Twin Lakes housing development

Because of heavy rains, the first part of the scheduled Earth Exchange was held indoors, at Ann’s house. First, Ann made a map on the rug of the land that she and other members of her community had fought for years to protect from a hundred-acre housing development. In honor of the segment of the Earth Exchange in which everyone spends time alone on the wounded land, she passed out photographs of the 20-acre plot they had finally been successful in purchasing and setting aside, and everyone spent time reflecting on that segment of the land, then sharing about some aspect of beauty they found there. Then, as the rain let up, people went outside to collect leaves, flowers, and twigs and made a small RadJoy Bird and placed it in a red cloth, offering as they did so prayers and wishes for the vitality of the land and the beings who live there. This bundle Ann brought up to the land a couple of days later. She writes:

I carefully wrapped up our bird in the red cloth along with the string that outlined the property to make a sacred bundle. That evening, after I was sure the workmen had gone home, I packed the bundle into a small knapsack along with a bottle of water and some tobacco to take it up to lot number 8. The walk up the new access road was powerful. In spite of the devastation there was much beauty.  The strength of the huge, rocky landscape was revealed with a height and majesty of the remaining trees standing there. The fine work the men have done to create this difficult road. Surely some of those workers see the beauty too as was attested to by one small wooden chair set up high on a large rock outcropping to capture the view.

Then, at the top, I walked out onto the Miannus property and asked where the bundle was to go. At first, just being there, listening in the evening light, the sun low to the west, its rays reaching into the area, illuminating the space. After a while I could feel myself being drawn to an area higher than the roadbed where there was a semicircle of trees hollowed out of the forest. It was rocky, muddy and still. There were still mosses and small plants everywhere, not yet reached by the bulldozer or the chainsaw. A large stump gave me a place to sit and contemplate. When the spot for the bundle became clear I laid the bundle there, opening it up and recreating our beautiful bird from memory and invitation. Its form arising again. Amazing. Even with the faded flowers, the leaves curled up, it was full of vitality. The power of our intent as we spoke them was very alive there. I wound the string around the outside to create a container for the bundle. Then, sprinkling water and tobacco as blessing and honoring. Everything was complete just as the sun slid down into the night. I gathered up my things and walked back down the hill. The afterlight showed me the way easily.