermore, the entire part that associated specific tribal names has been deleted. They are plainly visible in the next screenshot, also taken yesterday:

http://www.aimwest.info/public/originalVVWebsite_2.jpg

"Visionary Village" makes the following claims:


* There is zero Amerindian decor.

There is a buffalo skull with hanging feathers on the front of the flyer. That seems pretty "Amerindian", as both objects are revered, sacred items to many "Amerindian" people and are universally associated with many of our cultures.

* There are zero "Amerindian themed" rooms.

Their website says otherwise, at least until it was hastily changed today. See above.

* The text which has been copy+pasted around was not posted by anyone affiliated with our production team.
* The only promotional material we publically released were the fliers which I've included here and have been available on our website for all to review.

The text we have copied and pasted has been from their own website. The above points seem disengenuous, if not outright falsehoods.

* As you can see, the rooms are "Elemental", and called "Earth, Air, Fire, Water".

The website says (said) otherwise

* The flier only says "costume, not "native costume" let alone "Native American ceremonial attire".

The website says (said) "native costume" right next to visual icons and symbols associated with Native Americans, as well as just above real tribal names.

Furthermore, the Visionary Village has failed to produce a single NAC contact, despite the repeated demands by the local NAC community.

Please continue writing the promotors and DJs/performers at the event. The DJs are listed on the flyer. Simple google searches will lead you to their contact info.

Let these people know that this kind of insulting cultural theft and appropriation is wrong! Do not let them get away with this obscenity!

Plan on joining the protest against this event! More details to come...

Oh, and Chlorophyll. We have campaigns around native holidays by the way. Colorado AIM and many other native rights groups discuss Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and there is even a movement to stop the Olympics in Canada.

I understand you have birds following you and that's very nice. It happens, because you are human and you opened your eyes. Yes you are blessed that there was a rainbow. But the rainbow might have been there without your presence. I know you are pretty amazed by nature, and nature is quite a fanstastical experience especially if you are young and getting used to being outside by yourself. You don't need to smoke anything, take any pills or drink anything to find that amazing. All that amazing stuff will disappear, if we don't learn how to work through this together. You personally, have an interest in politics, and clearly you are impacted by the state of the world. Getting to know other people outside of your party group will help you understand, that this isn't about you. It is about the language you use, and the images you represent. Because you are responsible enough to answer to a challenge, means you are strong enough to speak out against the things that you clearly are upset about. Because you were a part of this imagery that happens to impact differently than what the intention was, means that you are called forward to defend your position. Disappearing and hiding your identity is one way of action, but standing for your beliefs through using your name is another. What standing out in the sun taught me, was that when I'm called by name, about anything that I have done, I must stand and be accountable. Sometimes that means standing in front of a group of indian people and listening to EVERYTHING they have to say.

I hope you don't think that because a bunch of people show up to challenge your words is harassment. Standing up for what you believe in, listening to what your "opponents" say to challenge you, Isn't that what democracy looks like?

You people feel threatened? Go visit the myspace.com/aimsantabarbara, and take a look at how children stand up to racism. You'll see that what you've experienced isn't really as much of a threat, as what we saw when we learned of the event.

Please cancel your event. You can always arrange others. This you could do for what you believe in, all the pain in the world, deserves the willingness to do whatever it takes to make people feel better, regardless of how you look in the process.

Here's the other flier that has a southwest theme, a popular buffalo skull with feathers. Add in "Benefit for Native American Church... ancient Ohlone burial mound, Anasazi, Pueblo, Maori, and Shipibo and Go Native costume"
This flier gives quite a different impression than the other one...

I cant help but feel that gathering and discussion seems to be the right thing to do.
I don't understand how anyone is supposed to learn anything by means of staying at home, confined from one another.
Blessings come in strange disguises...... perhaps this is a needed discussion for these particular communities.

Here are my interactions with Visionary Village. I agree with the AIM-West statement when they say that we are not against throwing a party, having a good time, and dancing to music; however, we are against the misuse of Native-related pictures and themes. I appreciate if Visionary Village has removed the Native nation names from their themed rooms, but there are more steps that can be taken.

The TRUTH should be step number 1.

March 24, 2009
Dear members of Visionary Village,

I urge you to reconsider your event. It is NOT an honor to Native America for you to mock our traditions. It is not an honor for you to wear our clothing. Your event does not honor our people.

Native communities have fought hard to maintain our cultures in the face of White assimilation brought upon us by the governments of the USA and England and by the church. We continue to fight the stereotypical practicing of our traditions by people who give themselves Indian names, drum on drums, and sing the songs given to us by our ancestors and the Creator. We are offended by the stereotypical versions of our people as marketing tools (Land-o-lakes), brand names (American Spirit cigarettes), and mascots (Chief Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Washington Redskins). And we are offended by your event theme.

We are real and alive. We are not feathers, headdresses, fake songs, braids, or Indian names. Alternatively, we are the children of long tradition and those who are bestowed with the honor of bringing our culture to our children's children's children.

Honoring our culture means acknowledging our people and our struggle through this country's history. It does not mean giving a discount for dressing the way we dress or creating theme rooms based on the four elements.

Please do not use my culture as a theme.
.
To quote a popular sentiment from an email being widely circulated within the local Native community:

"As a Native America, it is racist to ask people who are not
Native American to come dressed as a 'Native American in
costume.'

This is offensive to Native Americans. Would you ask
individuals to dress as an "African American" and
ask them to GO Black!

I would ask you to reconsider this as this is offensive
and perpetuates stereotypes of Native Americans."

By hosting this event you are continuing and maintaining the racism brought upon us by the arrival of Columbus and Europe. You do us all a disservice.

Thank you for the consideration of our opinions,
Amanda Cook, M.Ed.

Hi Amanda, thank you for taking the time to express your concerns. We apologize in advance for the brevity of this reply; this week is quite busy for the Village, but this is a subject we explore with passion ourselves, and am glad for the chance to explore them with another like-minded.

It seems as if you may be assuming things about us and our event. Could it be because awareness of this private event reached you through filters? It seems the people who passed it along to you did so with very little awareness of what is actually going on.


Your email uses "we" and "our" in reference to American tribes. Do you assume that we in the Village are not of American tribes?

Secondly, it seems the person who told you about this party didn't tell you where the theme GO NATIVE! comes from. If they told you it was about feathers and headdresses, they lied. It comes from the theory of exobiogenesis, and it's about the origin of life and it's arrival on this planet. There are four private events planned:

pt 1: Descend-Dance.. when the meteor which brought micro-organisms to this planet first arrived.
pt 2: Burial Grounding.. when the micro-organisms adapted by recognizng they were going to be on Earth longer than one lifetime.
pt 3: The Undiscovered Country.. venturing beyond the perimeter of ignorance, exploring inner- and outer-space.
pt 4: Ascend-Dance.. when life leaves Earth.

We understand that the word "native" has emotionally-laden connotations to some persons. Truth is, we're all natives of Earth, and the GO NATIVE! events are a call to remember that; to remember that as our once dispersed cultures encounter and mutate each other. Far too many of us are ostracized by current cultural mores and socio-economic institutions. It's time everyone on this planet remembered that this is where we came from, and it's time to stick up for our native land.

There's so much more we'd like to discuss with you. You seem truly passionate and of like-mind about this. For now, thank you for bringing to our attention that there was so much confusion about what we were actually doing. None of our NAC members had heard a word of it. Then again, maybe it's because they actually knew what was going on.

Just as dressing up in Victorian-era costume does not make one a colonist, let it be clear that no person in the Village thinks any adornment could make them into you, Amanda.
Many blessings to you, and may you remain most real.

The Visionary Village


Thank you for your very kind response. I do not think we are like-minded on this subject, but I respect differing opinions. I do not mean to assume that there is no one Native within your community. I, however, when saying "we" and "our" was referring to the Natives with whom I have been in contact on this matter. I apologize for the generalization. The "we" that I refer to oppose the substance or basis for the event-at least as can be assumed by the event announcement (which appears fairly different than that which you have sent me).

Perhaps you should be more clear in your event posting announcement about what you mean by "native", change the picture on the announcement, and rescind the Native costume bit. Just a suggestion that may clear up some of the confusion among onlookers.

I do not believe you are trying to become me by dressing in Native clothing. I do, however, believe that the request dishonors the Native community, whether or not there are Natives who work within or support Visionary Village.

Thank you again for responding,
Amanda


Thank you for your very kind response. I do not think we are like-minded on this subject, but I respect differing opinions. I do not mean to assume that there is no one Native within your community. I, however, when saying "we" and "our" was referring to the Natives with whom I have been in contact on this matter. I apologize for the generalization. The "we" that I refer to oppose the substance or basis for the event-at least as can be assumed by the event announcement (which appears fairly different than that which you have sent me).

I think I comprehend: the "we" that you refer to oppose a private event based upon the limited public information without having looked into getting more information before becoming upset.

Yes, the Evolutionary Temple, the GO NATIVE series, the substance, the basis and all of it really, is quite different than what the students at Stanford were portraying. Do you know what it's like to receive hate-mail calling you names for something you haven't and would never do? A number of people were hurt and concerned today by a small group of people's careless words and actions.

Perhaps you should be more clear in your event posting announcement about what you mean by "native",

Should people have to include such a disclaimer to safely use the word "native" without being called racist?

I do not believe you are trying to become me by dressing in Native clothing. I do, however, believe that the request dishonors the Native community, whether or not there are Natives who work within or support Visionary Village.
That's because, with all due respect, you're still clinging to the misinformation of the Stanford knitting circle, Amanda. The "native" costumes we know people are wearing so far include a time-travelling alien, a fire-reptile-dragon, and a celtic feather-creature. Because that's what "native" is for each person. GO NATIVE is about getting back in touch with that, with the fact that each of us are a native something.

This day just made us really sad, is all. Because no matter how good an intent, some person or group of persons can still come along and malign it as something horrible and false.

Good day, Amanda. You and your peers emotional outrage was valid.. just the factual basis for it wasn't.

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ProtestGoNativeEvent

Okay, now there are four events that these people are doing not one. I think they are getting off on the awareness aspect of the publicity they are receiving from these events.

Funny that everything is misconstrued. Poor misunderstood Visonaries. If only we could understand your convoluted little theories of the origins of life.

You are FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD NOT DISSOLVING BUT NOW THERE ARE MORE EVENTS

I just got an e-mail from visionary, and they are planning to move forward with the event, minus some little details, but fully planning on non-cooperation with the American Indian Movement. They still have not published a retraction, or cancellation as of this post.

I believe its time to do some good old fashioned shutting down the event ceremony.

What are you talking about non-cooperation with AIM? We spoke multiple times with AIM-Santa Barbara, and left message with AIM-West coordinator Mark's roommate. About to call them again now to schedule the meeting for tomorrow.

Michael, the executive director of the Santa Barbara chapter, said the event as clarified sounded fine, and we're happy for any AIM members to attend the event to ensure that everything we do is blessed by AIM.

At the meeting we will first present what is and is absolutely not occuring at the event. Then welcome and enact all suggestions on what would please all participants and AIM.

this is what visionary village is now saying to me via email conversation:

"Hello again, Patricia.

A variety of members from the NAC have worked with us on a variety of projects (not all of them research-related) over the years. We were informed that to continue working together on the projects to the scale we had envisioned, additional funding would most likely be needed.
We who answer the emails do not personally know the names, contact info, genealogy and charters of origin for all the members who have collaborated over the years but we are working on gathering and storing that information as this is typed.

We did list the Ohlone gathering ground's location as relevant because we were also approached about donating some of the proceeds from this event to fund an annual event for the Ohlone on that street."


...i think it very strange that their reply to my comment "The text on your site stresses that the event takes place "in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering ground in Oakland," as if this were an added draw to the event instead of yet another example of an indigenous sacred site that was destroyed" all of sudden involves funding an event for the Ohlone, but i have not seen ANY of that information mentioned ANYWHERE.

...additionally, we anxiously await these names you are claiming to gather.

Until the event is CANCELLED meeting with AIM is simply dragging your feet.

You are hoping that you will convince AIM-West, that your event is okay.

You are hoping too, that talking long enough and making enough excuses that you will be able to hold the event.

THIS EQUALS NON-COOPERATION.

DEMAND 1. CANCEL THE EVENT
DEMAND 2. MEET WITH AIM
DEMAND 3. We all eagerly look forward to meeting whoever put you up to do this event.

NON-COMPLIANCE EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE SCHEDULED A MEETING WITH AIM MEANS WE ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN THAT COULD JEAPARDIZE THE FUTURE OF YOUR VISIONARY VILLAGE. It's not a threat, but it will be painful. Because clearly you are not accepting the good advice given to you. It'll be painful, because you refuse to take the easy way out, cancelling your event.

