The last "potlatch" I was at was a couple of months ago at the Capilano Bighouse in North Vancouver. It was a memorial for a friend's grandmother. There were about 750 people there and the ceremonies lasted about 10 hours. The first four hours or so consisted of spirit dancing which is impossible to describe. The entire bighouse was full of moaning and wailing and drumming and signing for four straight hours. It did bring a certain alignment to the proceedings. After that we ate and then memorial formalities began, consisting of what is known simply as "the work" that the family has invited everyone to help them with. "The work" is the processing of grief, and that ceremony has many, many (MANY!) levels to it. After that, there was a giveaway, and the floor of the bighouse looked like the receiving dock of a Wal-mart until everything was disbursed, clutching dishtowels, picnic sets, cups, dustpans, posters and blankets, among other items.
<br><br>Finally, there was more ritualized dancing until the wee hours and everyone closed it down. The overwhelming sense being at these events, is that there are deep, deep ways in the world that communities care for Spirit. These ceremonies evolved out of 9000 years of practice, tradition and learning about these many worlds. The Squamish memorial I attended comes out of an uninteruppted wisdom tradition that predates ancient Egypt. It took my friend's family many years to prepare for this memorial, undertake all of the pre-work that led to the correct kind of invitation and to acquire all of the stuff that was given away. In that sense, it was like an Open Space!
<br><br>So if you're planning on using this model as a retreat, look out! It's a lot of work to get ready!!<br><br>:-)<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Chris<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 4/10/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">
Vliex, Carla (cvl)</b> <<a href="mailto:CVL@tg.nl">CVL@tg.nl</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Thanks Chris and Harrison.
<br><br>The site chris mailed to me was great and interesting. One of my business clients wants a day out with his whole staff. Thin k I am going to advise him to invite everyone of his comoany for a potlatch...<br><br>Carla
<br><br>Met vriendelijke groet,<br><br>drs. Carla Vliex<br>Adviseur Organisatie Ontwikkeling<br>------------------------------------------------------------------<br>Twynstra Gudde Adviseurs en Managers<br>Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort
<br>Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort<br>033-4677761<br>06 53927407<br>Internet <a href="http://www.twynstragudde.nl">www.twynstragudde.nl</a><br><br><br><br>________________________________<br><br>Van: OSLIST namens Chris Corrigan
<br>Verzonden: ma 10-4-2006 18:31<br>Aan: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>Onderwerp: Re: Edinburgh festival.. an Open space event<br><br><br>Here's some information on potlatches held around here:
<br><br><a href="http://collections.ic.gc.ca/potlatch/">http://collections.ic.gc.ca/potlatch/</a><br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Chris<br><br><br>On 4/9/06, Vliex, Carla (cvl) <<a href="mailto:CVL@tg.nl">CVL@tg.nl</a>> wrote:
<br><br> Being not a native speaker and getting quite curious: WHAT IS A POTLATCH??<br><br> Carla from the Netherlands<br><br><br><br> Met vriendelijke groet,<br><br> drs. Carla Vliex<br> Adviseur Organisatie Ontwikkeling
<br> ------------------------------------------------------------------<br> Twynstra Gudde Adviseurs en Managers<br> Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort<br> Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort<br> 033-4677761
<br> 06 53927407<br> Internet <a href="http://www.twynstragudde.nl">www.twynstragudde.nl</a><br><br><br><br> ________________________________<br><br> Van: OSLIST namens Harrison Owen<br> Verzonden: do 6-4-2006 13:38
<br> Aan: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br> Onderwerp: Re: Edinburgh festival.. an Open space event<br><br><br><br> I guess I must have attended a rogue Potlatch - but they do some funny things in Alaska.
<br><br><br><br> Harrison<br><br><br><br> Harrison Owen<br><br> 7808 River Falls Drive<br><br> Potomac, Maryland 20854<br><br> Phone 301-365-2093<br><br> Skype hhowen<br><br> Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a> <<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/">http://www.openspaceworld.com/</a>><br><br> Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">
www.openspaceworld.org</a> <<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/">http://www.openspaceworld.org/</a>><br><br> Personal website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a> <<a href="http://www.ho-image.com/">
http://www.ho-image.com/</a>><br><br> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <a href="http://www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
</a> <<a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a>><br><br><br><br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] On Behalf Of Chris Corrigan<br> Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 1:18 AM<br> To: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br> Subject: Re: Edinburgh festival.. an Open space event
<br><br><br><br> Just a technical piece...potlatches are about as far from Open Space as you can imagine. They are highly structured and controlled events and there is very little tolerance for anything that lies outside of the control of the people that are responsible for given parts of the ceremonies. In fact, working here on the west ocast of North America, where the feasting culture is integral to traditional forms of governance, using Open Space sometimes becomes a real challenge.
