Red Wind Councils

Always being poor & having to count every bit of money at all moments of life creates constant disillusionment. The evolution of a nation can only be based on a shared celebration of the natural
abundance of life.

A Better Future for Us All

THE HEART OF GIVING:
Supporting the Circle of Life

Indigenous people living close to the earth are the people who most immediately feel the devastating impact of the corporate globalized economy. Those of us who have the opportunity to work directly with native people are witnesses to this heart-breaking reality as lands, skills, seeds, knowledge, language, & culture are rapidly lost.

Recognizing this, Red Wind Councils is founded on a resilient & ancient Medicine Wheel economic model that we invite you to participate in. To examine the effect of such a shift, ask yourself how much of what you own & eat, how much of what surrounds you was made by you? To what extent did you participate in the making of these things? For most of us the answer is "Not at all." Nor do we have the knowledge of how to produce even the simplest things upon which our lives depend-matches, cloth, food, pots for cooking, houses, paper, ink, candles.the list is endless, or at least exceedingly long. In ancient Council ways, the women governed the economy of a community. As representatives of the children & thus the future, women's skill in making wise economic decisions was recognized, honored & put to use.

Now enter a Maya village today in the remote highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. They are raising goats for milk & wool, spinning their own yarns, weaving their own cloth, chopping their own firewood, hauling their own water, educating their own children, growing their own food, making their own tortillas, cultivating their own medicines, healing their own sick, tending their own elderly & infirm. They use daily a wide range of knowledge & skills that many of us in the so-called developed world no longer possess. Many of us who think of ourselves as "free" are in fact entirely dependent on the invisible web of people around the world who make everything we use. For the most part, we live our lives without thinking about these people who literally make our world; rarely do we offer them any thanks. Without them, many in the U.S. wouldn't have the skills or means to survive for long.

So how do we transform our dependence, ignorance & ingratitude from an arrow of death (our own) into a circle of life for all?

The indigenous Maya with whom Red Wind works have told us repeatedly that they truly are not interested in just receiving money from people. What they are hoping for, searching for, are people whose hearts & minds are opened to the real circle of life, who thus are moved to contribute. For the Maya, whose very lives sometimes depend on a $20 medicine, true consciousness is more vital. Each dollar donated through Red Wind is received not simply as funds, but as a link of relatedness in a shared struggle for dignified life on earth. We may use their crafts mindlessly, but they use our funds with our names & spirits attached, offering prayers & ceremonies for our well-being, inviting us to visit them, receiving us in their homes like long lost relatives which we are. This is not theoretical, this is the reality in which they live & into which we are invited. We are invited into their simple lives, which in real ways are bordering on extinction, with an astounding generosity of spirit. We're greeted with friendly smiles, offers of gifts, food & shelter that threaten to exhaust their "means" but feed their spirits & our own so richly that indeed the circle of their lives are renewed also in very practical ways. Each donation given carries this possibility of entering the Circle of Life.

Following the example of our Maya brothers & sisters, we look for growing consciousness in our donors & so we especially recommend Monthly Pledges as a way of giving. This brings to mind, at least monthly, the many people who struggle for dignity & the fragile yet enduring Circle of Life. A monthly pledge of $100 can provide medicines & supplies for the village clinics of a whole region for the month. A monthly pledge of $50 can feed a family of 8 for a month. A monthly pledge of $35 can provide a pregnant woman with the necessary vitamins, iron, transportation for good prenatal care, & food for a month. A monthly pledge of $500 opens the door for ongoing community development in Red Wind communities: improving water supplies, providing vital communications networks, building & supplying schools & clinics, expanding organic food production, securing reliable community vehicles for crucial transportation needs, in short, participating with the Maya people as they build their dream of a sane & dignified world for all.

We have seen how wisely the people use Red Wind funds as best serves their communities. We trust their dignity; for when the value of living wisdom cultures is not honored, we abandon much of the wisdom that humankind has steadily developed & held since antiquity.

The return of ancient native Council ways, embodied so well in the Maya communities we work with, is a fulcrum into which we are all invited to lean to accomplish the greatest good for all as quickly as possible in these potent times. You are most warmly invited to put wood on this council fire.

Red Wind Councils & the Maya people with whom we work send our heartfelt gratitude that you have chosen life, have chosen to sit in circle with them. They send you many blessings.

All of Red Wind Councils' activities are financed via fundraising efforts throughout the year. Donors may specify the projects they wish to support or they may make donations for unrestricted purposes. Because the communities know what projects are most needed, Red Wind Councils, Inc. responds to requests as they come in & does not have a static list of projects that it supports. The advisors & volunteers meet with the communities to discuss the details of projects & how they can be implemented & supported over time & what funds are needed to undertake the project. Funds raised throughout the year are generally unrestricted to give the most flexibility in meeting the needs of the Maya people.

Red Wind Councils also has a Monthly Pledge program. This steady stream of funding is especially helpful in the long-range planning necessary for some projects & is highly encouraged.