Patricia, email us your phone number and you'll have us calling you within 5 minutes.

i forgot to mention that i totally agree with Sunshine: this conversation needs to happen NOW. i am friends with many a Burner and we are always butting heads.

i think these dicussions will lead, ultimately, to more understanding so long as all involved parties are honest and open in their minds and in their hearts.

We're glad to meet with AIM and any members or supporters of local tribes tomorrow to let them know what is and is absolutely not happening at the proposed event.

And then hear what is needed for a successful event wherein all attendees are encouraged to express their native identity.

NOT imitate Native American identity.

We just received another RSVP from a woman who'd like to come as a black panther.

Email us your phone number and we'll gladly call you if you'd like to coordinate the open forum with us tomorrow.

YOU CANNOT WORK WITH AIM ON THE DESIGN OF THE ISSUE
because you are not CANCELLING YOUR EVENT(S)

You should not announce something you have no business organizing. I know for a fact, AIM is not supporting any new announcement of the changes of your activities.

You cannot announce a new event, when you haven't cancelled the ones everyone is having a problem with.

Where are you people getting your peyote for your study.

Everyone already knows you people pilfer the sacred areas for your "raves", and dig up the cactus's for illegal use.

Only the members of the NAC are permitted to use peyote, Jennaefer. For those of us for whom it is illegal, we do not.

To The Organizers, Promoters and Producers of the "GO NATIVE Fundraiser for the Visonary Village/Evolutionary Temple and the Native American Church”:


We as tribal peoples, allies, and organizations representing Native American issues wish to express our concern over the GO NATIVE Fundraiser event hosted by Visionary Village/Evolutionary Temple. We would like to take this opportunity to initiate a dialogue about what effects such events have on our community. We have become aware of several email interactions between community members and the organizers of this event, all of which are wrought with the frustrations and pain, on both sides, that continue to plague issues of "race relations" in a country in which indigenous people are still colonized. We have taken issue with the manner in which this event has been promoted because we recognize that such contributions to public discourse perpetuate stereotypes and dishonor the very real struggles of Native communities.
Your non-collaboration in helping us understand your alleged affiliations and work with the Native American Church has caused us to make
further inquiry on the nature of the event as a fundraiser.



We feel that any person looking at the various flyers and advertisements for this event would reasonably assume that the tag line, "GO NATIVE," is in reference to dressing as Native American people. These assumptions would rightfully be conceived due to the alleged collaboration with the Native American Church, and especially through the themeing of rooms of the four elements, and representing those elements with Native/Indigenous peoples. The four people(s) (Maori, Anasazi, Shipibo, and Pueblo) that are called out do not in fact have any direct relationship with Peyoteism or the NAC per se, nor should their respective practices be conflated with the practices of the church. It has also been made clear that the organizers of this event did not intend that people dress as the Maori, Anasazi, Shipibo, and Pueblo, but this does not negate their responsibility in making the event advertisments more clear with respect to their use of the terms, "go native.
"
For us and many others, "Go Native" implies reverting to a primal nature commonly and wrongly associated with Indigenous people. Even if, as the organizers of this event have claimed, "go native" is meant to imply "a heavy hunter-gatherer mindset" theme so as to rightfully adapt to an ecosystem, such statements associating Native Americans and other indigenous people as inherently "hunter-gathering" people plays upon a long and thriving discursive legacy in which our communities are cast as lesser beings in social evolutionist terms.


The reading of the event as a Native American theme party is further implied because of the graphics chosen for the flyers which are present all over the internet on social networking sites Facebook, MySpace, and through the Visionary Villages website, as well as the email media that is being sent out. The graphics chosen include a buffalo skull, a prominent Native American tool of ceremony, and the notation that the location of the event is “built in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering ground in Oakland.” This has most egregious implications, then, for the advertisement’s request that people dress in "Native costume,” as it perpetuates damaging, misleading, and deeply offensive stereotypes. It also perpetuates the idea that anyone (mostly non-Native as burning man is predominantly attended by non-Native people) can espouse a certain cultural aesthetic with disregard to the peoples whom identify and live by that culture.
It is
disrespectful of Native American ceremonial rituals and regalia to ask the general public to don their own aberrations of what they think Native attire might be.




The elemental naming of the rooms is not in contention, it is your weak justification for showcasing A.I.N.A.N.H.P.I. (American Indian, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) tribes as examples of environmental adaptability which strengthen the association of the word "Native" to A.I.N.A.N.H.P.I. peoples. In addition, you claim the event is about "exobiogenesis movement", "Aliens and starseeds, not Apache and Sioux", but the interpretation of your advertisements is completely different.
Why, then, does the theme lack any references to your "belief that as life evolves to travel between planets, each planet should be revered as a native home"? Instead of your claimed planetary theme, why are your rooms themed with different tribes and why is there a "Giant Dream Catcher" that hangs between balconies at your event?



Visionary Village has responded that the organizers of this event have not intended to imply Native American in their use of the word "Native." The above evidence in our eyes is to the contrary. In our world today, we must all face the fact that our intentions are not always communicated clearly, and in order to be sensitive to the lives of others we must take heed to suggestions, and value the opinions of others. For us, despite what the organization was intending, the tone of the advertisements for this event perpetuate racist stereotypes for which Native Americans as a collective have been persecuted, and trying to escape for centuries. The broad dissemination of these advertisements, on almost all of the DJ and performers' MySpace and other music sights, as well as the advertisements on Facebook, and tribe.net, only reinforces stereotypes placed upon Native peoples, rendering us powerless and voiceless in our ability to represent ourselves.




Native peoples are the only oppressed peoples in this country that are continually ignored in their requests to not be characterized and romanticized. The results have real and tangible effects on Native youth especially, and the community as a whole. Scholars such as Stephanie Fryber from the Univeristy of Arizona have done great work on stereotype threat, and the very significant reality it has in the Native community due to our invisibility in mainstream society. We encourage you to read Stephanie Fryberg's study entitled "Honor or harm: The effects of American Indian mascots on American Indian selves (with H.R. Markus, D Oyserman, and J.M. Stone)." We hope tht the organizers will be able after reading this to understand why we feel that the promotion of this event was undertaken with clearly racist overtones.



We the undersigned implore the organizers to take a step back and consider the effect the advertising of your event has on all of us in the Bay Area community. In order to work towards an anti-racist society we must take action to correct wrongs that have been committed, regardless of intent. We must seek to correct misunderstandings in our communities, and we must work on the individual and collective level. We are not faulting the organizers for what can be claimed as ignorance of knowledge surrounding Indigenous communities, but we do request that the event be changed.
Racism is something we must all work against in order to become a better society, we respectfully request that the event advertisers:



a) withdraw its request that people show up in "native costume";

b) stop associating the four tribes with the different elements, and thus using them as themes by removing tribal names from all advertising and from the site itself;

c) make public any affiliations with actual Native tribes or Native organizations;

d) issuing a public apology addressing your appropriation of our symbols and tribes;

e) not hold another event with advertising that implies an Indigenous theme;



We are not asking the event to cease, or to not play music, or not have a good time. In the spirit of community building, we are asking that our voices be heard, and our pain not be disregarded, and that Native American Communities be respected. It is clear to us that Native peoples are part of the inspiration for this event, we ask not to be prostituted in an effort to create fundraising/revenue for a cause that has not been made clear.



We pray for your cooperation and for continued communication and improved relations with you.


Judy Lopez, Host (member of the Pajaro Valley Ohlone Indian Council)
DreamCatcher Entertainment
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DreamCatcherEntertainment

We are drafting an email right now, apologizing for any confusion from the clumsy wording sometimes used in promoting this event.


a) withdraw its request that people show up in "native costume";

We will make certain to explicitly request people show up in costumes only native to their own identity, and not to culturally appropriate.


b) stop associating the four tribes with the different elements, and thus using them as themes by removing tribal names from all advertising and from the site itself;

An excellent suggestion. Our web-team should have it done by the end of the day.


c) make public any affiliations with actual Native tribes or Native organizations;

We're going a step further and no longer even claiming involvement with any Native tribes or the NAC.


d) issuing a public apology addressing your appropriation of our symbols and tribes;

Absolutely, we understand where the confusion has come from.


e) not hold another event with advertising that implies an Indigenous theme;

The events we hold we will continue to invite people to show up dressed in their own ethnicity's native attire, but not to falsely use a neighbor's attire.

Native American Church aside, where is the study proposal approved by the NIH and DEA who have a special clause regarding the use of peyote within the NAC?

You can't just decide to walk in and slap electrodes on some people saying you're funding the research for a study that has not even been defined.

Native American or not, something reeks.

I don't think Judy got to read that you are continuing with RSVP's from white people dressing up as BLACK PANTHERS.

I don't believe that the organizers of this event are sincerely going through with this according to the terms Judy outlined.

I believe this group is insincere, BECAUSE WE CAN ALL READ THAT THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE USING PEYOTE IN RESEARCH AND NON-RESEARCH USES.

VISIONARY VILLAGE IS PROMOTING THE NON-INDIAN AND ILLEGAL HARVESTING OF PEYOTE AT BURNING MAN EVENTS.

Until Visionary Village coughs up the names of the people in the STUDIES, and these so called people that they claim they work with, I DON'T TRUST ANYTHING THEY SAY OR DO.

I AM CALLING FOR RE-EXAMINATION OF THIS ISSUE DEMAND CANCELLATION OF ALL FOUR EVENTS.

It's been cancelled Michelle, there is no fundraiser for NAC peyote research.

We're going to do something far different, and we apologize for any confusion our clumsy wording and/or intent may have caused.

of us that drafted it of whom you have already been in contact with.

We've offered multiple times to call you to clarify, and you refuse.

Please stop trying to make trouble, the NAC fundraiser is already cancelled, and we are truly sorry for any confusion or hurt that our clumsy wording brought out.

HOW CAN YOU LIE TO US RIGHT HERE. ARE YOU PLAYING US AS STUPID?

YOU JUST E-MAILED PEOPLE SAYING YOU WERE CONTINUING THE EVENT MINUS THE INDIAN REFERENCES. AND THERE ARE FOUR EVENTS SCHEDULED.

AND THERE ARE PEOPLE RSVP'NG TO DRESS AS BLACK PANTHERS

THE EVENT ISN'T CANCELLED YOU SAID YOU WERE E-MAILING A NEW EVENT FLYER MINUS THE INDIANS. YOU ARE STILL HOLDING THE EVENT, KEEPING THE MONEY, AND JUST NOT TELLING ANYONE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH IT.

YOU STILL CONTINUE TO NOT PUBLISH OR ADMIT WHO YOU WERE WORKING WITH AND THE BLACK PANTHER REFERENCE DOESN'T FLY PASS THESE INDNS!!!

COME ON NOW!!! YOU REALLY THINK WE'RE BUYING THIS?

AND BY THE WAY, DON'T FORGET TO CALL.

AND DON'T FORGET TO CANCEL YOUR EVENT.

If there are any other changes that the petition-drafters would like, please let us know.

We are no longer advertising what will occur on Saturday as a NAC fundraiser.

We apologize for any clumsy wording and any emotional turmoil it may have brought out.

We are updating the website to reflect these changes.

Jennafer, it's illegal to not be a member of the NAC and use peyote.

The "black panther" the lady would like to come as is a jungle creature, not the political activist type.

I understand that our clumsy wording riled you up, but now you're simply saying things that are untrue.

The NAC fundraiser is cancelled, we're doing something entirely different, and we are truly sorry for the trouble it has brought you.


Bless,

The Visionary Village
_______________________________________________

OH, NOW IT IS A BLACK PANTHER IN A RAINFOREST

AND NOT A POLITICAL BLACK PANTHER?????????????????

PULEEEZZZ

THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT THE EVENT IS STILL MOVING FORWARD
THIS IS ALSO AN INDICATION THAT VISIONARY VILLAGE STILL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO PROMOTE THEIR EVENT UNDER RACIST MIRROR LANGUAGE USE

VISIONARY VILLAGE HAS NOT NAMED ONE PERSON INVOLVED WITH THEIR FORMER EVENT OR WHO THEY WERE FUNDRAISING FOR IN THE NAC

I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE YOUR NEW EVENT YOUR OLD ONE IS STILL UNAPOLOGETIC.

Will try calling you again in a moment.

we are all listening you need not yell.

there is very little anyone can do if all you want to do is start fights.

Thank you.

There have been only superficial concessions by VV.

They have not yet taken responsibility for anything more than "clumsy wording".

They have not addressed the injury they have caused or offered solutions to rectify.

They intend to continue with the event after weeks of this obscene advertising. So 48 hours before th event they are going to change their advertising? The damage has already been done. A last minute change in marketing won't do. People are still going to show up dressed as "indians" as they have been asked to do for weeks. Most of their crowd does not read this forum and will not continue to check for new advertising if they are already planning on going.

