Updates from the Gathering June 30

Hi all,

Today's post is a smörgåsbord of information.

I'll start with this new version of the map.

Topo Map Showing Main Camps. Click to enlarge

Info from the Forest Service:

Several temporary closures and restrictions are in place in the Nimblewill area of Lumpkin County for public safety. Forest Service Road (FSR) 77 is now closed at the intersection of FSR 77A because of traffic congestion at the Rainbow Family Gathering. Two roads offer parking on one-side only, as posted. These are FSR 28B and FSR 77 (from FSR 28-1 up to FSR 77A). 

Showers and thunderstorms are frequently expected. Know the signs for approaching storms or changing weather conditions. Be aware of your surroundings and conditions. Heavy rains can cause flash flooding and landslides. Trees may fall unexpectedly. Avoid low-lying areas.

Studio Forsyth: Exploring the Rainbow Gathering

Hi all,

Enjoy this video from Studio Forsyth who visited the gathering and made a video. If you're an armchair gatherer this year, watch the video.

Updates from the USFS on June 28

 

PETS: Individuals in and the around the gathering should keep their pets on leashes for the safety of their pets and other visitors to the area. Pets must be under control at all times.

ROADS: Several temporary closures and restrictions are in place in the Nimblewill area of Lumpkin County for public safety. Forest Service Road (FSR) 77 is now closed at the intersection of FSR 77A because of traffic congestion at the Rainbow Family Gathering. Two roads offer parking on one-side only, as posted. These are FSR 28B and FSR 77 (from FSR 28-1 up to FSR 77A)

Updates from the gathering June 27

Hi all,

Here is random information:

A shuttle is now running to get people from the parking area to the trailhead. When you get home, listen to folks working the road as they will share the latest information available. Please listen to them. Working the road is hard work and it's frustrating when people don't listen, their cars get towed, and then they get mad at folks working the road.

On Monday, June 25 the Federal Judge threw out all the dogs off leash and dusty license plate tickets.




If you are interested in media reports on the gathering, check out Forsyth News.

Updates from the gathering June 26

Good morning beautiful family,

As many of you may know there is an army training base a few miles from the gathering. Apparently, the trainees are engaged in live fire exercises periodically. Just an fyi for our veterans who may be suffering from PTSD.

Basic Map of the gathering -- click on it to enlarge

USFS Update for this morning.

 
For towed vehicles call (706) 864-3633.
Today's estimate of people on site is 1,175.

341 incidents, written warnings, citations and arrests have been issued thus far.

Rainbow Gatherers Hold Town Hall Meeting June 28

Participants from the Rainbow Gathering will be hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday, June 28, at the Dahlonega Parks and Recreation building from 5-9 pm. All individuals from the community are encouraged to attend with questions about the upcoming July 1-7 Rainbow Gathering. All gatherers are encouraged to come and meet the local town's folk.

This facility is also called Lumpkin Park & Rec.

Find the Park & Rec Center at 365 Riley Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533. This is the same venue where the local sheriff had a town hall meeting on June 22. 

We need a diverse cross-section of gatherers to attend. Please go if you are able.

Meeting with USFS Resource Folks on June 25

Hi everyone who is in the area,

There will be a meeting with the USFS Resource folks at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 25. The meeting will take place at CALM.  This is the perfect time to discuss access for handicapped people, how to protect the Hellbender Salamander and to find out what areas to avoid to protect the endangered carnivorous pitcher plant and swamp pink that lives in bogs in the area.

All folks on the land are strongly encourage to attend to find out how we can protect the beautiful area in which we are gathering. Be there, get there early, bring snacks for people as it may be a long meeting, bring drinking water.

Preliminary information on sensitive species in the area is available here.

Court on June 25 in Gainsville Georgia

Hi everyone,

There is a mandatory court appearance for many people who received federal tickets on Monday, June 25 in Gainsville, Georgia.

People with Forest Service tickets should be seen by the federal court:

Honorable J. Clay Fuller, United States Magistrate Judge121 Spring Street S.E., Suite 106
Gainesville, GA 30501

Courtroom: 103
Chambers: 106
        Chambers Phone:           (678) 450-2790
        Courtroom Deputy:           (678) 450-2792

I will update this blog post if I get additional information.

It would be really helpful if people who care would bring food to share. Also, legal assistance is needed for people who have tickets. So if you are an attorney who can practice in Georgia or if anyone you know is an attorney who can practice in Georgia and you have time to come down and assist people, your karma will be enhanced.

