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The Earth Medicine Alliance                                                               November 2010

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Gratitude for Our Many Relations
Maria Owl Gutierrez
Each Alliance e-newsletter features an essay from a different member. This month's featured contributor is Maria Owl Gutierrez. Maria in on the Alliance Board of Directors and presented at our recent conference. For more info on Maria's practice and offerings:www.soul-centeredhealing.com

The month of November holds two very important holidays in American culture. At the beginning of the month we have just rolled over from Halloween and into the Days of the Dead and, All Soul's Day in Christian tradition. These days are rich with ancestral acknowledgment and appreciation, and many believe that over these holidays that the veil between the human and spirit worlds are thin.


At the end of November comes Thanksgiving, a celebration of honoring the many inter-weaving communities that touch our lives. Some of the communities that I'll be celebrating on November 25 are the communities of plant and animal people who have fed me and become part of me for this last year of my life. I'll celebrate the four elemental forces that create all life: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.


I'll also be celebrating my community of human relatives, both blood and soul related. And I'll celebrate my larger community of Native relatives by going out to Alcatraz at sunrise on the morning of Thanksgiving for the annual prayer circle. It would be great to share the sunrise with Earth Medicine Alliance family!


Right now, I'm sitting in gratitude for the success our first annual conference, which was held in San Francisco the weekend of November 6th and 7th. The general consensus was, "What an amazing group of people! So awake and so kind!" I heard that comment from a number of participants and presenters. This makes me very excited for the coming year of Alliance events and gatherings, because I've now seen how the integrity of our organization has attracted real heart-centered, soulful beings from diverse backgrounds and spiritual paths. I can't wait to meet more of you!!
  

Greetings all.

Major gratitude for everyone involved in the recent conference.  There were over 100 in attendance and I've heard glowing reports from most people. We'll share more with the larger community from the conference as the materials becomes available. For the moment, congratulations all!  Great first offering!

Our other focus in 2010, the Voices of the Earth Project, is pleased to share this recent interview with Dagara elder Malidoma Somé. The link is here: www.youtube.com/user/EMAVoicesOfTheEarth. There are lots of way to help out with the project (see below for more info).
 
Finally, please check out the contribution (see left sidebar) this month by Alliance member, Maria Owl Gutierrez.  We're pleased to feature a different member's voice each month in our community newsletters. 

Thanks for being a part of this blossoming and more deeply rooting new organization and community.

  With gratitude,

  Daniel


The Earth Medicine Alliance is a tax exempt 501(c)3 non-profit.
 
Voices of the Earth Project
Interview with Dagara Elder Malidoma Some
Listen here: www.youtube.com/user/EMAVoicesOfTheEarth

Malidoma The Voices of the Earth Project of the Earth Medicine Alliance is pleased to share this in-depth interview with Dagara elder, author, and diviner Malidoma Some. The link above takes you to clip 1 of 6 on Youtube. The other five interview segments should be available there too. We welcome your input on our work as well as suggestions for folks to interview. For more information on Malidoma's work and offerings see: www.malidoma.com

This interview project aims to make wisdom from diverse earth-honoring traditions accessible to all in the form of a free, online interview archive. For more information on the project and ways to get involved contact Elaine at: elaine@fourwindswriting.com.  Thanks! 

 
First Annual Members Retreat
Pt.. Montara Lighthouse Hostel in Montara, CA
Sat, Nov 20 @ 4pm - Sun, Nov 21 @ 3pm

CACondorSeveral spaces are still open for our first members retreat. We'll gather this Saturday and Sunday along the Pacific in the vessel of heart-aware, earth spirit community. We'll aim to strike a balance with play, ritual, and sacred plotting and planning for the coming year. There are currently 12 planning to attend.

We are asking for $50 from members attending the retreat, and for new members, we are offering a year Alliance membership and retreat registration for $75 total.  This includes a private bed in dorm accommodations, dinner, breakfast and lunch, and other space rental. Everyone is welcome to become a member at any time, including the day of the retreat.   This is a drug and alcohol-free event. For more information or to register contact: info@earthmedicine.org or Daniel at (650) 248-8917.

  The image is of the California coast near the Montara hostel.

 
Ways to Get Involved with the Earth Medicine Alliance
bees   At this stage in our development, the Alliance is run entirely on volunteer effort. It's great to see just how much has come together in our first year. If you are inclined to be part of our team of volunteers, see: www.earthmedicine.org/volunteer or just be in touch. We are committed to having fun and supporting each other in our efforts.

Alliance Wish List and Current Needs:
  • Voices of the Earth interview project. We have conducted two interviews so far (Malidoma Some and Orion Foxwood) and have several others in the works. If you have technical skills with conducting or producing refined interviews in a web archive format that would be helpful to us. We're also open to suggestions for  earth-honoring elders and teachers in the Bay Area to interview.
  • Board of Directors. We are a Board of eight, and we have space for up to thirteen members. If you have prior experience serving on a non-profit board, and especially if you have bookkeeping, fundraising, marketing, business, or other practical skills, feel good about reaching out.
  • Web maintenance and refinement. Andrew (our webmaster) and I could use whatever time and formal skills you may have to offer for refining our site, getting it more out there for search engines, and generally doing all the necessary web things for a successful organization.
  • Making new connections. Are there family or friends in your life or public figures (e.g., religious leaders, teachers, ritualists, earth activists) that you feel would benefit from knowing about our work?  If so, consider letting them know. If there is any way we can support you in this sharing, please be in touch. We also have a Facebook page (search for Earth Medicine Alliance).