They now say that their event is no longer a fundraiser for the NAC. Now they say that will redirect the funds as *they* see fit. They will still benefit from these weeks of racist advertising.

We are continuing our plans for mass protest and we are still asking people to keep up the pressure on the organizers and performers.

Email AIM-West: gazelbe [at] yahoo.com for more details regarding protest plans.

i went to sign the petition condemning this event but i'm afraid the demands were just not strong enough. VV, don't delay. humble yourselves: cancel and make reparations now because we will be there to shut you down. you decided to play with something sacred and powerful that you don't understand and if you're not careful you will reap the painful consequences of your uninformed and childish decisions.

I'm friends with a couple of people who are involved in this event, and I have quite a bit of exposure to the larger Burning Man culture of which this is a part. This is my first time posting here, but I've read through the full thread, and I'd really like to see this whole incident resolved as positively as possible.

First, let me offer this white male's take on the theme of the party: It's awful. I cringed, as I'm sure a lot of others did as well. It had the stench of well-meaning but ham-handed cultural appropriation to it. If I were involved in organizing it, I would have seriously urged them to reconsider the whole theme from top to bottom.

Having said that, one of the people I know with this event is the man who designed the flyer. I'm sure he would have gotten involved in this discussion, but he's presently in the car driving down from Vancouver, BC, and he's not reachable right now. He's a thoughtful and empathetic guy, and I'm sure that he would have taken a different approach if he'd known all this would come about. He's bi-racial, with a Black father and a Chinese mother, so the cultures which make up both sides of his family have experience with colonialism and racism. I'm certain that he does not take that history lightly. I don't believe that he would intentionally cause that sort of pain to someone else, either.

Ultimately, I think the big question in this comes down to the intent of the event organizers: did they do this out of ignorance or malice? Because the answer to that question determines the best way to respond to it.

If it was malice, which is to say that the organizers were intentionally trying to degrade and humiliate the people whose cultures they were misusing, then the best response would be to hit back with everything you've got, because the people doing it are incorrigible. If I believed that was the case here, I'd take up pickets outside the event with many of the people who have posted here.

If it was ignorance, though, I would hope that this whole episode is seen as an opportunity to educate rather than demonize those involved -- both the organizers and the attendees. I think that for those attending the event, it would be more productive to have a booth set up inside the event where you can explain calmly to those attending why you objected to the theme of the event, than it would be to yell at attendees from across the street as they enter. It doesn't have to be a tacit approval of the event -- you can put up a sign which says in big bold letters, "Why we think this party is wrong".

The Burning Man community, whatever you think its flaws may be, IS by and large a tolerant and inclusive bunch of people. They can learn. I hope you'll take the opportunity to teach them.

Warm regards,
Chris

I too have read through all of the postings.

I am of the opinion that the VV ought to have apologized in the very beginning of this whole fiasco and started on the path of reconciliation through stating clearly their initial intent and so on.

Even though VV's intent was not malice, it came accross as racist. Even though VV had a different meaning to the "Go Native" theme, it came accross in a horrible way. Even though VV was using the various Indian Tribes to denote one specific thing, it was not clear. Even though VV's meaning behind the Native costuming did not mean "Native American", it is comes accross as "Native American Indian".

Due to all of the above I believe that the VV ought to have apologized early on. I have not seen an apology. At least not a clear one.

Bottom line here for the VV people seems to be: More thought ought to have gone into the planning of this entire event.

The lines here are very, very fuzzy.

they are valid to include in this discussion

i feel bad for all the cleveland indians fans, redskins, braves , what do they go through!!

dont make us hate indians for this one? dont let the one indian or two ruin it for the whole like some tuskan raiders did to anakin's mom

all this native racism is BS, are indians a bunch of haters! i try not to celebrate thanksgiving because so many turkeys die each year from this holiday!its time to move on, i am not responsible for the mass genocide throughout history, indians today should be standing up for the shit going on in the middle east!
this is just a party , until i see indians driving mechs around and shooting up the white house, then all i can say is how can u guys let this go, we are not lynching indians like the palestinians on there homeland! and if u guys are against this church then bring them down, why the fuck they still around!???????? all churches should be banned, maybe start with this one and use it as an example that this is not the only one leading people the wrong way! sign a petition if u know how to get one going, and for the people that care,go out there and protest!

After speaking with Greywolf, Jenafer, and others throughout the day, replying in emails and answering our phones, here are the changes which have been proposed to us:

* To not throw an event with Amerindian themed rooms. Check.
* To not throw an event with Amerindian decor. Check.
* To email our contacts and remind them that this event is about each individual wearing their own native attire. NOT the native attire of other people's. This email has been drafted and we are simply waiting to make sure any other suggestions are included in it.
* To remove any images which contain symbols which can be sacred to Amerindians. This will be finished by midnight.
* To verify the genealogy and chartership of all people claiming to be NAC members before turning over the proceeds of this fundraiser to them.
* If their genealogy and chartership is not verified, then turn over the proceeds to the Bay Area Amerindian community for dispensing as they see fit.
* To apologize on our publically for any confusion, and all emotional turmoil which resulted as a result of our efforts. Consider it begun here, and continued elsewhere.
* To welcome any Amerindians or interested activists to the setup so as to verify all claims made thus far are enacted and create an event wherein all attendees may feel secure in their own native identity, be it Celtic or Comanche. Check.
* To present an availability via phone to all parties wishing to verify this information, as well as the chartership and genealogy as it becomes available. Check.
* To present ourselves to an open forum for discussion tomorrow to hear any other suggestions and acknowledge and apologize for turmoil which resulted. Check. It will be Friday, March 27 @ 5pm in Mosswood Park, Oakland, near the MacArthur BART station at Broadway & MacArthur.

Please feel free to improve the event further, and email us your phone number if you would like to hear from us personally.
A number of our performers have received personal correspondence threatening them with violence and elsewise.

I think you need to clarify the part in the post, about verifying NAC church membership.

You are sliding through that one pretty smoothly....

WE VERIFY THE NAC CHURCH MEMBERS YOU MENTIONED YOUR DONATIONS WERE GOING TO. VERIFYING OF THE NAC PEOPLE COMES BEFORE THE EVENT AND WE TAKE CARE OF THAT BECAUSE WE ARE NAC PEEPS. YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GIVE US THE NAMES AND CONTACTS OF WHO YOU ARE HANDING THESE DONATIONS TO - THE ONES THAT REQUESTED AND GAVE YOU PERMISSION FOR THIS EVENT.

If the NAC people are not identified, how can we say the people you mentioned in the event actually authorized the event in the first place. And how would you give them the fundraising proceeds if they don't exist.

Instead, we gave you an option, COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTING OF DONATIONS and the choice of organization that is to serve on behalf of the injured parties. We suggest an organization that impacts Native Americans that is unrelated to the people in this discussion.

We are facilitating the process, and that is not a consensus.

You called ancient people, with your prayers. Did you think they weren't listening? And now their children are here, and you are saying they aren't the ones you called for in your mission statement?

Funny, colonialism and assimilation hasn't changed a bit. Must be genetic.

We are glad to dialogue with integrity with any organizations or individuals who have feelings about this event.

Especially if their feelings are as strong as yours.

Feel free to email us a phone number to contact.

Bless,

The Visionary Village

It's interesting how much we agree on the phone. Speaking with Greywolf brought the same conclusion: That unless the people we had spoken with who claimed to be from the NAC can be transparentally verified, the funds will go to a 501(c)3 of the Bay Area Amerindian community's choosing.

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with us today.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE CUT AND PASTE IS THAT YOU DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO FORMAT THE TEXT. THAT IS WHY THIS IS IN UPPER CASE NOT BECAUSE I AM "yelling". However, some bills I get print: Jennafer Yell, I do not normally follow their directive.

Okay, the second thing, just so you guys don't get all liberal. "We" means those of us who are loosely associated and have volunteered our time to tend to you. Not NAC, not AIM, and not any organization.

Someone mentioned in an earlier post, that there are threats of violence against you guys. Again, I am the only person who has threatened anyone, and that was to hang chlorophyll out in the sun. I can take responsibility for that. I'm not sure who deleted the post, but I am responsible to my peeps for that. People don't let me say these things to you, but in friendships and relations I am accountable for what I allow to occur. I'm not altogether that different from you, in some ways. In others, we are extremely different.

Okay, so you know whose posts are whose...

JWY: This genetic business had no place in this discussion. No one that I know mentioned geneology. I STATED IDENTITY.

VV To verify the genealogy and chartership of all people claiming to be NAC members before turning over the proceeds of this fundraiser to them.

Who's in charge of this? Who was claiming to be NAC members. And if you mean us, which of us do you need verification and chartership for? ARE YOU ASKING FOR OUR PAPERS? DON'T MAKE ME GO BALLISTIC WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY NAMES AND IDENTITIES OF YOUR ORGANIZERS.

* If their genealogy and chartership is not verified, then turn over the proceeds to the Bay Area Amerindian community for dispensing as they see fit.
THEIR? WHOSE?

* To apologize on our publically for any confusion, and all emotional turmoil which resulted as a result of our efforts. Consider it begun here, and continued elsewhere.
* To welcome any Amerindians or interested activists to the setup so as to verify all claims made thus far are enacted and create an event wherein all attendees may feel secure in their own native identity, be it Celtic or Comanche. Check.
* To present an availability via phone to all parties wishing to verify this information, as well as the chartership and genealogy as it becomes available. Check.

SO THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT YOU WILL BE AT THE BELOW ADDRESS RIGHT, CHECK.

* To present ourselves to an open forum for discussion tomorrow to hear any other suggestions and acknowledge and apologize for turmoil which resulted. Check. It will be Friday, March 27 @ 5pm in Mosswood Park, Oakland, near the MacArthur BART station at Broadway & MacArthur.

Please feel free to improve the event further, and email us your phone number if you would like to hear from us personally.
A number of our performers have received personal correspondence threatening them with violence and elsewise.

OKAY, ON THIS VIOLENCE BUSINESS, SINCE I'M THE ONLY ONE I'VE SEEN THREATEN YOU, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE COPIES OF THE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE THREATS PLEASE.

Of course we are still struggling to continue a dialogue with you, even though you are clearly making yourselves look like complete morons. Jennafer Waggoner Yellowhorse, see how easy it is? I just identified myself. Who are you guys? When our peeps bring camera's to the party on Friday the 27th, you'll smile for the pictures right?

And by the way, you are so right, I am not in California, you did notice my numbers in Texas. But when you get the verification call it'll be from my family in Arizona, their number appears in your caller id on that date, answer it. It'll be my membership card calling when they hear about what you said. My family in Texas can talk too. I got both codes covered. How about you? I even got a code in California. Don't make me come out there and threaten you!

You are absolutely correct in that our first reaction was defense rather than compassion.

We had not as an entirety identified anything wrong or offensive up to that point, and to be told such was the case did not register with all of our members. May that be fuel to redouble the improvements.

Mark of AIM-West was kind enough to speak with us for the past hour, and believe me, we are more committed than ever to truly make a consciousness shifting event.

In some ways, looks like this alreayd is. We only hope that all people who were offended by any of our advertising know that we are fully available to discuss over the phone or meet in person tomorrow at the location and time listed above.

Bless,
The Visionary Village

For the record, we weren't the ones who said to remove the caps. Sadly, you aren't the only to have sent threats against participants in the event.

No, no need to go ballistic; we are absolutely not discussing trying to verify you or the members of AIM.

Several people in the Amerindian community have suggested that part of the irateness in the community came from nobody knowing the NAC charter that the event was organized around. And that, if they could not be demonstrated to be a legitimate charitable cause, the funds should be turned over to a 501(c)3 in the Bay Area Amerindian community. We whole-heartedly agree. Does that make sense? If not, call me.

Let's see where should I start? No one has to respond to you. We do so because we want to, and have personal reasons for doing so. I personally make a commitment to respond to these posts, not because of some authority, but because of my own conscious knowledge of the suffering people feel when reading these posts.

When you are sponsored in a ceremony, it is so for when you make mistakes, no one needs to confront you, we simply go to your sponsor, and they work it out with you. Because there is still no name associated with anyone who has introduced you to this process, there are people like me, who have to contend with how to handle you, because of your impact on our ability to maintain some type of mutual respect.

When you take an hour of our time, and then come back and post something you haven't thought out completely, and inadvertantly issue another disrespectful chain of interpretation, you promote the thought that you are actively avoiding and dodging our clear and simple requests. Our meaning people who have discussed dealing with you on this issue. Because we have chosen to make contact with you, does not institute a threat. However, sometimes when it gets to threats, is the only way we get active responses, and perhaps your programming gurus can work with you on how to "deprograme" you from forcing people to threaten you to listen.

