Category Archives: Quaker

How it came to be

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

I’ve been writing about Joy Harjo’s book, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems, lately, most recently about the steps for conflict resolution. The book begins with this quotation: How it came to be Only the Indian people are the original people … Continue reading →

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Going Beyond Local Boundaries

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

My family, and many others in Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) have close ties with Monteverde Friends.  Lucky (Standing) Guindon, my mother’s cousin and constant companion during their childhood, was one of the original group of Quakers who moved to Monteverde, … Continue reading →

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Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings 1

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

I am the holy being of my mother’s prayer and my father’s song. —NORMAN PATRICK BROWN, DINEH POET AND SPEAKER Poet, writer and musician Joy Harjo has been named the country’s 23rd poet laureate. She is a member of the … Continue reading →

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International Trail of Smiles

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

I sent yesterday’s blog post about the kid’s drawings on envelopes from Monteverde Friends School (Costa Rica) to the school. Here is the wonderful response I received. What a joy it was to see the note you sent yesterday with … Continue reading →

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Spiritual Warriors and Truthsgiving

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

Warrior 1. One who is engaged in or experienced in battle.2. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflicthttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/warrior Warrior seems an unlikely term for Quakers to use, since the word is usually thought of in terms of battles and wars, which Quakers oppose and work against. I like the second definition above though, related … Continue reading →

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Bear Creek Friends and Monteverde Friends School

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

Last year I wrote about this drawing on the envelope of a letter from Monteverde Friends School, which is in Costa Rica. Soon after I received my letter, Bear Creek Friends Meeting’s clerk, Jackie Leckband, brought another envelope to meeting … Continue reading →

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More about stories…

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

I’ve been writing about the Thanksgiving/Truthsgiving holiday as an opportunity to talk about the true history of the relationships among White and Native peoples. And I’ve been sharing some of my stories because I think storytelling is a way to … Continue reading →

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Enjoying Thanksgiving/Truthsgiving

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

Some of the responses to my recent blog posts ask why we can’t just enjoy being together and thankful at Thanksgiving (Truthsgiving) time? That, of course, is what should happen. In addition, though, if the circumstances allow, this holiday is … Continue reading →

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You don’t know what you don’t know

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

My thinking about the holiday called Thanksgiving has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. That is because I’ve been blessed to spend time and make friends with some Native people. And I’ve been studying to learn more. One … Continue reading →

Posted in decolonize, First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March, Indigenous, Native Americans, Quaker, Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Will your children be happy with what you have left for them?

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Jeff Kisling

How we live our lives reflects (or should reflect) our beliefs. Quakers try to be attentive to what the Spirit is saying to us at all times, though we often lose our focus. One of the reasons I treasured my … Continue reading →

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