June 8th: Justice, Humility & Recovery
Our planet and peoples continue to experience various crises ranging from genocide to climate chaos. These present unique opportunities among aligned movements to build bridges to better support the marginalized and disrupt the re-cycling of collective trauma. We will explore topics like further aligning social and ecological causes and efforts, recognizing and addressing cultural appropriation, creative non-violent resistance and re-membering our ancestral lineages, both human and more-than-human.
Starhawk returns to the VBC to present on the topic of Regenerative Justice:
We live in the midst of two great crises—increasing social and economic inequality, and the meltdown of climate change. But these are actually the same crisis: —the massive degradation of ecosystems, including human systems. The same interests that brutally enforce oppressive human systems prevent us from taking the steps we need to address climate change.
The solution must be massive ecosystem regeneration on a global scale—and the good news is that we know how to do it for landscapes! Permaculture, agro-ecology and regenerative agriculture offer many tools for restoring degraded land and habitat—and using them can meet our human needs while increasing soil health, biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
Human systems are a bit more tricky—for viable, resilient communities must be built on a foundation of social justice. Resilience stems from meaningful diversity—creating that in our human groups is more challenging than planting a polyculture or a food forest. Nature pulses between disturbance and equilibrium—how can that help us create social change? In this talk, Starhawk draws on insights from permaculture and her decades of magical and earth-spirit practice to explore how we can create regenerative justice.
*ASL Interpreter available upon request for evening event programming. To request this service, please contact Eve at wethewildyouthassistant@gmail.com
Location
Carvlin Hall, 2408 SE 16th Ave, Portland, OR
Tickets
Visit our TICKETING page to get our advance ticket discount for this and all our fee-based evening events. Admission includes a hearty vegetarian dinner.
Free for Special Entry: Self-Identified Person of Color or Youth. Short scholarship request form HERE. (Once you receive confirmation of a scholarship, just provide your name at the door and mention the “Roots” List)
Many volunteers needed! Click here to volunteer, worktrade options to get a free night available.
Timing
5:30pm - Doors Open
6:00pm - Dinner Served
6:45-7:00pm - Greetings and Announcements
7:00-7:45pm - Shilo George
7:45-8:45pm - Starhawk
8:45pm and on - Music and mingle
8:45-9:15pm - Flying Caravan
9:30-10:30pm - Blacque Butterfly & Band
Speakers & Musicians Bios
Shilo George, MS (she/her/hers) is Southern Cheyenne-Arapaho and Scottish international speaker, trainer, and owner of Łush Kumtux Tumtum Consulting, which means “a great awakening of the heart and spirit” in the Chinuk Wawa trade language. With over twenty years of experience working as a social worker in a variety of settings and an anti-oppression activist, Shilo brings her skills, leadership, and education to her consulting and training to others on systems of oppression, trauma informed care, and proactive ways that businesses and organizations can create policies and environments that that promote diversity, equity, and healing. Her workshops and presentations explore the intersections of race, sexuality, body size, disability, and trauma, both intergenerational and personal trauma. Shilo received her Bachelor of Science in Art Practices in 2012 and a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and Policy with a specialization in Postsecondary Adult and Continuing Education in 2017, both from Portland State University.
Łush Kumtux Tumtum Consulting logo.
Shilo George portiate.
Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. She is the author or co-author of thirteen books, including The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess and the ecotopian novel The Fifth Sacred Thing, and its sequel City of Refuge.
Her most recent non-fiction book is The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, on group dynamics, power, conflict and communications.
Starhawk founded Earth Activist Training, teaching permaculture design grounded in spirituality and with a focus on activism. She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism.
Blacque Butterfly & Band
Blacque Butterfly is a native Oregonian, born and raised in NE Portland. She is the author of “Black girl can I comb your hair” and selected poetry. She released a spoken word CD entitled Collide -A - Scope that is available at ITunes Amazon, CD Baby, Rhapsody and other digital sites. Currently she is working on her sophomore album and mixtape slated to release soon. Newly produced pieces can be heard on SoundCloud.com/Blacque-Butterfly. Blacque Butterfly promotes and showcases local talent through her events “Blacque Butterfly Presents...” and has revived a city favorite a weekly event entitled “Love Jones” Butterfly also host a biweekly community engagement show called Rose City Gumbo. Butterfly mentors troubled youth and single mothers and facilitates a youth based theatre troupe, where she allows youth at risk to use the arts as a tool for social justice. She is also a member of Up and Over Tour a mentoring team of artists that share their experiences and performances to youth via the educational system. She is also a Right Brain Initiative teaching artist. Butterfly has a passion for people and has motivated and mentored women and men of domestic violence. Blacque Butterfly believes in the philosophy that you can be the change that you want to see in the world. Her vocals can be strong and powerful, yet soft and tender. Beckoning the listener to a better place. If Natalie Stewart of Floetry and Meshell Ndegeocello could have a love child. It would be Blacque Butterfly.
Flying Caravan
Flying Caravan is a wanderlust troupe of musicians fueled by creative explorations and gathering the community. While fusing genres like psych folk and jazz, Flying Caravan invites everyone to celebrate their journey (what has been, is now, and will be) through songs about adventure and emotional healing.
Natty - ukulele and vocals
Forrest - baritone ukulele/guitar
Kevin - percussion
Severen - cello
Mary - Crow