Open Mic Fundraiser

On Saturday, October 24, the Akwesasne Community Collective held an "Open Mic" fundraiser. The Ahkwesasne Collective will journey to Chiapas, Mexico to "focus on practical efforts within Mohawk and Zapatista communities toward recouping, maintaining, and preserving indigenous autonomy, agriculture, language, and health. Traditional as well as innovative contemporary efforts will be shared and highlighted within an organic, respectful, and enjoyable collective process. The central themes of indigenous autonomy, ecological agriculture, natural medicines, women's empowerment, and indigenous resistance will be explored during hands-on and participatory workshops plus extensive discussions."

During their ten day trip they are planning in visiting an ancient Mayan city, participate in traditional medicine workshops and in a set of workshops for experienced and new gardeners focus on the ancient Mayan system of the "milpa"; their traditional Mayan corn plot where generations of Indigenous farmers have preserved and cultivated a deep knowledge of traditional agriculture in a sustainable organic, and conscientious practices, and the contemporary indigenous resistance to genetically modified crops (GMO's). Staying in rustic tin roofed housing, and cooking over open fires, participants will be become welcomed visitors into their homes and not as tourists.

The Zapatista have been at the forefront of the "resistance to aggression against their communities"; they are active in all aspects of political and community organizing and from their work they have created cooperatives for selling products at "fair market value and created better working conditions and wages.

As well, Haudenosaunee youth will travel and share their experience of Ohero:kon, the seven year Rites of Passage journey from childhood into adulthood with Zapatista youth from Mayan territories who are creating an impact in their own communities by actively embracing their cultural practices in farming and education. Here, Ohero:kon youth learn about the importance and values of sustainable agriculture, traditional medicine and preservation of language, culture and ceremonies; one goal of this trip is to collaborate together and create a long-lasting relationship where; "Un Mundo Donde Quepan Todos los Mundos - A World Where All Worlds Fit" - words of the Zapatistas.

The youth of both cultures will undoubtedly share similarities as well as stark differences in dress and in behavior. Hoping a friendship will blossom from sharing.

From the Zapatistas..."we also buy cellphones, but we know how to use them like Zapatistas, for something useful. We also have TV, but we use it to listen to the news, not to distract ourselves. On the other hand, we Zapatistas are poor, but rich in thinking. Why? Because even though we have shoes and clothes and cellphones, we don't change our thinking or our way of life, because to us as Zapatista youth it doesn't matter to us how we are dressed, or what kinds of things we have. What's important to us is that the work we do is for the good of the community."

The Ahkwesasne Collective has created a number of personal products that are all natural, non-GMO and made locally. The Collective used part of their profits to fund their trip to Mexico. As well, the Ahkwesasne Collective will take part on the Caretaking Workshop at the Senior Center on November 4, 2015. One objective for The Ahkwesasne Collective is to become a resource for our community for information, information sharing, herbs and medicines for daily minor healthy issues.

The Open Mic event was sponsored in part by the Seven Dancers Coalition.