Also since court starts early in the morning, it would be helpful if there was a place in Gainesville, Georgia for people to sleep at on Sunday evening so they could travel on Sunday and get cleaned up before their court appearance on Monday morning. Many people who have received citations do not have the money for a motel.  Any help either by letting people sleep in a garage or by helping people get motel rooms would be much appreciated.

Please protect our sensitive species

Updated 6/26/1810:42 a.m. eastern time 

Hi all,

This blog post contains information on sensitive species where we are gathering and in the greater area as well.

Hellbender Salamander

To protect the Hellbender, do not move or disturb rocks in streams.

Hellbender Salamander

Please print out this flyer in color if you can and bring to your camp and post.  To learn more, read this article.

Swamp Pink

Swamp pink is a threatened species at both the state and federal level.

Swamp Pink in Bloom

It lives in shady seepage swamps and sphagnum bogs with continually saturated, though not flooded, soils; often occurs with red maple, purple pitcher plant, mountain laurel, rosebay rhododendron, and tag alder.

Learn more here.

Alterations in the hydrology that stem from increased runoff and poor wetland buffering can cause entire populations to die off.

Please print out this flyer in color if you can and bring to your camp and post.

The Forest Service has provides a list of all threatened and endangered species in the State of Georgia. Which species occur where we are gathering is a question to ask the resource folks on the land.  The USFS has also provided a one page document on Forest Health Concerns.

Haley's Photos From the Gathering

Thanks to Haley Gilreath, a local reporter, I am able to share some of the photos she has taken during her coverage of the gathering.   To read her article on the gathering, click here.

Georgia ACLU Complaint Form

Hi all,

If you feel that you have been harassed, illegally detained/arrested, profiled, or otherwise had your

civil rights violated, please take them time to fill out a complaint form with the Georgia ACLU. It may not help your immediate problems, but creating a record of the number of civil rights and profiling violations will help us in the long run to get the forest service to back of.

Click here for the complaint form.

What is... The Rainbow Gathering?

A friend of mine started a blog to inform local and other about the Rainbow Gathering.

Click here for more information. 

USFS, Local Sheriff, Arrests and Check Points

Updated July 7 9:00 p.m. eastern time

I'm hearing that there is a mandatory and probably illegal checkpoint on the roads going into the gathering. People are being searched and their belongings gone through. This is a tactic the USFS uses every year to deter people from coming to the gathering.

If you are caught up in this "checkpoint," please video tape everything that you can, do not consent to a search of your vehicle or your person, do not admit anything. DO NOT ADMIT TO ANYTHING!

Know your rights!

Read Rap 420.

Read my rap on getting into the gathering.

Arrests by local sheriff or state police

 Apparently, if you are stopped on state land, the local sheriff is taking a zero tolerance approach to any amount of drugs. Some people have been arrested and taken immediately to jail. The  Lumpkin County Jail is supposed to have 120 beds. To see who is currently in the Lumpkin County Jail, click here.  If you search in descending order by arrest date, you will see arrests that may be related to people heading to the gathering. I see five for June 18 as of 5 p.m. eastern time. Some of these people were arrested for less than an ounce of weed and minor vehicle issues.

To find out when you can visit, call 706-864-0412.

To find the jail, 385 East Main Street, Dahlonega, GA 30533

The Appalachian Drug Task Force (ADTF) is a Multi-Agency Narcotics Unit that serves Lumpkin, Towns, Union and White Counties in Northeast Georgia and is very active in the area around the gathering. Click here for more information on the ADTF.

Arrests by Federal law enforcement aka United States Forest Service

If you are ticketed by the FEDS (U.S. Forest Service), please go to your court date. For more information on how the federal citations work, click here.At the Missouri 1996 gathering, a summary judgement indicated that

the Court finds that the government's interest in general deterrence is not substantial enough to outweigh the liberty interests of Park and other Rainbow Family attendees. While the Court finds that the Forest Service has a legitimate concern on how to handle such a great influx of people on national forest lands, the Fourth Amendment prevents the Forest Service from flexing its law enforcement muscle as a way to accomplish that goal. The Forest Service may not use the Rainbow Family gathering as an excuse to canvas the myriad of participants—most of whom are law abiding—in hopes of ferreting out a few lawbreaker

For all the documentation on this case, click here. Unfortunately, this case was heard by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and the gathering is in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals so the case law may not be binding, but I'll leave that up to the lawyers to argue.

