Good morning, relatives,

It’s July 3, and I’m writing to you to say we will indeed meet in the garden on July 6. Between now and then comes July 4, which is a complicated mess of a “holiday” for most of the folks reading this email. With that in mind, I re-read chapter 27 in Braiding Sweetgrass, in which Robin tells the history of the Onondaga Confederacy and Onondaga lake. The lake is a true lake and the toxins that must be cleaned from it are true toxins, the work of cleaning it is true and specific to that lake, too, and yet the whole ecological saga unfolds as a part of (and even a metaphor for) the inter-cultural relations that surround that region of what is now New York State. She doesn’t pull punches- she tells of exactly how brutal George Washington and other celebrated founders were, how careless and arrogant the later corporations were. But she doesn’t leave us hopeless either: there’s a path forward in her words, both for the people and for the land. In a future gathering, this is one things we can discuss- what is that path? – but we’ll wait for the hot horrors of high summer to wrestle with that more directly. This weekend promises to be beautiful and we have a small patch of land to tend. I have ideas, you might too.

Reminders: please plan to stay until noon. The community we build eating lunch together is an important component of this program. Long pants and close toed shoes are encouraged, as are sunblock, bug spray, and even a hat. We WILL be kneeling this weekend- shorts really wont be comfortable.

Molly