I have a dream ...

I wrote this document months ago and felt moved to share it here with the intent to see if there are anybody out there willing to help out as TIPI Supporters.  This is not a capital investment where supporters can expect returns on their investments.  This is an investment in relationships and people where the returns are far more tangible, peaceful and prosperous for all involved.  If you want to discuss this idea with me further, I am open to dialogue.  There is a LOT of work to do yet and this is at the idea / planning stage right now.  I have three of the four stewards committed to participating, so I do need an indigenous woman yet to join us to complete the steward team.  I have several in mind to approach for the task.  I am open to comments and suggestions.  I thank you all for your contemplation on the idea that I'm presenting here in public for the first time.  This is not the whole document, but should give you a good idea on what I am thinking about.

My intent is to fund this project with steem.  - White Walking Feather

Description of Initiative 

Tawatinaw Initiative on Peace and Independence (TIPI) is a dedicated and dynamic group of highly spiritual individuals joining together to provide opportunities for others to fully immerse themselves in true experiential learning opportunities, harmonizing ancient indigenous knowledge with modern technology, used peacefully to build skills, confidence and experiences necessary so they can provide the basic necessities of life for themselves (independence), their families and their community members (inter-independence) while being proper stewards of the land and in harmony with sustainable environmental practices for at least seven generations.

TIPI is rooted on the principles outlined in the Tawatinaw Peace Treaty (in progress) and will serve as an example of how Treaty 6 was supposed to be implemented since its signing in 1876. 

TIPI is not a corporation, business, non-profit, body politic or any other fictional construct, but rather a spiritual idea shared between multiple people for the benefit of all.  Each individual has a specific role and responsibility.  In the context of this document and to keep this discussion simple, the roles are identified as: 

TIPI Steward

Four individuals responsible for stewarding the TIPI to ensure the spirit and intent of the work remains Spiritual and within the scope as outlined in this document.  It will also require that the TIPI Stewards work with Land Stewards, TIPI Supporters, Education Elders and Knowledge Seekers to bring all the resources together for a meaningful and profound experience for all involved. 

TIPI Supporter

Individuals, even those hiding behind corporate masks, who are willing to volunteer their support to individuals working within the Spirit of this initiative, whether that support is Spiritual, financial or through the gift of time and energy.  TIPI Supporters will ensure success by filling in the gaps left open by the limited time, energy and resources of the TIPI Stewards, Land Stewards and Education Elders.  Their help will be critical to ensure the success of this initiative.   

Land Steward

Individuals who have accepted Primary Stewardship of a small parcel of land and Secondary Stewardship of Treaty 6, upon which contains the natural resources and healthy environments needed in order to facilitate learning through the programs outlined by the TIPI Stewards.  TIPI prefers to use Land Stewards who have signed a Peace Treaty, but until those treaties are in place, TIPI Stewards will deal with corporations in a private capacity to ensure success of the initiative.
 

Education Elders

Individuals who have acquired years of experience, training or other skills and are willing to pass those onto others who seek that knowledge.  There is no requirement for colonial degrees or certifications.  Everyone has life experience and knowledge to share.  It will be up to the TIPI Stewards to effectively evaluate the relevance of the Elders knowledge and teaching style to ensure they meet the needs and requirements of the Knowledge Seeker.

Knowledge Seeker

An individual who has the will and ability to experience and learn from their environment and from the elders around them so that they can then apply it in their own life to obtain peace and independence with the possibility of sharing it with others in the future.

The initiative will require that the TIPI Stewards work together to organize, plan and implement the ideas shared in this document.  Each TIPI Steward's roles will be negotiated and documented here so that communication within the group is clear and concise.  This document is a living document and will receive updates as required. 

As this is a very unusual model of working together, some time will be required in order to accommodate a learning curve as most individuals are familiar with the more ridged and dogmatic approach taken by the state and its corporate structures.    

To be very clear, all individuals within this initiative will work under Spiritual Jurisdiction rather than any physical or fictional jurisdictions presently on this planet.  It is the highest and most powerful jurisdiction and will empower TIPI Stewards in their duties to those who come to learn and experience.  Dispute resolution and exit protocols will also exist as relationships are dynamic and the initiative will accommodate changes.

