Indigenous Practices in Sueños del Bosque

Yesterday in Sueños del Bosque we had a special teacher come into our “School for Mamas and Papas” to share Indigenous wisdom with our community.

Hate Hilario Pedraza is the father of one of our teaching assistants. He has spent decades working with and learning from diverse Indigenous communities throughout the Northern Andes and Amazon. He came to share with us the methods of using a circle of words to unify community in deep and powerful ways.

We are a new school that is almost a year old. Our families have much to learn about the traditions and practices that we want to embody together as we raise our children. There have already been a few conflicts and disagreements that needed to be held with tenderness and care within the community of Sueños del Bosque.

Now we are introducing practices associated with the spiritual worldviews and cultural practices of "Mambeos" -- those who bring the plant medicine of Mambe into community dialogue circles.

Among the key insights were that each person holds two imaginary baskets -- one to give gratitude for what they receive and find valuable during community dialogues and another for what they appreciate learning that they do not want when feeling disagreement about what someone else brings into the circle.

This forms the basis for mutual respect even when there are disagreements. It opens space for love to be held that unifies the community while each member is freely sovereign to hold his or her own views that others do not need to agree with.

Imagine the kinds of role-modeling in families and for children that this kind of practice brings into being if it is done regularly for years over time.

There is a lot more that was discussed. I am holding the significance of bringing Indigenous wisdom into our regenerative school for children and families. It feels very important and timely with all that is happening in the world.

Onward, fellow humans.