Volunteer Appreciation
On Saturday, May 8th, 2021, Elderberry Wisdom Farm was honored to host volunteers for another installation of the living green fence, AKA hedgerow out by the property line along Delaney Road, SE. We continued the work from our first two installations with the total being over 350 feet or property line.
We started activities with a blessing from Elder Duane Medicine Crow, a circle of greetings from all of our volunteers, and introduction to our nonprofit by Rose High Bear, and background on the current project by Kali Harrison and Alanna Johnson. Volunteers worked together to clear the area of invasive species and overgrown ground covering. Cardboard was laid over the newly cleared area, and bark chips were raked over as a top layer for the incoming living green fence which will be planted in September and October. We are deeply grateful for all the hard work and support of our all volunteers and staff.
This project has been smoother and faster because of the enthusiasm and dedication of our tremendous team of volunteers. Thank you!
Upcoming Opportunities
We will host our next volunteer event on Saturday May 29and Saturday, June 12. We will continue using the sheet mulch method, but we will be turning our attention to a new area of the farm. The existing Blue Elderberry patch will get a new layer of cardboard and mulch to protect it from the undergrowth of plant life. We will apply the method of clearing away the invasive species from the area, and then laying the cardboard and mulch. This will give the Elderberry plants a chance to grow without competing for resources with pesky undergrowth. June 12, we will lay out the drip irrigation system
What: Elderberry Patch Sheet Mulching and Drip Irrigation Installation
When: Saturday, May 29 and Saturday, June 12
Times: 10:00am –12:00pm / 1:00 –3:00pm
Where: 2281Delaney Rd SE, Salem, OR
To sign up as a volunteer for upcoming projects this summer,please visit our Volunteer Match Link at: https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp3190364.jsp
Our TEK Workforce Development Project launches!
We are happy to report that we have launched our Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workforce Development Project. Our staff recruitment plan has been developed and we have hired Kali Harrison (Blackfoot, Crow) to serve as TEK Educator starting June 1. We are currently interviewing for TEK Crew Leader so you can review our website for more information and contact us if you are interested in applying. We will also be recruiting interns for fall term in June. Stay tuned.
2021 National Tribal Leadership Climate Change Summit on Tuesday, June 8
The founder of Elderberry Wisdom Farm, Rose High Bear, has been invited to give a keynote address on Traditional Knowledges at the 2021 National Tribal Leadership Climate Change Summit Tuesday, June 8 from 10am-1pm. r
It will include a panel discussion on traditional knowledges and how to define, collect, protect, and apply; and a roundtable discussion on tribal rights and sovereignty, nation to nation interactions, and exercising sovereignty internationally.
Sponsors include Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and National Congress of the American Indian. You can register for this online event at: https://atnitribes.org/climatechange/ts/.
Rose reflected upon receiving the invitation and has chosen a topic to focus on: Our youth:
My relatives, we are raising our grandchildren in a time of danger. I’m so honored to be invited to speak about TEK, but it’s humbling to be asked to give a presentation to scientists and Native leaders. However, I accepted because it gives me an opportunity to share some thoughts very close to my heart regarding the support that today’s Native youth need as our emerging leaders, scientists and living museums. You all know that TEK is very personal. I don’t speak on behalf of Native people or even my own tribe or family up in Alaska. These are my personal perspectives.
Tomorrow’s leaders are still on their journey of transformation developing their gifts, their skills. They need pure examples of health and wellness resilience. They need positive support from a nurturing home and community environment filled with unconditional love. They need us to demonstrate discernment to them so we can end centuries of lateral oppression within our communities.
They need us to share our ancestors’ spirituality, its ceremonies and songs. That is the foundation, the backbone. I believe we could be more open about our spirituality. If it is held close to our chest like a well-kept secret, will our youth discover their own spirituality?
If we are going to restore Traditional First Foods and our Sacred Landscapes, we need to remember our Creation Stories. They share the nature of our relationship with the world of creation. The Athabascan Creation Story of the Caribou. The Inupiaq story of the people of the whale. Beth Leonard’s PhD dissertation about the First Old Man and the First Old Woman. Mary Louise Defender Wilson’s Dakotah story of Eating Stone Soup.”
These are some of the issues I may raise on June 8. We will also be able to introduce our Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workforce Development Project which will serve Native Americans in Marion and Polk Counties this fall in partnership with Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR.
Comentarios