Tuesday, November 28, 2017

#GivingTuesday- What are you going to give today?

So it is #GivingTuesday. Do you know what that is?
I had to look it up again. I only got introduced to it last year and so I needed a little reminding.

https://www.givingtuesday.org/about

"#GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners— nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness. As a global movement, #GivingTuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.
"

Basically it is helping others. After you have feasted on Thanksgiving(in the US) and spoiled yourself with gifts from Black Friday, if you have money left well it is time to share. That is my take on it.

Any now I am going to put my own twist on it. We got all these big corps and ngo and other associations that have CEO's and they all want some of your hard earned cash. But I am going to ask you to look around your own backyard, to your neighbours, to the single mom that needs help with groceries, or rent, or the hydro or paying for that birthday cake for her kid or something but help a family member. Help someone you personally know. Maybe it could be anonymous and you could just figure out a cool way to gift them so as not to embarrass them or maybe you think if you give them money once, they will expect it. Just help someone you know.

We have all these rules around Facebook. I have rules I won't friend anyone I haven't personally met. Why don't we help the people we know. People who give to churches...take that money and give it to a struggling family..that you actually personally know. Take OUT the middle man/woman/company/environmental group.

I wasn't doing real well a little while ago. I had my other blog and I was involved in so many things trying to save the world, I was dying inside. I was trying so hard and while I may have been helping a little bit, it takes a collective effort and I just wasn't making a big enough dent for all the energy I was expending. Then a dear activist died and it really affected me. I thought the message that she sent was "put the oxygen mask on yourself first."






So I did. Thankfully some people I personally knew did help me with the flight and we came down here for the winter where we can afford the rent but not much else. Things are really bad in Vancouver BC Canada. I don't know if you saw the march the other day. There are no homes. We can not afford to rent there and there is just no affordable housing and they aren't going to get those homes ready until the next election and they say it will be 10 years before there are homes. And that is Canada! WTF!

So today I am asking you to help a friend, mom, kid, if you have a big home and extra bedrooms, house someone.

If you know of some elderly people with property, buy a tiny house and put it on there and house some mom's and kids....the system is not set up to help single moms. Help the elderly and the children.

If you have followed any of my old posts you will know that in the so called province of BC that once upon a time not so very long ago the women were powerful matriarchs able to care for themselves and children, gathering most of the food, helping build the homes and using medicines to cure and care for their families. But since the invasion of the colonist they wiped out the salmon, forced the children into school and now welfare systems, jailed many parents and elders and now we have this totally warped out materialistic, misguided society that doesn't have the knowledge, energy or power to care for themselves as they have every right to do so. http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc3.html



The Indigenous cultures of the Northwest Pacific Coast/ Coast Salish had wild salmon. There were huge runs of it and the women worked along side the men. The cleaned and dried it.

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com

Art by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com
zipolita@gmail.com


The gathered berries and roots and made medicines. The helped build homes gathering cedar and they made hats and clothings and fishing nets and tools and the men made tools, gathered cedar to help the women and fished to help the women and everyone gave. Knowledge was given. You didn't pay for it. They had huge potlatchs where the chiefs gathered lots of beautiful things together, food, clothes, canoes full of things and then the GAVE it away!!!

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_nwc5.html

#Potlatch
  • Potlatch' was the name given to most Northwest Coast celebrations. It comes from the Nuu-chah-nulth word 'pachitle' meaning 'to give'.
  • A potlatch was a big celebration that often took more than a year to plan. The ceremony usually corresponded with a person's change in social status, for example, marriage, birth, death, and coming of age. It included a feast, singing and costumed dancers, and some potlatches lasted as long as two to three weeks.
  • Most importantly, though, potlatches became a way in which families could show off their wealth to others.
  • Each person invited to a Potlatch received gifts related to their social rank. Some examples of gifts: canoes, carved dishes, and eulachon oil. The more wealth that a family gave away (as gifts), the more prestige was bestowed on them.

So you see this last line here...for the #GivingTuesday be really wealthy and give

"The more wealth that a family gave away (as gifts), the more prestige was bestowed on them."



So Angel and I could use some help right now. We are really low on funds as I lost a client that was helping alot. When we go home...we have no real home to go to. We are looking. Here is my dream. Someone buys a little lot on Salt Spring and the buys a Tinyhouse and we can do permaculture there and pay that kind person back in time. I dream I can have a little studio and sell my art. So I am putting out there to the world, to the universe. I am have been giving and I plan to keep on giving and I am asking you to give. 

If you have no money then give something else, give art, or knowledge, or food or your home, space, time. What will you give today ? and who will you give it too!! #GivingTuesday


And check out this... I think we need a lot of these. #DignityPotlatch

  • The most important social event of the coastal people was a huge feast they called the potlatch.
  • A chief would call people to attend a potlatch to celebrate a birth, or marriage, or to mark the finishing of a new house.
  • He would honour everyone with gifts, the more lavish the better, to show everyone how successful a leader he was.
  • A Dignity Potlatch was held if an important person, like a Chief, had an embarrassing moment, like falling out of a canoe. The purpose of this smaller potlatch was to offset any humiliation the person suffered.
  • In Northwest Coast culture, a person could not be laughed at, or they lost all dignity. Therefore, a potlatch reestablished some dignity. 
I think we need a lot of these. #DignityPotlatch if our world is going to heal.
He would honour everyone with gifts, the more lavish the better, to show everyone how successful a leader he was. A Dignity Potlatch was held if an important person, like a Chief, had an embarrassing moment, like falling out of a canoe. The purpose of this smaller potlatch was to offset any humiliation the person suffered. In Northwest Coast culture, a person could not be laughed at, or they lost all dignity. Therefore, a potlatch reestablished some dignity.

Support an Artist!! 



Okay, I am hungry, going to make breakfast. Hope you are eating well. Feed someone today if you are able. Give someone some groceries. Make that your #GivingTuesday gift.

 Sending out love and light. 
Wishing you all a beautiful day!


And don't forget about your neighbours to the south here in Mexico. They have really suffered this year from Earthquakes and Hurricanes. Come Visit! http://adventurezinmexico.blogspot.mx/2017/10/come-to-zipolite-adventurezinmexico.html

They need your tourist dollars and your smiling faces. Come bring love and good energy! Zipolite is waiting. What are you waiting for!

 Stay tuned for more
Adventurez In Mexico #AdventurezInMexico
http://adventurezinmexico.blogspot.ca

Photography by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017
http://zipolita.com

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Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2017

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