Decolonization, Transgenerational Healing and Sustainability a monthly ONEspace - Arts & Knowledge - Salon Series (artwork above by Samuel Rodriguez) Upcoming salons scheduled for: Sept. 21, Oct. 16, Nov.TBD (+weekly film showings and A Social Mourning Place this month), Dec. 26, Jan. TBD, Feb. TBD, Mar. TBD, April TBD ------
This month's Salon Assignment & message from the presenter:
Greetings, Mothers of Invention Salon Participants. Thank you for your interest in this focus area of women's spirituality. Below are both reading and viewing assignments.
I'd like to comment about this material. Origin stories will be a central part of this salon exploration. You can google this term and find a variety of definitions.
For my purposes in this salon I like the following: By “Origin Stories” many anthropologists mean the stories that were told in past societies about how everything came to be. In the Christian tradition, the story of Genesis is part of an origin story. In indigenous origin stories, people often imagined lots and lots of different spirits who helped make the world, the people, the mountains and rivers and the star and skies. Origin Stories can often be found at the very heart of traditional educational systems because they helped understand who they were, where they were and what their role was in society and in the Universe as a whole. So Origin stories could give you a sense of orientation. --David Christian, Cofounder the Big History Project, author of Origin Story
I have listed the prep assignments in order of priority - readings are first:
Readings below (3): (1) one by Grahn, (2) an interview with Anzaldua and (3) a short essay by Dashu "Witch Hunts".
Videos: total viewing time = 34 min (1)
#1: Max Dashu's videos (3) which provide background for the Marija Gimbutas MOOSE origin story which Judy Grahn refers to in her essay: Total time for #1-3 = 13:20 min #2: Judy Grahn: "Metaformic Theory" A brief description 2 min #3: Videos about Audre Lord, Paula Gunn Allen and Gloria Anzaldua (total time = 18 min)
The additional material that I've listed below will deepen understanding about the life and work of both Judy and Marija.
Women's spirituality is a global phenomenon and its voices are many and diverse. My choices of Lord, Allen and Anzaldua are not in any way meant to be inclusive of all the valuable voices of women in women's spirituality but rather represent the voices of the diverse communities that have had a major impact on women's spirituality in the United States. I hope you enjoy this material and look forward to the salon experience we'll share on Friday, September 21, 2018, 6:00-9:00PM.
VIEWINGS: Max Dashu's youtube channel (Total viewing time for #1-3 = 13.20 min):
Neolithic&Paleolithic Eras. The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistory from about 2.6 million years ago to around 10,000 years ago. The Neolithic Era (or New Stone Age) began around 10,000 BCE and ended between 4500 and 2000 BCE in various parts of the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Judy Grahn: Metaformic Theory from ITP video: 2 min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYMqgaQKjFs
Audre Lord: A Litany of Survival: 2:40 min "I started writing because I had a need inside me to create something that was not there" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diHzbQNyO2k
Paula Gunn Allen: Thought Woman--The Life and Ideas of Paula Gunn Allen: 2:56 min https://vimeo.com/76671748
Healing Wounded Communities by Researching and Writing Origin Stories: 27:39 min This is an excellent intro to Judy's work and life story which ends with a visual of her book Blood, Bread & Roses: How Menstruation Created the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYrinzVr7Wc
Last month's assignment: Read Chapter 15 of A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn