This is a review of some of the work I've been involved with during my life.
Category: Indian Boarding Schools
Mind on Fire
This action aligns with the New Conscientious Objector (NewCO) call for material repair, specifically addressing the legacy of the Indian Boarding School system, which represented a "catastrophic moral failure" for Quakers. By supporting work related to the trauma inflicted by assimilation policies, the IYM(C) advances the Abolition pillar of the NewCO, which requires Investment in alternatives and healing to dismantle the structural violence of the colonial state.
A fork in the road
I urge Quakers and others of conscience to object to Christian, colonial capitalism, and build Beloved communities based upon Mutual Aid, LANDBACK, and the replacement of police and prisons with ways to promote community safety instead.
Decolonial Path for Quakers 12 – Our other colonial projects
Does the world make sense to you? As economic and political systems collapse around us, isn’t this time for Quakers to speak out? Isn’t this the time to replace unjust systems with those that serve justice, i.e., LANDBACK, Mutual Aid, and the abolition of police and prisons?
Decolonial Path for Quakers 9 – Asking the right questions
It became clear that many of our queries make assumptions about the legitimacy and ongoing presence of our current systems of Christian colonial capitalist violence. I recently wrote about settler futurity, which is the idea that settler colonialism isn’t just about taking land in the present, but also about controlling the very idea of the future. It’s a way of thinking that presents the settler society as the only possible future—as a permanent and natural reality.
Decolonial Path for Quakers 8 – The other side of the paradox
This is where the spiritual practice of conservative Quakers, seeking continuing revelation, can find Spirit-led guidance for a more just world for all. You don't need to be a Quaker to do this, of course. We need a spirit guided movement of multitudes of people.
Decolonial Path for Quakers 7 – The Paradox
Quakers aren't exempt from doing harm. But we have the spiritual tools to guide us toward a better world for all. That's why this decolonial journey is so important.
Decolonial Journey 17 – This is the question
I believe we must stop our complacency and complicity in accepting the ongoing injustices of colonization.
Decolonial Journey 15 – Incommensurability and Quaker Conscience
For any settler institution, a decolonial path requires moving beyond reconciliation to repentance and restitution. It means embracing the incommensurable demands of LANDBACK, Mutual Aid, and Abolition. This is not a rejection of values like peace and justice, but their most rigorous and honest application-an act of faith in a more just world yet to be built.
From Benevolence to Solidarity
This is a visualization of the historical journey of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) and its path toward a future rooted in Mutual Aid. Understanding the fundamental difference between Charity and Mutual Aid is the first step. While both stem from compassion, their approach to power, community, and change are worlds apart.