Dear OEF Family,
Just a note to connect and affirm our OEF 7th Generation council and community are flourishing, alive and well. Often thinking of you all and hoping you are well and thriving in these challenging times we are living.
I don’t think any of the council or our community anticipated the heartwarming successes of our last two Zoom events which were virtual alternatives to our yearly Hanbleceya (vision quest) and Elements gatherings. Going into these events we felt virtual gatherings were just our best effort to substitute some healthy interactions for the “real thing” and I believe we were all a bit disappointed to sacrifice standing, hugging, and praying as a group around the sacred fires and joining in the Inipi (sweat lodges) together in beautiful Grass Valley to experience the community, physically in-person.
Everyone, though, with whom I communicated after the Zoom events, revealed they were just as spiritually and emotionally charged after each event as was I. There was a kind of real, personal, intimacy achieved in being able to hear so many people express their hearts, stories, teachings and wisdom, with a real sense of being heard and understood. As Eber acknowledged, “There is often a collective genius we can experience as a group and I find myself expressing things because they are inspired by the group with whom I am speaking, which might not otherwise be expressed.” The abundant heart and wisdom expressed by our community, even within a “virtual” setting, never ceases to amaze. Aho, Mitakuye Oyasin.
Special thanks to Sarah Bennett and Scott Smith and to all the others at there home who chipped-in, for keeping the sacred fire burning for four days and nights for two events and for all who participated and contributed their time, energy, heart and teachings to make these events successful. Also special thanks to the rest of our council, (besides Scott and Sarah) Suziey Cordero, Eber Hampton, Colleen Akiko, Chris Worcester, and advisory council participants Diane Hansen, Tracy Wares, Erica Eng, and Jim Eaglesmith.
Also special thanks to all of you who participated and to those who contributed their generous donations to support these events.
Hope to see you at our next event on the last weekend in May. Not sure what form it’s going to take, but it will happen and we will let you know.
Sincerely,
Love and blessings,
Eric, President of OEF Seventh Generation
-January 2021