Be aware of illegal police actions and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

Rainbow Spirit - From the Heart of the Fire

Critical Care Camp (CCC) and Handicamp Needs and Support (Guest Post)

Updated on 6/24/18 at 1:45 a.m. Eastern Time
 Karin's Note: Critical Care Camp is for people who need medical supervision as indicated below. Handicamp is for people with mobility issues who do not anticipate needing on-going medical supervision. If you have a handicapped placard, please show it to the parking crew and ask to be directed to Handicamp.  If you have serious medical conditions and would like to be directed to Critical Care Camp, please explain your situation to the parking crew. Too many able bodied people try to use these spaces and we're trying very hard to keep them for those in need.

The situation is in flux and the later your arrive, the hardier it will be to get a space in Handicamp as parking always runs out. Please be patient and plan on arriving early in the day so people can get you where you need to be.

****** Handicamp/CCC update as of 6/24.18 1:45 a.m. *****************

Handicamp/CCC (Critical Care Camp) report. I just talked to WSOTR by phone who is in town at the moment. They are set up about 6 to 8 miles from main circle and the Forest Service is preventing them from using the meadow that is closer that they preferred. There is a drop off point about 1/2 mile from main circle with a fairly level trail to hike in. Doesn't sound wheelchair friendly but there are plenty of sherpas available to help carry folks and their gear in if needed. In addition CALM (medical station) is between the drop off and main circle if folks want to stop and rest. It has been raining once or twice a day for short periods of time and it's muddy. The locals say it always rains some on July 4th.

*************** Copied from Facebook ****************

Critical . Care . Camp /Handycamp Wishlist

This is only our 2nd year and because we are relatively new we are still trying to put it all together. We are the camp that provides support for our family with heavy-duty health-related needs... including dialysis trips in and out, C-PAP and other generator needs, oxygen, etc. This year we will probably be adjacent to HandyCamp and will coordinate with them to meet Family needs.

CREW NEEDS:

kitchen folk 🆘

construction folk🔧

healers ✨👐✨

📢 ShantiSena parking aides

general support folk (fire tenders 🔥 and wood gatherers etc)

massage therapists 🙌 we are bringing one massage table

sherpas- 💪need cart and cart-pushers to get people inside to their camp of preference and
to help bring everybody in on July 4th

jokesters 👾 music makers🎼 heartbreakers
😝

seed camp construction needs- we need seed camp constructors to help put up kitchen, create handwash and dishwash stations
make a built up common and kitchen firepits, dig shitters, create showers, put up tarps . . . . .

we need cart donations or help constructing carrying devices for people on the 4th and for those who want to camp inside

folks with good legal vehicles to make town runs & specifically 2 good “ambulance” type vehicles with keys to be left with our CCC focalizers for emergency evac needs🚨

CCC WISH LIST
just as for most ANY Rainbow kitchen/community camp

shovels, axes, bowsaws, hatchets, lanterns, flashlights

large tarps for shade/rain cover for camp and for prayer circle on the 4th and smaller tarps to cover woodpile and supplies etc

matches, lighters, propane tanks and fuel canisters

waterpipe PVC and fittings to connect with water crew stuff 💦

Medical supplies – we have a decent supply of first aid stuff but we always need as much as possible of the following: medicinal herbs, homeopathic remedies, rescue remedy, antibiotic ointment, calendula, sunblock, aloe plants, hydrogen Peroxide, rubbing alcohol and grain alcohol, bandaids, wrapping gauze, 1st aide tape...

RADIOS (walkie talkie type)

toilet paper, paper towels or clean rags

batteries: C, D, double and triple A

ropes of various lengths and gauges, lashing twine, tent stakes…

heavy duty trash/contractor bags

agricultural lime for shitter vector control plywood sheets to cover shitters

containers for lime and handwash

1 standup tent with screen porch area if possible for medical private interviewing/treatment and smaller tents for supplies

Grates for cooking- can use metal refrigerator shelf grating

cooking supplies such as:

pots, pans, knives 🔪mixing bowls, cooking utensils, eating bowls, eating utensils 🍴 cups

large tupperware type containers with lids for food storage, 5 gallon food grade buckets with lids approximately 15-20

sugar, salt and black pepper- we already are already bringing enough other culinary herbs

Teas, honey, coffee, powdered milk, hot chocolate

bulk foods such as: beans and whole grains, eggs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, whole garlic bulbs, , oats, cold cereals, peanut butter, jams/preserves, bread, olive oil

biodegradable dishsoap and handsoap

“The great spiritual Teachers who walked the Earthand taught the basics of the truths of the
Whirling Rainbow Prophecy will return and
walk amongst us once more, sharing their power and understanding with all. We will learn how to see and hear in a sacred manner. Men and women will be equals in the way Creator intended them to be; all children will be safe anywhere they want to go. Elders will be respected and valued for their contributions to life. Their wisdom will be sought out. The whole Human race will be called The People and there will be no more war, sickness or hunger forever.”

