Walk Cheerfully Over the World

In these troubled times I don’t often see expressions of optimism and hope for our future. Quite the opposite. We are living in dystopian times.

But in 1656, from prison, (Quaker) George Fox wrote:

And this is the word of the Lord God to you all, and a charge to you all in the presence of the living God: be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.
–George Fox

I’ve been writing about my experiences with the Indigenous-led Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) for the past nine years. And my recent experiences in working on their newly (re)acquired acre of land in downtown Iowa City. At the end of this you will find a graphic of the GPAS Urban Resilience Hub. (Note: I will be updating our most recent work at the Hub this last few days soon.)

One thing I talked about with Sikowis (who founded the Great Plains Action Society) was how a rural resilience hub could be patterned from this work to build the GPAS urban resilience hub. An idea she supports. This is what centering Indigenous leadership looks like.

Great Plains Action Society’s Urban Resilience Hub

Urban Indigenous-Led Resilience and Innovation Hub

An Urban Indigenous-Led Resilience and Innovation Hub will provide proximity to culture, traditions, workforce development and education, which will allow Indigenous communities to heal and thrive. Furthermore, with a sustainable building surrounded by regenerative lands and cultural spaces stewarded through traditional ecological knowledge, this hub will ignite a reclamation of Indigenous agency, sovereignty, and rebuild our ancient relationship with the environment—all while helping to curb the climate crisis. Essentially this a true testament to Indigenous Futurism where our worldviews and lifeways can help reimagine the world and establish a just economy where technology can help and not harm the earth. GPAS Rematriate.