East ~ West Axis
The legacy of colonialism lives on in a deeply unjust racial wealth gap, where the descendants of Western European colonial settlers have accumulated vast amounts of land and wealth, while the descendants of First Nations and enslaved peoples have endured generations of land and labor theft, along with racist economic policies.
Our morality as well as our survival depend on recognizing that our liberation and shared destiny are bound with one another and our common home.
Repairing our worldview and orienting toward right relationship with Land in the North of the Compass prepares us for the work of Reunion and Relinquishment as described in the East~West axis. As the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, we each are continually guided to focus on what is ours to reunite with and what is ours to let go.
In the East, we confront the inequality of access to Land and prioritize material repair by centering Land Reunion for Native, African American, and marginalized diasporic communities of color. This process has the potential to support the restoration of cultures and relationships devastated by colonialism and extractive capitalism. This process uplifts cultural practices and Indigenous wisdom vital for our collective survival. Through this work, is it also imperative that communities reuniting with their land-based cultures are able to self-determine their own governance and stewardship practices that are culturally affirming. In practice, this often includes creatively using existing legal frameworks to secure land titles and legal status as a collective organization, in ways that align with values and culture of the Reunion group.
Relational repair is one of the most tender and inspiring dimensions of this work, revealing the depth and resilience of the human heart in breathtaking ways. Many books are now being written by white authors —primarily women—who detail their journey of exploring their lineage, acknowledging how their ancestors benefited from Western colonization, and sharing their efforts to relinquish an unexamined colonizer mindset and building trusted relationships with friends of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Material repair requires us to critically examine capitalism and its promotion of hyper-individualism and wealth hoarding. In a capitalist system, individuals with wealth are often encouraged to accumulate more wealth. While true scarcity is a lived reality for many, those with wealth are often driven by perceived scarcity—the fear of not having enough and the desire for future security. Rarely do we ask: “What does it mean to have enough?” By confronting this question, those with accumulated wealth can begin to redistribute their excess resources. A primary focus in the West is the practice of letting go. Letting go is not only financial resources but also the relinquishment of practices and belief systems that do not contribute to a broader liberatory framework. For thousands of years, fighting over scarce resources is a mechanism that has effectively divided human populations and has led us to our current sixth mass extinction, climate peril, the rise of fascist regimes, and unconscionable loss of human and nonhuman life.
The Cultural Renaissance of our times will be led by those who engage in Reunion and Relinquishment in place-based liberation efforts. Our ability to link ourselves together in the lifeboats of our bioregions and entwine our fates is required to survive climate catastrophe and learn how to thrive within the limits of our abundant ecosystems.
Though there is immense work to support the well-being of existing Indigenous cultures on the planet, all humans come from Indigenous roots. The societies of domination and power have stripped even those who are the beneficiaries of conquest of their connection with the Earth. Thus cultural reunion with Land and humanity is essential for everyone.
Don’t know where to begin? Start here: