Mama Bear Project
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    • The Work That Reconnects

EVENTS WE HAVE LEAD AND INITIATED


April 22-23
Earth Day 2016
Celebrations of the Earth -Friday Evening
Procession of the Species - Saturday Morning
Lunch for Volunteers
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January 15-17
CoCreated Mama Bear Retreat
Renewal for Action
Trout Lake Abbey

December 18, 2015
Tanama Christmas Party
Christmas Dinner and Potlatch for Our River People
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October 12, 2015
Indigenous Peoples Day
A Day of Apology and Forgiveness 
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August 25, 2015
Lummi Totem Pole Blessing
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August 25, 2015
Salmon Wall
Memorial for Our Salmon Kin
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April 25, 2015
Climate Confluence
Earth Day 2015
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April 6, 2015
Standing Witness
Jeff Merkley Town Hall

January 17, 2015
Standing Witness
Greg Walden Town Hall
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January 9, 2015
Mama Bear Winter Retreat
Renewal at Kahneeta

March 15, 2014
Active Hope Retreat

Trout Lake Abbey, Trout Lake WA
Based on the 'Work That Reconnects'
by author, activist and educator
Joanna Macy. www.joannamacy.net
Cost $35 includes lunch
($40 after March 6)
Limited scholarship assistance available.
Sponsored by the Mama Bear Project, a group of women
in the Columbia Gorge who gather to inspire, educate and
act on behalf of our precious planet and her inhabitants.
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September 2013 
Nurturing Resilience Retreat

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 July 2012  Mama Bears with Joanna Macy at a workshop in Troutlake, WA 

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Connect The Dots - Climate Impact Day  May 5, 2012

As Mama Bears, we engage in non-violent, passionate action on behalf of the planet.  We act in partnership with local, national and international groups.  We involve those of all ages, and seek to make our work spirited, colorful and inspiring.,

On May 5, 2012 Gorge Mama Bears joined with 350.org and thousands of organizations across the planet to “connect the dots” between climate change and extreme weather conditions and witness to the urgent need for a shift away from the burning of coal, oil and gas. 

Local actions took place near the train tracks in Bingen, Washington and Hood River, Oregon to demonstrate the link between proposed shipments of coal through the Gorge and climate change.  “Our kids will breathe coal dust here as it passes through on trains, and children worldwide will be harmed as it is burned in China and adds to the warming of our planet.  We need to stop the trains, leave the coal in the ground and turn to clean, renewable energy now,” said Katrinka Hibler, a local farmer, mother and organizer of the Bingen event.

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May 5th 2012, Climate Impacts Day / 350.org

 Coal Trains: Direct Action Strategy & Tactics

·      Goals and Strategy- of Coal Train action Connect the Dots: Stop the export of coal to China, Raise awareness of climate change and coal , show local-rural  opposition to the shipment of coal from Montana through the Gorge corridor to the export terminals and highlight the impacts of coal trains coming through the Gorge corridor.
·      Target-  Local publicity, Public Education , solidarity with other organizations involved
·      Location- Train tracks currently shipping coal through our towns. Bingen Park n Ride Hwy 14, Hood River Park-n-Ride Hwy 35- to walk to site off the Hood River Bridge
·      Timing – Saturday May 5th , 9 am Bingen Park-n-Ride, 10 am Hood River Park-n-Ride- To coincide with a global call to action fro 350.org to highlight connections between severe weather and climate change. 
·      Tone – This event is not intended to engage with opposition. Upbeat. Solidarity
·      Organization- Mama Bear hopes to raise public awareness to climate change and make the connection to burning coal and CO2 emissions. Raise Mama Bear up as a partner.
·      Relationships: Create connections between people and organizations who oppose the Coal Trains Rising Tides, Rainforest Network, Columbia Riverkeepers, Sierra Club. Use event to increase visibility locally.
·      Regrouping: Next Mama Bear gathering- collect images, shares stories, email thank you to those who signed-in, stay in contact with other organizations, plan next action around Coal Train. 


Spring 2012  99% Direct Action Training :


1.     How do our actions embody our values?
2.     What are the triggers that create an emotional response?
3.     What can we do to  engage in conflict with intention and control in the conflict? 
 ·      Listen, deescalate, validate, slow down, relaxed non-aggressive  body posture, vocalize you hear their concern… 
 ·      If you are being yelled at and they won’t calm down, meet their volume and slowly lower your volume, see if they follow.
 ·      Say, “This is a peaceful protest”. Remind them you are not intending to be aggressive and that you are going to calmly disobey them.
·      Make a choice about what your goal is for the protest. All your choices about how to act should come out and from your values that you want to make known.
 ·      *The goal is to have your actions embody your values and your purpose is to get those values vocalized. It is not about how well you argue.
 ·      Have a planned strategy not just an expressive demonstration
 ·      Answer how does the action we created move us closer to the goal? ·      Messages- 
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