Zine Release!! Sacred Land: Diné Supporters Network

ZINES  —DONATE— VIDEOS — ALBUMS

Beautiful Beings,

Moon Phase: Waning Moon
Sun Phase: before Autumnal Equinox

Music: Deathless By: Alas
Prayer: May you stretch your body and relieve tension.

the Dine’ Supporters Network is an Indigenous led movement of cultural preservation.

As we conclude our 9 years of Solidarity work with the Indigenous Diné Supporters Network, we roll out a new zine and lots of gratitude to the Elders that allowed me into their homes and cultures.

As a part of the Diné Supporters Network, we created Authentic Creations Publishing Apothecary with a desire to do more for marginalized communities. Back then we mostly did free herbal clinics during Supporter Camps. For nine years we offered 33% of our programming to the Indigenous Diné Nation.

As a farewell gift we curated a second Diné zine, Sacred Land: Diné Supporters Network. This zine is a how to for folks interested in becoming regular supporters at Black Mesa on the Diné Reservation. Information about intentions, expectations, past supporters, current groups to aide with. I also wrote an article, finding my place, about my experience as a supporter in hopes it will help others find balance within the network.

Diné: Our Survival Is Bound To Theirs, our first zine, is more the backstory of the people, on-going concerns and support requesting.

We will continue to spread and advocate the message of intersection; that frontline resisters (environmental justice) return to their homes within 50 miles of the mine sites (social justice). Supporting the resisters at their homes allows all of us to be better equipped for frontline confrontations mentally, physically and emotionally. As well as establish the relationships and skills necessary for long-term resistance of extreme energy extraction, displacement of Original Peoples, and cultural suppression.

 

Currently we are wrapping up our Seed Sovereignty Program, by returning 10 varieties of Ancestral Seeds to 17 families with a reach of 88 individuals.

We THANK everysoul that has taking this journey of solidarity with us. Because of you we supported 40-50 Diné families annually with herbal medicine and traditional Seeds.

This transition is long awaited in my life. My Taino partner and I will be relocating to Borikén (Puerto Rico) this Winter to regain closeness with our Ancestral lands.

Some of our programs over the years:

*Rocky Road General Store Apothecary

Our newest program, co-sustains a wellness space at the local reservation “convenience store”. The direct ask is for specific loose leaf herbs for the Dine’ community. This is born from our previous program Free Herbal Clinic and offers residents the opportunity to make their own medicine gaining autonomy from colonial systems.

*Sovereignty Care Packs

Once a Sun cycle we send out 30-50 packages which include herbal remedies mainly topical solutions, tinctures, hygiene, traditional Seeds, and literature on self-care, how to use remedies, and wild wisdom.

*Supporter Camps

A group of 15-30 people from different areas provide direct-on-land support for 4 Indigenous Elders. Some examples of the work that has been done in the past is rematriation of Ancestral Seeds, an herbal clinic, Seed initiatives, distributing literature, hauling water, cutting and chopping wood, repairing and winterizing homes, and other activities that help them sustain their lifeways.

We sponsor the Community Meal and Annual Meeting. A gathering that centers Diné Elders, with their Allies in support roles, so they can focus on networking. Elders, and other Diné people give short presentations, report backs, and offer resources to their community, and Allies, over a traditional Diné meal.

We organize a Community Seed Swap that offers native varieties of Squash, Bean, Melon, Corn, wild herbs and traditional spices. We visit Diné large scale farms to learn and network while gathering Seeds to restock the Little Colorado River Watershed Chapter Association Seed Library that is youth run and aides about 200 non-resistor families annually.

We coordinate traditional Knowledge Shares on building  root cellars, earthen dams, gardening, traditional nutrition, preparing foods and Seed saving. We also make educational materials based on the wisdom shared to distribute later.

 

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Thank you for valuing People Of Heritage and the work we do to keep our community in wellness. Donations are matched dollar for dollar and go towards cultural revitalization and spiritual tending.