It is not the intent of TIPI to provide full cultural training.  That will be the responsibility of local elders and the individual.  The scope of TIPI is to provide the basic training and cultural exposure necessary so that the individual can obtain peace, independence and cultural awareness of others so that they are then free to explore the details and fully immerse themselves in the cultural experience of their choosing.  TIPI Stewards will include some of that training in the context of Peace and Independence only so that individuals can fulfill their duties and obligations under Treaty 6 and be proper stewards of the land.    

Outcomes 

Healing 

In the wake of the colonial system that started in Egypt and Rome, we are faced with multiple generations of trauma.  A lot of healing, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually must take place before any measured amount of progress can be made towards peace, independence and proper stewardship.    

It is the intent of this initiative to start that healing process by utilizing techniques used in the ancient martial arts, healing arts and other modalities.  By engaging in specific training, the TIPI Elder can help the Knowledge Seeker heal.  The intent of the TIPI Stewards is to develop workshops and training programs that will provide a foundation for the Knowledge Seeker to gain some self confidence, mental discipline, knowledge, training, healing and experience with the end goal of helping them be independent.  That process is healing and can result in significant spiritual growth at the same time.

It is the intent of the TIPI Stewards to design the classes and workshops so that the individual can go through this process in a safe environment, take risks and explore the full potential that they have.  As with any learning process, each individual has self limiting belief structures as a result of past trauma and teachings.  It is the TIPI Stewards role to facilitate a process where we can help the Knowledge Seeker break through those self limiting belief structures and explore their full potential as Spiritual masters of their physical vessel and all their relationships!

An outcome from this initiative would be an increase in confidence, health, vitality, energy and love of life from the experiences here at TIPI.  It may also result in a desire to volunteer to help others or even become TIPI Elders, which would show just how important and significant the training programs really were for the individual. 

Independence 

One of the primary goals is to provide a series of hands on workshops that provide the training and skills for the Knowledge Seeker to become independent.  To be clear, that requires the individual to be able to provide for the vast majority of their own food, clothing, shelter, water, land and relationships with little or no dependency on colonial infrastructure or others.  This outcome will also contribute to significant decolonization of the Knowledge Seeker by encouraging a return to a life style where Creator provides all the basic necessities of life.

To accomplish such a goal, TIPI Stewards will develop a series of workshops which will re-introduce skills, knowledge and hands on experiences to help the Knowledge Seeker transition towards independence.  Those workshops will include traditional teachings from past generations as well as new technologies that resonate with a decolonization life style.  Part of that process may also include helping the individual with their own infrastructure on their own piece of land where gardens, greenhouses, live stock infrastructure, off grid housing, energy, water collection and other components are setup to assist the individual, especially if they are unable to accomplish specific tasks for themselves.  This is a key area where TIPI Supporters can contributed in a significant and meaningful way.

Outcome success will be determined by individuals being able to obtain at least 50% reduction in their dependency on fiat currency and other colonial systems and work towards reducing those dependencies further on their own.    

Indigenous Teachings 

In reference to indigenous teachings, the majority of the teachings will be geared towards the indigenous people within Treaty 6 territory and the ancient teachings of their ancestors.  However, we will also include European indigenous teachings as well within the scope of this outcome.  The challenge will be to demonstrate that European indigenous teachings is not the same as the colonial systems that came out of Europe.  We each have a long and colourful indigenous history which will be worked on throughout the life of this initiative.  Each indigenous family has a lot to contribute and there is a lot of historical trauma and mistrust towards the 'White Man' that must be healed.  To repair the broken relationships will require a lot of work and a constant demonstration of commitment to healthy relationship building.  By walking the path and leading by example, it is an objective of this initiative to influence peoples healing process.

By returning to the land, we return to being governed by Creator.  We are spiritual beings in possession of physical bodies which are dependent upon Mother Earth for their survival and needs.  No matter where people are on this planet, that relationship is very intimate and what defines being indigenous, no matter the colour of their skin, belief systems, economic status, etc.

