Our organizing group began as homogenous; young and white. We are now more diverse, and the perspective of traditional Indigenous Peoples is now represented in our core planning group. We feel that this greatly strengthens a gathering that bridges communities. Further, we are committed to consistently seeking input, feedback and criticism, and acting on it. We wish to bring people together in the best way possible.

We have seen and experienced strength in coalitions between Native people defending their homelands and traditions, and non-natives who feel a strong connection to the Earth and a drive to defend her. We feel there is much to be gained from strengthening these relationships and building new ones. We have also seen similar coalitions fail due to ignorance, lack of cross-cultural understanding, or basic disrespect. We wish to study these situations in hopes of learning from them, and discuss and address cross-cultural dynamics of all kinds.

Topics we want to address during the gathering include racism, cultural appropriation, and white guilt; cultural genocide attempts, information, and experience sharing; presentations of strong coalitions created in the past; current resistance campaigns; life in America-the struggle for cultural identity; techniques for reconnecting to each other, the Earth and ourselves; youth in activism and coalition; and traditional/Earth based skills and crafts.

We are aware of some things that have repeatedly prevented coalitions from forming in the past and would like to address them as part of our planning. For one, Earthbound is firmly drug and alcohol free. Also, we have seen that the dominant culture and its members consistently lack listening skills. We expect everyone present to have a basic respect for each other, and strive to really listen. We would like each person who attends to be interested in healing and seeking mutual understanding across the lines of race and other distinctions. If you feel there are other common barriers we should be mentioning, please let us know.

We hope that an uncommon spirit of honesty and healing will again animate this gathering, so that we can discover common ground in our struggles to live in balance with the earth and resist the destructive forces that threaten us all. We believe in our hearts that we can support each other in new ways, not only to make a new world, but also to save the old.

Earthbound will be held at YMCA Camp Warren, 3726 Miller Trunk Rd, Eveleth, MN, on Sept 22-25, 2006. It will be free to all, including meals. Childcare will be provided. We hope to provide travel stipends for elders, youth, or others who need it. Plan to bring bedding, toiletries, and camping gear. Some cabins are available; please contact us in advance if you need this kind of shelter, need childcare, or with any other questions you have.

You are welcome to contact us as well if you want to help organize, give input or criticism, present a workshop, donate resources, help fundraise, or ask questions. Please pass this message along to anyone you think might be interested. Hope to see you this fall!

-The Earthbound Collective

voicemail: 1-800-619-3772
post: PO Box 490 Finland, MN, USA 55603
web: http://earthboundmn.livejournal.com/

*We ask for correspondence via voicemail or post if at all possible. If email is truly your only option, direct it to earthboundcollective@hotmail.com and be patient, as our internet access is very infrequent. You will receive a response more quickly using one of the other methods!