We are about 1/3 of the way through our annual May Reparations Fundraiser, we've raised over $5,000 dollars so far, which puts us about 1/3 of the way towards our goal. Last year we raised just over $13,000 and we'd love to decidedly trounce that number this year.
And while the amount is magic, we wanted to share some of the more emotional electricity we get to experience as part of this fundraiser. For us, this month is a wave of love in our inbox. Most of the time people just attach their screenshot and sometimes a link to the organization they've chosen to support, and those messages are thrilling because so many of these organizations are new to us. Seeing their work all over the world seeds some deep calm into our hearts. The world is a garden and there is so much creative, fertile kindness out there.
Amy has been keeping a list of all the organizations our community has supported, if you scroll down towards the bottom of the Reparations 2025 page you can see and soak in them all, and maybe you'll get inspired to send along another donation or two, who knows.
Occasionally folks send us messages along with their donation receipt, and we wanted to share a few of those.
Feel how beautiful, how powerful your community is.
Know, when you feel hopeless, that these are your people and you are NOT alone.
"I'm in Northern Utah on land of the Northwest band of Shoshone. There was a boarding school just over the mountain from me that severely disrupted the homes and lives of the Shoshone people. Add to that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' "Native Adoption" program that was going on when I was 12 years old that continued to disrupt lives. I appreciate your yearly reparations fundraiser because it helped me get off dead center and look up a way to support Indigenous women. I've listened to you for a few years and this is the first year I have donated. Thank you. Here's the website for the organization I found out about: Restoring Ancestral Winds."
"Do recurring donations count? My monthly donation to Waub Ajijaak Press & Foundation, which offers a scholarships and grants to Native folks/orgs, was inspired by y'all!"
"I’m glad you ran this contest because I got to learn about this new initiative that’s just down the street from me AND run by a student I used to work with. Thanks again for doing this! https://www.kncln.ca/"
"Thank you for the inspiration to offer reparations. I am grateful for the nudge and was able to research and support the following organizations: https://indigenouscultures.org/ https://csvanw.org/"
"Here are my contributions to the fundraiser for May. The first is to the Yafa Cultural Center and Lajee Center. These two centers exist in the Balata and Aida refugee camps respectively in the West Bank. They offer literacy support and a creative respite for children. They also offer library training. I found this fundraiser through Librarians and Archivists with Palestine. I wanted to start the fundraiser in a way that felt personal. The world is so sick and there are so many people in need. Libraries are a tangible way I can help fill that need and as I made this donation I thought of the kids in Gaza. I imagined what it would be like to serve those communities. I thought of the kids and communities I currently serve and felt the joy we share when we see one another. I'm sending the children in these cultural centers wide armed hugs. I want to hold them. I want them to find safety and joy.The next donation was one of many GoFund Me campaigns for families trying to evacuate Gaza. Lastly, I wanted to support North American Indigenous people. So I donated to the Manna-hatta Fund and American Indian Community House which helps increase visibility of American Indian cultures in New York City."
"I manifest Justice, I manifest Hope, I manifest Love. The best to you and y’all, and through this boost of support, I hope the best for all. https://atlohsa.com/"
Another aspect of the magic of May for us is spotlighting Indigenous voices through conversations about Indigenous Futures and Re-indigenizing the World! Check out those special episodes here (more to come!):
Patty Krawec encourages listeners to join the fundraiser by donating to PAYYOURRENT.CA - collecting funds from people living on stolen land and disbursing them to Indigenous people.
Amanda Amour Lynx suggests donating to the Sierra Club - Protect the Lakes From a Devastating Oil Spill and Support Anishinabe Nations.
Edgar Fabian Frias suggests donating to Bay Area Indian Two Spirits AKA BAAITS.
Christopher Marmolejo suggests donating to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
Granddaughter Crow encourages us all to look within our own neighbours and donate as locally as possible!
Think of it as a ritual sacrifice to a possible world, or an investment in an indigenized future.
Amy Torok
Featured Events
Weavers Full Moon Loom: What do you want to believe?
Monday, May 12, 8:00 PM. Hosted by Amy and Risa.
Witchcraft 101-5: Herbalism
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 PM. Hosted by Amy.
Carry on, love is coming, love is coming to us all,
BFB, xo Amy + Risa
