2021 Gathering Information

 Hi all,

If you're looking for information on the July 4th prayer for world peace happening in 2021, hop on over to my 2021 gathering blog.

Peace and love to all my relations!

Report of Additional Landscape Rehabilitation near Iron Phone Campground

 This is a report that was given to Nimiipuu People by individual gatherers who went to the site of the gathering near Iron Phone Campground in Idaho.

 

 

To view the full report in PDF format, click here.

Processing our emotions

Every year at the gathering, I feel the universe is teaching me a new lesson. If I fail to embrace and learn the lesson, then it comes back to haunt me at another gathering.

I feel the same about this year. Not gathering taught me new lessons. I learned how strong our family really is, how we clung to each other when we didn't know what to do, how we created ways to discuss and listen to each other. I learned that using our hearts and our minds, we could manifest right action and focus on the needs of the human family instead of our own heart's breaking.

I saw the power of consensus by foot. The consensus to not gather was not made on the land, but it was made by foot and by those thousands of feet oming from home or in small clusters of people.

I saw the powerful emotions of my sister who truly believed praying for world peace on the land was the most important action she could take and who was willing to die to pray for peace on the land.

Even my own little July 4th movie was derailed by an all night conference call, lack of sleep, and the powerful energy that inhabited my being.

I've missed a lot of gatherings over the last 30+ years due to care giving challenges, graduate school, and trying to create a career for myself that I value.  Gathering isn't the only part of my life but during June and July, it is all consuming no matter if I am on the land or not.  No matter where I am, my heart is on the land and with my family. If I'm working I get nothing done. If I have local projects, they fall by the wayside. It's much easier to go to the gathering because non-gatherers understand going camping in the woods. What they often don't understand is that I am not paying much attention to my local community when I stay at home.

We are complex creatures and need to love and nourish ourselves.

Image by Lisa Runnels on Pixabay

I want to honor everyone who feels safe enough to express their emotions. We feel the way we feel and our feelings are not right or wrong, it's just the way we feel. I know many of us, myself included are working on processing these swirling emotions. I also know in my hearth that we understand each other best when we are sitting together on the land and can listen with our breath, our ears, our eyes, and our energy. I long for us to be together again and share with each other so we can heal as a community.

I know many one-on-one relationships will be damaged for a long time.  But, I got to "know" people I had barely met before by listening to their heart song on the phone or online.

New relationships have sprung up. Old ones have withered. This is the circle of the world. What decays provides nutrition for that which is growing. May all be relationships be processing and growing.

I'm writing an article on this year's gathering and would love to hear your thoughts

The working title of my article is "The Rainbow Gathering and COVID-19: How a physically dispersed anarchist community addressed the pandemic" and it has been accepted for the December 2020 issue of
Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture magazine.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

The article addresses  how COVID-19 impacted our annual gathering that takes place July 1-7. The article will focus on how participants responded before, during, and after the event as well as the aftermath for our community and those impacted. I am doing my best to gather responses from individuals with different perspectives on the course of events created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have created an online survey that you can take for your opinions to be included.

Feel free to reach out to me if you would prefer to respond via telephone eight five eight four zero five seven five zero three or email (kzirk at earthlink dot net).

Vision Council Consensus (2021)

Updated 7/11/20 @ 7:30 a.m. California time

Looks like the people who choose to gather had a vision council/counsel/circle and came up with the following consensi:

Day 1: We the People, being individuals present at Rainbow Family Vision Counsel at the 49th annual Rainbow Gathering of Living Light in the Payette National Forest* on the 7th day of July 2020, convene and consecrate our manifest through Consensus by Silence.

1. We reaffirm that our living vision thrives and relies upon Consensus found on the land in Open Counsel.

2. Consensus is our very best means of advising, but is not binding, and new advice or current situation may cultivate new consensus from individuals present when the people gather in counsel on the land.

3. We suggest that Harvest Counsel be called as close as feasible to the consented 2021 Gathering region, on the weekend of the full moon after the fall equinox.