Until you post the threats, as they were submitted to you, there is no actual record of anyone threatening you but me. And I fully take responsibility for threatening you. So I'm going to sit here and wait for the next post, which I hope will be a copy of the threats posted to you. Not because I want to know who they are. But because I want to know who you are. And the only thing that is truly threatening, is the fact that you and your groupies, refuse to identify yourselves. Clearly you haven't googled or looked up any of the names submitted to you so far. But the fact that we can stand here and identify ourselves is probably what should frighten you the most. Because the people we're up against. Already know who we are. Do you know who they are?

Do you even know who you are?

Do you even know who you are?

calling people bay area amerindans pretty much cuts you out of the food chain.

I've waited to see the posts of who you claim threatened you, again nothing.

I hope that people will decide whether or not to respond to you, I doubt at this point there is much we can do to resolve this. You have pushed things beyond anyone's ability to remain civil. You cannot throw out slam dunk disrespect any more and claim you are trying to work with anyone.

Yeah, handing it over to the Bay Area Amerindans is really closed discussion for me.

You know English is your first language, and I think you even failed that.

There will definitely be member(s) of the Visionary Village present to clarify that the intent of the GO NATIVE series is for each person to embrace their own native identity, not co-opt someone else's native identity; to invite all concerned members of the community to verify there and at the Saturday event itself that all setup and proceedings are conscious actions creating an environment recognizing the trauma so many Native Americans have been through with direct oppression, and then the subsequent cultural appropriations; to apologize for any and all recent pain and confusion caused by our advertising and promotion done on our behalf; and an exuberant welcome of all who have been previously displaced, disenfranchised, or ignored by European-American culture.

Nevertheless, the unconsciousness prevalent in so much of European-American culture is real and has been highlighted. Its presence is a painful truth, and this is a shining opportunity to evolve it. Perhaps the best opportunity to set the precedent on how to cultivate a truly right relationship with all native cultures in a dynamic that they affirm is right. And as one human species of many tribes, dance upon this Earth!

Please join us for this and feel free to forward awareness of it to any and all interested parties.

Bless,

The Visionary Village

Okay, I'll be around today. So I look forward to seeing the posting of the threats while your group works with the California contingent. We're looking for posts.

I want to repeat, there is no problem for any of us, to provide proof of tribal enrollment or NAC membership. Members of the numerous groups that are organizing against your event, are pretty clear on their identity and their enrollment status. I am confident that they will be dealing with you directly and personally.

So while you maintain that you are actively cooperating, I wish to point out how Visionary Village is continuing its ongoing round-and-around excuses chain. So far, everyone that has e-mailed me has denied any organizing of the event. And at the same time, chatter about how they offended by us being offended by their offensive behavior. I have not received any threats. And in fact I don't believe that there are any tabled in this discussion. Especially since Visionary Village imagines that standing up for their beliefs includes maintaining anonymity. Not wanting their 15 minutes of fame? I think I'll take it to this extreme.

You said you want verification of the people receiving the money for your fundraiser, but you maintain no verification for your event, because you are above us right? Everybody requires paperwork but you? You claim an open willingness to establish transparency in accounting by verifying people that are questioning your event. Really? So we all have to prove we exist, but you can continue to hide your identities because you are free spirits and not tied to the bonds of servitude to the man right? You have chosen your spirit names, in a quest for exploring your true "nativeness". ?

Explain to me in plain English, how you go about calling this equality?

Jennafer Waggoner Yellowhorse
Making Change.. Street Newspaper
P.O. Box 235
Santa Monica, CA 90406-0235
(310) 289-7446
makingchange [at] earthlink.net
http://www.myspace.com/maknchange

11492 Post Oak Road
Willis TX 77318-7533
(936) 264-7257
jyellowhorse [at] earthlink.net

5 miles south of Black Mesa Pipeline Road, Big Mountain Arizona
number can be provided upon verified request

Now, let's see if I receive the same harrassments as you. I maintain open and full personal accountability for all my correspondence and encourage no-one to give these people ANY sympathy until at least one member moves forward with a verified identity and business license for their activities. And IRS tax statements for their earnings to date, from events like this, and their Board of Directors.

As someone who just jumped into this thread, I have to point out: this Jennifer is a lunatic. Why are people on either side wasting time on her points? Honestly, I do think this is kind of offensive. But you know what? You can NOT GO, Jennifer! Threatening people, demanding names, etc. is fascist behavior.

Jennifer, you are a fascist and a bully. It is clear. And anybody who takes you seriously at all is wasting their time.

Fair enough? Why waste any time at all organizing a Burning Man Event on behalf of the Native American Church and then hiding like little babies.

Funny, I'm being pretty gracious. Obviously you haven't seen me go bully yet. I have every right to demand paperwork on Visionary Village and anyone who is fundraising on behalf of a non-profit organization, and if you read Visionary Villages posts as closely as you read mine.

Didn't you see that Visionary Village requested our identities multiple times. It's my choice to waste time on these people. It's your choice to find a solution or call people names. Anonymously I might add. Good for you. Can't even leave your name? I'm here in the ring, anybody want to come play with the bully? That's what I'm here for, actually. I do this for a living, and I have recieved no salary from ANY PROJECT I'VE WORKED ON IN 15 YEARS AND MAINTAIN FULL ACCOUNTING FOR EACH PROJECT.

I dare you, come out of the woodwork, there are a LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT POSTING BUT ARE WATCHING THIS. COME ON.

Someone thought that this ignorance-laden event would be ok, smack dab in the middle of one of the country's largest urban NDN areas?

Okay, the following was submitted to me anonymously with the hopes of ending the violent behaviors and aggressive threats made against Visionary Village.

I am posting this. I'm pretty confident that anyone reading this would recognize the group this came from. If anybody wants to openly discuss this threat, and suggested origins withing the movement.

And just to comment on the topic since no one is posting but me at this time. In regards to fascism, I'd like to know more. There are people whose homes have been raided by the FBI, and had their hard drives cloned, and we've never been able to openly discuss race relations in public forums without reprecussions.
Please, tell me how I can change my inner fascist. Because, when I'm asked for a census card for practicing my religion and you are not and you play with our religion, my house gets raided by the FBI and yours doesn't. I really need to center, find and liberate my inner fascist? Can anyone help me? I'm a lunatic. And coming from people with mirror "words" I guess that means, I'm at one with my lunar cycle? And since we already assumed my gender in the above post, clearly I'd be a female Jennafer and not a male.
_______________________________________________________________


YOU FUCKING CRACKKKERS ARE THE REAL DEVIL AS SPOKEN IN THE SCRIPTURE! SHIT LIKE THIS DOES NOT SUPRISE ME ONE BIT, ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU STOLE THIS LAND VIOLENTLY AND HELD ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (SO CALLED BLACKS, NATIVES, AND LATINOS) INTO CAPTIVITY, RAPING, ROBBING, MURDERING, AND ENSLAVING GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE!!!!! I PRAY TO THE MOST HIGH THAT A METEOR WILL FALL OUT THE SKY AND HIT 1247 E. 12th Street AND ALL YOU FUCKING DEVILS WILL BE BURNING MEN ALRIGHT!!!!
WHAT A PERFECT NAME FOR YOU, "BURNING MAN"
ON FIRE IS THE ONLY REASONABLE STATE OF BEING A WHITE MAN CAN BE IN! HAHAHA!
WOE UNTO YOU AND CURSED BE THIS EVENT!!!!! MAY THE MOST HIGH JUDGE YOU IN THESE LAST DAYS!

AND ALL YOU SO CALLED NATIVE AMERICANS NEEDA WAKE UP TO THE FACT YOU ARE FROM THE 10 LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL. ITS FUCKING 2009 AND YOU STILL DONT KNOW THIS TRUTH! SHIT LIKE THIS HELPS US WAKE UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS WHITE MAN (EDOMITE) IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!! HE STILL WANTS YOU DEAD BUT REALLY HE WANTS TO BE YOU!!!!

--
“Two men looked through prison bars,
one saw mud, the other stars”
-Oscar Wilde

______________________________________________________________

End of Threat as relayed to me by concerned parties fearing for their safety.

As a member of the bay native american community, you don't represent us and are not making a case or supporting our efforts in a respectful way. Please stop and make space for us to speak on our own behalf. We don't know who you are and you are causing more damage than healing.

Thank you.

Funny, perhaps you can express this concern to other natives you are working with on this issue. They know how to contact me directly. They read the posts, and they are very aware I do not represent anyone. In fact the homeless of Santa Monica, are quite aware that I am not representing them in this forum as well. Even though I publish a street newspaper, on homelessness, people are aware and allow me to discuss inter-racial poverty politics, and openly criticize me in public and private forums.

So please, feel free to contact your local AIM and let them know you are concerned about my posts. I'm sure they are quite aware in how to deal with me. And as a member of the Native American Community, how does the discussion with Visionary Village sit with you since we are on the subject. Let's forget about me, and open this up to how you feel about Visionary Village and their fundraiser peyote as a hallucinagin on behalf of Native American people?

AND HOW CAN I FORGET MY MANNERS? YOUR A MEMBER OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF???

MY BAD...

MY NAME IS JENNAFER WAGGONER YELLOWHORSE

WHAT WAS YOUR NAME?

first off, I do realize that the main issue is with VV and their lack of accountability but don't be mistaken.

AIM doesn't represent all of us and by no means do we need their permission in how to make decisions within our community. They have done much damage and continue to do so. Why don't you ask the big mountain grandma's of their position on AIM? Too many times, blue eyed blond haired "Natives" such as yourself and others currently involved in "mascot" issues clamor onto AIM of which the new chapters do not have a spiritual foundation that AIM was originally founded on.


Again, please stop.

oh jennefer
by you have so much to learn
Friday Mar 27th, 2009 10:38 AM
first off, I do realize that the main issue is with VV and their lack of accountability but don't be mistaken.

(?) AIM doesn't represent all of us and by no means do we need their permission in how to make decisions within our community.

What community is that?

(?) They have done much damage and continue to do so.

You are saying you are native and AIM is doing damage right, are we clear on this. I saw a person earlier who posted about someone thinking that people could actually think they could get away with an event in a city of urban ndns? Are you saying that urbn indians are disrupting your peaceful enjoyment of Visionary Village's efforts to help out natives abused by the man?

(?) Why don't you ask the big mountain grandma's of their position on AIM?
I'm really glad you asked this question. One of those big mountain gradma's is my mother. Her name is Alice Z. Begay. Are you saying you would like me to ask my mom how she feels about AIM's postion on this issue? Please clarify.

Too many times, blue eyed blond haired "Natives" such as yourself and others currently involved in "mascot" issues clamor onto AIM of which the new chapters do not have a spiritual foundation that AIM was originally founded on.

So if my mother is Alice Z. Begay, and my last name is Yellowhorse, and we are assuming you either met me, saw my myspace page or are assuming that I am white, blonde haired "native". I believe most people could say that I am Indian by injection. The State of California clearly stated in their opinion that I could not be the mother of an Indian child. So apparently the courts are on your side on this one. Unless you think that I'm blonde and white haired because you know me, and if that's the case.... you already knew all of the above. next.

Oh, and how do the new chapters vary from the old chapters of AIM, I'd love to cover that with my sponsors who are members of the old school AIM, and have done jail time on the issue. If you'd like to discuss this with my sponsors who have AIM membership, I'd gladly forward your concerns to them. You can communicate your concerns to my sponsors directly. They'll be happy to discuss old and new chapters of AIM and their foundations in the current movement.

(?) Again, please stop.

Answer: Again, please make me.

let's please try to keep the debate where it belongs.

this is about a group of non-Indians co-opting Native culture and hurting and insulting the local Native community.

This is not about Jennafer or AIM.

AIM is just one group among many that are outraged and taking action against this event.
AIM doesn't speak for anyone but AIM.
There are other forums for these discussions.

If we argue about Jennafer or AIM, then Visionary Village gets away with what they are doing.
*That* we cannot allow.

So where are we again in the discussion of Visionary Village and their on-going resistance in cancelling or validating their identity and IRS fulfillment of mandatory reporting requirements under fundraising guidelines of the IRS tax code for operating an event at a public venue. Are people reporting their income from this event on their tax returns, or for the businesses of the members of visionary village, do you report the income from your sex clients? Just wondering, I know we had delved into me, but I'd really like to know more about Visionary Village.

Who they are and who they are related to. Since you guys love to be anonymous, perhaps you might want to publish each other's names before we find you at your event. I know people are raising the issue, that I can't go, because I'm in Texas right now, because I'm in Texas I've volunteered to be in charge of asking for your paperwork.

Hello Friends and Family.

