Further Information on The Course
Previous students agree:
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The community,
structure,
support and guidance -
spiritual, theological, intellectual - emotional presence offered
makes this journey
"powerful" and "transformational"
enabling them to experience a
"shift in consciousness"
"coming closer to the Oneness of all beings."
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As we ReMember what has been disMembered,
our whole selves can more fully emerge.
These shifts are critical to decolonization.
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How this works......
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After you register, you get access to The Course on the fabulous online course platform, Ruzuku. I work with Ruzuku because it is easy, elegant, and focuses on student's success. Course material can be found on the platform. A few books are recommended for purchase, but not required.
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Amazing readings about the past are complimented with contemporary voices, especially indigenous voices, via films, music/audio/podcasts, interviews. Worksheets and regular questions support your learning process in this remarkable journey.
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Partake in small group bi-monthly zoom meetings. Groups and times are decided based on participant availability. Meetings are recorded and if you miss one, you can listen in to the session online.
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The course naturally divides into Part I and Part II. At the end of each Part, there are opportunities for creative integration exercises - from writing poetry to creating new rituals to drawing systems maps to comic strips - to name a few!
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I guide you, as a group, through roughly 400 years of history: 1450 to 1875, with some references before and after this period which formed the relational structure of the Anthropocene Age. Throughout this journey, you are held. You share moments of healing yourself and our collective past.
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In Part II, we incorporate family history, and support one another (spiritually, emotionally, practically) in whatever emerges. The community that emerges is amazing!
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Two 1-1 coaching calls with the Instructor to discuss your spiritual engagement with the material in Part I and Part II and to tailor the course to your needs even more.
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24-hour online access to the discussions, prompts and course material so you can move through it and engage with the discussion forums as fits your schedule.
Dr Larry Rasmussen, one of the most respected thought leaders in eco-theology and ethics in the Anthropocene Age, said, in reviewing the thesis that led to this course, writes that Sara Jolena:
“Exposes the deep roots of the Anthropocene… the need for a retelling for a different story.. the essential change in “relationships evil in design” (as said by Howard Thurman) that can (lead to) healing and a more truthful story… a fascinating weaving of personal experience and family history with larger historical patterns intersecting the Doctrine of Discovery and its tentacles. There are remarkable research findings. Those add up to… the best treatment of the Doctrine of Discovery and its links that I’ve seen.”
Frequently Asked Questions
This sounds amazing! I want to see what has been hidden from me and ReMember what has been disMembered! Can I register right now?
Thanks for your enthusiasm! You can register for the Course on Ruzuku by clicking here!
For what it is, this is a short course. Do you support people in ReMembering after the course?
Yup! You are correct, 10 sessions is very short. That's why I've spread it out over 5 months, to support busy people in integrating the material. Individual coaching is also available as people seek to develop projects, their own educational material, sermons, articles, and creative engagements. We are also designing a fb page for those interested in staying in touch with ongoing material being developed along these themes.
Isn't this a lot of work?
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Yes, though meeting only twice a month enables it to fit into already busy schedules. And I help you discern what is most important for you.
If you want the results of the course - greater connectivity, deeper grounding in the accurate history, unlearning and then relearning; a corrective to the dis-membered history of our society, greater capacity to serve based on a clearer understanding what is really going on today - it DOES takes work. The work is not only - even primarily intellectual: it is spiritual. That is why I consider this course to be one of spiritual development! It is also immensely rewarding. So far, no one has complained about the work load! If anything, students wish they had more time with the material, not less. There is also a lot of flexibility in terms of expectations. You are an adult. I trust you to pace yourself as you need to within the framework of regular conversations.
If I already know about racism (or climate change, or feminism, or islamophobia, or place-based issues, or my own family history, or eco-justice, or colonization, or the Doctrine of Discovery), is this course for me?
Thank you for your work on some or more of these critical concerns. Generally, I find that most people have a few of these threads - even several - but they do not have all of them, or they do not have them in historical context. Please feel free to contact me directly to assess if this course will benefit you and the communities you serve.
I'm a religious leader. Will this course help not only me but my congregation/community?
Absolutely. This course is designed with you in mind! Raised deep in the Quaker tradition, my time living and working in India and Indonesia has strengthened my ability to work with Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim communities. My time in Seminary and working with protestant and Catholic Churches means I have a strong capacity to work with Old and New Testament stories. You will leave with ample liturgical material and ideas for congregational engagement. Dependent upon who is in the course and their religious background, more emphasis will be placed on certain ways of engaging with key texts, music, and stories.
Tell me more about the material in the course.
Thanks for asking! The course combines substantial readings from leading authors, films, music, poetry, lectures, and worksheets. Additional material is added (such as Bible studies) based on the needs of the participants. Core authors include: Willie James Jennings, Sylvia Federici, Carolyn Merchant, William Cronon, Andrea Smith, Starhawk, Steve Newcomb, and Aldo Leopold. Special attention is given to the poetic and musical expressions of contemporary young Native intellectuals/activists/artists. The design of this course is significantly inspired by the despair and empowerment work of Buddhist Joanna Macy and the teachings of Christian mystic Howard Thurman.
The primary material for the course focuses on key events and large-scale historical movements between 1450-1875 that have created the context for our current situation. Because the Roman Empire and the European middle ages are critically important to understand how Europe became colonizers, we also look at this history, but it is not the focus. So much has happened between the end of the Civil War and today that I do not attempt to cover it, though contemporary references are consistently made.
I would like to support someone committed to the work but without the resources to take this course. Can I do that?
Absolutely! I am developing a scholarship fund for just this purpose: The Course contains critical material and should be available to any person who want to take it regardless of their financial abilities! Please contact me directly!
Is this a social enterprise? Do you keep all of your profits?
A social enterprise is one that uses commercial models to support social and ecological goods as well as profits for the business owners. Sequoia Samanvaya LLC, the company that hosts this course, is absolutely a social enterprise. The ultimate benefits of the work we do together stem from our hearts and hands engaging with one another to create the stories and memories for future generations. It's education with the goal of shifting embodied consciousness and turning to Spirit. Indeed, it is a "soulful" enterprise as well!
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The Course stems from my ongoing relationships with indigenous peoples around the world. An important part of climate justice is giving greater financial resources to those impacted most by climate change. I thus give 10% of the profits of the course to Tewa Women's United, an organization led by indigenous women for the healing of indigenous women and girls and the Earth in New Mexico. I choose them for two reasons. They are a local, grassroots organizations where most of the different issues discussed in this course come together. And, I personally know and can vouch for their work and its positive impact on indigenous women and on Earth. Decolonization and building the beloved community are all about being in engaged, loving relationships with people and Earth!
