Dear “OEF” Family,

We are looking forward to seeing you all the last week of May at our vision quest gathering in Grass Valley, CA. After a year of relative isolation and Zoom meetings, we are excited about the opportunity to get together for real! Here is a review of some pertinent information regarding the event.

The Spring Hanbleceya will be held in Grass Valley on May 24th – 31st 2021 and will be facilitated by OEF’s council and community members. We are expecting mild cool to warm weather throughout the gathering.

This gathering will also facilitate the special event of Grandma Sarah’s installation as our “Spiritual facilitator” of OEF’s ceremonial gatherings. We are indeed fortunate to have such a kind and loving council member (who is Nathan Standing Bear’s “Hunka” [spiritual] sister) dedicated to assuming this role and honored position for OEF as a four year commitment. Aho Sarah!
Looking forward to seeing you all. Please respond if you plan to attend and please indicate what role or contribution you might choose to offer in order to help out with the gathering functions or ceremonies.

Love and blessings,

OEF Council

Please RSVP with how many will be attending in your group and for how many days so we may plan accordingly for food. Thank you.

Schedule:

Monday, May 24th

• Council arrives at Jan’s and set up personal camp
• Council meets with Jan
• Set up COVID protocols

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, May 25-27

• Greeting people as they arrive
• Set up personal camps
• Set up kitchen, welcome table, Lucy’ giveaway table, water heater, shower
• Repair lodge and set up sacred circle
• Set up defensible space (clearing, weed wacking, raking, watering down…)
• Clearing and chopping wood, gathering kindling, etc
• Prep breakfast and dinner
• COVID protocols followed

Wednesday, May 26

Possible sweat lodge

Thursday, May 27

• Early morning sweat lodge
• Grandma Sarah’s Spiritual Facilitator acceptance ceremony
• Fill cannupa
• Quester’s final prep

Friday, May 28

• Purification lodge for questers (6:00 am)
• Take the questers out
• Firetending begins 24/7 until questers return
• Pray, eat, drink, and drum for questers
• Prep breakfast and dinner
• COVID protocols followed
• Gather at fire for teachings, stories and to be with family

Saturday, May 29

• Lodge
• Continue to pray, eat, drink, drum for questers
• Tend fire
• Prep breakfast and dinner
• COVID protocols followed
• Gather at fire for teachings, stories and to be with family

Sunday, May 30

• Bring questers in
• Release lodge
• Sacred food
• Support questers with re entry needs
• Gather to hear what the questers have to tell us
• Smoke cannupa
• Break down sacred circle, hang up blankets and rugs to dry
• Prep breakfast and Wopila
• COVID protocols followed

Monday, May 31

• Prep breakfast
• Break down camp, clean up and launder
• Break down personal camps
• Say farewells

Haŋblečeya /Vision Quest Description:

The main focus and function of a Haŋblečeya /Vision Quest gathering is to host those who will go out onto “The Hill,” and to support their spiritual quest while they fast, pray and seek inter-dimensional wisdom from creator. The role of the community is to allow them to feel secure, protected, honored, respected and supported through prayers, songs, eating, drinking and drum rhythms…and then honored and cared-for by being offered a final lodge, sacred food, and an attentive ear as they share their insights in their re-entery into the temporal world.

As always, the center of the ceremonies, teachings and group interactions will focus around the Sacred fire near the Altar and Inipi lodge.

It is for these reasons you are all encouraged to observe the following protocols:

Protocols:

Once you enter the gate, please be aware you are in ceremony, and please honor the setting, purpose, intentions, and the path of serving spirit and creator in community.

Clothing:

Ladies: Conservative tops with sleeves that cover the shoulders and skirts or dresses which fall below the knee and should be worn throughout the ceremony.
No tank tops on men or women.
Men: Long pants worn if sitting at the drum.
We will attempt to provide extra clothing items for those who may be in need so that you can feel comfortable and welcome to participate.

