Aotearoa Rainbow Family Gathering

The 4th Aotearoa gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light finished recently after 6 weeks in the beautiful Anatoki Valley...

The 4th Aotearoa gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light finished recently after 6 weeks in the beautiful Anatoki Valley, near Takaka in the north of the south island.

Seed Camp began on January 8. This is when our scouts arrive to open the welcome centre, prepare the gathering site and establish communal facilities like water supply, kitchen, chai tent, main circle where we have our meals and of course dig shit pits ;P

Main Gathering began with a full moon ceremony on Saturday January 18 (at this stage I was at the Kaikoura Roots Festival and didn't make it to the gathering till after reporting on Waihopai) and carried on for four weeks, culminating in a wicked full moon party on Sunday February 16.

Throughout we enjoyed communal brunch and dinner cooked by the Family with food provided by donations to the 'magic hat'. Family members shared their skills and knowledge through informal workshops and discussions. The health of the Family was monitored and treated with natural remedies. At night we gathered in the communal tipi, in the chai tent and around the sacred fire in the main circle to sing bajans, rainbow songs and even some Maori waiata :}

It was a magical time and an amazing opportunity to meet and hang out with an awesome crew of international Rainbow brothers and sisters. Some of them are Rainbow veterans, for others it was their first gathering. Either way it wouldn't have been the same without them, arohanui ki a koutou, cool runnings, love and best wishes to you all in your travels.

Of course I don't mean to downplay the contribution of our kiwi brothers and sisters, especially our elders who called the gathering and provided momentum at seedcamp. Enormous thanks must go also to our hosts at Rainbow Valley Community, whose land we were camping on for so long. Kia ora koutou katoa.

There was a stong consensus at the Vision Circle following Full Moon to make sure a Rainbow Gathering takes place in Aotearoa each year. The next gathering is planned for late summer of 2004. We are looking for a north island site, most likely in Northland or Coromandell. For more info contact
. If you want to be on the mailing list for the irregular Aotearoa Rainbow Newsmail, please email .

A bit of history; the first Aotearoa gathering happened in Baton Valley behind Motueka in autumn of 1998, the second in the far north the same year, the third on the same site as this gathering a couple of years ago (2000?).

The first Rainbow Family Gathering was held in the USA in 1972, an organic outgrowth of the hippy movement with a strongly spiritual peace-on-earth focus. Originally planned as a free one-off meditation for peace, the US gathering has become an annual tradition. A truly miraculous yearly event that sees thousands of people gathering peacefully for weeks, providing for their needs through communal cooking and donations to the 'magic hat'.

Since then the Rainbow Family has spread out across the world, with regional and national gatherings held throughout America, Europe, Australia, even Israel! In the last few years there has been a series of World Rainbow Gatherings beginning in Australia in 2000. The next one is due to begin in Brazil on March 4.

Many Family members believe the Rainbow movement is the manifestation of Native American prophecies, many of which talk about Rainbow Warriors and the emergence of a new tribe who live in the ancient ways and defend the Earth.
http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/prophecies.html

In Aotearoa the importance to us of the Rainbow as a symbol of inclusions and diversity has brought some of our Family into conflict with members of the gay rights movement. Not content with pink and purple, some members of the queer nations seem to think they need the whole rainbow to themselves.

It is important to understand we have NO intention of excluding gays from Rainbow Gatherings, like all people of peace and goodwill they are already members of the Family. Rather we take issue with the use of the Rainbow to name groups and institutions which are exclusive of non-queers.

This dispute over the meaning and connotations of the Rainbow has already flared up within the Greens and we hope that dialogue amongst all the parties involved will lead to a united consensus on the issue.

Finally the disclaimer:

Like Indymedia, no one speaks for the Rainbow Family and this article is strictly the observations and opinions of the author.

Related

http://www.welcomehome.org/