<br><br> On the other hand, most people i work with who stop to think about it agree that Open Space resonates on a deeper level and taps something that seems to lie at the heart of many different traditional and indigenous cultures.
<br><br> But potlatches...woowhee...they would drive you around the bend, Harrison!<br><br> Chris<br><br> On 4/5/06, Harrison Owen < <a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net">hhowen@verizon.net</a> <mailto:
<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net">hhowen@verizon.net</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net">hhowen@verizon.net</a>> > > wrote:<br><br> Diane -- Surprise! And guess where a major part of the inspiration for Open
<br> Space came from? Indigenous Market places! All of which work pretty much the<br> same was as a Potlatch. Same old, same old :-)<br><br> Harrison<br><br> Harrison Owen<br> 7808 River Falls Drive
<br> Potomac, Maryland 20854<br> Phone 301-365-2093<br> Skype hhowen<br> Open Space Training <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><br> Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">
www.openspaceworld.org</a><br> Personal website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a><br> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the<br> archivesVisit: <a href="http://www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">
www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br><br><br> -----Original Message-----<br> From: OSLIST [mailto: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> <mailto:
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>> ] On Behalf Of Diane<br> Brandon<br> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 12:39 PM<br> To: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br> Subject: Re: Edinburgh festival.. an Open space event<br><br> Chris's comment resonated for me. Our family has had some wonderful<br> weekends centered around an indigenous pow wow. Usually it's a full
<br> weekend - sleep over two nights - and there are lots of things going on<br> -- food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, children's games, always the<br> circle in the center, drumming much of the time, dances of many sorts,
<br> great ceremonial dress, some or all dances open to all (some for<br> skilled dancers only), story telling, flute playing, sometimes sweat<br> lodges, sometimes workshops on healing/spiritual topics or on making
<br> things, and nothing requires attendance! Many people sit around their<br> campsites, sleep, talk at picnic tables, swim in the river where that's<br> an option, take care of kids -- oh yes, all ages are welcome and are
<br> there, with a lot of honor for elders (much appreciated by this<br> grandmother) and for veterans (something I was on the fence about - but<br> my husband was in the Navy for 4 years in the Vietnam era, and it means
<br> so much to him to dance in the veterans' honoring dance, and I get to<br> join him.... so I've warmed to it). Many people camp out in tents and<br> trailers, so we live together for the weekend, and the cost is minimal.
<br> There's plenty of room for offering what you want to offer, if not in a<br> more formal way, then via your own campsite and conversations there or<br> as you walk around. (I'm sure if you hang a flag at your campsite about
<br> your topic, you'll attract some interest!) The place-basedness of it,<br> and all the preparation that goes into it on the part of the tribe or<br> tribes or individuals that organize it (they usually include one free
<br> feast, and often a give-away), seem core to the sense of deep<br> satisfaction people get from going to these weekends. I think it's very<br> close to Open Space!<br><br> Diane Brandon<br>
Eliot, Maine<br><br> On Apr 5, 2006, at 10:22 AM, Chris Weaver wrote:<br><br> > on a related large other topic, i am deeply interested in the overlap<br> > between ost and ceremony in indigenous traditions. festival life,
<br> > which<br> > culminates on a specific piece of land for a specific period of time,<br> > has<br> > some fascinating resonance with ceremonial space/time. a topic to<br> > explore
<br> > another time.<br><br> *<br> *<br> ==========================================================<br> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>
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http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br><br><br><br><br> --<br> CHRIS CORRIGAN<br> Consultation - Facilitation<br> Open Space Technology<br><br> Weblog: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">
http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot</a><br> Site: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</a><br> Open Space Resources: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/r94tj">http://tinyurl.com/r94tj
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http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br><br> *<br> *
<br> ==========================================================<br> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br> ------------------------------<br> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
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</a><br><br> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br><br><br><br><br><br>--<br>CHRIS CORRIGAN<br>Consultation - Facilitation
<br>Open Space Technology<br><br>Weblog: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot</a><br>Site: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</a><br>Open Space Resources:
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/r94tj">http://tinyurl.com/r94tj</a> * * ========================================================== <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
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<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br><a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>CHRIS CORRIGAN<br>Consultation - Facilitation<br>Open Space Technology<br><br>Weblog: <a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot</a><br>Site:
<a href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</a><br>Open Space Resources: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/r94tj">http://tinyurl.com/r94tj</a>
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