The objective of this initiative is to rejuvenate what it means to be indigenous by showing people how to reject the colonial feudal system and return back to being governed by the Creator and living on the land as we are intended to do and governed by the customs of our ancestors.

Stewardship 

Once the Knowledge Seeker has acquired independence and embraced being indigenous, the next step is to then provide teachings on how to be a Land Steward.  It is our belief that we were commanded by the Creator to steward the earth and bring prosperity to all life.  This objective is polar opposite to how the current colonial, feudal, capitalistic system sees the world and functions.

Land Stewardship requires a foundational shift in how we view our relationship with our selves, who we are and our relationship with Creator.  This is a jurisdictional matter and only strong spiritual individuals have the authority and power to carry forward with confronting others who would do harm to other beings, Mother Earth, air, water, etc.

The objective for this initiative would be to have a parcel of land setup for the individual to be a Land Steward with secondary stewards assigned to provide guidance and assistance where necessary and all governed by a Peace Treaty.  Once we have a number of Land Stewards established, then it would be advantageous to start working together to confront others who do harm and infringe on our duties to protect and replenish the earth.  A major milestone would be the formation of a nation of stewards within Treaty 6 made up of a number of tribes which in turn is made up of a number of clans which contain numerous families of Land Stewards.

Peace 

To accomplish the initiatives within TIPI, it is paramount that it is all done with peace and freedom.  That starts within the heart of the Knowledge Seeker and requires that they heal themselves first.  Most people bury a lot of anger, pain and sadness that has resulted due to the violent and painful colonial system that has taken over the world.

The peace initiative is to help people find that healing and bring peace to their heart.  Our violent actions are at times unconscious, so the training programs will help bring the awareness into our conscious mind so that we can work on it, find peaceful alternatives and embrace a peaceful, non-violent approach to life.

It will also require that we setup boundaries, especially with those who still live with the belief that violence and war is acceptable and perhaps the only method of change in this world.  It is the position of TIPI to help people make that transition, declare peace and establish boundaries to protect that peace.  This requires a warrior spirit and heart.

A successful outcome of TIPI would be to have Knowledge Seekers step into and accept the warrior spirit and be stewards of peace and justice while rejecting violence, no matter what form it takes.

Dispute Resolution 

We must all recognize that we are unique in many ways and similar in others.  It is the duality of life here on this planet that can cause disagreements and conflict.  TIPI's goal is to establish an ancient and peaceful dispute resolution process to not only help TIPI Stewards work through problems but also use it as a model or template for others to observe and duplicate.

This dispute resolution process must be completely voluntary as any use of coercion is violence and would violate our dedication to peace and prosperity.  This type of process is very foreign to us all as we have grown up knowing only the adversarial, coercive and violent justice system of the colonial system.

This voluntary way of resolving disputes requires healthy individuals and healthy relationships, all of which will be encouraged and supported throughout the training process at TIPI.  By utilizing that process and working hard on relationship communication, honesty, trust and respect, TIPI Stewards can then help others implement a peaceful, restorative justice systems that are rooted in Spirit rather than the fiction.

This dispute resolution system must embrace compassion, empathy, patience, understanding, faith, forgiveness, love, freedom, prosperity and spirit.  All of these components are missing in the colonial judicial system and is why nobody finds justice there.

An outcome of TIPI would result when people find a way to convene their own dispute resolution process and resolve disputes peacefully and without coercion, violence or force and without calling upon the colonial system for assistance.

Land Healing 

There has been a lot of damage done as a result of the economic policies and activities of the colonial, capitalistic systems all over the world.  Those policies have resulted in pollution, death, sickness and a lot of environmental damage which is jeopardizing life on this planet.

It is the intent of this initiative to teach people the skills they need so that they can recognize the damage, confront those who are doing the damage and heal the land after the abusive actions have been stopped.

Because our bodies are the land, we are integral to the protection and healing of the land.  Without our help, it could take Mother Earth centuries to heal from the damage that has been done.  However, because of our power and authority from Spirit, we have the ability and capacity to heal the earth much more quickly.  To do that requires faith, skill, awareness, knowledge, will and ability.