I am one of many people who have witnessed the intensity of discussions regarding the "Go Native" party planned for this Saturday. As one of many who sees the pain being experienced on every side of this issue, I would like to create a SAFE SPACE for a dialogue that is honest, respectful, and gives each of us the opportunity to listen and be heard. If you want to participate, everyone is welcome. Please see the principles of safe space below. I am hoping to co-facilitate this dialogue with another neutral thrid party facilitator. Thank you for your time, your honesty, and for being open.

Friday, March 27
5pm
Mosswood Park, Oakland (close to MacArthur BART, 1, 1R, 51, and 57 bus lines)
W. MacArthur and Broadway Ave.

I feel that an open and safe dialogue is very important and also a beautiful opportunity for each of us to reflect on the complexities of privilege, oppression, and seeking to create a better world. I see these as part of an ever-changing matrix of unique expereinces that collectively manifest in intersections such as what we are currently experiencing. It is with love and respect for all people that I come forward with the offer of this safe space. I ask that you review and commit to the below listed principles of safe space so that we may all be totally honest, be deeply heard, and be part of a healing that can only begin with acknowledgement and deep respect.

May our best intentions become a common ground of understand and support.
I look forward to sitting on the Earth in the sunlight with you tomorrow.

Muchlove,

Hillary Violet
(909) 239-8588
AmazonHilly [at] gmail.com


I've shared a document with you called "SAFE SPACE":
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vjpgm_13dkmq3k&invite=1428494372

for your use, and for you to pass on; the 'copyright' license is a CC one, and basically means, pass it on, and change it, but always give credit where credit is due, and NO PROFIT can derive from it's use :)

SAFE SPACE

a tool for allowing deep and consensual dialogue


“In order for any discussion to be productive, you must create an open and relaxed atmosphere.”

-Anti-Oppression discussion guidelines


You can use this tool creatively, adapting the intensity of the 4 basic principles to different situations, depending on the level of risk being taken in each setting. Some components of these tools may be inappropriate for some settings, and invaluable in others. The more personal risk involved, the more carefully you want to frame the space at the outset, because a secure anchor is the only thing that will enable a process to fly to the heights of its potential.


A few settings I’ve used this tool in are: board meeting, activist/organizational meetings, co-facilitators/teachers meeting, co-op/group house meeting, personal relationship talks, and discussions with persons of authority.


The 4 Principles of a SAFE SPACE

Democratize the Space

confidentiality – share stories and experiences, not names and gossip
step-up/step-down – give space before you take space, and challenge yourself to step out of your pattern

value and encourage risk taking, while maintaining everyone’s right to pass

challenge the idea or the practice, not the person
everyone has equal worth in this discussion, and all knowledges and opinions are equally valid


Check Your Assumptions

no judgments or disclaimers (including self-judgments)

maintain gender neutrality in your language, and inquire about preferred pronouns

treat everyone as an individual and not a representative of any specific group

personalize your knowledge, don’t project it (i.e. use I statements)

believe in our common best intentions


The Right to be Human

we all have the right to be human (i.e. inconsistent, emotional, triggered, etc. )

avoid blaming people for the misinformation taught to them

acknowledge emotions

practice forgiveness


Practice Consensual Dialogue
active listening – attention focused, maintain appropriate eye contact, check your body language, take breaks only when you need to
silence is okay – an unforced pace of dialogue is one into which people can step-up safely
be sincere and consistent, practicing respectful honesty


--------------------------------------

Applause, finally someone coming forward with an actual identity. Thanks for that reminder. I do reserve the right to establish identity of organizers of the Visionary Village because of the "Go Native" project, and it's FOUR scheduled events they planned and continue to maintain the scheduling for despite protests against this event by many groups.

I agree with the so called "healing" that people want. However, it is extremely hard to do so when "Go Native" as organized by Visionary Village has not made one actual physical action to support the intention of their apologies.

Because of this, flowery dialogue is absolutely vulgar to me. I tend to get pretty downright "sit down and strike" when the team that claims they want to make amends, moves forward ignoring the requests made by valid groups who presented their identity and their tribe during the first segment of the forum and then turns around and claims that they must verify identities when they haven't even give us the courtesy of their first names.

Simply my overstated opinion, I'm a little rowdy, when people keep talking peace love and harmony and continue to strive to supress the reactions to the excused activities by Visionary Village members that has not ceased during their apologetic pleas.

Everything you said, should go for 'ALL' sides, including members of Visionary Village and the organizers of Burning Man.

We have yet to receive any posts about contacts from Visionary Village to the Burning Man Collective any affiliation with any actual group or person, and have one post of threat, other than an admission by me.

it is nearly unbelievable that an ANTHROPOLOGIST is putting herself forward to be trusted by the native community to act as a neutral, third party mediator in this conflict. maybe instead you could go get to work getting your alma mater to return all those indian remains.

hi anna.

i share your disdain and disgust for what has been committed in the name of 'anthropology' at uc berkeley. i studied the social constructions of agbiotech and the evils of corporate genetic engineering for my 'anthropology' thesis because they were the only department who would sponsor me. i spent a lot of my time at berkeley fighting to save the oak grove (an olhone sacred site, and i can tell you, i fought the anthro department like hell about it for covering it up) and for the hearst museum to make good on their obligations under nagpra and for the return of 13,000 native remains currently housed under the hearst pool. i am still fighting to democratize the uc regents, and if you are wondering where my values are, i would like to continue our conversation so you may see that i am far from the sterotypes you listed.

i understand your skepticism of someone affiliated with uc berkeley, but i am just asking to you wait to judge me until you know a little more about who i am, not just the institution i fought against for justice the entire time i was there.

hillary

Anna,

Please don't be so reactionary.

I am a member of the Native community and a friend of Hillary. If you knew her personally as I do, and not just from a google search you would know that she is far from the standard UCB anthropologist. She has been an amazing ally to the local Native community and I do trust that she will act as a neutral, third party mediator.

I am willing to sign my name to this.

Morning Star Gali

While VV makes these feeble attempts at reconciliation, I continue to see advertising for this event proclaiming it to be a benefit for the NAC.

Myspace, tribe.net, and facebook ALL have advertisements (as of 3:15pm PST) claiming this to be an NAC benefit. And while VV has taken the flier down, they are still claiming affiliation with the NAC on other sections of their web site. And if you look carefully you can find threads on a couple of peoples facebook profiles with reactions to our outrage.. most of the comments being of the "just get over it" variety. There is also a thread on the Burning Man tribe on tribe.net with similar sentiments.. though there are a couple of people stating that this dialog is long over due.

While I have never been to Burning Man, I do know a LOT of burners.. and what I am seeing here is the same problem I run into with most people who have been to Burning Man, taken a lot of drugs, and claim to be enlightened.. I see people who are clueless about the realities of the world they live in. They are, for the most part, living in a glass bubble made of WHITE PRIVILEGE candy-flipping away their brains and their lives!!

Being a Bay Area NAC member, I see a lot of caucasians going to meetings. They take what they want, do little (if any) to support the local native community, and then if they've been around a while, they start sharing their "knowledge" of ndn ways amongst cuacasian newbies who eventually continue the cycle themselves.. I've even heard caucasians talk about running meetings at Burning Man. Fortunately my relatives at Pyramid Lake keep an eye on that for us.. but now, with all this coming to light, I think it's time for a bigger native presence at Burning Man.

btw - with my knowledge of the local NAC community and the burners I know, I have a pretty good idea who the people are that have given VV the idea to use the NAC name. I'll be watching you! Oh, and if the feds bust you for feathers, that's what you get for playin ndn ;)

We are in the process, as of 3 pm today, of removing all offending references to Native American tribes, absinthe, Native costume, Ohlone burial grounds, Native American imagery etc. from advertising, website, and Internet posts. Unfortunately, many other people posted this event, and it's nearly impossible to change the posts that we didn't post ourselves.

We are in the process of making changes as fast as possible. Please be patient.

Proceeds from this first event will be donated to a 501 3 (c) organization that benefits Native American issues.

We are open to establishing a dialogue with Native American people and encourage their involvement in Visionary Village, Burning Man and this fundraising event. Please contribute your art, music, rituals, dance, performance in the spirit of participation that is the essence of Burning Man. With your participation, we hope that such cultural misunderstanding and unintentional offensiveness does not happen again.

All are welcome.

RE: Native Americans Protest Go Native fundraiser 3/28/09 for Visionary Village
at Burning Man

Below is a formal apology to American Indian Movement and prominent Native
American leaders that was submitted today by Visionary Village in the spirit of
mending misunderstanding and to create unity.

The organizers agreed to:

- remove all tribal affiliations to promotional literature, website, etc.

- remove iconographic Native American imagery from brochures, posters, etc.

- post public apologies in public places such as this forum

- hold a public forum to address issues

- sign the following petition requesting changes to the event

- in the event of a fraudulent claim to affiliation with Native American Church,
all proceeds will be donated to a 501 3 (C) non profit of the Bay Area Native
American community's choice, such as Save Our Tribal Youth, or Native American
Health Care Advocacy. (We are also proposing to donate a percentage of proceeds
from future events to such a cause regardless.)

- Withdrawing the request that people arrive in "native costume."

- Issuing a statement that every individual has a rich enough heritage of their
own and that they do not need to appropriate their neighbor's heritage.

- commitment to work in concert with the Bay Area Native American community on
all future events which may include anything remotely thematic, such as
fundraisers for Tribal
Youth or the campaign to reclaim Native American remains from museums.

- Inviting all interested and injured parties to participate -- join us in
preparation of the private gathering tomorrow, so as to both ensure a conscious
event of sufficient integrity transpires, and to join in the larger celebration
of cherishing each of our own unique and often blended heritages.

- Amending the website to reflect these changes.

- Personally contacting each person who provides a phone number to apologize,
and thank them for helping navigate us through this profound learning period.

It would be blessed to have greater involvement from Native organizations in
Burning Man and our community. Perhaps this will be a gateway. It's also a
lesson in how we could be using these fundraisers to help promote the greater
good -- and not just have yet another raging, self-indulgent party.

The Native American community has expressed their interest in becoming more
involved and present in the Burning Man community as a result of this
controversy. In the end it is a wonderful gateway to increased harmony and
understanding.

Respectfully,

Gigi

Art Curator for the Evolutionary Temple
Communicating On Behalf of Visionary Village at Burning Man 2009

http://www.visionaryvillage.org

> ----------
> From: Visionary Village
>
>
> Date: Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 3:39 PM
> Subject: Re: An Open Letter to the Visionary Village
> To: Morning Star Gali
>
> On behalf of the Visionary Village, allow me to thank
> you for a very gracious letter from a community who has had
> suffered so many generations of oppression, and so many
> instances of categorical dismissal when encountering
> indignities up unto this modern day.
>
> Although a number of Villagers descend from Native
> Americans, and that the event is a call for people to stand
> fast and proud in their own native tradition while embracing
> the world around them as if it were their own, we all
> recognize the grave pain and turmoil Native Americans
> continue to endure through cultural appropriation, and are
> sad that some of us, and thereby, as an organization, all of
> us, have contributed to that.
>
>
> When this was first brought to our attention this week,
> some in the village who knew what the actual intent were and
> couldn't fathom the origin of the anger, retreated into
> defensiveness. We regret that corrective action was
> delayed.
>
>
> Actions thus far include:
>
> + Removing all tribal affiliations from any promotional
> material we had access to.

> + Posting clarifications and apologies on every public
> forum we knew this discussion to be taking place upon.
>
> + Signing this petition calling for changes to the event.
> + Removing all imagery of iconographic Native American
> symbols.
> + Pursuing the validation for claims of NAC chartership
> by the individuals who approached us, and whom we have
> worked with before, prior to any distribution of funds.
>
> + Declaring that in the event of a fraudulent NAC claim,
> all proceeds from our private gathering would go to a
> 501(c)3 of the Bay Area Native American community's
> choice, such as Save Our Tribal Youth, or Native American
> Health Care Advocacy.
>
> + Withdrawing the request that people arrive in native
> costume. Issuing a statement that every individual has a
> rich enough heritage of their own that they do not need to
> appropriate their neighbor's heritage.

> + A committment to work in concert with the Bay Area Native
> American community on all future events which may include
> anything remotely thematic, such as fundraisers for Tribal
> Youth or the campaign to reclaim Native American remains fro
> museums.
>
> + Holding a public forum from 5 to 7 pm in Mosswood Park,
> Oakland, Friday March 27th, for all interested and injured
> parties to address this and any future endeavor's to the
> community's satisfaction.

