“Grandson, the longest road you will ever have to walk in your life is the sacred journey from your head to your heart.” - Indigenous Elder speaking to our friend Brother Phil

Dear friends at Occupy Cafe,

First I want to send thanks to all those maintaining the regular connection via the weekly calls here and to extend a particular thanks to those who initiated the calls two weeks ago in indigenous wisdom.

Second, I want to invite you all into some shared inquiry with me on this same topic. In the coming months I will be working to create a compilation of writings (stories, essays, poems, reflections) around the following theme: "The Role of Indigenous Wisdom in an Emerging World." I am interested in putting together a diverse collection of writings (and artworks) from indigenous cultures around the world that explore this concept that in these times we are living, and particularly as we journey to more fully live this idea that we are all intimately interconnected, indigenous ways of seeing and experiencing have something vital to contribute.

Originally, my thought was to focus specifically on these cosmovisions and ways of seeing as they intersect with conversational and participative processes (like the ones we experience on café calls). But I feel that I am a bit more open to other ideas at this point. I think that addressing the question of how we honor and integrate these ways of seeing with out trivializing, appropriating or abusing them is also key.

Please contact me if you would like to contribute to this project or know of people who have already been writing, speaking or exploring these ideas: auroarunima@hotmail.com.

I also know that I would like to be in touch with Ernestine and Brother Phil further, as they both have important insights to offer.

Thank you to all for your support (in whatever way you might offer it) to this collaboration.

From a wanderer that long, challenging journey from the head to the heart,

- Aerin Dunford