It is the intent of this initiative to teach all those to people so that we can produce an outcome where we have large groups of land healers working on replenishing the earth and confronting those who would do further harm.

Inter-Independent Relationships 

We must recognize that we are social beings and that working individually is extremely difficult.  While it is possible to be independent without the help of others, it is not feasible for most.  By working on our independence, we put ourselves into a position to then start working towards building inter-independent relationships.  The challenge with this process is to ensure that we don't loose our independence in the process which would then result in dependency once again.  If we fall into dependency, this time we are dependent on one or two key people in our lives rather than the state.  This puts a great burden on those individuals and is not fair or equitable.

By building relationships with groups of independent people, we can then start to synergize efforts and find ways to reduce the amount of work necessary to provide the basic necessities of life.  When we accomplish that goal, our time is freed up to then participate in leisure activities, hobbies, or even serving those who lack the ability to be independent.

It is the goal of TIPI to help people reestablish the multi-generational family.  We recognize that our youth and elderly don't have the ability or will to be independent.  It is our duty to then establish a community of inter-independent individuals so that we can look after, nurture and care for the vulnerable members of our family and community.

By establishing multi-generational family structures, we also provide the mechanism to pass on the knowledge and wisdom learned through TIPI onto future generations so that TIPI does not have to exist for hundreds of years.

By restoring the ancient methods of education and knowledge sharing, we make learning institutions obsolete as the true power and responsibility for education is with the family unit, not some institution or corporation.

It is our intent and objective at TIPI to put ourselves out of work by empowering others to share their knowledge, wisdom and experiences with others.  We want to train future Elders and spread this model throughout the world so that we can teach 7.5 billion people how to take responsibility and accountability for their actions, lives and education by keeping it local and within the family unit.  Centralization of knowledge or any other commodity within the control of a single institution results in scarcity and at that point people will capitalize on it.  Knowledge is for everyone and is a key component to prosperity for all.  We will consider ourselves successful when we no longer have people coming to TIPI to learn and instead they are doing it themselves and sharing with the world.

Milestones

While the outcomes seem impossible to obtain, they will actually manifest themselves through accomplishment of key milestones.  Much like in the martial arts where we teach spiritual truths, we do it through repetitive kicking and punching.  It is the hard physical work that results in mental and emotional discipline culminating in significant spiritual growth.  So we will focus on the hard work and trust that Creator will provide the means to manifest all the rest of the objectives that we are looking for.  To accomplish that goal, TIPI Stewards recognize that we must meet specific milestones.
  

1. In order to start this initiative, TIPI Stewards need to provide significant assistance to the first four Land Stewards, so that the facilities, resources and elders are secured for meaningful knowledge transfers to take place.  As this is a new initiative, TIPI Stewards will make plans to assist the Land Stewards yet to be identified but all of which are located within Treaty 6.  
2. TIPI Stewards will start development of core programs that are designed to meet the outcomes listed above.  For the purposes of discussion, a high level outline of potential programs with descriptions are listed here. 

• Return to the land tour 
• UNGRIP workshops
• Solar, water, waste
• Food production, storage and preservation
• Shelters
• Clothing
• Trade
• Forest Management
• Traditional Teachings
• Treaty
• Others as they become relevant

Open Source

The TIPI Stewardship Training program is a longer term strategy to fully document these process and courses so that this model can be duplicated in other areas of the world.  TIPI Stewards will develop a program where Knowledge Seekers from other areas of the world outside of Treat 6 can come and learn how to establish their own initiative for peace and independence.  This TIPI Stewardship Training program will provide the Documents, experience and training necessary to help individuals duplicate this model in their own part of the world. 

The TIPI Land Stewardship program will be designed to assist Knowledge Seekers in acquiring the skills and experience necessary so that they can then steward their own land in peace and harmony with others, while providing independence for themselves and their families.  It will most likely be made up of all of the offerings above in addition to other key components.