> + Inviting all interested and injured parties to join us in
> preparation of the private gathering tomorrow, so as to both
> ensure a conscious event of sufficient integrity transpires,
> and to join in the larger celebration of all cherishing each
> of our unique heritages.
>
> + Amending our website to reflect these changes.
> + Personally contacting each person who provides a phone
> number so as to apologize, and thank them for helping
> navigate us through this profound learning period.
>
>
> With all requests of the petition met, and more, we are
> truly eager for your presence tomorrow evening, and hope you
> are eager to see what we can provide.
>
> In closing, this is a sentimental piece written by a
> Vilager. It cannot be said to reflect the views of the
> Visionary Village as whole entity because it is only one
> person, but the themes and awareness it demonstrates have
> spoken to a number of us, and we thought it might provide
> contemplative material for where race relations in general
> can evolve from here.
>
>
> I must stress that although many have found it beautiful,
> this is entirely informal, and does not encapsulate the
> Visionary Village's position. If there is still
> turmoil within you, please honor that first, and feel free
> to leave the below piece unread.
>
>
>
> Thank you again for encouraging us to go forward with the
> improved event; we hope you will join us and set the new
> social norm.
> And again, from The Visionary Village, our truly heart-felt
> compassion for the years of genocide, and all actions by us
> or promoters on our behalf who brought the unconsciousness
> and pain still lingering in race relations to the
> forefront.
>
>
> May peace now be upon both our houses,
>
> The Visionary Village
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> The native people of these lands have endured 500 years
> being oppressed and having their belongings stolen by
> someone who looks like me.
>
> That is not white guilt. That is not white shame.
> That is white heritage.
>
> So when an organization which has people who look like me
> attempts to generate funds in the name of native people of
> these lands:
> a demand for verification and right relationship is in
> order.
> In the absence of either,
>
> after 500 years of genocide,
> outrage is an appropriate response until demonstrated
> otherwise.
>
> Bbecause when all you have felt for so long is pain in a
> relationship
> it needs to be hyper-clear that there is more than a new
> hope;
> there is a new way.
> and that is the work the Visionary Village has set about to
> do.
>
> A way that enables each of us to embrace our native
> roots side by side.
> Acknowledging what has come before, and growing together
> into what comes next.
> Because if it is not together, it is nothing.
>
> We cried out to the spirit of the earth, asking the other
> children of this planet who are here to do this work
> together
> to come do this work together.
> and here you all came.
> is it any wonder that as we cried out in our ignorance that
> it sounded ignorant.
>
>
> the european tribes-people making this plea can name more
> native american tribes than they can native european
> tribes.
> European tribal culture has been eradicated .
> and they have been thrust into adoption by
> European-American culture.
>
> The latin roots of the word nativus and
> natus means, produced by birth. be born.
> The European-American culture is native to nowhere, except
> the earth in general.
> Yet this culture has subsisted entirely of travelling this
> planet
>
> as a foreign invader.
> If European-American tribal culture has been eradicated,
> and we must walk this planet without home
> then the very least we can do is make ourselve of service
> to the people who natively caregive that bioregion.
>
> We do not crave your resources.
> We do not crave your culture.
> We have enough questions of cultural identity to explore on
> our own
> and if the people who presented themselves to us as members
> of the Native American Church cannot be publically verified
> as such
>
> we would turn over the resources gathered in their name to
> verifiable natives such as yourselves who are with us on
> this quest.
>
>
> The only solution i have ever found to a lack of love
> Was more love.
> And each of us gathered here today has done so because we
> are creating the solution.
> Because we, and this consciousness are the solution.
>
> Spreading this, anchoring this as the reality of
> tomorrow's event is something which Native
> Americans can make happen in ways
> that make this what we've all been looking for.
> And ways we could never accomplish without you.
>
> Because if it is not done together,
> there is more to be done.
> Let's do it.
> Let us be the ones to co-create with you a new precedence
> at an event whose proceeds are also refueling the community
> if not to people who claimed to be legitimate, then to
> people who are legitimate.
>
> And next would you let us host a fundraiser for Tribal
> Youth? For Native American health care advocacy?
> Help us do what we are good at by giving the funds
> generated a place to land.
> It is the evolution of white privilege.
>
> We can set the new precedent for race relations.
> Right now.
> Right this weekend.
> In a truly great way.
> look around you.
>
>
> ~ Caapi ~
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 2:16 PM,
> Morning Star Gali
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To The Organizers, Promoters and Producers of the
> "GO NATIVE Fundraiser for the Visionary
> Village/Evolutionary Temple and the Native American
> Church":
>
>
>
> We as tribal peoples, allies, and organizations
> representing Native American issues wish to express our concern over the GO
NATIVE
> Fundraiser event hosted by Visionary Village/Evolutionary
> Temple. We would like to take this
> opportunity to initiate a
> dialogue about what
> effects such events have on our
> community. We have become aware of several email
> interactions between community members and the organizers of
> this event, all of which are wrought with the frustrations and pain, on both
sides,
> that continue to plague issues of "race relations"
> in a country in which indigenous people are still colonized.
> We have taken issue with the manner in which this event has
> been promoted because we recognize that such contributions
> to public discourse perpetuate stereotypes and dishonor the
> very real struggles of Native
> communities. Your
> non-collaboration in helping us understand your alleged
> affiliations and work with the Native American Church has
> caused us to make further inquiry on the nature of the event
> as a fundraiser.
>
>
>
>
> We feel that any
> person looking at the various flyers and advertisements for
> this event would reasonably assume that the tag line,
> "GO NATIVE," is in
> reference to dressing as Native American
> people. These assumptions would
> rightfully be conceived due to the alleged collaboration
> with the Native American Church, and especially through the
> themeing of rooms of the four elements, and representing
> those elements with Native/Indigenous peoples. The four
> people(s) (Maori, Anasazi, Shipibo, and
> Pueblo) that are called out do not in
> fact have any direct relationship with Peyoteism or the
> NAC per se, nor should their respective practices be
> conflated with the practices of the
> church. It has also been made clear that
> the organizers of this event did not intend that people
> dress as the Maori, Anasazi, Shipibo, and Pueblo, but this
> does not negate their responsibility in making the event
> advertisements more clear with respect to their use of the
> terms, "go native." For us and many others, "Go Native"
> implies reverting to a primal nature commonly and wrongly
> associated with Indigenous people. Even if, as the
> organizers of this event have claimed, "go native"
> is meant to imply "a heavy hunter-gatherer
> mindset" theme so as to
> rightfully adapt to an ecosystem, such statements
> associating Native Americans and other indigenous people as
> inherently "hunter-gathering" people plays upon a
> long and thriving discursive legacy in which our communities
> are cast as lesser beings in social evolutionist terms.
>
>
>
> The reading of the
> event as a Native American theme party is further implied
> because of the graphics chosen for the flyers which are
> present all over the internet on social networking sites
> Facebook, MySpace, and through the Visionary Villages
> website, as well as the email media that is being
> sent out. The graphics chosen include a buffalo skull, a prominent Native
American tool
> of ceremony, and the notation that the location of the event
> is "built in front of the ancient Ohlone Indian gathering
> ground in Oakland." This has most egregious implications,
> then, for the advertisement's request that people dress in
> "Native costume," as it perpetuates damaging,
> misleading, and deeply offensive stereotypes. It also
> perpetuates the idea that anyone (mostly non-Native as
> burning man is predominantly attended by non-Native people)
> can espouse a certain cultural aesthetic with disregard to
> the peoples whom identify and live by that
> culture. It is disrespectful of
> Native American ceremonial rituals and regalia to ask the
> general public to don their own aberrations of what they
> think Native attire might be.
>
>
> The elemental naming of the
> rooms is not in contention, it is your weak justification
> for showcasing A.I.N.A.N.H.P.I. (American Indian, Native
> Alaskan, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) tribes as
> examples of environmental adaptability which strengthen the
> association of the word "Native" to
> A.I.N.A.N.H.P.I. peoples. In addition, you claim the event
> is about "exobiogenesis movement", "Aliens
> and starseeds, not Apache and Sioux", but the
> interpretation of your advertisements is completely
> different. Why, then, does the theme lack any references to
> your "belief that as life evolves to travel between
> planets, each planet should be revered as a native
> home"? Instead of your claimed planetary theme, why are
> your rooms themed with different tribes and why is there a
> "Giant Dream Catcher" that hangs between balconies
> at your event?
>
>
>
>
> Visionary Village has
> responded that the organizers of this event have not
> intended to imply Native American in their use of the word
> "Native." The above evidence
> in our eyes is to the contrary. In our world today, we must
> all face the fact that our intentions are not always
> communicated clearly, and in order to be sensitive to the
> lives of others we must take heed to suggestions, and value
> the opinions of others. For us, despite what the
> organization was intending, the tone of the advertisements
> for this event perpetuate racist
> stereotypes for which Native Americans as a collective have
> been persecuted, and trying to escape for centuries. The
> broad dissemination of these advertisements, on almost all
> of the DJ and performers' MySpace and other music
> sights, as well as the advertisements on Facebook, and tribe.net, only
reinforces
> stereotypes placed upon Native
> peoples, rendering us powerless and voiceless in our ability
> to represent ourselves.
>
>
>
> Native peoples are
> the only oppressed peoples in this country that
> are continually ignored in their
> requests to not be characterized and romanticized. The
> results have real and tangible effects on Native youth
> especially, and the community as a
> whole. Scholars such as Stephanie Frybergg from the
> University of Arizona have done great
> work on stereotype threat, and the very significant reality
> it has in the Native community due to our invisibility in
> mainstream society. We encourage you to read Stephanie
> Fryberg's study entitled "Honor or harm: The
> effects of American Indian mascots on American Indian selves
> (with H.R. Markus, D Oyserman, and J.M. Stone)." We
> hope that the organizers will be able after reading this to
> understand why we feel that the promotion of this event was
> undertaken with clearly racist overtones.
>
>
>
> We the undersigned
> implore the organizers to take a step back and consider the
> effect the advertising of your event has on all of us in the
> Bay Area community. In order to work towards an anti-racist
> society we must take action to correct wrongs that have been
> committed, regardless of intent. We
> must seek to correct misunderstandings in our communities,
> and we must work on the individual and collective level. We
> are not faulting the organizers for what can be claimed
> as ignorance of knowledge surrounding
> Indigenous communities, but we do
> request that the event be changed. Racism is something we
> must all work against in order to become a better society,
> we respectfully request that the event
> advertisers:
>
>
> a) withdraw its
> request that people show up in "native
> costume";
> b) stop associating
> the four tribes with the different elements, and thus
> using them as themes by removing tribal names from all
> advertising and from the site itself;
>
> c) make public any
> affiliations with actual Native tribes or Native
> organizations;
> d) issuing a public apology addressing your
> appropriation of our symbols and tribes;
>
>
> e) not hold
> another event with advertising that implies an Indigenous
> theme;
>
>
> We are not asking the
> event to cease, or to not play music, or not have a good
> time. In the spirit of community building, we are asking that our voices be
heard, and our pain
> not be disregarded, and that Native American Communities be
> respected. It is clear to us that Native peoples are part of
> the inspiration for this event, we ask not to be prostituted
> in an effort to create fundraising/revenue for a cause that
> has not been made clear.
>
>
>
>
> We pray for your
> cooperation and for continued communication and improved
> relations with you.
>
>
>
>
> Signed:
>
>
>
> American Indian Movement West (approved by Mark
> Anquoe)
> Intertribal Friendship House, Oakland, CA (Approved
> by IFH Board of Directors)
> Internatinal Indian Treaty Council, San Francisco CA
> (approved by Andrea Carmen, Executive Director)
>
> Indian People Organizing for Change (approved by
> Corrina Gould)
> Snag Magazine (approved by Ross Cunningham)
> Stanford American Indian Organization
> (approved by Erika Eva Chase, Hoopa
> Valley Tribal Member, decendant of the Shinnecock Indian
> Nation, Hoopa, CA)
>
> POOR Magazine (Approved by Tiny of POOR
> MAG)
>
> Corrina Gould, Muwekma Ohlone, Oakland
> CA
>
>
> Charlotte Banks Wagner,
> Minnesota Chippewa Nation
> Michelle Bernabei, Cherokee, Shawnee and
> Danish
> Ricky Triana, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Stanford Class of
> 2008
> Maija S. Cruz, Milwaukee, WI, Bad River Ojibwe
> Tribe, Odanah, WI, Stanford Class 2012
>
> Francis and Rachel Tso,
> Flagstaff, AZ
>
>
> Michael & Corine
> Fairbanks
> American Indian
> Movement Santa Barbara, CA (approved
> by Michael & Corine
> Fairbanks)
>
>
> Kazu Haga, Program Coordinator Peace Development
> Fund
>
>
> Arthur Jacobs, AIM West
> Dr. Diana Pei Wu, Oakland
>
> Jeremy Goodfeather, Mohawk,
> NAC Member
> Nataani Graycloud
> Guthrie, Diné, NAC
> Member
>
> Alvin Begay (Dineh/Zuni), NAC
> member
>
>
>
> Daniel Luna
> Cora Garcia, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina,
> Just Cause Oakland
> Morning Star Gali, Citizen of the Pit River Nation
> Marlon Footracer, Diné,
> Maria D. Dominguez, Oakland
>
> Michelle Burk
> Benjamin Jenson
>
> India Bowers
> Matt Anderson
> Amanda Cook
> Joel Dubrey
> Kelley Abraham
>
> Kimberly
> Satterfield
> Sabah
> Williams
> Caitlin Madigan
> Jennifer Phillips (Kaw Nation of Oklahoma)
> Janet King, Lumbee, Native American
> Health Center
>
> Desi Small-Rodriguez (Northern Cheyenne Tribe). Researcher,
> Tainui Maori Tribe Ngaruawahia NZ
> Gabriela Erandi Rico (P'urhepecha), Doctoral Candidate,
> Department of Ethnic Studies, U.C. Berkeley
> Rachel Vernon (Mescalero, Apache; Pascua
> Yaqui)
>
> Rencho Dallas Wahpepah
> Tracy Peerson-Faye (Cherokee,
> Choctaw, Lakota), Native American
> Student Alliance of Mills College.
>
> Brita Brookes, AIM Michigan
> Judy Talaugon, Samala
> (Chumash Tribe) Satan Ynez, CA.
> Christina Gomez
> Lisa Marie
> Rollins
>
>
> Brenda Golden S.P.I.R.I.T. Host of Red Town Radio
> Gemma Plant Horse Givens
>
> Ishmael Ali Elias, Seminole /
> Cherokee, member of the Native American Journalists
> Association, and of the Native American Student Alliance at
> Mills College.
>
>
> Bettina
> Escauriza
> Leon Evans, Choctaw
> Aaliyah Evans, Choctaw
>
>
> Mililani Trask-Batti ( Native Hawaiian, Puna,
> HI)
>
>
> Leon J. No'eau
> Peralto (Native Hawaiian, Hilo, Hawai'i) Stanford
> University: Class of 2010, Co-President: Stanford Hui o
> Hawai'i
> Michelle Zamora,
> Yaqui/Chicana, Hummingbird Lodge
> Barbara Oceanlight, Hummingbird Lodge
> Monica Enriquez
> Pia Hagan
> Lynn Scott,African and Native heritage, dignified human
> being deserving of respect
>
> Jose Garcia, Eastside Arts Alliance Cultural
> Center, Oakland CA
> Linus Lancaster
>
> Tim
> Wise
>
> Artlyn djon
> mali'o johnson-kim, Muskoke/Seminole (FL)
>
>
> Jaynie "Weye" Hiapsi Penny Harrison
> Latham, Cherokee
> Arnoldo
> Garcia
> Janeen
> Antoine
> Thomas
> Reyes
> Nikki Skinaway
> (Ojibway, Athabasken), Oakland, CA
> Judith Namoki
> (Hopi, Tewa)
> D'Shane
> Barnett (Mandan/Arikara) Walking East Council for the
> Advancement of Native Americans, Inc.
>
> Manny
> Lieras, Diné All Nations
> Singers
> Micah Fitzpatrick (African/Blackfeet)
> Zoe Holder, Omaha
> Marcus Holder
> Ruth Villasenor, Apache Bay Area American Indian
> Two Spirits
> D Phile, Bay Area American
> Indian Two Spirits
> A. Kenneth Chiancone, Cherokee-Tsalagi,
> NAHC--Oakland (BAAITS)
> Amy JB Wagner (Pomo/Concow)
> Heshla Pa-Ciny (Shoshone)
> Bonney Hartley
> (Stockbridge-Munsee)
> Sharon Lungo, Oakland CA
> Jolene Emerson
> Gilbert Blacksmith, Lakota, Medicine
> Warriors
> Melinda Rhodes, Oakland, CA Cherokee
> Juanita T. Giron Vargas -- Spirit Lake Sioux --
> Oakland
> Charlotte Mendoza, Kiowa/Sioux
> Ana Harrington - Michigan Chippewa (Ojibway)
> Richmond, CA
> Julie Bongers
> Juanita Sanchez
> (Caddo/Shawnee/Delaware)
> Sandra Swimmer, Lakota
> Jessica Swimmer, Lakota
> Nellie Frisby, Yurok
> Caitlin Means, (Lakota) Oakland
> Julian Brave NoiseCat
> Shushwap/Stit'limax
> Tony Gonzales (Comca'ac)
> AIM
> Mary Jean Robertson,
> Cherokee, AIM
> Sandra Kjono, Kahnawake Mohawk, BSEE
> c/o 2004
> Owen Li
>
> Arlo Starr,
> Cherokee
> Sapandeep
> Chadda
>
> Richard
> Giddens
> Abel
> Ruiz:
>
> moses
> massenburg
> Kelly
> Lloyd
> Paul
> Kivel
> Yeoun-Jee
> Pine:Tribal
> Affiliation: Cherokee Organization: Secretary of AISES
> (American Indian in Science and Engineering Society) UC
> Davis Chapter
>
>
> Anita
> Claverie
> Kristal
> Serna:
>
> elisa
> a:
>
> Luna
> Maia
>
> Johnathen
> Duran Apache/Navajo.
>
>
> dora
> flores
>
> Leroy
> Watts
>
> Gemma
> Givens
>
> Hillary
> Lehr:
>
>
> Chan
> Cain
>
> Ricky Amado
> Quesnot
>
> Kayla
> Carpenter:
>
>
> Diane
> Dew
> Ashley Nicole
> Wolford
>
>
>
> Rahel
> Gottlieb
> Earl
> Neconie:
>
>
> Karina
> Gonzalez:
>
> Janet
> Carter: It is important to understand that our good
> intentions are not the only reality -- and to listen and
> respond to feedback from the people impacted about how we
> might be "off" around racism.
>
> Luke
> Taylor:
> Marisa
> Herrera
>
> Takeshi
> Oda:
>
>
> Siobhan Noble
> Noble
>
> Cassidy
> Saenz:
>
>
> Allison
> Warden:
>
>
> Patricia
> Killelea:
>
>
> Joel
> DuBray:
>
>
> Shadi
> Rahimi
> Crystal
> Johnson:
>
> Destiny
> Rivera:
> Attica
> Georges: People of color are not mascots whose images,
> names, and cultures are to be appropriated. To disrespect us
> in that way is purely racist and dehumanizing to all
> people.
>
> April
> McGill:
>
>
>
>
>

