Workcamp volunteers needed
Helping renovate the Healing Justice House with the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) is a great opportunity for us to accomplish some decolonial repair and an example of centering Indigenous leadership.
I want to be clear that the following groups are currently doing their work on decolonial repair and are loosely associated with each other. The hope is more intentional and deeper connections will continue to be made. For example, while work has been done by Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative), my yearly meeting, there is not yet a direct connection to other organizations shown below. There are a small number of IYM(C) Friends involved with Des Moines Mutual Aid, the Decolonial Repair Network, and/or the Great Plains Action Society.
I wanted to show this diagram to those who haven’t been engaged with this work, yet, to give an overview of how these pieces have been coming together over the past eight years.
In Iowa City, a groundbreaking initiative is taking shape that transcends conventional definitions of a community center, an urban farm, or aneconomic incubator. The Great Plains Action Society (GPAS), an Indigenous-led organization, is in the process of acquiring and developing 1.2 acres of land to establish an Urban Resilience and Innovation Hub [1]. This project, however, is far more than an assembly of buildings and programs; it represents a profound and tangible manifestation of Indigenous Futurism. The hub is conceived as a radical act of world-building, a space where Indigenous epistemologies and lifeways move from the theoretical realm into applied, everyday practice. It stands as a direct, material response to the intertwined legacies of ecological devastation and social injustice born from colonialism, while simultaneously serving as a proactive blueprint for a decolonized, resilient, and sustainable future.
The Indigenous-led Great Plains Action Society – a key partner in the work of both Honor Native Land Fund (HNLF) and Decolonial Repair Network (DRN) – is seeking volunteers to help with renovating their Healing Justice House in Iowa City, IA. Their vision is below. Dates: Sunday, November 30th — Saturday, December 6th. No matter your skills, you are welcome to join in! Del (of Niskithe Prayer Camp and DRN) and Jack (of Dancing Rabbit eco-village and DRN) will be main work leaders alongside Sikowis Nobiss of GPAS.
Housing for 7 folks is available at the nearby Scattergood guest house. (Breakfast is at 8:00a; Dinner at 6:15pm.)
We are also looking into other housing possibilities.
Please email me if you are able to join for all or part of this important renovating work (and/or also bringing meals, offering housing, funds, etc.) eric.anglada@gmail.com
As Great Plains Action Society writes of their new Resiliency and Innovation Hub, “This hub is a reclamation of Indigenous and Matriarchal agency that will help the community work towards environmental and social justice. Essentially this a true testament to Indigenous Futurism where our worldviews and lifeways can help reduce carbon emissions through community building, reimagine the world and establish a just economy.”
Healing Justice House Needs To Be Renovated! (418 E Benton Street, Iowa City)
Great Plains Action Society’s Healing Justice space will be located in a residential house that will be renovated. GPAS works in community with several forward thinking therapists and social workers who are currently forming a BIPOC Healing Collective. We plan to provide a space for this collective to carry out healing justice work, which is important for several reasons.
- Holistic Approach: It recognizes that individual health is inextricably linked to community
health and the social determinants of health, such as education, housing, and economic
opportunities. - Challenging Dominant Paradigms: Healing justice challenges dominant Western medical
paradigms, which often prioritize individualism, pathology, and profit over collective
well-being and social justice. - Fostering Collective Liberation: Healing justice is rooted in the understanding that
individual healing is linked to collective liberation. - Cultivating Resilience: Healing justice acknowledges the resilience and strength of
marginalized communities, which have survived and resisted centuries of oppression. It
seeks to amplify and support these existing strengths, rather than imposing external
solutions. - Promoting Policy Change: Healing justice informs policy changes that address the social
determinants of health, such as education, housing, and economic opportunities.
By acknowledging the importance of healing justice, we can work towards creating a society
that values collective well-being, addresses historical trauma, and promotes social justice for all.
Decolonial Repair Network 
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