4. We encourage individuals to share all of the vision counsel consensus instead of just part of it.

5. With great joy and abundant enthusiasm, we invite all who carry hope and intent to join us in a morning of Silence from dawn until noon to constitute World Peace through inner peace, and together with Open Hearts for the 50th Jubilee Rainbow Gathering July 1-7 2021, and to counsel our vision on the seventh day oh, somewhere in the regions of: Santa Fe, Carson, Cibola, Lincoln, Gila, Apache, Coconino, Kaibab Prescott … in a National Forest.

Day 2

6. We call for a discussion on Rainbow Caravans to be held on July 1st at Main Counsel.

7. The Earth as a whole is the common heritage and responsibility of the life borne upon her.

8. We close the 2020 Vision Counsel with a silent passing of the feather.

* Blog owners note: The counsel/council/circle took place in the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest not the Payette

Nimiipuu/Nez Perce Donations

If you have a PayPal account and want to donate money to purchase gas and other supplies to support the Nimiipuu/Nez Perce in trying to keep people from gathering in a cultural sensitive area, here's the information. 

Updated 7/9/2020 @ 12:40 p.m. California time

Please note these funds do not go to support the tribe as a whole. I have strong reason to believe that the Circle of Elders and the Tribal Council did not have major concerns and did not support the efforts of the young folks.

Statement from Facebook by a member of the Nez Perce Tribe

This message was copied from Facebook without permission of the author at this time as he is on the land and cannot respond. I hope to reach out to him soon and obtain permission. Until then, I have removed his name for privacy concerns. The message is important.

************Begin Message **************

My name is XXXXX and I am a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. I am the one who gather the Nez Perce protectors together to try and stop this event from occuring against the wishes of my elders and my community. There are many sensitive and important resources within our traditional territory that are not found on our reservation itself which is why we must protect the area in our traditional territory as much as possible. We spend thousand of man hours and millions of dollars every year to protect and heal our environment and culture. This gathering is a direct danger to that culture and our identity. We can not survive without our cultural identity. The Nez Perce tribe was misrepresented at spring council and never gave any consent to this gathering like we have in the past in areas not so sensitive. The disrespect has been very damaging to my community, and further more this current pandemic has recently hit my community in a second wave and the entire community could have been exposed. This virus could have the potential to kill off all of the people in my tribe as we are only less than 2 thousand on and around the reservation. We are pleading that anyone planning to come or are on their way to the gathering to reconsider and take into context the real serious issue we are facing here in my community on all fronts. We are asked to bring our people to the site to help mitigate issues but that only further exposes our people to possible virus spread. We are concerned, we are scared, we are angry, but most of all we are hurt by the actions of this group on site and their presence in our country. I pray that we find peaceful resolution and the two communities do not become enemies when all is said and done. May love and peace be with you all.

Nimiipuu Protectors update on Rainbow warriors gathering June 28, 2020

This almost one hour long video was made by one of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Protectors.

Please note that it's uploaded to a remote site due to space issues.  It is over 200 MB. 

Watch Nimiipuu54 video.

If the link doesn't open in a media player in your browser, you can find the files at http://karinzirk.com/rainbow/not_idaho2020/Nimiipuu54.mp4

Plunker's 2 Cents (Guest Post)

Today's Guest Post comes from Barry Plunker

***************Begin Guest Post*******************************

For the record: I am not in solidarity with event going on in idaho using rainbow name vibes...

Without a doubt Incident Command LEOs are all in on having an event... bottom line each LEO makes some 35 to 45 thousand a year for weeks work at such events... only I.C. command & these people are pushing this event...
Dang that this event is on Tribal traditional lands... Dang this event is of covid-deniers, etc... pose a potential danger to Tribal AND people of Idaho, other places...