Red Wind Purpose Red Wind Way Red Wind Action Red Wind Culture Red Wind Support Red Wind Councils P.O. Box 15 Maynard, MA 01754-0015 pathways@redwindcouncils.org Board of Directors Honorary Board of Directors	Red Wind Support
	Always being poor & having to count every bit of money at all moments of life creates constant disillusionment. The evolution of a nation can only be based on a shared celebration of the natural abundance of life. A Better Future for Us All THE HEART OF GIVING: Supporting the Circle of Life Indigenous people living close to the earth are the people who most immediately feel the devastating impact of the corporate globalized economy. Those of us who have the opportunity to work directly with native people are witnesses to this heart-breaking reality as lands, skills, seeds, knowledge, language, & culture are rapidly lost. Recognizing this, Red Wind Councils is founded on a resilient & ancient Medicine Wheel economic model that we invite you to participate in. To examine the effect of such a shift, ask yourself how much of what you own & eat, how much of what surrounds you was made by you? To what extent did you participate in the making of these things? For most of us the answer is "Not at all." Nor do we have the knowledge of how to produce even the simplest things upon which our lives depend-matches, cloth, food, pots for cooking, houses, paper, ink, candles.the list is endless, or at least exceedingly long. In ancient Council ways, the women governed the economy of a community. As representatives of the children & thus the future, women's skill in making wise economic decisions was recognized, honored & put to use. Now enter a Maya village today in the remote highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. They are raising goats for milk & wool, spinning their own yarns, weaving their own cloth, chopping their own firewood, hauling their own water, educating their own children, growing their own food, making their own tortillas, cultivating their own medicines, healing their own sick, tending their own elderly & infirm. They use daily a wide range of knowledge & skills that many of us in the so-called developed world no longer possess. Many of us who think of ourselves as "free" are in fact entirely dependent on the invisible web of people around the world who make everything we use. For the most part, we live our lives without thinking about these people who literally make our world; rarely do we offer them any thanks. Without them, many in the U.S. wouldn't have the skills or means to survive for long. So how do we transform our dependence, ignorance & ingratitude from an arrow of death (our own) into a circle of life for all? The indigenous Maya with whom Red Wind works have told us repeatedly that they truly are not interested in just receiving money from people. What they are hoping for, searching for, are people whose hearts & minds are opened to the real circle of life, who thus are moved to contribute. For the Maya, whose very lives sometimes depend on a $20 medicine, true consciousness is more vital. Each dollar donated through Red Wind is received not simply as funds, but as a link of relatedness in a shared struggle for dignified life on earth. We may use their crafts mindlessly, but they use our funds with our names & spirits attached, offering prayers & ceremonies for our well-being, inviting us to visit them, receiving us in their homes like long lost relatives which we are. This is not theoretical, this is the reality in which they live & into which we are invited. We are invited into their simple lives, which in real ways are bordering on extinction, with an astounding generosity of spirit. We're greeted with friendly smiles, offers of gifts, food & shelter that threaten to exhaust their "means" but feed their spirits & our own so richly that indeed the circle of their lives are renewed also in very practical ways. Each donation given carries this possibility of entering the Circle of Life. Standing For Mother Earth Following the example of our Maya brothers & sisters, we look for growing consciousness in our donors & so we especially recommend Monthly Pledges as a way of giving. This brings to mind, at least monthly, the many people who struggle for dignity & the fragile yet enduring Circle of Life. A monthly pledge of $100 can provide medicines & supplies for the village clinics of a whole region for the month. A monthly pledge of $50 can feed a family of 8 for a month. A monthly pledge of $35 can provide a pregnant woman with the necessary vitamins, iron, transportation for good prenatal care, & food for a month. A monthly pledge of $500 opens the door for ongoing community development in Red Wind communities: improving water supplies, providing vital communications networks, building & supplying schools & clinics, expanding organic food production, securing reliable community vehicles for crucial transportation needs, in short, participating with the Maya people as they build their dream of a sane & dignified world for all. We have seen how wisely the people use Red Wind funds as best serves their communities. We trust their dignity; for when the value of living wisdom cultures is not honored, we abandon much of the wisdom that humankind has steadily developed & held since antiquity. The return of ancient native Council ways, embodied so well in the Maya communities we work with, is a fulcrum into which we are all invited to lean to accomplish the greatest good for all as quickly as possible in these potent times. You are most warmly invited to put wood on this council fire. Red Wind Councils & the Maya people with whom we work send our heartfelt gratitude that you have chosen life, have chosen to sit in circle with them. They send you many blessings. FUNDRAISING: Manifesting the Earth's Dream Community Store: Developing Funds for the Future All of Red Wind Councils' activities are financed via fundraising efforts throughout the year. Donors may specify the projects they wish to support or they may make donations for unrestricted purposes. Because the communities know what projects are most needed, Red Wind Councils, Inc. responds to requests as they come in & does not have a static list of projects that it supports. The advisors & volunteers meet with the communities to discuss the details of projects & how they can be implemented & supported over time & what funds are needed to undertake the project. Funds raised throughout the year are generally unrestricted to give the most flexibility in meeting the needs of the Maya people. Red Wind Councils also has a Monthly Pledge program. This steady stream of funding is especially helpful in the long-range planning necessary for some projects & is highly encouraged. Crafting Enduring Changes

	Your purchases at Amazon.com can help raise needed funds for our work with the Maya people in Chiapas. Just click on the Amazon.com button on this website every time you want to shop at Amazon.com and a portion of your purchases will be donated to Red Wind Councils. Click here to make a donation through PayPal. Top
		Red Wind Councils PO Box 15 Maynard, MA 01754 pathways@redwindcouncils.org Tax ID#: 20-3633955 Board of Directors Honorary Board of Directors

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