Navajo-Hopi Prophecy of the Whirling Rainbow

If you are able please help out . . it is incumbent upon Rainbow to care for the people who have been part of the Gatherings since the very beginning and who sacrificed so much to help create the Visions that we all share.

Remember to Breathe

The first week at the gathering site is always full of chaos, rumors and confusion. Things generally work themselves out. Have faith in your family.

In the meantime, enjoy this video from Soaring Eagle that will remind you about why we gather. Thank you Soaring Eagle for making such a beautiful video.

Howdy Folks (a.k.a. Directions to the Gathering)

Updated July 2 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

47th Annual Rainbow Family Gathering of the Tribes

End of June (give or take) to July 7

Join us July 4 for the silent meditation/prayer for world peace from dawn until high noon

We, who are brothers & sisters, children of spirit, families of life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves the rainbow gathering, humbly invite:

• All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love.
• All nations & national leaders -- out of respect
• All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith
• All politicians -- out of charity

to join with us in gathering together for the purpose of expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people. & to hold open worship, prayer, chanting or whatever is the want or desire of the people, for three days, but upon the fourth day of July at noon to ask that there be a meditative, contemplative silence wherein we, the invited people of the world may consider & give honor & respect to anyone or anything that has aided in the positive evolution of humankind & nature upon this, our most beloved & beautiful world -- asking blessing upon we people of this world & hope that we people can effectively proceed to evolve, expand, & live in harmony & peace.

Feel free to arrive a few weeks early to create the gathering and/or stay a few weeks late to clean it all up. Please be respectful of the First Nations' land, culture, and spirituality.

We love you!

Where is the gathering?

The gathering is taking place in the Chattahoochee National Forest in northern Georgia.  Coordinates 34.586450, -84.124448
Main Circle is at N 34.60726 W -84.12053.
The Atlanta Lightline has very different directions than I do, I'm not sure which are correct. You can call them at  770-662-6112

Map 1 as of 6/30 (click to enlarge)

Map 2 (click to enlarge)

DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 75 south east of Chattanooga, Tennessee, take highway 76 east  approximately 68 miles towards East Ellijay, Georgia. From East Ellijay, take Highway 52 east towards Dahlonega.

From Atlanta, Georgia take Interstate 75 North to Interstate 575 North to Hwy 15 north to Hwy 136. Turn right on 136 go approximately 19 miles toward Talking Rock Mountain ~ 19 miles until you hit a "T" intersection at Hwy 183. Turn left on Hwy 183. Go 4 miles until you hit another "T" intersection and then turn right on Hwy 52. Go approximately 8 miles. Turn left on Nimblewill Church Road.


From Greenville, South Carolina, take Interstate 85 south.  From I-85, take exit 22 for US-129 North toward Gainesville/Jefferson. From Gainsville, take GA-60 North approximately 22 miles to Dahlonega. From Dahlonega, take Highway 52/9 west towards East Ellijay approximately 5 miles from where Hwy 52 and 9 split. Turn right on Nimblewill Church Road.


TIP: Nimblewill Church Road is an upside "U" shape so if you come from the west you enter one end of the road and if you come from the left you enter another end. 

From all directions: Go north on Forest Service Road 28-1 to Winding Stair Gap Road and turn left. Parking is on one side of the road only. Park as close as you can to the next car while leaving room for them to get out. Make sure you are not blocking the road to the extent that emergency vehicles such as fire trucks are denied access. Look for family to tell you what to do next.

KITCHENS:  For kitchen unloading only from 28-1 turn left on Road 83/Bull Mountain Parking Road. Go 1.5 miles. No parking is allowed on Road 83 and I've heard the turn around is tough.

PARKING/SHUTTLE:  There are supposed to be shuttles set up to get you from parking to the Front Gate. From there I've heard 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile hike in. 

