News From the Center
Earth Day, April 22, 2000Mother Earth brought us a beautiful day for our Earth Day celebration at the Shielding Tree Nature Center ! The sun shone, the sky was a classic northern Michigan blue, and the wind (which can sometimes be brutal in April) blew gently. Area groups came with informational tables, musicians entertained us, and healthy food was available from Oryana and Kejara's Bridge. Many different "species" participated in the All Species Processional, followed by A Council of All Beings. Designed to help us humans understand the world from another species' perspective, the Council heard from skunks, salmon, coyote, and others. This year, we offered several tours and nature hikes in the area which were all well attended. The "off the grid" home tour was a big success which we plan to expand next year.
If you attended this year's celebration, we'd love some feedback as to how you liked the new location . . . drop us a email!
Earth Save 2000: March 17
Bob Russell, co-director of the Neahtawanta Center, was invited to be the keynote speaker to 250 junior high students from Benzie and Manistee Counties at a conference called Earth Save 2000. His message was clear: we are not on a sustainable path, yet, and the current generation of students will be critical in steering us in that direction. His irreverent style and challenging of corporate behavior kept the students' attention, but caused "concerns" from some of the corporate sponsors. Good job, Bob!
LIAA Forum
The Land Information Access Association held a conference in June entitled, Landscapes of Community &endash; Exploring Our Regional Identity Through Heritage, Arts and the Environment Symposium. Bob facilitated a panel entitled Interrelationships Between Heritage, Arts and Environment. The discussion, and in fact, the entire event explored the potential of bringing leaders and organizations from the arts, heritage and environmental communities together to find common ground and possibly common projects or ways to support and help each other. This was a unique event. The possibilities for future projects and events are endless! Thanks to the dedicated folks at LIAA for all their hard work in organizing this event.
GAG Performances
Our street theater/social action group, GAG (Guerrilla Action Group), wrote and performed a skit on campaign finance reform entitled, The Best Government Money Can Buy. The debut performance was at the spring meeting of the Leelanau County Democrats. It was well received! We also did a performance for a meeting on campaign finance reform in Traverse City sponsored by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. They are now distributing the video of the skit as part of their statewide grassroots organizing. The video is being shown locally on tctv2. If you want to see the performance live, we will be performing it again at the NMEAC Environmentalists of the Year Awards on October 13th, at the Park Place Dome in Traverse City.
GAG will continue to meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the basement at the church on 5th and Oak Streets in Traverse City, starting with a potluck at 6:00 PM. We are looking at some projects for the coming year. New people are always welcome. If you don't like to participate in skits, there are other ways that you can be useful. Guaranteed to lift your spirits and make you laugh!
NREC Annual Board Meeting
The Neahtawanta Center Board of Directors met on June 11th for our annual board meeting. The main focus of the meeting was a discussion of the activities and projects of the Center over the past year, and plans for the year ahead. We will continue our philosophical focus on issues relating to sustainability and communication. In addition to our ongoing programs, such as GAG (Guerrilla Action Group), Earth Day, yoga classes and workshops, we will explore sponsoring some activities that focus on sustainable food issues. Producing a show on tctv2 which would combine vegetarian cooking instruction along with a discussion of issues relating to sustainable food growing and consumption is one idea under consideration.
We also discussed the conscious choice we have made to remain as a small, member-funded organization instead of trying to land big grants and support a more extensive staff and program. Co-directors, Sally and Bob, continue to feel that the Center has more freedom to respond to local, regional and sometimes global issues and concerns if we are not tied to large foundation funding. The co-existence with the Neahtawanta Inn, which houses the Center, and supports the Center staff, allows us to keep operating costs down while avoiding the time-consuming tasks related to grant-writing and reporting. From time to time we may apply for smaller grants for specific projects, but we will continue to ask our community of members to support the work of the Center.
We finished the gathering with (what else?) a tasty vegetarian brunch!
Roger Eischens June 2000 Workshop
Once again (we've lost track of how many years this has been going on) we brought Roger Eischens over from Wisconsin where he runs a yoga retreat center and organic farm for a 5-day yoga teacher training. Roger's style of yoga, which he calls "High Energy Yoga", is based on the Iyengar system, but Roger has adapted it to our Western bodies and lifestyle. Most of the participants have studied with Roger previously, and each year we go deeper into his method. There's time each day for walking, swimming, biking and relaxing. In the evenings we walk in the woods, have discussion, go up to the Lighthouse Park for the sunset, and on the Solstice we held a wonderful ritual around the fire. Roger will be back in November for a men's yoga retreat (see ad on back page).
We will also be bringing Roger back for another 5-day teacher training, June 17 - 22, 2001.
Hiroshima Candlefloat August 6, 2000
Once again this year we gathered at the Boardman River in Traverse City to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to remember the victims of all wars. We shared a picnic dinner on the riverbank and had to dart under the Farmer's Market awning as a brief rain shower came over. At dusk we fo../../rmed a large circle and passed the flashlight as we shared thoughts about war and peace, honoring the victims of violence, from international conflicts to domestic disputes.
This year a national day of protest in Washington D.C. over the sanctions in Iraq was organized to coincide with Hiroshima Day. It has been 10 years since the sanctions, and an estimated 1,000,000 lives have been lost because of the sanctions. It's time to lift the sanctions and stop punishing the Iraqi people for the actions of their dictator.
As darkness fell, we lighted and launched the candlefloats and in silence we followed them along as they floated down the river. The little trail of light moving gently down the dark river reminded us again that there is a path toward peace, and that circling together at these times brings us hope and strength.
Good-bye to Erin and Gabe!
Our helpers, Erin Williams and Gabriel Eriksen, have lived and worked at the Inn and Center for the past year and a half. We are sad to see them go, but were happy to share in the joy of their wedding. They have moved to Ann Arbor to continue their education. It has been such a blessing for us to have them here. They have been a big asset and have become part of our family. We will really miss them. In addition to changing many beds, pouring hundreds of cups of coffee and greeting countless guests, Erin and Gabe have helped with work at the Center and were part of the GAG group. We wish them love, happiness and clear sailing as they embark on this next stage of their life. Perhaps we'll lure them back next summer!
Upcoming Events
Fall Yoga Retreat for Men with Roger Eischens
November 2 &endash; 5, 2000This 3-day workshop has become a regular event here. Men of all ages and physical conditions are welcome. Roger's clear directions and straightforward style are helpful in explaining his method, so that each man leaves with a yoga practice designed for his particular needs. This is a unique offering; there aren't too many "men only" yoga retreats. If you've been tempted to try yoga but have been intimidated by flexible women in leotards, this is your chance!
In addition, Bob Russell, innkeeper and cook, will share some of his tips on vegetarian cooking and participants will enjoy the fruits of his labor! See the back page for details.
The Practice of Personal Peace: Nonviolence and Conflict Management with Tom Shea -- November 10 &endash; 12, 2000
In this workshop participants will learn how to incorporate the principles of nonviolence into their everyday lives. Whether it's a dispute with a neighbor, an argument with a spouse, or a clash at work, we all have to cope with conflicts in our lives. Finding nonviolent solutions to conflict has the potential for transforming a stressful situation into an opportunity for personal growth and healing. Tom Shea has been a leader in our community as an advocate for nonviolence and conflict resolution trainer. Tom will draw on his extensive experience as a long-time peace activist to facilitate this workshop. See the back page for details.
Sally's Yoga Classes
October 9th - December 13, 2000
• Monday Evening 5:30 - 7:00 PM
• Tuesday Morning 10:00 - 11:30 AM
• Wednesday Evening 5:30 - 7:00 PM