thanksgiving Journey New mexico

I am in Portland now for Xmas .Iam always behind on this blog. IT is so dependent on time and acess to internet and space to reflect. I still have so much I want to write about , expecially about my time in NYC ,about the Native American film festival and also about developments in Mexico in Oaxaca.
There is always more to write than is possible as things are moving very fast for me. I have made great connections with many Indian people and groups here and trust this will develop as we find real ways to work together at a community level. Especially in the area of digital story telling and its use as tool of health intervention , something I am even more convinced is real and is defintely showing promise for use in addressing health disparties. I am excited about the research I am doing and what I am finding and the community of storytellers here working in the same way is inspiring me.

I am happy about working with a wonderful woman( BK ),Brenda Manuelito and hopefully with a group out of UA (University of Arizona ). We are looking at developing this as a research project as well as the forming of a roundtable to meet and talk about "Historical trauma " in our communties and countries.This is about finding solutiuons, not more problems. This gives me hope.

I have people still to meet with in Seattle , "Native voices" a wonderful grassroots film youth organisation who I met in NYC and whose work is very impressive and also the folks from the Bridges site also in Seattle. This is to further the idea of setting up a website for us to launch the digital stories and create avenues of communication directly between Indigenous Australian and Native American " Indian " Youth and communties .I am KEEN to foster discussion , curriculum and cultural exchange. I would love anyone who reads this who thinks they can help or point ME TO FUNDERS and philanthropic types , yes please ! I need this .

I also would like to start hearing in the (posting message section on here),from anyone interested in this topic who wants to start contributing so we can get a discussion happening . Also anyone who wants to be involved and is serious , please do contact me. I will attempt to write more on this all soon.

Right now I am back to writing , I have a short course elective I am offering in SF in March and preparing for this , it is on "Terra Nullius , sovereignty and governance" and I am focusing on the issues around "Mabo" and Native title and the "stolen generation", reports and the outcomes and impacts in relation to the topic of 'Historical trauma and Intergenerational trauma ",policy impacts and so on. So I am absorbed in this right now , reading a zillion articles and books and making notes. I am in Portland as I needed to be somewhere for xmas and somewhere I could work and also its a good excuse to visit my friend Peter ! ( for those who know me and peter Irving , HE SAYS hello ).

These Photos ARE NOT about any of this , sorry of that is confusing , but they are of my thanksgiving trip to NEW Mexcio to the Pecos wilderness and then to TESQUE , outside of Sante Fe .I flew for a quick 5 days over thanksgiving from NYC , to see my old dear friend Dee. So these are pics of Dee and her husband Charlie Miner
( glass works )home and environs in the Pecos wilderness and then some pics of murals and graffiti in Sante Fe. I love New Mexico.

ok , more soon ,

be well enjoy the new year .
samia