This will/is being called "rainbow", by those attending, media, especially the cops, LEOs, Incident Command, etc...
It will make little difference but folks can write letters to News, media, Forest Service AND, especially letters to Nez Perce, etc...
Letters and prayers, good vibes...
These people attending this event actions have shown their words mean little... respect for others other than themselves is little, if any... certainly, it is likely their inter-actions will be the same.
Whatever the event, whatever these folks put out as their words will lack credibility with me. At times thru the years, individuals and/or groups have

sought to roll the Rainbow in their chosen direction. Some signed permits, cozed up to the Feds, started up events, called "rainbow" AND, after awhile showed their true selfs... people realized how ridiculous, even rude, and people continued on, with the people, along the Rainbow Road.
During the fire, Wyoming 1994, while people with common sense, concern for safety, health of the people rolled against the fire -- hundreds of people joined in the effort...amazing!
While people were engaged in the effort, Feds wanted people to stop, let fire rage, while waiting for a plane coming from Utah.. Some of people joined in with the feds... tried to help Feds stop fire-fighters ( not many) AND, there were "holy" guys who prayed.. a few offended that people did not stop passing water, throwing dirt etc... And simply join in their prayer to save the family... AND, even a couple of guys wanting to sacrifice themselves to the fire to save the family -- one was talked to, changed his mind -- other young guy, big stronge and certain God was commanding him to join the fire to put it out, to save the family (people) ..
Finally, I had to say to this young guy that I would not accept him doing this sacrifice AND, if necessary I would struggle with him and his god, and stop him.. I, with help of couple others got him to sit down, drink some water.. and, after a bit, fire was out, feds plane arrived, dropped load on people standing back from where fire was OUT!
Having an event calling people to come, be close, during a pandemic... Not just an epidemic.. is wacko!

I am in solidarity with Om from Home... Rainbow Gathering in heart & mind...
I am praying, vibing, as I have stated before, for safe, healthy event with good clean-up... If these eventers put out a Where for next year... I'd hope they go there...
Their words will mean little... If no one gets sick, dies, or is arrested ... good. It don't mean event should have happened, certainly not on Tribal traditional lands... Even their own raps are double-tongued... Dang!
Peace, Love Respect see you on the Rainbow Road... Beaplunkr

Letter from Nez Perce to USFS

These are images of a letter that was sent by the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Council to the United States Forest Service. I know there are parts that are hard to read.   I will try to get a better copy.

Gathering location

The individuals who have chosen to go ahead and focalize a gathering during a pandemic have asked that the directions be word of mouth only. Therefore, I will not be sharing directions on this blog.

I do not yet have the exact wording of the consensus for the site, but that's what I've been told by those actively encouraging people to attend.

My personal belief is that not attending is the choice that makes the most sense. I'm hearing mixed reports on how people are managing social distancing or not as some individuals really pushing this gathering have stated they think sharing our germs will be helpful.

If you plan on attending a micro-gathering or what is being proposed for Idaho, please, please, please wear masks, practice social distancing, bring your own food and water, camp in household units spread apart from those not in your household, don't share joints or pipes, and do not go into town in the local community. Any built structures should be disinfected frequently.

For background information, click here.

2020 Spring Council Consensus

2020 Spring Council Consensus (unfinished Council)

We, as individuals, associating ourselves at Spring Council of the 49th annual Rainbow Family of Living Light in the Nez Perce National Forest on the day of June 15th 2020; so do with great respect and love, and in hope of unity, hereby agree through consensus to the following.

Day 3, June 15
1. Anyone that distributes this council's site selection must also distribute the entirety of this consensus, word for word. We encourage copy and paste, with no alterations.

2. We encourage those that want to stay at home and om to do so. Home is where your feet are. We encourage those that wish to come to be aware of your surroundings, and encourage personal space for those that need and ask for it. Those that hug should do so consensually.

With great respect; due to concern among our peers, and from among the local communities, and in acknowledgement of concerns voiced by the Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee about safety regarding the possibility of heightened risk of any infectious exposures, through good counsel, and in the interest of all residents we may encounter while traveling; it is encouraged that any family attending the 2020 Rainbow Family of Living Light Gathering use all precautions such as social distancing on all routes to and from the Gathering location site. Out of great respect for the local native Nations it is recommended that attendees refrain from visiting any tribal reservations at the time.

