What is bioregional animism?

Bioregional animism is by definition relating to the land/bioregion as the source of ones religion and culture. It is a form of Personalism where other then human persons including the whole bioregion itself is related to and communicated with as a person, not as if it was a person but as a person. Animism does not personify other then human persons, animals forces of nature, plants, the land and sky, it gives up human dominion over the designation of who and what a person is. Bioregional Animism does not treat animals, plants, forces of nature, or the land and sky as tools, or symbols, for humans to use but instead views these other then human persons as just that… persons who can be communicated with, who relationships and partnerships and allegiances can be formed with for living in mutually beneficial and reciprocal ways; In both the physical and spiritual world. Bioregional Animism sees that ones larger self is the eco-region one lives within and that animist spiritual practice, cosmology, ontology, culture, and life practices are all expression of that larger ecological and transpersonal self. In a way Bioregional animism is a response to the need for the rediscovery and rebirth or earth embracing traditions, and attempts to embody the ideal slogan of thinking globally but acting locally. Many people are drawn to shamanism in an attempt to find this way of relating to self and earth just to find that there is no shamanism in reality, shamans are healers and spiritual leaders designated by an animist tradition or culture, in other words all shamans of the world are animists not shamanists. Bioregional animism attempts to assist others in discovering the spiritual tradition which is an expression of the land under their feet and the sky over their head which fills their lungs and moves through ones heart. Bioregional animism attempts to show us that the spirit of the shaman as well as the animist is derived from and is an expression of the bioregion, of the land itself and forms from deeply intimate relationships with the life and spirit of those around us. Bioregional animism works with a base inspiration from the work of Graham Harvey’s New Animism www.animism.org.uk/. As well as with modern concepts of bioregionalism by such authors on the subject as Kirkpatrick Sales, www.schumachersociety.org/publi...3.htmlPlease read His book Dwellers in the Land: A Bioregional Vision. As well as Harvey’s revolutionary work on new animism titled, Animism: Respecting the Living World. For more information on bioregional animism please read our blog. bioregionalanimism.blogspot.com/ If you would like to meet other bioregional animists as well as discuss bioregional animism with Little lightening bolt and other bioregional animist our online forum can be found at tribes… tribes.tribe.net/bioregionalanimism Bioregional animism is the Life vision of Little Lightening Bolt of the Cascadia bioregion and the Tumwawa eco-region. It is not an idea or concept or philosophy it’s a vision that he carries and offers as a gift to all who may need to carry such a vision themselves. Little Lightening Bolt can be contacted via the tribe’s bioregional animism forum. He is currently writing a book entitled Bioregional Animism: Finding the spirit of the shaman in your back yard... with out haveing to culturaly appropriate....

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

Ecotrust


Ecotrust is a unique and amazing group working towards actualizing bioregional life way, it is my pleasure to introduce you to them if you have not allready met them...

LLB



The Ecotrust Mission: To Build Salmon Nation
Citizens of Salmon Nation want to live in a place where economic, ecological, and social conditions are improving, where a "conservation economy" is emerging.
Our bioregion: the Pacific salmon / coastal temperate rain forest region from California to Alaska
Ecotrust was created in 1991 by a small group of diverse people who sought to bring some of the good ideas emerging around sustainability back to the rain forests of home. We set out to characterize this region and articulate a more enduring strategy for its prosperity.
These efforts are predicated on the notion, gaining an ever wider currency, that economic and ecological systems are mutually interdependent. To this relationship Ecotrust and others have sought to add a third "e" — social equity — to ensure that economic development awards benefits to all the region's citizens. Economy, ecology, equity: the triple bottom line.
Five integrated program areas, supported by our sophisticated tools and services, define and guide our efforts to build Salmon Nation:
Native Programs
Continuously strengthening over a decade of close relationships, Ecotrust both draws guidance from and provides assistance to the Native American and First Nation communities of Salmon Nation. Our objective is to support a growing network of leaders, increase outdoor education opportunities for native youth, and broker resources for repatriation and improved management of traditional lands.
Fisheries
Ecotrust seeks full public disclosure of the status of Pacific salmon as well as fundamental institutional changes in the way fisheries, marine ecosystems and watersheds are managed. With our State of the Salmon project, our goal is to create the most credible single source of information about salmon and salmon dependent communities, produce new models for socio-economic and ecological analysis, and protect and restore critical salmon watersheds.
Forestry
Ecotrust is working to develop landscape-scale examples of ecological forest management that sustain biodiversity and provide more reliable opportunities for forest dependent communities. Our objective is to develop new socio-economic models of traditional versus ecological forestry, protect key remaining natural-forest watersheds, and capture market forces to encourage new salmon-friendly forest practices.
Food & Farms
By promoting the seasonal products of local farmers and striving to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture on healthy watersheds, Ecotrust is fostering a regional food system in the Pacific Northwest. Our objectives are to improve public understanding of local agriculture and increase the market share of locally grown food.
Citizenship
Ecotrust works to articulate the idea of Salmon Nation, to promote a sense of place and stewardship among the citizens of the region. We seek to reach a significant percentage of this region’s residents, inspiring them to tangibly change the way they think about their relationship to nature and to become more responsible citizens of Salmon Nation.

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