I just got back from camping this weekend at the Trillium Gathering. I have to say, being my third year in a row going, and only being to Wellspring once, Trillium is definitely my favorite gathering. I think Chronarchy put it best that Trillium is more of a close-knit family gathering, while Wellspring seems, at least to me, more of a scholarly ADF gathering. And I like the closeness.

The weather this year was amazing compared to years past. It was warm and sunny during the day, and tolerable at night if you were prepared. I have a healthy sunburn, and managed to somehow get about 70 splinters in my arm from one of the registration poles. Our Archdruid, Skip, used some tweezers and a needle to pull most of them out, but I’d say 50 or so are still in there.

The opening ritual, main ritual, and closing ritual were all heart-felt, which is a rarity for me, and the omens were very good (Don’t ask me to remember the runes or ogham though). I think a lot of emotion went into this festival, seeing old friends and spending time to really get to know my Grovemates. I was also very happy to spend time with old faces, and look forward to sparking new friendships out of them. It’s nice to know that when you’re cold or sore, friends are willing to donate a massage or even the shirt off their back. These are very special people.

This was one of the best weekends I’ve had, just for the potent feeling of community amongst my peers in ADF. It’s inspiring, and if anything, makes me want to become more involved in ADF and getting to know as many people as I can.

The only sour note I can recall from the weekend, was the fact that several of us received comments from different people about how we weren’t participating in workshops. This especially aggravates me when I know ADF struggles to retain members, but then make them feel scorned or looked down upon because they aren’t as active as OTHER people think they should be. It made me rather frustrated, as I don’t attend the festivals for the workshops. I attend the festivals for the community, and getting to know the people who share a similar path in ADF.

I’ll go to a workshop if it’s something I’m interested in, but honestly, scholarly notations and history are not on the top of my list. I’m more of a hands-on person. I went to a basket-weaving workshop last year, I went to a mead ritual/workshop this year. There was one other workshop I wanted to go to this weekend, but I got up too late for it, but other than that, it’s just not for me. If there’s a workshop on sustainability or supporting the environment, or even on reading runes, then I’ll go. Those are workshops I could get into.

I did also find some past events at our Grove that I wasn’t aware of, that had given a bad impression of CLG to another ADF member. I understood though, considering the circumstances under which they happened, I’d be pretty turned off too. But those situations are gone, and I hope that such a wound can or has been healed.

All-in-all it was a great festival, and it is now mandatory that I go every year.

Some random (and most likely inside-jokes) thoughts from this weekend:

- The mananan/phenomenon song being sung over and over
- Men in kilts (oh. my. god.)
- RomanDruid telling me that she loves my voice, and she wants to teach me a new chant
- Spending time with Anna and Dennis
- Art’s meade
- Drumming
- Carrie’s Greenman song
- Being abducted by Egyptian Aliens
- Meeting the previous ArchDruid, Fox.
- The Cow Corral
- Tugging on Dennis’ beard
- Taco
- Lighting my boots on fire
- Someone coming up to me and commenting on my version of “Folsom Prison” and how much they loved it.
- Sharing my poncho by the fire
- Damn watermelon
- Men in kilts (ftw)
- Watching Caryn wrap her legs around a tree (don’t ask)
- Juju
- Chemical Burns suck

My son had a piece of old rusty metal in his paw. This is the second time since I got him in…2002(?) that he’s gotten something in his paw from our backyard. The first time was an old roofing nail, this looked like an old piece of chicken wire. Old chicken houses that used to be up and were torn down and trashed by the previous tenant are no doubt the fault.

I had to have my friend Jake come over again to hold Bastian down while I pulled it out. Jake used to work at the same Vet that I did, and is the only guy I’d trust to help me.

But at least it’s out, and my son is all better, with a big fattening pigs ear as a treat for how brave the little guy was.

[View pictures of my son]

I just returned home from the Grove where we had Garry Rowland of the Lakota people from Pine Ridge Reservation. He is the leader of the Wounded Knee chapter of the American Indian Movement, and also helped start up the Wounded Knee Visitor Center at Pine Ridge. He was also present during the Wounded Knee takeover in the 70’s when the two federal agents were killed.

He spoke for about an hour about the history of Wounded Knee and his people. He spoke of the massacre in 1890 and the takeover from the 70’s. I myself was completely enthralled because of my love for the people at Pine Ridge, and all of the tribes of the first people. And to actually have one sitting here in front of me, speaking for his people and how the U.S. Government has treated them over so many years was extra special. Living in Maryland restricts us from being exposed to much of the Native culture, even with the poor example of it at the new Native American Museum in D.C. Some people think that they know so much about the Native Americans because they read about it in books and such, and own a t-shirt or a drum or two, but I just ignore them.