Day 5, June 17
3. Brush your teeth!

Day 9, June 21
4. Wash your hands.
5. Life is sacred.

*** Update:
... ... June 22, 2020
The Council continues, and the vibe becomes more focused and coherent. We have Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, and NO we are not leaking the sites to you.

IF YOU INTEND TO ATTEND THE GATHERING, prepare your things, move carefully and politely, and remain dispersed at a safe distance. STAY SHINY. Spring Council will announce soon enough. Be ready.”

****Note this last part  is from Day 11, June 23 *********

6. The 49th annual Rainbow Family of Living Light Gathering invites all folk with peaceful and positive minds, to join us in silence from dawn till noon on July 4th 2020, wherever they may be, whether in your own area, your own home, with us at the Gathering site, incarcerated, or elsewhere, and we honor those who wish to gather with us in the ... National Forest from July 1st to July 7th 2020, and to counsel our vision of World Peace through inner peace on the 7th Day.

Carla's Two Cents (guest post)

Today's guest post comes from Carla

*************BEGIN GUEST POST******************

TL/DR: Read it anyway. I promise you won’t be sorry.

My guess is that 90% of the folks on this page are not very interested in internal family politics. Most gatherers just want to be told where the gathering is happening and how best to prepare for it in terms of climate, site conditions, nearby airports, etc. The internal process of how we get there is not such a big deal. But this year is different. Folks are arguing. Some folks say “Go!” Some folks say, “Wait!” So, how to make sense of it all?

Here’s my take on it, as someone who has been to 34 annual gatherings and participated in just about all aspects of the set-up and infrastructure at one time or another. There’s a lot that goes on to make the gathering happen; it’s not magic. There is a lot to be considered in order to have a safe and healthy gathering. And health and safety are the bottom line here.

I understand the “Go!” energy. Gatherings in the West are in stunning territory. There’s lots of open space. There’s lots of family in the West who have been looking forward to the gathering swinging back this way. I get that folks are hungry to gather. I am too. I want to be at the gathering so badly, I can almost taste it. And make no mistake: housies crave gatherings as much as traveling family do—maybe more. And make no mistake: traveling family are the backbone of the gatherings, and always have been. Most housies were travelers at one time or another. We just age out of the road and do something different. We all need to understand that about each other. And we need each other. So I don’t really see any split there. This affects us all, deeply.

It is heartbreaking that this illness has cast a shadow on the land, and that humanity’s best defense seems to be to remain apart socially and physically. I’m not going to argue the science here, or debate the actual numbers, or how much to trust or distrust any government; I’m not going to wonder how it was created, or who is making millions off it. That’s a whole other conversation.

Let’s just say I accept the virus as being real, and crazy contagious; that it causes great suffering; and that people are dying from it. I am not alone in that perspective.

So, coming from that place, many of us have been having conversations in many different formats about this year’s Annual Gathering. Because there are no standing committees that can make such a momentous decision for the whole family, many of us have been actively engaging as individuals in discouraging folks from calling large numbers of people together; and have been actively encouraging folks to find alternative ways to celebrate our prayer on July 4th.

This is because we absolutely believe that any gathering of any size carries too big a risk to the health and safety of those who are coming to gather, to the communities they come in contact along the way, and especially to the local folks in the area of the gathering. The initial call to postpone the annual gathering in Idaho until 2021 came from that desire; to protect the health and safety of all.

Well, that ship has sailed, and there are folks who, for whatever reason, believe that it is safe to gather and are actively promoting it. There are a few dozen people in Idaho who are looking for sites, and counciling, and fully intending to call their event the 49th Annual gathering.

There are other folks who are very upset about that, partly because there is a whole internal political argument about what is or is not a “legitimate” council and folks are obsessing about who gets to say where we go next year.

