We are a branch of Occupy focused on addressing Earth issues, Indigenous Rights, and Environmental Justice.
Our goal is to spread awareness on these issues and localize the movement by providing hand-built gathering spaces such as Yurts/Gers*, Tipis, or Hoophouses. The presence of these new structures will alert people that something unusual is happening in the neighborhood and attract them to come check out what's happening.
We are beginning with a "Backyard & Community-Garden Tour" concept, where the WHealthy Human Village could visit a space for a week or weekend. Inside, over the weekend, would be different programming-schedule. Discussion-circles, Teach-ins, Fun activities such as arts or crafts, casual time to network and meet people, share stories, and do community-service-work. (cooking and offering soup, digging a garden together, creating a mural...) If there is neighborhood-support for it, we could provide information on how to build their own community-gathering structure, and offer resources and connections for additional programming. We are planning to launch this project in March, at a backyard-location in Powderhorn Neighborhood, South Minneapolis.
Another focus of the Village-project is honoring Indigenous Rights, and spreading awareness of the genocides on this continent and around the world. We are working as allies with some Native American members of AIM and other organizations. One possibility is to set up a Tipi, where the focus of teach-ins could be about education on Native History and culture, discussion-circles on How to be an Ally, and Skill-sharing.
HOW TO JOIN US:
I'd like to invite you to a meeting to learn about the WHealthy Human Village (WHuV). We meet Wednesdays at Walker Church Basement in South Minneapolis (31st Street and 16th Avenue). It's an "All-Committee" meeting for Occupy, and from 5-6 is a social hour with food and music and mingling (potluck dishes are welcome but not expected). At 6-7 are Occupy-related announcements and discussions. The WHuV meeting is 7-9pm.
Or, contact us at whealthyhumanvillage@gmail.com, or friend us on Facebook "Whealthy HumanVillage"
WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
Location Scouts:
We are looking for spaces (backyards, community gardens, parks), where people would be willing to host a "Village", for a weekend or a week (or longer, if the neighborhood-support is there). The hope is to "Tour" the Village across the cities, and potentially moving to a few rural locations with carpooling-options, over the summer, for people to have these conversations a little closer to the earth. Organizing potlucks or door-knocking, to ask neighbors to give input into what would best serve their community.
Build & Set-up Team:
We need Ger/Yurt-builders! If you can cut wood, tie knots, or sew, we need your skills! We also need people who will learn how to set up or take down the Ger*.
Networkers / Bridge-builders:
Part of what will make this project successful is integrating our efforts with actions already happening. Contacting local environmental groups, attending gatherings or conferences and representing the village-concept, following up with contacts, and/or bringing information from other groups to the planning meetings.
Programming:
Compiling a list of people with skills or information to offer such as teach-ins, discussion-facilitators, cooking skills, healing arts, arts and crafts activities. These will be on the "menu" of options that different locations could ask for, when hosting a Village.
Media Outreach and Documentation:
People with Web-skills, to keep the Website, FaceBook site, and Blog up-to-date. Writers for the Blog! Photographers and film-makers, to help us document the project and get the word out to other cities and around the world.
*"Ger" is the original and more culturally-respectful term for the type of structure most people know as a "Yurt"... an ingenious dwelling made of an expanding lattice-frame and canvas walls.
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