Central Fire

Building our shared culture

We gather together to end racism and white supremacy. We gather together to reclaim and remember culture. We gather together to remember ourselves.

We feed each other. We sing together. We remember the ways in which we each seek to be referred, by our names and our pronouns. We check in. We deep dive and reflect. We sing. We say goodbye. We keep our door open. People are welcome to come as they can, to return after an absence. We do this work in relationship to our ancestors and our descendants. 

We do this work in relationship to the people and histories woven through the land we live on, this Dakota land, this Anishinaabeg land, those redlined, those deported, those killed and imprisoned. We recognize impact. We are here together to learn about repair.

We work with rigor to get to the truth of whiteness. We practice accountability, kindness, and vulnerability. We recognize that feelings of protection, acting as if we know, of the need to appear or remain in control, to be small and not get it wrong, or to ignore or forget the truth of racial pain are some of the tools of white supremacy. 

We know this work takes time and so we are in it for the long haul. We will stay for each other. We are also responsible for our own feelings and needs and are welcome to ask for or refuse help or support. 

Many of us have lost a conscious connection to culture and spirit and we feel grief or lack. At times many of us feel overwhelmed and with shame and guilt. Many of us long to create and be in healthy community but are confused about how to do this. We will learn how to do this together.

We honor and work to recognize the differences among us. We recognize the differences of gender, of age, of class, of culture, of religion and ability. We value people of all ages and notice, practice  and support the function of elder and eldering in community. We are in practice to understand together what that means. We work to be in right and real relationship with ourselves, with each other, and with our actions. 

We value what is seen and unseen, recognizing that there are aspects of our work that are mysterious as well as aspects that can be understood. We make space for this as well as what we can see and understand. We recognize the fluidity of time and the impact the past and future have on our current lives.  

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