The information below is what I typically post before the council that takes places over the four-day holiday weekend beginning with the 4th Thursday of the month of November aka Thanksgiving Day.
In recent years there has been a push to rename it due to the historical associations with this holiday and the genocide of the indigenous people of the lands that subsequently became the United States of America.
During vision council on the land in Wisconsin, which started on July 7, 2019, the council decided to push up the dates to October and rename it "Harvest Counsel" and you can see on this blog the information I posted on this circle.
According to my sources, at Harvest Counsel, people discussed having a Thanksgiving Council and some gatherers are moving ahead with planning a second council with a focus on unity.
If you want to fly or head towards the general area, head for Spokane, Washington. The council normally starts with a potluck or feast day, which this year would take place on November 28. Then the 29-30 would be the main counciling days with perhaps some counciling on Sunday, December 1st if those in attendance want to do so.
Directions will be announced on the Northwest Tribes Light Line 503-727-2498 a few days ahead of time.
If you want to plug into scouting, this is a great time and place to hook up with other people who have similar interests.
Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization.
Love and Light!
Thanksgiving Council 101
The annual gathering of the tribes, which takes place over the 4th of July, has a cyclical process. While various regions in the USA often host a get together over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, this blog deals with the annual gathering. In Wisconsin this summer, vision council on the land reached consensus that the 2020 gathering will take place in a national forest in Idaho. See the full consensus here.
But then what?
Because the Rainbow Gathering has no leaders, no board of directors, no staff and no one in charge of anything, we depend on people working together to do all the preparation for the gathering in the north east. So over the years a process has come together to make sure that planning is open to everyone who wants to be involved.
The year starts off with Thanks giving Council / T-Council or Circle, over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend of the same name. This is a time for people interested in plugging in, talking about visions for the gathering, discussing scouting, strategies about legal issues, etc. to get together. (see we don't even agree on the name).
The council generally takes place in the state or region where we will be gathering although sometimes it happens in other areas not to far from the consensed upon areas. It's usually a camp, cook, council, share heart songs kinda of thing. Often but not always, the people at the council pick the dates for the Scout Rendezvous and Spring Council. Some times a PO box is established for snail mail and a banking council is formed to deal with any donations.
As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate. Keep in mind this is not a gathering, it's a working council and the way this council unfolds sets the tone for the gathering.
I'm hoping that there will be a real mix of generations at this year's council. We need older people, we need younger people, we need more experienced gatherers and we need less experienced gatherers to come together to create a vision for a peaceful, healing and fun gathering in 2020. Be the change you want to see in this world.
Was this consensed upon at the council that took place in October, for there was no consensus at this years vision council to have two councils this year..
ReplyDeleteWhile council consensus may establish the will of the people during that council it has no effect in changing the mindset of those who weren’t present. If there was a council in October that was consented upon then those who gave their consent accomplished their goal, but to suggest those who have an interest in continuing with their tradition have no right to do so is absurd. No such authority has ever existed with the council not even if it had taken place during the gathering proper (July 1-7). During the New Mexico gathering in 1995 there was a consensus to expand the gathering dates 3 days in each direction meaning the gathering would go from June 28th to July 10th, but it was done for the benefit of those, who would be doing the work building the gathering infrastructure, being able to enjoy it all the longer. We knew there would be detractors and it wasn’t done to change the traditional dates and that was the consensus. The unofficial dates 28th to 10th are there if you care to recognize the expansion and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great response and my feings exactly. No Counsel has "authority" to make anyone do or not do anything... a circle can reach a consensus that inspires many people to action...the more people so inspired, the broader the consensus. Vision Counsel called for a Harvest Counsel and a few dozen people were inspired to act in accordance. Vision Counsel NEVER (nor could it) banned anyone from calling for any counsel. Whoever called for this Thanksgiving circle was just as much wothin the bounds of process as anyone else in calling for it, and if people are inspired to attend than it was a consensus among those people.
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ReplyDeleteThe "traditional" dates of 'gath' (1-7) were ever and always nothing but a rumour.
ReplyDeleteEfforts to change such dates are neither official nor un-official, .... 'rainbow' has no power of legislation, or authority of enforcement.
This is not the first 'battle' of the councils, but if folks wait calm'ly and peace'full the universe will always sort it out.
Yeah, but traditions are repetitions after the fact and I wasn’t a part of the committee (for lack of a better word) that decided those dates (whether by rumor or not). I was told those were the dates of the gathering and the person that told me had no reason to lie so I accepted those dates as though it were fact. Since then those dates have become a tradition so I recognize them as such and so did everyone that was present during the council in 1995. The only reason I chimed in was to take issue with the notion that council, any council rainbow wise, holds sway and as you just pointed out it doesn’t. I don’t have a dog or pony in this race so I don’t have an opinion otherwise. Come what may.
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ReplyDeleteNew information I learned yesterday and which I updated this post with is that the discussion of holding Thanksgiving Council took place at Harvest Counsel.
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DeleteGreat Information sharing.I am very happy to read this article .. thanks for giving us go through info. Fantastic nice. I appreciate this post Thanksgiving Day Deals 2020
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