InnoNative
Creating Inclusive Economies Through Inclusive Communities
April 11, 2022
Written by: Lily Jones
This Monday we gathered for another powerful and meaningful conversation. Our Conversation Starter, Chad Poitra was not able to join us due to a last-minute emergency. We hold him in our sense of well-being, health and healing. Today’s conversation touched on the unique worthiness of each and everyone of us. We explored this essential question: how did we each first come to know our own essential worth? Who affirmed your worthiness?
We used Maya Angelou’s Poem Touched By An Angel as our transition. The poem feels like a wonderful beginning. We’d like to mention the last sentence, “Yet it is only love which sets us free” has been a common thread in every one of our Conversation Starters.
At the beginning of the evolution of the Convening Wheel, Love in Action was at the center of At the Heart of the Matter, as core to all action.
As we moved to our Wisdom Circles (small groups) we’d like to mention everyone one of us has our own unique worthiness and beauty. When we gather together and share our voices, our individual beautify is woven together and forms a beautiful tapestry. We stringed our beads together today by asking each member what is the first thing that comes to mind when you asked “Who are you?” Below are responses from our members.
I am a beloved child of God
I am a unique expression of our Source.
I am relationship
Citizen of the world.
A pilgrim
I am joy
Stardust
I am a child of God
I am love, light, hope, grace and kindness
I am the promise of forgiveness and reconciliation in the world
Human on a journey to the divine
Divine Love expressing in physical form
A daughter and woman in transition in so many ways
One who is always becoming. I am the miracle of life in motion.
Me. Love.
I am a conduit of love
I am a Christian and loving individual
I am me.
Curiosity on the loose
I am interconnected, with humility and love.
Bridge builder
I AM still SEARCHING for answers to such an INTERNAL question. Searching for ME!!!
I am a lover of nature, watching a pair of beautiful white swans return to the lake behind my house.
I am Saturated sunlight
A human being opening to the amazing gift of soul, and love.
I am caring and learning and building a bridge to the future.
I am becoming
a journey-er, a learner, a community member, one with all
Following our opening questions we also explored the question of identity and our worthiness together. How do we first come to know our essential worthiness? During Chad Poitra interview, he states: “We all have value. We all have purpose. We all have our own stories and our own narratives. We are all worthy.” Many people don’t get the support and clarity that is needed to grow and find their worthiness in life. Chad Poitra’s consulting work focuses on being an active listener, seeing them, believing in them, and supporting them. He believes these are strong cultural values that are shared across different religions, ethnicities, and communities. We believe that is what makes you a LEADER.
✨ If you want to listen to more of what Chad Poitra has to say, click the video below to listen to the whole interview.✨
The way Chad Poitra speaks about worthiness and identity, gave us each a chance to reflect and think about it. Going back to the first question we asked our members: “Who are you”. We often associate our answers to more superficial kinds of identity such as heritage and religion, but we also have other identities that we are conscious of and other people are conscious of, such as physical appearance, skin color, gender, etc. There are so many layers of identity that determine our way through the world. So many forces pull us away from our essential beauty, our essential identity, and worthiness. Others come into our lives to offer us a blessing that penetrates all the layers of identity, gets right to the heart of the matter that encourages and empowers us to then pass that on and enable our leadership. A sense of worthiness demands that to be passed on.
Anyone that is a leader has an influence. Does that leader allow opportunity to lead in a positive love expression of the world or is it influence that constricts? One way to open up opportunities for love is to acknowledge worthiness. Our Wisdom Circle focused on worthiness and who affirmed their worthiness. Answers below are our members responses.
“In your life journey, who affirmed your worthiness? How are you passing that on?” “Do we want to turn this moment that we are in, into an era?”
Continual learning—forward/back/forward/back—keep learning
Affirmation is sometimes mixed but honesty goes a long way and it stays with you.
connection. Learning to feel worthy.
We each shared about a special teacher or teachers who saw us and encouraged us to be ourselves.
We are all longing for a blessing to know we are worthy.
Incomplete acknowledgement is still acknowledgement
So enriching with amazing stories and ideas
Having to assimilate to feel worthy
We only need one or two people in our lives that believe we are capable. And, those people are remembered!
belonging
Sometimes leadership is simply a particular kind of authentic presence and service.
Internal versus External influences and Choices.
A theme was we had all learned our worthiness through experience………
allowing for authenticity and fullness-of-being to show up
Affirmations can come from anyone, not always a family member or teacher.
Vulnerability
Sense of worthiness lies underneath how we show up in our lives.
Gratitude for the people in our life, past and present.
individuality, Spirit, and worthiness
kindred soul fishing with others
Affirmation experience can be brief, if powerful.
Our dominant(white male supremacy) culture with it’s focus on performance, individualism, competition, and status throws fuel on the fire of unworthiness. And ALL of us are burned by the flame.
You can have influence—and be a horrible, destructive “leader’. Need another definition
Internal/external journey toward consciousness.
We talked about the losses and gains of dismantling white supremacy culture.
We talked about how to be a responsible citizen, how to pay attention to local matters, how to reverse the tide to authoritarianism……
we spoke about inclusion vs assimilation...sense of belonging rather than just fitting in
Do more things for the young
Be in the world and search out each other’s stories. Meet each other where we each are.
Era of higher consciousness as one community.
The mentioning of ASSIMILATION from Ms. Roberson hit hard at the TRUTH of my life experiences - ALL!!!
We talked about spirit connection as primary to identity.
What makes us think era changing is our choice?
May we be "influencers" for healing in this era
Define what keeps me in the work - to an era of full inclusion, racial justice, - to heal the world
I always return to how do we build relationships with those who are not attuned to the truth of what's so in our societies and the advantages that are automatically granted to some.
I think we are in the era - people are longing for something less constrictive (less assimilation and more delight)!
The grief of this time and the immensity and complexity of what is before us all as humans
We talked about transforming the here and now before assuming to transform the future.
Recognition of our participation in the larger community of spirit and heart that supports this work.
People in power and people with wealth have everything to lose by 'allowing' equity and justice
A grandmother blessed me with affirmation and taught me the power of love
https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/events/20220412-native-launch-thon
Chad Poitra sends his best wishes and will join us on June 6 for the Essential Conversations! In the meantime, let's send good energy his way for today’s Native Launch-A-Thon
APRIL 12, 2022
Time: TUE, 04/12/2022 - 08:30 AM - TUE, 04/12/2022 - 02:00 PM
Calling all current (and future) entrepreneurs! Join MN Cup, InnoNative Consulting, and LAUNCHKIT for an intensive startup sprint – a fully guided walkthrough to bring you from an initial idea to launch and beyond! The theme of this new event is Indigenous Entrepreneurs: this launch-a-thon is open to any Native-led and Native-serving concepts and startups.
We want to thank everyone for participating in our Essential Conversations this morning.
Your Voices
+ Many Voices =
Collective Impact
Join our next Essential Conversation: 4/18/22:
As we continue to celebrate the past 100 Essential Conversations and everything we have learned and discussed in just a over a year, we would like to invite you to another opportunity! On Tuesday April 19th, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM CT US, CPL will be convening an “Ultimate Dinner Party” inspired by an Essential Conversation with Richard Leider. Dinner parties are a great way to gather in community and share in the ritual of breaking bread but with a twist! At this dinner party we seek to continue to partake in meaningful conversation and we want you to be a part by sharing your voice. There are three different ways to participate and tickets to attend can be purchased for $20 for an individual or group and registration will include the Ultimate Dinner Party Handbook as well as a zoom link to attend the event. We hope to see you there!