Mr. Rowland had many things to say, and we listened. I recorded what I could of him, but he was a very soft-spoken man, so it will be hard to hear some of it. He was an elderly man, with the complexion of the survival of his people. He wore a trucker hat with a patch on it from when he was a paratrooper, and two feather pins with colored beads on each side. His entire demeanor made you feel like he had something to say, and when he stood, regardless of his quiet nature, you were respectful, and you heard what he had to say.

I did not take him for a political man, instead a very peaceable one. I did not feel he had anything but a sincere care for his people, and a sadness in his heart from all of the broken promises and treaties of the U.S. Government.

He and I spoke privately several times throughout the day. I had many questions about Wounded Knee and the living conditions of Pine Ridge. I asked about the Goon Squad and the tension between the mixed-blood and the traditionalists of the Lakota people, and he asked about my home. He spoke with me about the Lakota language and taught me some more pieces that I did not know (I speak very little Lakota, as right now my main focus is Cherokee).

We raised over $300 (probably closer to $360, as I made a $60 donation yesterday) to give to his cause, and many people at the Grove were talking about donating more time and money to the reservation and Wounded Knee. I personally would love to take a road trip out there, and hope to do so very soon.

[Download the compressed mp3’s of Garry’s visit.]

On a side note, some of us were outside under the pavilion, as several people were taking a smoke break (I do no smoke). And as we were standing there with Garry, a beautiful hawk swooped down over the sanctuary and landed in a nearby tree. I was also given a birthday present from Caryn, which was a stuffed red-tailed hawk that when you squeezed its belly, it made a hawk cry.

Dad surprised me with a box of brand new graphite arrows, custom made. Very exciting Though I’m surprised at how expensive arrows have gotten, maybe I’ve just been out of the loop for so long.

Lots of well wishes from people, a bunch of cards from relatives, some of which I would consider “rich” relatives, but alas, no money.

My fathers card actually made me cry, because over the years he’s always underlined special words in the card that he wanted to stand out. And this year he underlined “Very proud of the lovely woman you’ve become.”

A wonderful co-worker, who happens to be an inspirational cook, is bringing me a chocolate and peanut butter pie to work today. Thus, it shall be a good day.

From MSN:

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So one of our rich neighbors is moving. They’ve been good rich neighbors. They pay my dad to tend to their cattle and animals while they are on vacation, they let us use their huge pool whenever we want, etc.

They gave me a new bed, since I was constantly getting cut up by my old 1970’s bed. A piece of Cherokee pottery they got off a reservation. Some bath rugs, my dad bought a tractor, band saw, and something else from them really cheap. The tractor comes with a mower, which my dad will use to get more lawns/pastures to mow for extra cash during the summer. And they’re giving us a sofa (they had like 6, so they are just giving away a bunch of stuff).

They are being replaced with even richer neighbors, that are apparently completely gutting the house (that’s how rich they are) and redoing it. And already have contractors hired to build new stuff and additions. Hopefully we can befriend these even richer neighbors.

On the downside, they are anti-hunting. And this neighbors property runs right up to my hunting grounds. So this means that 1. I’m going to need to get a permit this year, and 2. go further into the thicket away from their property to hunt. But they’re just going to have to deal with hunters in the neighborhood. It’s Carroll County, afterall.

It’s no secret in my Grove that the core of my spiritual beliefs center around Native American traditions. I grew up with Native values, I have Native blood in my veins, I’ve been teaching myself Cherokee for the last year or so, and eventually will teach myself Lakota-Sioux.

Last year, our founder, Will Pierson, and his wife Caryn (our chief liturgist), took a trip out west to see their newly born grandson. On the way, they stopped by the Pine Ridge Reservation, which houses Wounded Knee. I’ve been following the goings on at Pine Ridge Reservation for many years now, after hearing about the state of the reservation (average income is $3,000/year).

They kept contact with the people of the people of Pine Ridge, and a few months ago the people were preparing for a big celebration, and it just so happens that their electricity was turned off because they could not pay their bill. They sent an email to Will and Caryn about it, and Caryn donated money to help get their electricity turned back on. (This may have been during their American Indian Movement celebration in February, I’m not sure of the timeframe).

Garry Rowland, a gentleman from Pine Ridge Reservation, is coming to visit the Grove this weekend. He’ll be staying with Will and Caryn, and speaking at the Grove sometime this weekend. Will and Caryn have kept me personally up-to-date in these email correspondences, because they know my love for the people, and for Pine Ridge. So I am doubly excited to meet Mr. Rowland, who himself is a veteran of the Wounded Knee takeover in 1973 (which I posted about before).