Why Should I Care?

Hello new friend!

I know nothing about fundraising. All I know is my heart is deeply connected to this work, and I have faith that others can relate and will want to help in whatever ways they can. Thank you for answering the call by showing up and reading these words.

When seeking the advice of fundraising experts, one of the first questions I was told I should be able to answer for you, dear reader, is:

“Why should I care about this?”

Below is a chance to start to unpack that together. Please feel free to add comments, questions or more below. I’d love for us to open up a dialog about why this work matters.

I care because…

• • Our planet is hurting and in need of healing. As we heal ourselves and our relationships with one another, we can also heal our relationship to our Mother, Earth.
  • I Love California. I love the land, the skies, the waters, the plants, the trees, the animals and the people.
  • I want to help others. If you’re here, that means a few things: you have access to the internet, and some kind of device (mobile phone, tablet, laptop) to read these words. This means – you have resources! Which could be in the form of money, friends, sharing to create awareness or your heartfelt prayers! Share those gifts. I promise, it will help you too.
  • History lied to us, and I want to do the right thing. I’m learning more about the real history of the place I call home. Native people who survived settler colonialism are still facing oppressive systemic challenges today. If you have resources, or can share this story with others, you are in a position of privilege and can make a real difference.

Too often, when we think about the history of California – the stories we learned about this land start only 170 years ago…the truth is, California has been inhabited by people for over 10,000 years. From petroglyphs found in present day Marin County, to shell mounds and burial sites, uncovered by modern developments, the evidence is clear. Entire tribes, languages, sacred songs and ceremonies were lost to settler colonialism and genocide.

Did you that there is a large population of native people are still here in present day California? Some tribes actually survived the calculated erasure of their people? In the sacred names of those who didn’t survive to tell their story: the mothers, fathers, children, elders, languages, songs, ceremony that have been lost, we must do everything we can to empower, uplift, and support our native brothers and sisters. And to heal our relationship to one another and this sacred land.

Today, a little over 100 miles north of San Francisco along the California Coast, reside “The People from the Top of Land,” also known as Kashia Pomo (also spelled as Kashaya). The Kashia have lived in this coastal area for thousands of years and continue to live here even after colonization first by the Russians, then the Spanish and the U.S.

The Pomo Elders at the center of this ceremonial Roundhouse project are doing more than protecting their culture; they are restoring a sacred roundhouse as a bridge between ancestors, elders and the new generations. A space for connection, community, and ultimately healing for all who seek it.