…is a time for F/friends from across our Quarter to gather, worship, listen, and share how Spirit has been moving amongst us over the past year.
We will gather Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30th, 2022 via zoom.
The Southern California Quakers Racial Justice Network is hosting an Interest Group on Friday night, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, on Developing Right Relationships with Native Peoples, Leaders from the Towards Right Relationships with Native People program of Friends Peace Teams and the Office of Indigenous Concerns for the Los Angeles Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church will share their experience and discuss the work of developing right relationships with Native Peoples, with a focus on the First Peoples of the lands where we worship. Panelists include Paula Palmer, Sylvia Mendivil Salazar (of O’odham and Yoeme descent), and Suanne Ware-Diaz (Kiowa). All are welcome to attend. (Guest panelists’ bios below.)
We’ll have two sessions on Saturday for worship, plenaries, and an opportunity to hear from our Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups excerpts from their Spiritual State of the Society reports.
For questions about registration email our Registrar, Lawrence Alderson at scqmsignup@gmail.com
Spring Gathering Schedule
Friday, April 29
6:30 – 8:00 pm Interest Group –
Developing Right Relationships with Native Peoples
Saturday, April 30
9:30 – 11:30 am Worship, Plenary 1, State of Society Reports Part 1
11:30 – 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 3:15 pm Plenary 2, State of Society Reports Part 2, Closing Worship
Developing Right Relationships with Native Peoples Interest Group Panelists:
- Paula Palmer, Co-director of Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples, a program of Friends Peace Teams, and a member of Boulder Meeting (IMYM). Paula is a bilingual sociologist, writer, and activist for racial justice, human rights, and environmental protection. She serves on the steering committee of Decolonizing Quakers and is a frequent speaker at the FGC Gathering and yearly and monthly meetings throughout the United States. Paula has received numerous awards for her work, including the Elise Boulding Peacemaker of the Year Award (given by the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center) and the Jack Gore Memorial Peace Award (given by the American Friends Service Committee).
- Sylvia Mendivil Salazar (of O’odham and Yoeme descent) is the volunteer Coordinator for the Office of Native American Concerns, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Ministry. In her work with the Archdiocese, she led the development and implementation of the Native American hospitality protocol with the leaders of the four Tribal Nations who are the First Peoples of the land of the Archdiocese. She is a board member for the Kuruvungna Springs Museum and Cultural Center, a Gabrielino / Tongva Springs Foundation, and was the Chairperson for the Board of Directors of Pukuu Cultural Community Services for two terms. She has received many recognitions for her work, including the annual Heritage Award (in 2017) from the Aquarium of the Pacific.
- Suanne Ware-Diaz (Kiowa), is a retired non-profit executive, former executive staff for the United Methodist Church General Commission on and Religion and Race, and continues to work on antiracism with the church and community as a workshop leader and facilitator (Suanne will be participating via a recorded interview).
After hearing from Paula, Sylvia and Suanne, we will have time to reflect on our own next steps on the path towards right relationships with the Native People of the land where we worship.