‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Raise Your Voice – Soil & water & spirit
BY PETER MOLENAAR From time to time, some of us venture south of Lake Street to visit the Powderhorn people. Should you turn west from Bloomington Avenue onto 35th Street, look to the right to view their lovely park. Glance left, as you approach Chicago Avenue and you will spot the old fire station which houses their neighborhood association. But, how many know that this old station houses another splendid organization? Via a side entrance, offices of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) can be found on the second floor. These dedicated folks believe that, in conjunction with family farmers, culturally and racially diverse rural and urban people can promote responsible stewardship of agricultural land, along with healthy food for all. To take one example, as Congress attempted to pass the 2018 farm bill, LSP was tuned in to defend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Of course, issues regarding land stewardship have been with us for some time. It was in the mid-19th Century [...]
Raise Your Voice – Two prophecies
By PETER MOLENAAR Acquaintances from the Occupy Movement of the Great Recession were, by chance, encountered recently at the Pow Wow Grounds Coffee shop on Franklin Avenue. Anita and Troy are a Dakota mother and son. As it happened, Anita would offer her take on my May Alley piece: “Seven Generations”. In Anita”'s view, ”˜seven generations”' invokes a prophecy more so than a moral premise. Pointing to her son, a medical student, she declared: “Here is the seventh generation!” Such is the nature of the first of our two prophecies. Note: We are now seven generations removed from the concentration camp at Fort Snelling. (more…)
Raise Your Voice – Seven Generations
By PETER MOLENAAR The “7th generation” principle, taught by our Native American neighbors, says that in every decision we make, we must consider how it will affect our descendants seven generations into the future. This approach seems to have worked well for a people who have demonstrated 10,000 years of staying power. As for me, I look backwards to immigrant great-grandparents, and do my best to see the “3rd generation” yet to be. (more…)
