Unless we all take action for the climate to change.Īgainst the Age of Exploration and Extraction,Ī call for the Time of Reconciliation, the Now of Restoration We’ve had our land stolen and we’re losing it again When something is stolen, you want it returned. When you lose something, you hope it will be found. Today she burns desperate,įor all to resist fossil fuels, the drilling, and the black snake named Our Mother Earth holds our histories in her dirt.īut today, she burns not in the traditional ways once taught,Ĭontrolled and deliberate. Our grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers, sisters, mothers, brothers, daughters, sons, children, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and ancestors. Conquest meant they saw our bodies as land,įull of resources waiting to be extracted and exploited. Our then-girl-grandmothers how to sew like machines.Ībout them not seeing us as human but as object,Ī thing. Pierced our tongues with needles then taught To the doorway out, life is about all our relations.īefore I was born, they tried to silence us, Of all living things and to honor life like the circle My mother taught me that water is the source When my mother says words are seeds and to be careful Traditional to the land and handled them with care.Įvery tree, plant, or rock has a spirit, she said “hear it.” So she tended the seedsĪs living beings, planted her garden full of foods The way the earth clung to her hands as if it were a part of her. I remember my grandmother was well versed in dirt, Until you push and claw your way through to acceptance.įor us, stories have always been for lessons. The pain as it echoes into the canyon of grieving. You see, the power of a single tear lies in the story. What must be done and that the sacrifices She currently lives on Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho lands in Colorado. ![]() She comes from an intertribal lineage of Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, and Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, where she is an enrolled citizen. Happy holidays, friends! Now go create something beautiful.Winder is an author, singer-songwriter, and motivational speaker, whose written works include the poetry collections Words Like Love and Why Storms are Named After People and Bullets Remain Nameless. Don’t be afraid to use plants that are not traditional, you may just come up with something better. I’d love to see your wreath if you create one this season. Of course you could add some ornaments or bows or other festive objects, but I like to keep ours simple with just the plants that grow on our land. Look for different shapes or even unique twigs that could add some interest to the wreath. These berries also add a touch of color to add some cheer and different textures. ![]() We found some really bright red bushes that would add some great texture and a pop of color. Lucky for us, our wash has some pretty beautiful areas with lots of different plants to choose from.Īfter you have your base of your main colors, start adding in some accents. Here in the desert we have lots of golden colored weeds, but if you search hard enough, you’ll be able to find some green around here. ![]() Then I like to alternate patches of colors. I love to start with the bushy plants first so that my wreath grows quickly. Make sure they’re tightly tucked in so they all stay in place and you’ll be able to create a wreath that will last the entire season. I did check with a local friend who assured me all of these plants were safe to use on our desert wreaths.Īfter you have plenty of plants, let’s start incorporating them into your wreath by weaving them into the branches. I really need to find a book on desert plants in our area because I know there are some you don’t want to be touching. Next, take a long walk and harvest plants in your area. This is the base of your wreath and what you’ll use to build upon. You’ll want to continue weaving in these branches to give strength to the circular shape. Start with two branches and twist them together, then bend into your circle and secure with some twine or string or whatever you have on hand. You’ll need something that will bend fairly easy and be able to shape into a circle, or close to it. These are very thin and flexible branches much like a traditional willow tree. To begin, we harvested some desert willow branches. Of course, all our plants are native to our area, so you can may need to adjust what you use with what grows in your neck of the woods…or desert ) ![]() The girls and I recently made some desert wreaths and thought it would be fun to share this little tutorial with you.
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