Thank you to everyone who came to the circle today. It was an honor to hear each person's perspective, and I am hopeful that positive next steps will follow.

With Love,

Hillary Violet

http://bm.tribe.net/thread/0d84c714-d95e-4999-adf3-f3c0fdcf47aa

commets from "burners" are very telling.

Wow, what can I say. This is an open letter to those on the Burning Man tribe since I have a profile on tribe but am not a member of that particular community.

As an anarchist psychonaut of sorts I am deeply horrified at your reaction to the American Indian Movement and others who were deeply hurt and offended by such a distasteful and racist event, it may have been ignorant but no-one can deny the racist undertones. It saddens me to have one more reason I will never go to burning man. Where were the folks from the visionary village when UC Berkeley destroyed the Oaks, where were they when we took to the streets in support of Tristan Anderson after he had brain surgery? I have cried many tears at the lack of support from a community of people I have a strong affinity for, but right now I just feel anger. I myself can only do so much, the less support these groups have the more weight is put on their shoulders. Re-evaluate your life, burning man should push you to think outside the box and fight back at our shared oppressors, not become them. I can only hope your comments are only held by a small handful of obnoxious burners.

Brothers and Sisters,

Tonight, March 27th at the IFH Women's Day event, Visionary Village organizer Caapi and "Go Native" flyer designer Byron Pope stood before the gathered elders and community members. They respectfully listened while person after person publicly spoke to them about the injury inflicted on our community and the anger their "Go Native" event and promotion aroused. Speakers ranged in age from 8 to 80. When asked what could be done to rectify the situation, the gathered community unanimously demanded that the event be canceled.

In front of the assembled community members and recorded on video, Visionary Village organizer Caapi and artist Bryan Pope both signed an agreement that read as follows (spelling corrected):

"Visionary Village members Caapi and Byron have agreed to cancel the event at the Bordello on Sat, 3.28.09."

The paper was signed and dated by both men.

A photo of the agreement paper is posted below.

They also verbally agreed to and acknowledged the following:

1. They will be at the venue to turn away event attendees and explain the agreement reached.
2. There will be no DJs/music played at the venue, and no impromptu gathering of any kind.
3. Members of the Native American community will be present at the venue with them to ensure that their word is kept.
4. Members of the Native American community will still gather as planned for the protest to further ensure that they keep to their word. Should the agreement be perceived to be broken, the Native American community will move to stop the event.

It is imperative that the Native community still come as planned in order to support and ensure the cancellation of Saturday night's event. Visionary Village organizers Caapi and Byron Pope undertook the difficult task of facing the anger of the Native community. Tomorrow night they will face the disappointment and unpredictability of a potentially large crowd of party-goers. Our presence at the venue will both support them and reassure our community that our agreement is honored.

Following the successful cancellation of the event, a dialog can then follow to address ways we can further heal the rift between our communities.

I hope to see all of you tomorrow evening as planned.

Mark Anquoe

VV:"We could be using a fundraiser for the greater good!"-Greater good you're meaning your organization?

VV:"Declaring fraudulant NAC claim..."-Riiiiiight!You know what,me too have been to the whole thread here,and my conclusion:THERE NEVER WAS A NAC CLAIM!!

It is ironic,4 element rooms and the connection with adaptation to the environment,yeah..
I think your organizers from VV smell big money on this one.You use people who are to weak to handle the reality,the real world,selling them dreams.I bet it ain't for free.
I think the organizers thought to get a bigger profit out of the event,making it a "fundraiser for the greater good",trying to shuffle the fraud in the shoes of not existent NAC members,if they do excist,why is it so difficult to give there names?

VV:"All proceeds from a private gathering will go Or to SOTY,or to NAHCA(please make up your mind)and what "private"gathering?The event is public right??And since you declared the event a fundraiser,I think a lawyer should see into it that indeed all the mony will go to SOTY or NAHCA!

VV:"Own native identity an not someone else...standing fast and proud in their own native tradition."-Sorry?By dressing like a black panther,alien or a nickelodeon cartoon?Oh please!

Question:Are your organizers the same powa flowa people who organized this event in the past?
I see many similarities,maybe they didn't disappear but gave the organization a new name?
Talking about adapting to the environment,lol.
http://archive.salon.com/tech/log/2000/05/31/irrational_geographic/index.html

Well peace love and light sista,may all money indeed go to organization who really do good work like SOTY!Or NAHCA.

Oops,cross=mailed there,didn't see your comment Mark,well that's GOOD NEWS!:)

Hey all of us with privilege have gotta stand up and check others with privilege=white privilege, class privilege, gender privilege, hetero privilege, ETC. -- privilege in all it's forms. Dont leave it up to the most marginalized to be doing all the checking and educating, it must be tiring! Allow folx to speak for themselves while at the same time, may we have the courage to challenging the racist comments on Indybay, on Tribe.net, in the streets, and throughout life!
With Humility, *

ATTN All White Folx Involved IN ANY WAY with the Go-Native Event, Including Those of You who've Posted Your Comments About It on the Internet:

This workshop is sorely needed, as so much pain has been inflicted because of this 'Go Native' event, the subsequent email flame wars, and with the face to face negotiations. There is no doubt in my mind that there is much, much more intensity to come that this situation has opened up.... We have ALOT OF GROWING UP TO DO and this particular kind of healing is so needed in today's times. Please take this workshop seriously. Mark your calendars now. This is only a one-day class, please consider it as one of hopefully many more to come.
Thank you,
Dixie

From:
Date: Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 11:43 PM
Subject: 4/6: Embodying Your Allyship Workshop!
To: Vanissar [at] cs.com

***please forward out!!***

Embodying Your Allyship:
An experiential workshop for white anti-racist allies

Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Date: Sunday April 26th
Location: Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St, Oakland (@ Telegraph)
Cost: $40-$100 sliding scale

Once we know what we are responsible for as white anti-racist allies, why is it often so hard to follow through?
Why, despite our best intentions, do we freeze up when it's time to speak up and educate other white folks, or hold back when it's time to challenge systemic racism, or get defensive when it's time to listen to people of color?

In this experiential workshop, we will bring compassionate awareness and insight to individual and collective blocks to effective white anti-racist action and community-building. We will learn embodied practices that support creative, connected anti-racist responses when situations throw us off balance. We will empower each other to challenge systemic racism and support the leadership of people of color.

Facilitator bio:
Vanissar Tarakali, Ph.D. is a healer and teacher who designs embodied healing oppression and allyship interventions and trainings for individuals and groups. She is passionate about supporting folks with privilege to unlearn oppression and use their privilege for social justice. Currently the Education Programs Director and Healing Oppression Project co-lead at Community United Against Violence (CUAV), Vanissar studies Generative Somatics with Staci Haines, and intuitive reading with Phyllis Pay.