EVERYONE: Rumor has it that Front Gate is 3/4 of a mile from the main part of the gathering. While parking may be a couple of miles away, you MAY be able to drop gear and passengers, go park, and then only one person has to do the long hike on the road. I say MAY because sometimes the USFS stops us from allowing things like this and the situation may change. Ask the people at Front Gate if you can pull over, unload people and gear, and then go park. If they say no or wave you on, don't argue, just keep driving as there is a reason they have given you those instructions.

For a PDF version of the directions, click here.

There are rolling and intermittent mandatory check points that people are going through.   Please read Rap 420 and make sure you know your rights.

**** Be prepared for rain and thunderstorms! ****



Only motorized vehicles that are licensed and legal for use on public highways in the state of Georgia may be operated on Forest Service roads. Motorized vehicles are NOT allowed on trails or closed roads unless posted. Some trails are restricted for a certain type of use. Motorcycles, bicycles, equestrians and others should be sure they remain on designated trails marked specifically for their use.

USFS Parking Rules as of 3:45 PM on Sunday, June 17:
Several temporary closures and restrictions are in place at Bull Mountain in the Nimblewill area of Lumpkin County for public safety related to the 2018 national gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light. This is an update to the road closure plan shared on June 15.
Several temporary closures and restrictions are in place in the Nimblewill area of Lumpkin County for public safety related to the 2018 national gathering of the Rainbow Family. This is an update to the road closures announced on June 15.



CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC:

    FS77 from 28A to FS42 (now closed at the intersection of FSR 77A)
    FS77A (except to private landowners)
    FS877
    FS141
    FS141A
    FS142

OPEN TO ALL TRAFFIC, NO PARKING ALLOWED:

    FS28-1 from Nimblewill Church Road (126) to FS80
    FS83 (Bull Mountain parking lot is open)
    FS28B
    FS77 from FS28-1 to FSR 77A

OPEN TO ALL TRAFFIC, PARKING ALLOWED ON RIGHT SIDE ONLY:

    FS Road 42 near FS Road 77-- south side only.

Parking allowed in yellow on south side only (click to enlarge)

Roadside parking on designated routes must allow adequate access for through traffic. Road shoulders may be narrow or soft. Do not block gates. Access for emergency response is paramount.Roadside parking along the right side of these designated parking routes must allow adequate access for through traffic. Access for emergency response is paramount. Be cautious as road shoulders may be narrow or soft. Do not block any gates. Violators will be towed.

We appreciate your understanding as this situation evolves and we determine the best methods for keeping visitors, neighbors, partners and our employees safe. Please see signs posted in the area for more information, and stay tuned for further updates.
Visitors to the area should also be aware of the possibility they may encounter Army training activities authorized through a long-standing permit between Camp Frank D. Merrill and the U.S. Forest Service. These activities are conducted under a joint operating plan that intends to reduce conflicts between Army training activities and public visitors. However, interaction on roads and visibility of Army activities on the national forest should be expected. These regularly recurring activities are not related to the 2018 national gathering.

Photo of parking map taken June 30 @ 6:12 PM.

 

Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!

Live lightly with the Land and People!

Be the peaceful and loving person you want to see more of in this world.
Please copy and distribute this information widely

KEEP READING: 

Roads and parking situations will be in flux for the next week. When you make it home, please listen to the people on the land and park where they tell you. Then in a few days touch base with INFO to see if the parking rules have changed so your car doesn't get towed. YES, the USFS does that. They tell people they can park in an area, then USFS changes their mind and puts a 72 hour notice on your car to move it.

Folks on the land are working with the USFS to open up new parking areas. Please go home and follow the parking instructions given by the parking crew. Please park tight as parking will be hard this year. Please save Handicamp for those with mobility issues.

Misc. Additional Information

Dahlonega is supposed to be a university town with a health food store.

Main circle is 1700', Most of the site is 1500-1800' It will cool down a decent amount at night due to elevation but not that much. Expect 80s day and 60s night. It is very wet and rainy lately so it will be humid.

Due to rain, Mosquitoes are very bad this year. Yes to ticks (also worse than normal). Yes there is Lyme in this area but not huge. Chiggers likely.

It is a tad far north for most venomous snakes, there could be but not likely. Don't know site specific but yes poison ivy is common in this area.

Apparently this area is not used for cattle grazing. 

If you are interested in the USFS information on critters, floods, etc., including weather reports for the forest, click here. 

