by Donna Luckey
In recent weeks the news of increased fires in the Amazon has been overwhelming. The accelerating destruction of the rainforest is tragic, and yet not at all new: we have heard about fire and other threats to Mother Earth (called Pachamama, in Quechua) for decades. In our region of the world, it can be a struggle to connect or respond to tragedies so far away.
The Pachamama Alliance (PA) is an organization that has been connected with the indigenous people of the Amazon for over 25 years, working to protect their homeland—just as we work to protect and enhance our sense of ‘place’ here in Humboldt/Wiyot territory.
The Pachamama Alliance Humboldt Community was established as a way for locals to engage with the dreams of the PA and of the indigenous people in the Amazon basin headwaters with whom PA works.
Pachamama Alliance Vision and Purpose
The Pachamama Alliance was born out of an invitation from the indigenous Achuar people to work in partnership with them to preserve their land and culture while bringing forth a new worldview that honors and sustains life. The realities of oil development in Ecuador underscore the importance of this work. The PA has worked in solidarity with indigenous organizations of Ecuador’s Amazon to defend their rights and homeland since 1997.
The PA community weaves together indigenous and modern worldviews, and envisions a world that works for everyone: an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet—“changing the dream of the modern world.” In the Pachamama Humboldt Community, we aim to provide local opportunities to discover the value of ancient wisdom in addressing our modern crises and to help each of us define our personal role in fulfilling this vision.
The Pachamama Alliance is committed to transforming human systems and structures that separate us, and to transforming our relationships with ourselves, with one another, and with the natural world. In PA, “we are accountable to—and stand in solidarity with—those whose access to material resources and free self-expression is limited by unjust systems of power and privilege.”
The PA has developed a suite of transformative learning workshops aimed at how to make a widespread impact to “change the dream.” Two of these will be offered in Arcata in November, presented by Equity Matters and the Humboldt Pachamama Community. Info about these events can be found below.
The Eagle and the Condor
The Achuar people were influenced by an ancient prophecy about the Eagle and the Condor, shared by many Andean and Amazonian indigenous cultures. According to this prophecy, we are at a moment in history when the Eagle, representing intellect and the mind, and the Condor, representing wisdom and the heart, must come together to ensure the continued existence of humankind.
Pachamama Alliance Livestream
Join a viewing of the livestream of the Pachamama Alliance Annual Fundraiser Luncheon (held in San Francisco) on November 14 at noon at the Humboldt Area Foundation. For a description of the event that will be livestreamed, visit: https://landing.pachamama.org/2019-sf-luncheon. If you are interested in joining us to view the livestream, please RSVP to erin@equitymatters.today.
Awakening the Dreamer Symposium
The Pachamama Alliance’s Awakening the Dreamer Symposium will be held November 23, 1-4 p.m., at the Humboldt Area Foundation. The Awakening symposium has been held in at least 78 countries in 13 languages by over 4,000 volunteers. The PA is excited to bring this community work to Humboldt. For details about the symposium, or to register, visit https://connect.pachamama.org/event/awakening-dreamer, or email erin@equitymatters.today.
