Re-indiginizing: Practices for Decolonizing and Re-Rooting
Awaken your connection to the web of life through calling in your own ancestral roots, visiting the past to inform the future.
Overview
A’ida Al-Shibli, an indigenous Bedouin born in occupied Palestine who has lived in Tamera for the last 2 decades, invites you to explore how and why systems of oppression intend to cut us from our roots, and invites you to reconnect with your ancestral Indigenous lineage and relationship with land that predates our socialization into systems of oppression.
Being rooted and related to land and those who inhabit it has been an existential prerequisite and foundation of existence for all people. We all descend from people who once knew how to live harmoniously with Earth and the value of interdependence and reciprocity. Indigenous culture is inseparable from land, which is why Indigenous stewardship and ecological care is responsible for protecting around 80% of the world’s biodiversity, even after centuries of ruthless genocidal erasure.
Unless we root in our authentic unique ancestral ways of living, we won’t be able to appreciate the roots of other people. We might even end up uprooting or appropriating others as we hunger for aliveness and authentic spirituality. Re-indigenizing ourselves requires a deep commitment and a clear intention. Willingness to embrace where we come from, so we can truly inhabit the present moment in full connection with the continuum of time and land. Re-rooting is like a new contract with your lineage, letting them know you are ready to become a walking prayer for life.
This introduction video gives you an overview of the course:
Who is the course for?
The course is open for people from all cultural backgrounds, yet we will focus on reawakening western tribes and wisdom. If you come from a tribal/Indigenous culture, feel welcome as well and gift us your ways.
- Anyone who wants to rekindle their connection with land, any land.
- Anyone ready to face the bright and the dark sides of history in order to build the future.
- Anyone willing to include different ways of knowing and being besides the intellect.
- Anyone willing to think systemically
- Anyone willing to acknowledge your power and privileges
- Anyone interested in how activism can root itself in prayer
Info
Research area: Decolonizing
Location: In Tamera
Language: English
Cost
Sliding scale from €730 to €1180 (including seminar fee, board & accommodation).
If you find it challenging to meet the lowest sliding scale, please register anyway and contact us so we can start a dialogue.
For financial support for participants from marginalized backgrounds: Explore our Solidarity Fund.
Willing to support others? Consider contributing to the Solidarity Fund.
Why are we using a sliding scale?
Our invitation to Portuguese nationals.
Payment Policy
Once you have filled out the registration form, we will send you an email with instructions on how to pay.
Please note that in order to confirm your registration, you must pay a non-refundable registration fee of €150.
Accommodation
Shared dormitories, Guest House at an extra expense, own/rented tent, or own van.
Food
Vegan full board.
Arrival and Departure
Please plan to arrive on May 25th before 6pm and to depart on June 2nd.
Children
We regret that children cannot be accommodated in this course.
Pets
We regret that pets cannot be accommodated in this course.
What we’ll explore
- The current state of some Indigenous people, their stories, and struggles
- Why colonialism severs people’s connection to the land and how we can begin to reverse it
- How systems of oppression continue to alienate us from our roots
- How our activism becomes more whole and sustainable when we are rooted
- To explore: What is ours/mine to do, say in these times? What are different offers we can make, depending on our roots?
- Practical tools to connect with your roots and to develop a sense of belonging
- How to expand your imagination for possible post-colonialist futures
Tamera is an emerging Healing Biotope where we work to reconnect with and restore the wholeness of life. Courses may focus on specific topics, but all of our research exists within an interconnected web — so your experience will likely expand into other areas.
As a course participant, you can join our morning offers, which include Yoga and other possible activities. You’ll also be able to take part in events for the whole community like our Sunday Matinee, the Ring of Power, and Political Cafés.
Course content
A’ida will be gifting us some of the practices she collected through years of research and restoring connection with her own Indigenous identity, to help white and other non-Indigenous people to gain knowledge and embody an experience of being rooted.
What´s the importance of collective myths? Which ones do we believe in and how does this inform our belief systems and our worldviews? Ancestors and lineage are more than just biological connections. Since life is an interconnected web, is it possible to look into the past and choose a lineage thread to identify with.
This course will be unusual compared to other Tamera courses, as we will spend a lot of time in nature and most of our activities will take place outdoors.
Please read Tamera’s Visitor Guidelines and Policies
Before enrolling, we ask all participants to carefully read Tamera’s Visitor Guidelines and Policies, which outline our ethical principles, our position on Palestine, and how these shape our work, our learning spaces, and our expectations of visitors. This is an essential part of preparing for your time at Tamera.