Public Transportation Options:

Greyhound has a bus station at the Atlanta airport which can take you from the airport to Gainesville, Georgia that is about 20 miles from Dahlonega for just over $20. The buses leave the airport for the connection at the downtown station at about 5:40 am and about 2:30 pm, so if you get there in time for either of those, take the bus. Someone has commented that they think the bus leaves at 4 PM but when I checked Greyhound it indicates it leaves the downtown at 6:40 p.m. and from at airport at 2:30 pm. If you check for yourself, in the from location for the airport select "Atlanta Arpt, GA"

Amtrak's "Crescent" leaves Atlanta's Brookwood Station at 8:21 pm and arrives in Gainesville, Georgia at 9:16 pm. Not much schedule flexibility though. Only the one train daily. Base fare is about $14.
 
Gainsville, Georgia  is about 60 miles North East of Atlanta. Gainsville, Georgia is about 20 miles south of Dahlonega.

There is a bus network called MATS in Gilmer County that operates on a non-fixed route, taking passengers to their requested destinations. They work to accommodate all passengers and their vehicles are equipped to aid individuals with disabilities. They do request advance notice, so call them at (706) 276.6287 for details. Pretty cheap $2 or $3.

You can also take Greyhound from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Dalton, Georgia. From there you can try MATS or hitchhike the route listed above.


For more info on the gathering, visit Welcome Home or Karin's Blog. If you FaceBook, try Group 1 or Group 2 or use an old fashioned telephone and call the Atlanta Lightline 770-662-6112.
  

 For a printable, downloadable PDF flyer with directions, click here.

On Showing Up

Lately I've been pondering the importance of showing up if you want your voice to be heard.  I am part of a community group working to save a local and urban creek and we always need more people to plug in.  As I talk to people, they are always willing to complain about the trash along the creek or some such, but when you invite them to a work party, ask them to find volunteers for our periodic cleanups, or invite them to a community workshop on proposed changes for the area, they are no where to be found.

Now different people can plug in in different ways based on their interests and abilities and the commitment required for plugging in could be a few hours a month to a few hours a week.  Saving our creek does not prevent anyone from holding a job, caring for their families, or what ever it is they do with their time.  All of it doesn't even need to be done in person.

All of this brings me to the gathering. What is unique about the gathering is that our decision make process works face to face for the most part.  Sometimes conference calls are arranged to discuss where we can meet face to face.  Other phone calls help people connect with each other when they are out and about and are trying to find a place to meet face to face.  Sense a pattern?

As a long time activist, who shares my birthday, once said "just show up."  If you want to get involved with the world, show up.  Sure the Internet is useful. I use it all the time to make information available to people, to informally connect with others, and to quickly gather information, but it's not that same as being present with people who are committed to making change.

Now the creek work is much more conducive to disembodied things like making formal comments on environmental impact reports and lobbying our elected officials, but much like the gathering, the important work gets done in councils (rainbow speak for meetings), on the land (rainbow speak for at the creek), or in community (rainbow speak for the core group of folks saving the creek).

Every year the Internet (and most especially FaceBook) fills up with ideas, opinions, perspectives, and dictates that are shared and discussed by people on-line --- many of whom don't regularly attend the annual gathering for world peace and the positive evolution of the planet. But what needs to be realized is that if you want to impact how things unfold, then you need to "show up" on the land, participate in formal or informal councils, and be part of the process.

The great thing about gatherings is that we need everyone's perspective from the person who just showed up and asked "what's council?" to the person who's been gathering since the 1970s.  This gathering thing we do is an embodied sort of experience where people gain the full benefit of the many ways humans communicate: words, facial expressions, body positions, auras, and what ever telepathic ways we communicate with each other.

As many of my friends point out, gathering and all the related things done in the name of gathering are verbs, not nouns.  Please join us in verbing.

Musings on getting fed at the gathering

If you've never been to a gathering (or even if you have), getting fed may seem like a mysterious process that sporadically leaves you hungry or amazed at the wonderful food you just ate.  Well it's not really as mysterious as it seems.  So here are the basics.

First off, no one should ever ask you for money or trade for food (excepting small things like candy bars at trade circle).  Everyone eats for free.  We share food with each other in many different ways.

During seed camp, you better come prepared with food to share. Some of the early kitchens may be serving "off the rails" (@ the kitchen counter) but you never know who will be there and how much food they have to share.

Bring whatever you can and share as best as you can with others.  Some of the kitchens may come with food supplies they have purchased, but you never know.

