Rainbow Community for Standing Rock
Donation protected
We are the Rainbow Community School Warriors.
We are compassionate leaders, building a socially just, spiritually connected, and environmentally sustainable world.
We are the Rainbow Standing Rock Delegation; Wendy Sause, Elijah White, Bronwyn White, Caryn Hanna, Bob Hanna, Bryce Hanna and Danielle Hanna, traveling to Standing Rock to provide much needed supplies with the money you donate to this Rainbow Delegation Fund.
We are students, parents, alumni, and teachers at Rainbow Community School in Asheville, North Carolina whose hearts are heavy as we watch our water sources destabilized, the indigenous people of this land dishonored, native sacred sites destroyed, and our children’s futures dismissed as we fail to act on climate change.
Even more importantly, we are a community of whole-hearted learners committed to a transformational journey through compassionate service. Each morning when we turn to face our students we feel it in our bodies as we are undeniably initiated into a sacred contract of leadership. We are not only our students’ advocates and teachers, but their elders and role models. We are not only their parents and counselors, but their mentors and advisors. Our dedication to holistic education, to nurturing our students’ spiritual insight as well as their political power, moves us to take action now at this critical moment in American history.
After months of sustained effort by an indigenous lead coalition to redirect, or preferably shut down, the Dakota Access Pipeline away from traditional Sioux land, Rainbow is now joining this movement.
In just five days, on Saturday, November 19th, two Rainbow families will be heading to Standing Rock to act as a Rainbow delegation. The Rainbow delegation is made up of Wendy Sause and her children Elijah White and Bronwyn White, who graduated from Rainbow Community School last spring, along with Caryn and Bob Hanna and their children, 5th grader Bryce Hanna and alumna Danielle Hanna. It is our goal to raise $10,000 in these next five days to provide the Rosebud Camp, often referred to the “prayerful camp” and home to the Asheville community, with the resources they need to camp through the harsh winter that is fast approaching. Donations bought with the Rainbow Delegation Fund will include at least two winterized wall tents, wood stove materials, and tent flooring. The list of supplies needed, however, is virtually endless. Every penny raised will be used to secure the camps with trusted, practical, and effective resources. We cannot raise too much money for this cause. We cannot share this link with too many friends and family member, inviting them to stand with us as we transform our endless compassion into timely action.
As we adults donate what we can, our children will be busy educating themselves on issues around pipeline installation, indigenous land, and community accountability. Rainbow 4th and 5th graders, in particular, will be delving into questions that will help them to reflect on their role as young changemakers and the true meaning of service learning: “What do you think it would feel like to be living in the path of the projected pipeline? Do you think it is your responsibility to take action? Why or why not?” Students will be encouraged to use their critical thinking skills to make up their own minds about the specific actions taken by the DAPL protesters, as well as to ask themselves, “What benefits do some people see in installing a pipeline?” As they investigate all sides of this issue they will be asked to continuously come back to their own sense of integrity and compassion, wherever that leads them.
Students will also be engaging with the actions at Standing Rock outside of the classroom by mobilizing their peers and community to make prayer flags that will adorn the donated tents. Every morning from 8:15-9:00am and every afternoon from 3:00-3:30pm this week, Rainbow parents will be tabling on the deck outside of the front office with prayer flag materials and DAPL information gathered by the students. We invite you to stop by the deck to design your own prayer flag! Students will be uncovering the rich history and significance of prayer flags as we encourage them to learn how to stand in solidarity with the peoples of the world with both embodied action and inspired hearts.
Our vision is not merely to raise money, donate supplies, and complete a “unit” on indigenous rights in the classroom. What we are doing here extends far deeper into the core of who we are as individuals and who we are as a community. We are building a transformational learning journey for all who are inspired to join us. We wish to change and grow from this experience both personally, locally, and nationally. We wish to come together, to do what we can, and above all we wish to express our empathy with all the people putting so much effort into creating viable solutions to this tricky situation.
The Rainbow delegation is in the midst of intensive preparations for their trip to North Dakota and will be following in the footsteps of local Asheville organizers and activists, such a Rosetta Buan and Erin Hardy, who have completed trips to Standing Rock. After returning from a second trip to Standing Rock, Rosetta Baun realized that, "This was not their fight. This was all of our fight. This is all of our water. This is all of our future". This Rainbow delegation seeks to not only provide the camps with supplies and to share with them Rainbow students’ gratitude for their courageous stance for clean water and self-determination, but also to bring back to our communities the powerful stories being told at Standing Rock. When they return from their Thanksgiving trip to the Rosebud Camp, the Rainbow Standing Rock delegation will be visiting classrooms, sharing their experience, and engaging us all in further community action.
It is with a pounding heart that we thank you for your donations, for your support in spreading this message, and for your contribution to our prayer flags. What is possible when we act in community, from a place of grounded intention, critical thinking, and authentic vulnerability? We’ll have to wait and see: $10,000… can we do it?
Photo Credit: Rainbow Parent, Charlotte Smith. Charlotte and her family made a trip to Standing Rock in October. The picture shows her son, Theo Miller, pointing towards the Rosebud Camp.
In Loving Community,
Rainbow Community School
RESOURCES
No DAPL solidarity website
https://nodaplsolidarity.org
What does it mean to live on colonized land?
http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/support-standing-rock-confront-means-live-stolen-land/
Rosetta Baun’s most recent update
https://www.facebook.com/Rosettastar/videos/vb.100001819382902/1224105080993460/?type=2&theater
We are compassionate leaders, building a socially just, spiritually connected, and environmentally sustainable world.