To Register:
Registration is on a first come/first served basis. Please contact Alex Fischer at: embodying.allyship [at] gmail.com



--

If you want to see how sincere they really are check this out:


http://people.tribe.net/chlorophil/blog/fe2f6c96-2ed4-4204-820b-6eebb472a9d4

hey folks ur in for a treat as we gear up for this event i hope everyone be safe, i dont want to fear indians being in the way for some reason, as i feel that many peopl are trying to crack down on the parties im involved in. to me its depressing i cant go on with these senseless people surrounding me!! if i get pissed off and im in the wrong place , i met get into some trouble!!!!!
i have nothing really to look forward to when i wake up in the morning, i feel alone so alone its like a curse, i see so many people together out there and i dont know what it takes to be someone with a lover, anyways here is the location

flux53.com/

for anyone think im racist for being in aparty about indians u got to be kidding me, i already know about the shit they went through i got my own roots and they are seriously fucked up, and i cant complain either! for anyone that cares please check out my party tommorow its not themed anything and everyone is welcome! haters will be checked!! no matter what color your blood is!

Well, I guess we know what color your sheets are!

If you are Native and anywhere in the Bay area, you need to get out and protest these racist fools.

stereotypes, aka talking shit, mostly i dont want to say who is talking shit, but i dont like shit talkers, they should go to hell for trying to stir shit up for the worse!!!!!! these are the people u should go after!
u can believe all the shit u want by reposting whatever i type, but that still aint gonna change the assumptions put forth by your own generalizations aka stereotyping people calssifying people as all the same!! you dont want me to think that way toward your people, i dont want to think all indians think the same toward me, your just pushing forth your racism towards me, and at the same time turning me against you and forcing me to generalize everyone who is trying to make the situation worse by making me think that you is all the same. how can i look a person in the eye with a hint of trust when you are all against me! is there no hope left. do we all follow the sheep. point it all towards me, and make it me that represents everyone i associate with the same. that is racism.stereotypes, classify me as a fucking american. anyone who is different belongs on another planet, needs a different sun to shine each morning a different moon to protect the light from blinding us at night. a different breathing space, a different currency a different language, a different bathroom a different water fountain, a different party, separated at birth because im not like my parents either!! tell me where to go, everyone is an individual independant from one each other i am not the same as YOU!! u should be against everyone!

Im sorry, but this event is offensive. im half kwaru (comanche) and half kanien'kehaka (mohawk iroquois), and i think that telling ppl to dress as natives is rude. if there was a dress as a white person day, no one would do it.

If you'd like to discuss it more, please email us a phone number and one of our event organizers will call you today.

when i hear hang, im thinking of the perception of what i know when slavery was around, and they had lynchings, so say your words right or be looked upon as a hateful person!

the graphic designer of the flier said hes 1/4 black, 1/4 asian, and 1/4 navajo = 3/4 NOT WHITE

The "graphic designer" of that flyer should be ashamed of himself for working for these racist morons. The spelling and grammar alone are telling.
Modern day racists dont' wear sheets. They all claim to be reclaiming their pagan roots and they all claim to be part "something" to hide their guilt and shame for being white and getting things they haven't earned. I'm sure if f you look at the photos of the people who want to attend such a vile event, they're all very ARYAN looking and I'll bet not one of them can PROVE they're Indian.

This event is an embarassment. Face it, the neopagans in the country are the new rednecked, ignorant racist trailor trash - they just live in studio apartments now. They're the ones who need to be confronted on their racism - no matter how hard they try to distract people from the truth. This event is no differnt than a bunch of white frat boys dressing up in black face to have a good time at the expense of the people their parents, and later, they will grind under their feet. From what I've seen, the white people on the right and the white people on the left are EQUALLY racist and too cowardly to deal with their ugly, ugly racist indoctrination.
WAKE THE FUCK UP!

Its called 'my black/native/asian/other nonwhite friend said it was ok'.... if you pay close attention, you'll notice that Byron (the designer) admitted his own cluelessness about the imagery and design of the flyer and promotion. Pay attention, please.

as a burning man participant, i would like to apologize to the native american community for the hurt that was felt over this incident. i personally had nothing to do with this event, and have only just read about it today. i feel compelled to add my voice because i this incident has educated me, and i feel for everyone involved. there is nothing i can do but say i'm sorry for these things:

1. the ignorance of young mainstream americans
2. the atrocities of the past upon the native american people
3. the great lack of societal understanding on so many levels
4. the conditions of the reservations and the way mainstream culture treats the native american people
5. the vast distances between our cultures which have lead to this misunderstanding

does one more voice saying "i'm sorry" mean anything? i hope it does. please forgive those who became defensive about the party, they are upset because they would never intend disrespect to native american culture, and don't know how to express their frustrations. burning man participants appropriate other cultures to open the human experience to everyone, and i don't think the organizers of the party in question had a goal of harming anyone. i am grateful to the native american people who stepped out to meet with the burning man community to educate us about your feelings and realities.

there is a huge rift in understanding that spans beyond this incident, and i can see how this event sparked a rage that has long burned in the hearts of those who have been oppressed. no one knows how to make it right anymore, and dialog among us is the best way to fight ignorance. in the battle to educate and change the views and understanding of the plights of the native american people, there will always be turbulence. i am not surprised that flame wars erupted and that fake fur went flying over this one. just remember, your words do touch a lot of people, they touched me, and i'm here to say thank you for the lesson, and i have sympathy for your injuries.

I see finger pointing, and I see scapegoating, I see a bunch of hateful racist comments by people who claim to be defending

their culture. Seems to me that many of the authors who are denouncing this event have become their own oppressors and

persecutors. The "hippie" "hipster" phreaqs on "drugs" are some of the only allies that the native cultures of this land have

in the struggle for respect and dignity that all beings and cultures are challenged with in the face of the global financial

machine that seeks only sterility and subservience to authority.
Look To Zurich, look to wall street, look to London, look to D.C for your enemies. Drop the Native American names VV drop the

costume theme, it was silly to begin with, make your apologies for a misunderstanding, that is a copasetic request. But I am

passionate in my opinion that these grievances are misdirected, and much of the language I am seeing from the understandably

incensed native american community in this conversation is full of bigotry and idiocy. Getting defensive when there is no

attack. Jumping to conclusions because you are so used to being on the negative end of things. It is understandable, but not

well thought out.
Once again the elite ruling euro banking class wins with the flawless tactic of divide & conquer. Why is there
dissension amongst these two presumably progressive groups? Could it be? Provocateurs? ("The Emporer is buck neked" is

certainly one) (jennafer perhaps?)hmmm...This battle is completely ridiculous! As if the burning man community are some

fundamentalist religious group bent on destroying and defaming culture through iron handed techniques. What absolute lunacy!

Maybe their culturally sensitive intentions are superficial and infantile, Sure white people are always making things

trivial. Our own Culture has been systematically stripping us of our own spirituality and depth for millenia in the form of

fear and the promotion of ignorance.There is no argument, western Europe has nearly completely decimated numerous cultures

and peoples all across the western hemisphere and the world. There is virtually nothing left of the beautiful peoples that

lived here before colonization. To place blame for it on one of the only subcultures that is sensitive to these issues at all

is pure dementia. The black rock desert is recognized as a unique and spiritually sacred place by most of the people that

attend the event known as burning man. The festival is one of the only gatherings of it's size and scope that is used by many

of it's participant as a transformative and spiritually radical ritual in the face of a nation of ignorant judeo-christian

bigots. Who can present a more fitting alliance than native american groups and burning man community? Many of the people

that participate in the burning of "the man", see it as just that: "the man" representing all that is sick and vile in

european culture. It is an artistic icon that can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways, most of which represents

cycles, cleansing and integration with nature and the elements. Now what I am confused about is when did the Native americans

get the copyright on the "four elements"? or the word "Native"? Uh, in case everyone forgot, most all tribes from all over

the world if you go back far enough, worshiped the elements and nature. and to clarify here are the first two definitions of

the word Native:
"1. being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one's native land.
2. belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent: native ability; native grace.
Nobody has ownership rights over the concept of the four elements, if you think you own that, then you believe in the

european concept of private property, which makes you a hypocrite. (if you are fighting against eruo dominance)
This is fucking inane. Self righteous Urbanites pointing fingers at who has the right to use words bestowed upon them by

thier oppressors. Are you fucking kidding me? I really wish individuals would have more respect for themeselves and groups

would have better organization than to allow for this primitive childish bickering. "you take drugs and think you are

enlightened but your not" well so do we all, take drugs and think we have all the answers Drugs? who doesn't take drugs?

anybody in the industrialized world? Who in this discussion is living in perfect harmony with the earth and is without flaw? who can claim spiritual enlightenment and superiority over others? "Holier than thou, you are" Industrialized society is diseased and we

are all living in it trying to cope. We are all trying to survive somehow amidst this chaos that is ever changing, that we

have little control over. We cannot control other peoples lives or actions, but we CAN control how their actions affect us.

Are you offended? We that sounds like a perceptional problem. Yes horrible grievances are committed by the jackboots and

cowboys and clergy. It still happens today. the NWO wants us to fight. What horrible grievances have occurred here other than

some poor expression and ignorance? Where are the priorities of what is important to fight over? out the window I guess. Go

on, be offended whenever you see anything that you find disagreeable, fly into a rage when someone insults you mother or your

heritage. Get into a fight over it, go to war over it. Lets go to war because somebody else has a different name for god than

us and called us a bunch of jerk-off heretics. Lets just see what we accomplish. more destruction. The real provocation of

war is more subtle than words or semantics. They are quiet and slow. Will I be better off dying in the name of my family in

the name of dignity? Or will I be better off biting my tongue and letting the wind flow past me, in order that I may remain

strong to raise a family in the face of adversity. It's a personal choice I guess. We all make them all the time. But Don't

go running of to battle every time you THINK someone insulted your family name, because it may be the last of your family

name. And i speak as someone whose name may disappear in the next generation. SO fuck you very much.
To slander an innocuous group who are trying to culturally educate themselves, however immature their attempts may be with

sentiments such as:
"Face it, the neopagans in the country are the new rednecked, ignorant racist trailor trash - they just live in studio

apartments now. They're the ones who need to be confronted on their racism - no matter how hard they try to distract people

from the truth. This event is no different than a bunch of white frat boys dressing up in black face to have a good time at

the expense of the people their parents, and later, they will grind under their feet"

is no less rife with bigotry than the settlers that came and reneged on the land agreements and
persecuted foreign spiritual viewpoints. Sometimes to come to an understanding of light, you must embrace the darkness. All

humans are guilty of prejudice and ignorance. Most often the point of blame may be directed inward. If you are looking for

someone to fault, you (and I) need look no further than a mirror.
If the offended parties want to pick a battle with some merit, march your asses to Santa-fe New
mexico, or scottsdale arizona where Icons of the native culture are being served up for sale to and by exploiting whites (and

browns I may add) in such a materialistic manner with deplorable capitalistic cannibalism that it has "target" painted as

big as the sky. If I see one more Kokopelli hanging from a neck or emblazoned on an suv in a decal, I think I will have to

scream "hypocrite shenanigans!". How about protesting thanksgiving? Sure, have the promoters take down the logos, the names,

the affiliations, but to accuse them of racism? Go to Sacramento and find someone in a suit that supposedly represents you

politically, who lies with every breath they take, how about that for cause? Take it up with the people that still lie in the

name of liberty, the legislators that still deny and ignore agreements made by the ancestors. The battle is in Sac. city, it

is at the federal reserve bank that makes dollar signs out of all our souls, it is at the church of "devil" worship that

makes black and white out of the infinite of experience that is life and the endless circle. This is a classic case of

"Barking up the wrong tree" And what is this about the IRS and not paying taxes? Way to go defending the white status quo,

and the blasphemy of government bureaucracy and thievery.
Rich uncle in the family of euro Devils to say the least!
Oh and that person there made spelling mistakes they are less morally righteous than me!
Sound like a bunch of fucking christians or muslims, going off about who has cultural/moral high ground. Lick you wounds and grow up. You want to let words continue to hurt you? have fun with that. Pain is in your fortune.
Dance is spiritual. no matter what your skin color or name for god.
Pick your battles wisely, lest you suffer the casualties of a fool.
in search of truth, and solidarity,
---ProfanAeon--->out

Apologizing is OK, but i don't that it stops there. What needs to happen is being proactive around reeducating ourselves and others, listen and learn, stop appropriation wherever it happens, and most of all, offer material and political support for Indian people's sovereignty and cultural rights. Those are not fair game for theme parties, sports mascots, or whatever.

JUST CURIOUZ