Once the gathering gets going (usually a few days after the Summer Solstice), dinner will be served in the main meadow.  Commonly called "Main Circle" or "Dinner Circle," kitchens bring food to the meadow, we circle up, om, and then are served food from a bucket or cooler.  THANK YOU KITCHENS!  After we eat, many folks hang out to play music, visit with friends or participate in activities like the "Angel Walk."   This is my favorite time of the gathering.  It's when those who wish take the time to hang out with old and new friends.

Many kitchens will continue to serve off the rails but normally do so earlier in the day or later in the evening.  Each kitchen decides for itself when and what to serve so finding a kitchen that is serving "off the rails" is catch as catch can unless you get plugged into a specific kitchen.  One easy way to get plugged in is to approach a kitchen and offer to dig a shitter, chop wood, haul water, or chop veggies for some meal or another. 

As I mentioned earlier, many kitchens come with their own food supply purchased by the core crew.  Other kitchens come with gear but not much else.  No matter how things start out, more food needs to be purchased as the gathering progresses and more wonderful people come home.

Generally a group of people come together to facilitate supplies.  After all, purchasing large quantities in bulk is usually less expensive.  Some kitchens do their own supply runs with either their own funds or funds from a collection can stationed in their kitchen, others participate in large scale supply runs usually involving a lot of food and funds from the "Magic Hat."

The Magic Hat can be found at Dinner Circle and INFO when Dinner Circle is not happening.  Sometimes the Magic Hat goes on a Magic Hat parade around the gathering soliciting funds.  Magic Hat funds are managed by the Banking Council some or most of whom are usually at Dinner Circle.  Folks who become part of this council track income and expenses, count the money and insure the integrity of the process.  Most of the magic hat funds go to buy food that is distributed to the kitchens serving Dinner Circle.   There is a Kitchen Council that meets a few times a week sporadically (usually by INFO) that plans supply runs, meals and works out all these issues.

Basically the process goes like this, you put cash money (no checks, credit cards, food stamps, etc) in the Magic Hat.  Money is collected and counted.  After a few days of this, a supply run is organized.  Once that has happened the supply run goes out, purchases the agreed upon supplies (or as close as possible) and then comes back with the food.  A supply run can take two days or even three.  Once the food comes back, it is distributed to the kitchens - a process that can take another day or two.

After the food is distributed to the kitchens, it gets cooked and served - a process that can take another day or two depending on when the supplies arrive at the kitchen and what else the kitchen is involved in at present. 

Now we come to the most important part, if you have $50 to donate to the Magic Hat, do it the day you arrive at the gathering.  Don't put $5 a day in for ten days.  Every year we have a food shortage for a few days somewhere between June 23 and July 2 because people start arriving in mass after the Summer Solstice and we have a lag between donations coming in and food being served.

Look at it this way, if one hundred people arrive on June 23 and donate $50 dollars each, we will have $5,000 to feed not only these one hundred people but the additional two thousand people who have subsequently arrived on June 28 when the purchased food is served.  If on June 25, two hundred and fifty people arrive and donate $50 dollars each, we will have over ten thousand dollars to feed the 5-10 thousand people on site by June 30.  However, if people donate one or five dollars a day, then by the time we have enough money to feed fifteen thousand people, it's July 5 and most people are leaving.

If you do not have or do not wish to donate cash money, food supplies are always welcomed.  The good news is that the food you bring with you will make it into your belly tomorrow.  While brown rice, beans and quinoa are always welcomed, hardy fruits and veggies are very important as well.  Bring apples and oranges by the caseload. Cabbage, carrots and zucchini transport well and as much as you can bring will be eaten. Onions and garlic are always needed. Leave the fancy lettuce and peaches behind unless you know how to transport them so they don't get ruined and how to store them on site. 


If you bring pasta, try to bring vegan pasta so everyone can partake.  Save the egg noodles for another occasion.  Peanut butter and bread (vegan if you can find it) go a long way to providing healthy fuel and whole wheat flour is always needed for kitchens that bake bread and pizza!  If you decide to go shopping after you've been at the gathering, check in with Kitchen Council to get plugged into any special deals folks may have worked out with local suppliers.  After all, if you can get it for 30% off, then you can buy more food to feed more bellies for the same amount of money.

Race, Racism and the Gathering

As many long time gatherers know, the gathering has always had a small percentage of participants who are people of color.  I've sat in many a circle where this has been discussed and you may have as well.  The basic premise of the rainbow is to be inclusive of all peaceful people. Yet we are falling short of what I believe most gatherers would like to see (Just an aside, I don't speak for anyone but myself).