We are the Rainbow Standing Rock Delegation; Wendy Sause, Elijah White, Bronwyn White, Caryn Hanna, Bob Hanna, Bryce Hanna and Danielle Hanna, traveling to Standing Rock to provide much needed supplies with the money you donate to this Rainbow Delegation Fund.
We are students, parents, alumni, and teachers at Rainbow Community School in Asheville, North Carolina whose hearts are heavy as we watch our water sources destabilized, the indigenous people of this land dishonored, native sacred sites destroyed, and our children’s futures dismissed as we fail to act on climate change.
Even more importantly, we are a community of whole-hearted learners committed to a transformational journey through compassionate service. Each morning when we turn to face our students we feel it in our bodies as we are undeniably initiated into a sacred contract of leadership. We are not only our students’ advocates and teachers, but their elders and role models. We are not only their parents and counselors, but their mentors and advisors. Our dedication to holistic education, to nurturing our students’ spiritual insight as well as their political power, moves us to take action now at this critical moment in American history.
After months of sustained effort by an indigenous lead coalition to redirect, or preferably shut down, the Dakota Access Pipeline away from traditional Sioux land, Rainbow is now joining this movement.
In just five days, on Saturday, November 19th, two Rainbow families will be heading to Standing Rock to act as a Rainbow delegation. The Rainbow delegation is made up of Wendy Sause and her children Elijah White and Bronwyn White, who graduated from Rainbow Community School last spring, along with Caryn and Bob Hanna and their children, 5th grader Bryce Hanna and alumna Danielle Hanna. It is our goal to raise $10,000 in these next five days to provide the Rosebud Camp, often referred to the “prayerful camp” and home to the Asheville community, with the resources they need to camp through the harsh winter that is fast approaching. Donations bought with the Rainbow Delegation Fund will include at least two winterized wall tents, wood stove materials, and tent flooring. The list of supplies needed, however, is virtually endless. Every penny raised will be used to secure the camps with trusted, practical, and effective resources. We cannot raise too much money for this cause. We cannot share this link with too many friends and family member, inviting them to stand with us as we transform our endless compassion into timely action.
As we adults donate what we can, our children will be busy educating themselves on issues around pipeline installation, indigenous land, and community accountability. Rainbow 4th and 5th graders, in particular, will be delving into questions that will help them to reflect on their role as young changemakers and the true meaning of service learning: “What do you think it would feel like to be living in the path of the projected pipeline? Do you think it is your responsibility to take action? Why or why not?” Students will be encouraged to use their critical thinking skills to make up their own minds about the specific actions taken by the DAPL protesters, as well as to ask themselves, “What benefits do some people see in installing a pipeline?” As they investigate all sides of this issue they will be asked to continuously come back to their own sense of integrity and compassion, wherever that leads them.
Students will also be engaging with the actions at Standing Rock outside of the classroom by mobilizing their peers and community to make prayer flags that will adorn the donated tents. Every morning from 8:15-9:00am and every afternoon from 3:00-3:30pm this week, Rainbow parents will be tabling on the deck outside of the front office with prayer flag materials and DAPL information gathered by the students. We invite you to stop by the deck to design your own prayer flag! Students will be uncovering the rich history and significance of prayer flags as we encourage them to learn how to stand in solidarity with the peoples of the world with both embodied action and inspired hearts.
Our vision is not merely to raise money, donate supplies, and complete a “unit” on indigenous rights in the classroom. What we are doing here extends far deeper into the core of who we are as individuals and who we are as a community. We are building a transformational learning journey for all who are inspired to join us. We wish to change and grow from this experience both personally, locally, and nationally. We wish to come together, to do what we can, and above all we wish to express our empathy with all the people putting so much effort into creating viable solutions to this tricky situation.
The Rainbow delegation is in the midst of intensive preparations for their trip to North Dakota and will be following in the footsteps of local Asheville organizers and activists, such a Rosetta Buan and Erin Hardy, who have completed trips to Standing Rock. After returning from a second trip to Standing Rock, Rosetta Baun realized that, "This was not their fight. This was all of our fight. This is all of our water. This is all of our future". This Rainbow delegation seeks to not only provide the camps with supplies and to share with them Rainbow students’ gratitude for their courageous stance for clean water and self-determination, but also to bring back to our communities the powerful stories being told at Standing Rock. When they return from their Thanksgiving trip to the Rosebud Camp, the Rainbow Standing Rock delegation will be visiting classrooms, sharing their experience, and engaging us all in further community action.
It is with a pounding heart that we thank you for your donations, for your support in spreading this message, and for your contribution to our prayer flags. What is possible when we act in community, from a place of grounded intention, critical thinking, and authentic vulnerability? We’ll have to wait and see: $10,000… can we do it?
Photo Credit: Rainbow Parent, Charlotte Smith. Charlotte and her family made a trip to Standing Rock in October. The picture shows her son, Theo Miller, pointing towards the Rosebud Camp.
In Loving Community,
Rainbow Community School
RESOURCES
No DAPL solidarity website
https://nodaplsolidarity.org
What does it mean to live on colonized land?
http://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/support-standing-rock-confront-means-live-stolen-land/
Rosetta Baun’s most recent update
https://www.facebook.com/Rosettastar/videos/vb.100001819382902/1224105080993460/?type=2&theater
Organizer and beneficiary
Bow Rain
Organizer
Asheville, NC
Margaret Gerleve
Beneficiary
