We had an in depth discussion about the NewCO at my Quaker meeting, Bear Creek Friends, yesterday. For much of the hour we explored what the meeting’s role might be if we adopt the NewCO. I appreciated Friends’ willingness to explore the possibilities. The meeting has not decided to embrace the NewCO, yet. This is how the Quaker process works. A member or group discerns a concern. That concern can be brought to the meeting for discussion and what would be involved in implementing it.
One thing that wasn’t made clear enough was the interdependence of the three parts the circle: Bear Creek Quaker meeting, the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) and the Decolonial Repair Network (DRN). The Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) provides the Indigenous views and leadership. The founder of GPAS, Sikowis Nobiss, spoke at our Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) annual meeting in 2017, along with Donnielle Wanatee of the Meskwaki settlement. There have been many occasions when Iowa Quakers have worked with these leaders since then.
The Decolonial Repair Network (DRN) is a group of white people who want to be good allies to our Indigenous friends. The DRN was created to provide those wanting to support the GPAS’s efforts to restore Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and ways of life.
Workcamp
A workcamp to restore a house that will become the GPAS’s Healing Justice House, will be held from November 30 thru December 6th at their Urban Resiliency Hub in downtown Iowa City.
This diagram is an overview of how these pieces have been coming together over the past eight years.
