We are excited to announce the release of the second episode of our podcast! In this episode, we explore the impacts of generational trauma from psychological, scientific, and folkloric perspectives. We also examine modes of healing the "ghosts" of trauma to create a better future!
This episode's Piece to Ponder is a film by Science Magazine about a Hiroshima survivor who explains how 75 years of radiation research can foster peace: https://youtu.be/sUz6mAkaMLs If you are able please consider donating to our fundraiser for LGBT legal fee support:
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An LGBT couple who are very dear friends of ours are in dire need of financial support. They both come from countries where being LGBT is considered a crime, thus they have been forced to flee to live and work in Europe where there is more acceptance. Because of the situation for LGBT people in their home countries, their identities must remain anonymous or their passports may be marked and banned. To reveal their identities would also jeopardize their employment and resident status in the country in which they currently live and work.
They were happily married in Denmark, where civil and same-sex marriage is legally recognized. However, when they returned to the European country in which they had been living and working for years, which is also within the European Union, they found that their marriage was not recognized. Although one of them has a residency permit in this country, the other has been unable to obtain this status without the legal recognition of their marriage. This has led to a court case for the legal recognition of their marriage so that they can both stay and live together in the same country. This case will have to continue on to the supreme court as this is the first case of this nature in this country. They have already spent their life savings to cover the €3,500 ($4,084) in legal fees for the early stages of the case. In order for the case to advance they need to raise an additional €4,000 ($4,667). As this is the first case of this nature in this country, this could set a precedent for future cases, making this extremely important for future LGBT couples seeking legal recognition in this country. Beyond the importance of the case itself, the individuals involved contribute immensely to immigrant, minority, and LGBT communities through their work. Furthermore, returning to their home countries is not a safe option for either of them due to their work in the LGBT community, which has led to harassment and death threats. Please consider donating whatever you can using the Plumfund box at the top of the post to support these remarkable people to simply be allowed the right to live safely together. If you have any questions about them or their situation please contact us and we can forward messages on to them. Please understand the importance of protecting their identities considering the dynamics of this delicate situation. Thank you for your consideration and for whatever you can offer in support!
Jason S. Cordova shares a special presentation based on his work with the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest at the Denver Astronomical Society general meeting, November 8th, 2019. https://www.denverastro.org/
For the full paper, JOURNEY TO THE SIXTH SUN: Computer Modeling the Mesoamerican Calendar and Polar Star Precession, Please go to; https://www.academia.edu/42931360/Jou... For your own copy of this paper and more from the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest, please visit; https://www.amazon.com/Before-Borders... http://www.scaas.org By Savannah Rivka Powell MA Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies, University of Tartu Sunset today marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I have always enjoyed the sense of wholeness as the timing of the holiday coincides with the harvest season. Challah, the traditional braided bread made for Jewish ceremonial celebrations is sometimes made to be round for Rosh Hashanah to reflect the wishes for a fulfilling year to come. Although I grew up in a bi-religious family with a Catholic father and Jewish mother, I was raised with the teachings of the Jewish faith. I began attending Hebrew School at the age of 3 and took the teachings rather seriously throughout my youth. As I grew into adulthood my relationship with Judaism changed and although I became less active in Jewish religious institutions, my personal connection with the heritage remained strong. Heritage and tradition may intersect or overlap in unexpected ways. Some people find the religious differences within a family to be a challenge or even a point of contention. I take pride in my family’s unique expressions of their faith. Among my ancestors are Catholic nuns, performers of Yiddish theater, and at least one devout follower of Islam. Now that I have a home of my own, the dynamics of bi- or even tri-religious traditions are maintained through the practices of myself and my partner. Although he was active in the Catholic church as a child, he also grew up knowing that he had Indigenous ancestry. The trappings within the walls of our house include images of the Aztec Goddess Itzpapalotl, Mother Mary, and paintings depicting Hebrew texts. My partner and I share in each other’s traditions in an engaged and respectful manner. The Tu B'shevat seder I host for the Jewish Kabbalistic celebration of trees has always been appreciated. Likewise, I have attended Velación ceremonies, Temazcals (Sweat Lodges), and even Catholic Mass. We respectfully participate in one another’s traditions without losing our own roots. There is also