Join us for this month's Elder Activists for Social Justice (EASJ)
Community Conversation!

Right Relationship and Respectful Dialog as Elders

with Val Lopez, Chairman Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Thursday, Nov 16, 9 to 11 am PST     12 to 2 pm EST

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/187353901831412/?active_tab=discussion

As a follow up to last month's exploration of "Truth and Reconciliation", we will continue to discuss what is "right relationship" with our history, our self-identities and with historically oppressed peoples in our country. We have heard that there is no "reconciliation" to an earlier time when colonizers and Indigenous peoples got along and/or to the enslavement and oppression of Native peoples - so how do we communicate with respect and understanding within this context? 

In this month’s Elder Activist Social Justice Community Conversation we will try to better understand how we may reach out to people who have been in the frontline of our country's persecutions,  listening and learning together as we engage in a dialog that promotes healing. What responsibility do we have as "Elders" working in social justice for this kind of conversation and how does that play out?  

We welcome Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in California, whose ancestors were put in bondage in the Missions of Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista. He will share the truth of his tribal history and converse with us about the challenges of mutual healing: he says there is no real path known for this effort, but that it is long overdue that we figure it out together.

Bio: Valentin Lopez has been the Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band since 2003, one of three historic tribes that are recognized as Ohlone. Valentin is Mutsun, Awaswas, Chumash and Yokuts. The Amah Mutsun are comprised of the documented descendants of Missions San Juan Bautista and Santa Cruz. Valentin Lopez is a Native American Advisor to the University o f California, Office of the President on issues related to repatriation. He is also a Native American Advisor to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Valentin is actively involved in efforts to restore tribal indigenous knowledge and ensure our history is accurately told. Finally, Valentin is working to restore the Mutsun Language and is a traditional Mutsun singer and dancer. As Chairman, Valentin is a standing member on all Tribal committees and Boards.

Share the Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/187353901831412/?active_tab=about

Resources

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with some of the issues and calls of our Native neighbors.   Below are several short videos:

• Val Lopez, Amah Mutsun Tribe, 2:28 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXLmNpF13FU

• Catholic Church apologizes to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, 2:10 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy095VK--a4

• Naelyn Pike: Protecting Indigenous Land and Future Generations at Bioneers, 2017, 1:10 minutes

https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org/videos/10155858852025757/

• Kandi Mossett, Decolonizing the mind at Bioneers, 2017,  1:16 minutes

https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org/videos/10156012284625757/

• Corrina Gould and the Ohlone Shell Mounds, Bioneers, 2017, 1:21 minutes

https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org/videos/10156011530330757/

If you have more time, this is well worth watching:

• Native american Holocaust Exterminate Them! The California Story, 38.49 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwgopN9lFpg&feature=youtu.be 

Planning meetings, future dates

We will have about an hour for our conversation, and then about 45 minutes for our EASJ “planning” meeting. You are welcome to join us for the parts of this meeting that are of interest to you.

All are welcome and inviting friends is encouraged!  

We are instituting regular semi-monthly planning meetings - after our Community Conversations, and on 4th Wednesdays of the month 9-10 am PST beginning in January 2018. We will have a planning meeting on Nov 20, 9-10 am PST, the next planning meeting will be Jan. 24. Our next Community Conversation will be Dec. 14 , 9-11 am PST.

Joining Our Conversations

Our 2-hour EASJ conversations will be on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 9am PDT     12pm EDT

We will be using Zoom video conferencing, which is very easy to access by computer, or regular telephone. If you choose to use your tablet or smartphone, be sure to download the Zoom app ahead of time. We will be starting each meeting on time so please connect 15 minutes before the call so that the host can help with any technical difficulties or questions you may have. Once the call starts the host will be not be able to help with connection issues.

Link here for instruction and access to Zoom video conferencing.

If you would like to receive future monthly reminders for the EASJ Conversations or any of the other Conversations, please click here and indicate your interest. We'll add you to our mailing list for the group(s) you check.

Conscious Elders Network
http://www.consciouselders.org/