That is not my concern, and never has been. That will sort itself out with time, with a lot of arguing. We have a year to do that in. It is not critical to decide that now, because whatever happens in July this summer and next, folks will argue about it for a couple of years and then forget about it. People will go where they go next year, with or without agreement of council consensus.

I’ve seen splits like this before. We’ve survived them before, and we will survive them again to gather as we have always gathered; that is, assuming that Covid-19 is not still causing new spikes and the country is again on lockdown in 2021. We must not forget that is a very real possibility. We may end up having to reinvent some process, rather than being wedded to traditions that are unworkable in the present moment. But that is a discussion for another place and time, as well.

So, why am I writing this? Because I want folks to understand the underlying intent of the argument to wait. The bottom line is public health and safety. Nothing more, nothing less. Some might even say it is a matter of life and death. Yes, there are all sorts of weird family politics playing into the argument, but they are peripheral. What matters is the well-being of everyone.

Sure, some folks are choosing not to wait. I’m not going to get into the “choice” argument, because it is irrelevant. Of course folks have the right to choose anything they like.

But make no mistake: the fact that there are a few dozen folks making the choice to be in Idaho in a holding camp, counciling and scouting, does not change the underlying argument—which is that health and safety cannot be guaranteed when folks are traveling and gathering in large numbers; when they are cooking and eating and drumming and singing and smoking together.

So therefore, if you are undecided as to whether to go, to me the best argument is still “Wait!” Wait until more is known about risk reduction. Wait until more is known about rates of infection, and possible early treatments. Wait until safety can be assured, although that may always be a relative thing and its definition up for debate.

But realistically, some people won’t wait, and are not waiting; so it has become obvious that it’s time to start looking at harm reduction and risk mitigation. Not just for this gather, but for any get-together that folks might be considering to call or attend in the coming months.

And keep in mind, that the underlying intent has still not changed. It is still about health, safety, and the well-being of gatherers and others.

Here are some that seem obvious to me:

Best method: Keep all get-togethers as small as possible, with the least possible travel and the least possible use of public restrooms. Thus, it’s still, OM from Home. Find your local family pods and have a field trip or a picnic.

Second: Be aware that it becomes more difficult to maintain Covid safety when away from usual routines. Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, etc. Think ahead about sanitation needs in general.

Third: Be aware that the best way to not spread it is to wear a mask; and when appropriate to the task, gloves. Have plenty on hand for others, as well.

Fourth: Keep yourself informed about what’s going on in the area you are coming from, and the area you are going to, in terms of spikes in numbers; plan accordingly.

Fifth: If your local circle mushrooms and will take place over several days and is larger than, say a few dozen people, contact the local health department for latest recommendations, precautions, and closures.

Sixth: Have contingency plans in case someone does become ill. What is the best way to proceed if Covid-19 is suspected?

Finally, for those folks contemplating going to Idaho because they are unsure: consider that 99% of the kitchens and infrastructure have announced they will not be there. Sure, anyone can set up a kitchen, and no doubt folks will be cooking and eating, and some folks will be doing some regular gathering type stuff like OMing and singing and drumming and taking care of kids. The point is that if you are expecting the usual huge magical gathering, it won’t be there. Check out the OM from Home site to see which kitchens will NOT be there.

Continuing to urge folks not to go to Idaho to gather at this time does not mean I’m trying to sabotage what the folks in Idaho are doing. They are doing what they are doing. Their choice is a poor one, in my opinion, but that’s beside the point. I hope everyone there has a lovely, safe, healthy gathering. I just hope they keep it small. And I hope they use the hundreds of masks and gloves that are being sent up in a few days. And practice physical distancing. And are kind to one another. The rest of us? Manifesting an annual gathering? Waiting ... .

In the meantime, anyone wanna write a RAP C-19?