an awareness of the delicate balance of familial support and the limits of appropriation. Our efforts to maintain religious symmetry in our lives and collective practices are what lead to Challah at a Teepee Meeting. As part of my partner’s tradition, we would attend Teepee Meetings periodically throughout the year to make prayers for the community, our families, and our future. After the ceremony which typically extends from sunset to sunrise the following day, we would feast together. As one of these events happened to occur around Rosh Hashanah, I decided to make a round Challah to share at the feast. A number of years later when Ryan Warner from Colorado Public Radio (CPR) put out a call for unique Colorado cookbooks, I reached out and shared the book from which I had gotten my Challah recipe, Shalom on the Range: A Roundup of Recipes and Jewish Traditions from Colorado Kitchens. The regional distinction of growing up Jewish in Colorado presents another interesting intersection of experiences. While my mother grew up in the diversity of Brooklyn New York among a rather cohesive Jewish community, my experience in Colorado was rather different. As a child, many of my classmates had never heard of anyone who did not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, let alone a Jew. I was treated as an alien at best, and with violent anti-Semitism at worst. When I began dating as a teenager I encountered anti-Semitism from the parents of my romantic partners who openly expressed their disapproval of my background. As a young adult, one of my relationships ended when my partner could not reconcile his belief that as a Jew I was doomed to burn in hell. Today I am thankful for the respectful balance maintained with my extended family and within my home. As I made the Challah for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah I was sure to weave in extra gratitude for this sense of harmony along with my hopes for a full and fruitful year to come. If you would like a nice Challah recipe from the book mentioned above be sure to check out our interview with Ryan Warner on CPR and find out how a bear ended up absconding with the remainder of our Challah after the Teepee Ceremony. No worries, no humans or bears were harmed in the end, but sadly the Challah did not make it! שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה
May your year be sweet! Interview about Adventure Scholar and Performance of Yiddish Song Tumbalalaika by Savannah Rivka9/10/2020
Check out this interview and performance Savannah Rivka did with the fabulous folks from Artists in Place for the Outshine Festivals: PerformerFest! We talked about Adventure Scholar and how she became interested in European folk music. Savannah Rivka shared a song which is very near and dear to her heart - Tumbalalaika - which is of Yiddish Russian origin.
You can now listen to our podcast and see bonus images to go along with the audio on our new youtube channel. Check it out and subscribe!
Savannah Rivka's performance with the Artists in Place project (https://www.facebook.com/ArtistsInPlace). She has studied folklore and has been working with folk ensembles in the US as well as parts of Europe and Japan. In this video, she shares some of what she has learned through her travels.
The performance includes: 1. Apareka: a folk song from the Republic of Georgia. 2. The Sting of Liberation: a poem with Bulgarian folk singing addressing my encounter with the complex dynamics of privilege and oppression as it occurs in Bulgarian culture. 3. Wandering Heart: my original song about the experience of living abroad for 3 years. We are excited to announce the premiere of the Adventure Scholar podcast! We are out on CastBox and will soon be available where ever you get your podcasts, so stay tuned! Follow the link below to hear our first episode "What's in a Name?".
By Savannah Rivka Powell MA
Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies, University of Tartu Every story has its beginning, whispers of which can be traced through space and time to a point of origin. As a folklorist, I place great value on the traditional, yet I maintain awareness of the propensity of such concepts to change and evolve along with the people who carry these practices. The origins of this project, Adventure Scholar, are no exception. Much as a seed destined to sprout from the depths of eternity, the ideas that would nurture the growth of this project gestated in our minds for some time before springing forth into the light. In many ways, this project was born out of a community effort for engaging in a local grassroots approach while maintaining a globally-minded vision. The core members of this project all have roots in Colorado, yet have collectively engaged with projects and networks spanning the United States, Mexico, parts of Europe, and Japan. It is with this global community in mind that we will be launching the Adventure Scholar podcast to share this project with broader audiences. While we do offer public speaking, workshops, and folk inspired educational performances through our speaker’s bureau, the podcast is an opportunity to become acquainted with the project while learning about engaging subjects! Much more than a typical introduction, our first podcast episode “What’s in a name?” will delve into the cultural meanings and practices attached to naming. This is your opportunity to get to know the project members and the vision behind Adventure Scholar. Join us on a journey to expand your mind and empower your inner adventure scholar! |
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October 2020
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