The TIPI Stewards will have to come up with a model on how individuals involved in TIPI will be compensated for their participation and energy.  The reality is, we are still heavily influenced and controlled by the colonial system and need it in order to facilitate this level of change.  Fuel for travel, telecommunication costs, infrastructure and other needs still require fiat currency.

Any time spent with the initiative to help others, takes away from the individuals capacity to work to support his / her family.  For the Knowledge Seekers looking to TIPI to learn, they will be required to provide some sort of compensation for the efforts put in by TIPI Stewards, Land Stewards and Education Elders.  Knowledge Seekers are encouraged to provide the compensation, whether that be in fiat currency, food or some other gift of value.  If the Knowledge Seeker is not capable of gifting, then TIPI Stewards can turn to TIPI Supporters for help to assist the Knowledge Seeker.  If TIPI Stewards can find generous corporate or government donations, that would help tremendously and ease the burden of looking for individual donations.

It is proposed that TIPI Steward assigned to the event receives 10% of the proceeds, Land Stewards receive 25% to compensate them for power, use of facilities, etc and Education Elders receive 65% to compensate them for their time, sharing of knowledge, research or other expenses associated with the event / class / workshop.

Workshop price is set by the Land Stewards and Education Elders.  This is written to start discussions.  Note that because there is no corporate body setup, each individual is responsible for their own expenses.  So this program must ensure that expenses are being covered.  No book keeping will be done and TIPI Stewards or TIPI participants are not liable for any debts incurred by others.  All payments must be physical and tangible in nature.  This is to ensure that there is no confusion and that the sharing of the gifts is done equally, equitably and fairly. Settling of the gifts must be done at the event and each individual is present to ensure there is no dispute.  With a model like this, there should be no debt incurred by anybody as pricing should ensure costs are covered.  This will ensure the long term viability of the initiative.

As TIPI matures, individuals who participate should find that their costs drop as their dependency on the colonial grid decreases.  This too will also provide long term viability for the initiative as risks associated with debt, expenses and other dependence are mitigated over time.  Each event or class must be priced to ensure costs and proper compensation for individuals are covered.     

Dispute Resolution

The dispute resolution process for TIPI will be the same as outlined in the Tawatinaw Peace Treaty when it is completed.

Exit Agreement

As with any relationship, they all end in this physical world. So to ensure a smooth transition, it is recommended that any course material or knowledge be developed, maintained and stewarded by the Education Elder.  If the Education Elder decides to leave TIPI and not provide any more knowledge transfer, then it will be up to TIPI Stewards to find a replacement Education Elder who would then need to develop his / her own content.  Education Elder must provide TIPI Stewards with seven days notice and commit to complete any courses or workshops on the books at time notice is given.

Any work by TIPI Stewards will be open source and available to anybody to use.  No ownership of that work will be tolerated.  TIPI Stewards will work based on a consensus based decision model.  That means that everyone gets a veto, so everyone must agree for any decisions to be made.  Silence means agreement.

Should a TIPI Steward wish to leave, they must provide seven days notice and provide recommendation of three individuals that may be considered to replace him / her.  They must be of the same sex as the individual leaving to ensure a balance within the TIPI Stewardship group.  Remaining TIPI Stewards are allowed to consider others as well and are not committed to choosing between those provided by the TIPI Steward that is leaving.  Should all four TIPI Stewards choose to leave, it would dissolve TIPI and they would be committed to completing all classes and workshops on the book but could no longer book anymore.  Notice will be sent to Land Stewards, TIPI Volunteers, Education Elders and any active Knowledge Seekers to inform them that TIPI has been dissolved. 

Land Stewards will keep any and all improvements made to the land during any class or workshop.  The Land Stewards will then be responsible for any upkeep, costs or maintenance associated with the improvements made to the land.  Should the Land Stewards no longer want to participate in TIPI, they must provide TIPI Stewards with seven days notice and commit to any events scheduled at the point of notice being given.    

TIPI Stewards, Education Elders, Knowledge Seekers and Land Stewards all agree that the information shared through TIPI is open source.  Should any information be used that is copyrighted through the colonial system, we all agree to maintain the peace and our dedication to non-violence by crediting the sources or acquiring permission if necessary.