Being Healthy Through Handwashing

One thing that goes a long way to keeping folks at a gathering healthy and safe is washing hands - a lot. And I don't mean just rubbing your hands with sanitizer, but actual biodegradable soap (Dr. Bronner's is great) and filtered or boiled water. Some awesome Rainbow engineers have designed a hand wash station that's transportable and light weight. One goal of a Rainbow hand wash station is to make it hands free, so no one picks up germs in the process of washing their hands. (A smaller setup of this same type can be used for soap dispensing).

Here's a great drawing of what I'll explain in words below. Thanks TimBear.



"From our experience, the primer bulb check valve can fail if the water gets trash in it. The solution we found was a small piece of filter material (like the filter from a wet vac) or fine mesh screening (a couple of layers of panty hose) around the end of the water intake. The pvc pipe allows you to direct the water where you want it, even if there is no tree where you want the water." - TimBear's words, not mine. What ever you do, make sure the grey water is at least 300 feet from creeks, rivers, and ponds and preferable somewhere where no one is walking. Dogs and people can get into the grey water and spread the germs all over the place and that's not healthy.

The key is a one-way siphon valve. It's made of rubber and can be squeezed by hand. Each end has a place to clamp hose onto. I usually get them at my local Marine supply store. Hook it up to some clear plastic tubing - one end to go into a bucket of filtered water. It looks like this:


The other end should be fastened somewhere (if not using TimBear's Pipe method) and hopefully have a drain system so people aren't standing around in gray water. To conserve water, get spare sun shower nozzles and put it on the end. These are $5-10 each from a camping supply store. They work great for the "faucet" end. Here is a photo of one.



Then to wash hands, all people need to do is pump the black siphon ball with their feet, and water comes out the shower nozzle. Portable hands free hand washing and kids love it!

Filtered water is best for hand washing. Providing an alcohol based hand sanitizer and/or a bleach wash as a final step is a great idea, but please label the ingredients so people can make informed decisions.

I also like to make a sink to minimize the amount of mucky grey water around the faucet. I've used a plastic bowl in a round tomato cage. Then drill a hole in the bottom and put in a connector so you can clamp a discharge pipe and run the waste water into a gray water pit. WARNING! HIPPIES CAN BE DUMB. Every time I use my sink setup, someone thinks we should recycle the gray water by putting it back into the fresh water container. THIS IS UNSANITARY AND IS WORSE THAN NOT WASHING YOUR HANDS AT ALL. So if you use a sink, please make a sign telling people that the drain DOES NOT go into the water source.

If someone(s) are looking for a great public service project for this year's gathering, here's a great one. Let's make sure we have enough hand washing stations scattered around the gathering so that people can't help but wash their hands at least twice a day. Every year I promise to make them at home and bring everything but the sink, but it doesn't seem to happen. Sure is easier at home with my tools.

Clean hands creates a healthy gathering.

Just a quick reminder, no soap in any surface water. Biodegradable soap only biodegrades in the soil.  All soapy water should be kept 300 feet from surface water like creeks, rivers, ponds and springs.  Don't be the dufuss who tries to wash your hands, clothes, hair, body in the creek. All you're doing is creating dirty water for the animals (2 and 4 legged) who drink the water.

Notes from a call with Health Department

Disclaimer I was not on this call and according to the information I received no one from at spring council was on the call.

***************Begin forwarded notes****************************

Tracing was brought up several times. Wanting on site contact person.

Call with Missoula environmental health dept. Their concerns: How to manage outbreak? How to isolate? Quarantine? How are symptoms identified?? How to lower risk of contagion? What are water and waste systems?

Missoula concern:

Ask that realization of global pandemic.

-hand consider impact on community

- consider impact on 'the gathering' as an entity

*close personal contact--

How to gather w/o personal contact???

*food service**????

6 foot service?

Missoula: Does have free testing For local residents.

Health officer Want there to have ability to be tested if concerned with symptoms.

Would need to negotiate?

'Mass system?' plan for Ronaboners to access???

With testing comes Expectations. -quaratine to results - isolate 2 weeks if positive.

Where to quaratine?

Missoula has facilities

What can health dept offer?? Support system for healthy gathering

How to make safer?

Tracer system!!!!!!!