SUMMARY – JANUARY 5, 2023
FIRST THURSDAY MEETING
By David Groff, Interfaith Alliance Secretary Treasurer and member of Westminster Presbyterian Church -
Les Wardenaar, Alliance Chair, welcomed attendees and called on Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, Pastor of the Ainsworth UCC congregation to offer an opening prayer.
Rev. Chris Dela Cruz of Westminster Presbyterian Church introduced guest speaker, Jillene Joseph, the Executive Director of the Native Wellness Institute and leader of Future Generations Collaborative (FGC), which works to support health programs in the indigenous community. Westminster has partnered with FGC to support the creation of Barbie’s Village.
Barbie’s Village: Its Vision, Its History, Its Meaning
Jillene Joseph opened her remarks by advising that she is one of the founders of the Native Wellness Institute, a national organization that serves indigenous people in Oregon and beyond. She commented that Native communities have suffered lasting generational trauma but also exhibited generational wisdom. Where there has been trauma there must be healing. FGC is just now becoming its own nonprofit or as Jillene likes to say, a “social profit organization.” The Wellness Institute has taken the lead in the Barbie’s Village.
Historical trauma was explained in a short video. The coming of the Europeans brought disease, conquest, displacement, and forced assimilation. These experiences created trauma that affected subsequent generations, leaving deep wounds. Perseverance and connecting with traditions offer hope for transformation. The video was filmed on Coeur d’Alene reservation in Idaho. The story of the trauma has not been taught in most American schools. So, few Americans know the full history. To understand poverty in the indigenous community, we must start with the historical trauma.
She went on to review the history of Federal policies that informed this trauma. “Merciless savages” was the label applied to natives in the Declaration of Independence and elsewhere. Extermination was initial policy but gave way to the Civilization Act which involved internment in reservations and the creation of boarding schools that sought to forcibly assimilate native children. In the mid to late 1970s Federal policies began to change in large part as a result of native activism. The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed to end the practice of easy adoption of native children by non-natives.
Oppression leads to an internalization of the oppressors’ views. Native people have thus developed negative views of themselves and these have often led to lateral oppression within the community.
One of the policies was 1950s “relocation.” It took Indian people who had been forcibly moved onto reservations and moved them into cities. The idea was to assimilate and integrate the native population. But little support was offered. Portland was a relocation spot. Promises of job training and housing were not always kept.
The religious, education, social service systems all involve white supremacy. Working in systems not created for you is very hard. FGC seeks to understand history and promote traditional indigenous values to create healing.
The native community needs people to lift them up. That’s what FGC seeks to do. Elders and natural helpers were recruited to do the work. Barbie was one of these natural helpers. She passed away five years ago from a brain aneurysm. She was a member of the Warm Springs group. She worked in medical records, and was mother of four. Her husband, Ken, and daughters are still involved in FGC and helped develop the idea of Barbie’s Village.
Barbie and her family had experienced homelessness and were committed to helping the homeless. Rev, Alan Buck of Great Spirit Church introduced Jillene to Melissa Reed from the Leaven Land and Housing Coalition. For the past two years work has going on to create the village. The site of the Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst was selected. A lease has been formulated, giving the land to the project from the Presbytery of the Cascades. The site will house six tiny homes for parents with children. The church building has become an indigenous social service center. Outreach work continues to the surrounding neighborhoods.Jillene said that one of the neighbors recently donated $1000.
QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
How can the Alliance best be an ally to support the work?
There are different levels of allyship.
Learning about the community is one way.
Another is to help with the fundraising effort.
FGC is very grassroots and wants to show that we can do this.
Another way is to educate others about land back, healing, and other aspects.
Chris said that house meetings will be held in the spring. He asked whether attendees from the neighborhoods be hosts?
Jillene added that two presentations have been made to the Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association and community events took place in October and December.
Talk a bit more about how to connect the dots between trauma and healing. What has worked best?
Jane Middleton Moz’s approach (Adult Children of Alcoholics) to treating alcoholism has been useful.
People who experience trauma exhibit 21 behavioral characteristics.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) play a large part in creating addiction.
Where there is trauma, healing is the answer but healing works in different ways for different people.
We can inspire and provide guidance.
How has FGC collaborated with groups elsewhere?
The Native Wellness Institute is national in scope and provides training in various aspects of wellness. It trains trainers. It has reached out to other peoples who have experienced colonization such as the people of Guam.
How did relocation work in Portland? What took place here?
The relocation policy was a failure, but it has left a residue. Providing opportunities for healing of the trauma caused by this policy is essential. Allies can help by understanding white supremacy and engaging in antiracism work. Addressing poverty is a way to do this work.
Rae said that her sister did anthropological research on a reservation. She recognized that the people were making the change away from colonial structures. Jillene said that people struggled to preserve and revitalize native languages and resurrect traditions. Native cultures are now influencing practices in the wider non-native community.
Is the link to the video available to be distributed to attendees?
Yes, it can be made available.
What have you learned from the experiences of people who were placed in boarding schools as children? Will that have any impact on the current Supreme Court case?
The boarding school era was a huge hit against the native people. Jillene’s mother and her mother’s siblings went to these schools. Jillene considers herself a survivor of cultural genocide. People live with these memories, and it is a blessing that others are learning about the effects of the schools. Learning about the schools and the graves of children who died in them provides an opportunity for understanding and healing. Barbi’s Village reflects the coming together of the church and native people. It shows that the church can move away from past bad practices. The land back by the Presbytery will be inspiring, but it’s a slow process.
SPOTLIGHT ON AINSWORTH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Erik Anderson said that Ainsworth UCC at NE 30th & Ainsworth is an inclusive faith community. It emerged from a merger between two UCC congregations, one Black and one White.
It is multiracial, welcoming, and immigrant justice oriented congregation of just over 200 members.
It is a group of doers involved in a wide variety of social justice programs. It has housed EMO’s HIV day center for twenty-five years. Various community groups use the building.
It operates an overnight warming shelter for HIV affected people. The church invites volunteers and will provide training.
It is one of the founding members of the Interfaith Alliance.
It supports IMIRJ, Lift Every Voice, Jobs with Justice, Leaven, and many other groups. Later this month an architect will provide a report on the potential for affordable housing on church property. Services are at 10:00 on Sundays.
Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez – pastor@ainsworthucc.org; 503-284-8767
Lisa Benson – Director/PIC for shelter – rubberlisab@gmail.com ; 503-916-9309
Les Wardenaar thanked everyone for their participation and urged members to take advantage of opportunities to support Barbi’s Village and extend the impact of the session. He closed by reading a poem by John Yellow Lark, a member of the Ute tribe, “Earth, Teach Me to Remember,” which expresses our commonalities and the critical importance of the natural world.