A few years ago, I've participated in a series of conversations on race and racism at San Diego's Peace Resource Center on some Saturday mornings. We've watched films such as Women Talk About Race in America, Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible, and Cracking the Codes: the System of Racial Inequality. We've had small and larger group discussions on the film, various talking points, and even how how the format of these get together have fostered or subverted racial inequality. If you haven't seen these films, I encourage you to watch them, get the study guides and work towards building a just society for all humans and this beautiful planet we call home.

As I participated in these sessions where we tackled hard issues, I tried to examine the gathering for racism and racist behavior by gathering participants. We all know the gathering is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and differing beliefs and we sometimes see less conscious behavior than many people would like to have present at a gathering. That being said, there are some situations built into the intrinsic nature of the gathering that can be very challenging for people of color and I am hoping we can all gain consciousness on how to mitigate these issues.

One of the big challenges I see is the need to run the gauntlet on the way in. As a middle aged, currently middle-class, woman of European ancestry, I'm one of the least likely people to get hassled by the cops on the way into the gathering or once on site. I try to us my position of privilege to protect those more likely to get hassled, like my younger family and my family of color by keeping my body between the cops and my family. But I am only one body.  Given that cops are more likely to shoot and/or arrest people of color trying to come home, how to we create a safe space for people to get from the outside world into the gathering?

I've also been thinking that my ability to live outside of mainstream culture and to exit and enter as I wish is a privilege of the color of my skin. Even when I have been living far outside of mainstream culture, I have the ability to take a shower, put on appropriate clothes, and enter places of power like court rooms, city council chambers, and banks and be treated with respect. This is the white privilege of being able to openly defy mainstream culture.


How do we address our relative impunity at sharing herb and the very differing rules the powers that be apply to those of color?

How do we create a space that feels safe to people of color without treating people differently? How do we address the way the outside culture responds to the gathering in an often negative fashion? This negativity impacts individuals differently depending on age, gender, race, and abilities. In other words, when we gather, we create a situation of open rebellion to the society around us. Rebellion has consequences, but individually, we do not experience those consequences equally. During the time of intense conflict between the Forest Service and the gathering, we had to navigate who was willing to go to what lengths to stand up to the Forest Service -- there were no easy answers then and there still aren't any easy ways to address a system in which the gathering is embedded.

Since I don't have any answers, I'll leave you with the voices of some powerful women who can speak to the issue far better than I can..

Getting into the gathering without getting a mandatory court appearance ticket

Every year the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement (USFS) Incident Management Team (the cops) attempts to write as many tickets to family coming home as they possibly can to justify their presence. They give out tickets for broken tail lights, failure to use a turn signal in a deserted parking lot at 2 AM, lack of seat belts, controlled substances (even just a trace amount), beads hanging from your rear view mirrors, prescription medications if the label doesn't clearly have your name on it and you can't prove who you are, dogs off leash, a vehicle missing a front license plate even if you live in a state that does not issue a front license plate and a lot more violations of the letter of the law.

You do not want to go to Kangaroo Court

However, these tickets are not the type of citation you would probably receive for any of these issues in your hometown. These are mandatory court appearance tickets. There will be special court dates set up just for us, so we can go to the local courthouse, fire station or visitors center and go before a magistrate. In the past, charges have been reduced, fines were often minimal and the court has allowed people to make payment plans ranging from 90 days to pay $75 to 18 months to pay $25 depending on the hardship cases people have expressed.

If you do not show up for your mandatory court appearance on the date indicated on your ticket, a Federal Bench Warrant will be issued for your arrest. Then the USFS LEOs will come into the gathering looking for you. If they find you they will arrest you and put you in jail until the next court date. If this happens on a Friday afternoon, you will be in jail until Monday. If they do not find you at the gathering, the next time a law enforcement officer for any reason stops you, your ID will be run through the database and you will go directly to jail.

Of course, everyone is free to manage this situation as they wish but I strongly recommend you go to your court date. I have seen people charged with crimes that could potentially result in a six years sentence walk out with a $500 fine and three years’ probation. Keep in mind that every year the dynamic is different and these results may not always be available. There are lawyers and other experienced family at the gathering (I am not a legal expert) who attend the court dates and will assist as best they can although I recommend you catch up with them before your court date to gain a better understanding of your specific charges and strategies to get the charges dropped or reduced. If you do not know these people personally, go to INFO and let them know you received one of the magic tickets and you need legal assistance.