Making Relatives
In this time of great humanitarian and environmental crisis, it is right and good that we return to ways of knowing that reconnect us to each other and the land. We need your financial support to create a historic convergence of grassroots indigenous activists, artists and thought leaders from multiple tribal nations on occupied Turtle Island (United States) to Ireland this summer.
The funds kindly raised here will go towards the transport and hosting costs of the 21 water defenders in a number of towns and cities on the island of Ireland.
Our main sites of visit will be communities on the frontlines of resisting extractivism - particularly mining, and protecting our air, land and water in Co. Leitrim, the Sperrins, Co. Tyrone and Inishowen, Co. Donegal. We will be undertaking a the ceremonial water walk along the River Foyle and many moments of celebration, exchange and theatre.
We are living through an earth moment of crises - where many ecosystems are on the brink of collapse, with a volatile climate causing extreme weather, far-right extremism on the rise along with social inequality and injustice caused by obscene power imbalances.
In our search for a way through and the path to a life-sustaining society we need to learn from those who despite it all have retained their connection to land and life and protected their sense of balance with the natural world.
We have invited almost two dozen activists, artists, singers, educators, and the Ikidowin youth theatre ensemble. Watch: We Do It For The Water
Chas Jewett, a Lakota water protector and organizer who helped defeat the Keystone XL pipeline is helping to organize from their end and will join Ojibwe ceremony leader Sharon Day to walk the River Foyle from source to sea.
The river, like so many others, is under attack from industrial agriculture and threatened by extractivism. The Missouri River in North America is the 7th most polluted waterway already. Lewis GrassRope and his sister Loretta Ryan of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and family of Faith Spotted Eagle of the Yankton Sioux Tribe are invited to share their families’ legacies of protecting Mni Sose in Lakota, the Missouri. They were instrumental in the fights against Keystone and Dakota Access Pipeline, whose permit was just designated illegal.
Chas Jewett speaks of the importance of the visit:
“Since the encampment against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016, Lakota people have been positioned on a world stage to continue the challenging work of reconnecting earth’s people to earth through traditional lifeways. At this time of earth-wide ecological disaster, it is past time for us to re-establish and reconnect with her. It’s time for us to learn from those who are still in connection with those relationships. We want to bring protectors from the Oceti Sakowin, knowledge keepers, ceremony leaders, our youth, brilliant artists to the Sperrins to share modern day resistance/existence strategies and tactics in reality and in spiritual practice. We intend to share our prayers, our practical experiences, and the ways that we thrive and survive through art, song, laughter and creativity.”
Help us make this knowledge sharing possible. The theatre performance, the ceremony, and stories from frontline activists will be true gifts to the people of the Sperrins, the region and the whole of Ireland. Art helps us survive these dark times when all hope seems lost. Let’s learn from indigenous folks who have kept relationships to each other, the land and the water despite centuries of genocide.
Follow this page for updates on the journey, and maybe a bunch of you can give us a bit, in the name of of the water you love.
Can we rediscover a more indigenous way of relating to the world around us? Can we unlearn our disconnect and learn to connect anew?
Thank you for your support and solidarity
Who we are: we are a collective of community groups and activists involved in environmental and social justice work on the island of Ireland.
Contact: [email protected]
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Rewards
We have a selection of special rewards to show our gratitude for donations to the Crowdfunder.
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'When Prayers Hit' print by Dakota and Dine artist Avis Charley
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'Earth Writings' and 'Qualities of Water' set of two booklets
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Red willow dream catcher. Bead colors are 4 directions of the medicine wheel with horse hair, 6 inches wide, Buffalo sinew thread used (£60)
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Bead work from Pine Ridge, water colors (WHITE< DARK BLUE< LIGHT BLUE BEADS) buffalo sinew (£50)
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Handwoven Irish Willow basket by Soheil Roohipour (£150)
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Handwoven tapestry by Irish textile artist Rena Roohipour 'Loinnir', framed.
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Original pastel by Vittorio Cirefice "Soft Rain"
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Bead work Pine Ridge Deer hide butterfly shaped hanging dream catcher and green glass and plastic beads, buffalo sinew (£35)
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"Water protectors from Standing Rock to the Sperrins" Limited Edition handprinted Linocut (a4) by V’cenza Cirefice (£20)
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Water is Life Linocut by V'cenza Cirefice (£20)
‘Guardian of the Rivers’ by Bernadette Hopkins Print from original oil painting on canvas which is dedicated to Berta Cáceres. Size A3. (£25)
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‘Oh The Water’ by Bernadette Hopkins. Print from original oil painting on canvas which is dedicated to the women of Standing Rock. Size A3. (£25).
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Bead work from Pine Ridge, colors of the medicine wheel beadwork cross necklace. (£47).
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Bead work Pine Ridge, medicine wheel with Chanupa (pipe) 4 directions medicine wheel symbol pseudo dream catcher with black leather and white heart bead. (£60).
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Bead work and leather by Pine Ridge bead artist 2 inch beads, 2 inch leather keychain green, orange, yellow, read, and blue beads. (£45).
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Bead work and leather Pine Ridge keychain 2 inch beads, 2 inch leather purple. (£45).
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Bead work dream catcher unique pattern hanging with feather details, from Pine Ridge, green, orange, and yellow buffalo sinew and glass beads. (£50).
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"River Bathing" prints of watercolour painting by Piera Cirefice (a4) (£20).
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My Homeplace Inheritance, Recipes for life from my Irish country childhood (2020) Signed book by Susan Farrell. (£20).
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Signed copy of 32 Words for Field by Manchán Magan (£20)
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Signed copy of Thin Places by Kerri ni Dochartaigh (£20)
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December Lakota moon of the longest night (around solstice time) 11 X 17 on archival Kodak photo paper. It’s near Sheep Mountain Table. Taken 1994 and part of the Moons of the Lakota series. (£550).
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Print 8x12 and is a near Wounded Knee, taken at the 100th anniversary in December 1990 of the massacre of the Bigfoot Riders on the annual memorial ride. (£350).
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"Seilkie" Limited Edition hand printed Linocut by V'cenza Cirefice (a5). (£40)
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