Gathering Structure, Coordination & Miscellaneous Info:

Welcome Table / Introduction / Information and Daily Schedule
When you arrive, please head to the Welcome Table. There you will be greeted by OEF community members providing liability waivers to sign, instructions about where to park and camp, fire safety, and answers to any questions you may have. This table will also have information about the daily schedule of events and. . .

Sign-up Sheets / Service Teams
Sign-up sheets await you—whether for helping in the kitchen, fire tending or other chores. It takes a village and there are many rich rewards and opportunities to learn when immersing oneself, quieting oneself and attending to the needs of the community. See job list below. Please also advise in advance as to which area you might wish to lend a hand.

Kitchen / Food / Trash / Water
Please bring and keep track of your own cup, bowl, plate and eating utensils. We are asking for a $10 per day/per person donation for food and other necessary expenses. No one will be turned away for lack of a donation contribution; all are invited and welcome at the table! And please remember no donation is too small or too large.

Breakfast: hot/cold cereal, nuts, nut and dairy milks, yoghurt, fruit, bread and nut butters, hard boiled eggs, coffee/tea

Dinners: Veggies and rice, taco/burritos and fixin’s, quinoa/rice spaghetti with sauce choices, veggie stew with buffalo meatballs and cheese on the side. Salad, bread/gluten free option, and fruit with each entree.

Bring your favorite drinks for yourself or to share, your own snacks, lunch fixings, extra meats if you need. (We will have the BBQ coals ready for you.)
If you want to contribute foods (like desserts, snacks, and other dishes), organic is preferred. We have gluten sensitive elders and vegan participants to consider.
We are also asking everyone to please pack out as much of your own trash as possible.
PG&E may cut electric power to this area of Grass Valley during our event, as they have done in the past during fire season. The property is on a well, so this would impact our supply of water. Would you please be prepared for this by bringing extra water in larger containers such as 2.5 gallons and up rather than smaller plastic water bottles.

Checklist of Items to bring:
*Your own cooler and ice (the kitchen refrigerator is for kitchen use only)
*Camp chair(s)
*Mess kit: reusable coffee mug, water bottle, dishes, eating utensils
*Lodge clothes and towels
*Camping gear– As we will be camping out and weather is often unpredictable, please be prepared for warm and cool weather and possibly rain.

COVID Protocols

• Handwash station at porta potty
• Daily wipe down of common surfaces
• Each person/family is responsible to wash their personal dishes. Paper options will be available.
• Masks are optional

Lucy’s Giveaway Table: Leave something you value/ take something you appreciate. Items to share, receive or borrow, and enjoy with gratitude!

Reciprocity:
“The way the reciprocal hoop was taught to us is that you gift the land owner,–for they have stewarded the land that provides the safe sacred space for us to do our spiritual work–the leader(s) of the camp and the fire tenders — for they put forth their time, finances and knowledge so that all may connect with spirit in the most meaningful way. The gift can come in many different forms such as a handmade item, gas money for their pony or a hand shake and a thank you. Reciprocity is that circular hoop that keeps it continually flowing.”

Please be aware the expenses of our past gatherings have ranged between $1200 to $1500 on average depending on turnout. Expenses include: Food, propane, infrastructure costs (last gathering we purchased a used refrigerator $85, this year we purchased a tankless water heater for $321,) Porta Potty fees, stipend to our land provider (and for utilities compensation), dump fees, hardware store expenses (for hoses, tools, trash bags, ice chests, bungee cords, plastic tarps and misc.) cord wood, chainsaw servicing, “green” non-toxic poison oak abatement solution, liability form printing costs,

Therefore, your gifts and contributions are encouraged and appreciated, although not required.

OTHER REMINDERS:

As always, no firearms, drugs or alcohol are permitted. Four leggeds who are well behaved in a community setting are welcome.

We have a set-up day at the beginning and a clean-up/put away day at the end. Please plan on being there the whole time if possible. It takes many hands.

If before, during or after the camp you need help with anything, please contact any of the council members; we are here to help.

Please RSVP with how many will be attending in your group and for how many days so we may plan accordingly for food. Thank you.

With Love, Peace and a wish for many blessings to be bestowed upon us all……