Land and Land Back
- What is the Tender Fruits Collective land project?
- We steward over 10 acres of land in Ndakina, also known as Colonized Vermont, near Derby, VT.
Our ultimate intention for this space is to legally and culturally rematriate the land to the decedents of the original stewards of the land that now holds us.
This land space also holds us as a permanent housing source and way to grow food and offer healing space for our communities in the future.
2. Why a land project?
2. “Land is power” – Mike Africa Sr., MOVE
We know that our ability to live with joy, autonomy and abundance are directly tied to our ability to be with and on the land.
The land, the Earth is our connection to all things.
Without a connection to land we depend on others for our housing, our food, our water. And those things can be revoked at any point under a Capitalist society.
Without land we are policed, monitored and surveilled by Landlords, by neighbors, by Capitalists in our own homes; and then we are punished and given ultimatums to change behavior that is considered a violation of the cultural code.
Giant corporations and Governments buy up massive amounts of land and poison and abuse Earth Mother for profit, creating massive climate shifts that affects us and future generations without our consent.
Our freedom is tied to the land.
As Queer and Trans, Neurodivergent, Mad, Sick and Disabled, Survivors we know that we are often on the receiving end of this punishment and instability.
The Tender Fruits Collective land project was created as a space for Mads, Sicks and Crips to heal, grow, and learn.
We envision spaces where babes with mental, cognitive, physical, sensory, and invisible Disabilities have sacred space to share and learn Ancestral and Earth based skills in a way that supports Land Rematriation, Land Back and Indigenous Sovereignty.
3. How are you doing that?
3. We do this as a collective from so many different places, angles and sources! And we will focus on the work in relationship to the land we help steward in so called Vermont.
Land Back and Land Rematriation here in Vermont has a complicated history. We are moving slowly through this process, reaching out and getting as much information as possible and building relationships that grow at a pace that is sustainable.
In the mean time we are tending to the mistreated land, to allow us to grow food for food insecure, Disabled and Aging folks in our communities as well as all of the animal kin that live on the land.
And mostly, for us, this journey isn’t a checklist of steps. It is a slow series of relationships built over time with lots of consent and collaboration. And we will share more as we can!
Peer Support Spaces
- What is Discord?
- Discord is the space we have chosen to have our groups and community space held on. Discord spaces, unlike Zoom or Skype, exist all the time. There are text channels that are open to members of the community 24/7 to post and receive support from any community members who have capacity and resources to reply. And in addition to the text channels, we have voice channels where we meet virtually, by way of video and/or audio, at designated times every week. These weekly peer groups always have Tender Fruits Collective members who help to hold the space. In order to join a group, you will need email us for the link to the Discord space and sign up and create your account ahead of time.
- Do I have to be on video the whole time?
- No! We encourage folks to show up in the ways that feel best to them. For some folks that means being on video and audio, for some it is having their camera turned off during group, and for others it is not attending groups at all and getting support through the text channels. There is no right or wrong way to show up here, and we encourage folks to be creative and keep their access needs and bodymind in mind when making the decision of how and when to show up.
- Do I have to stay for the whole group?
- No! We recognize that everyone has different capacities and time to give to a space like this. And that each person’s capacity can shift at any moment. We encourage folks to leave group before it’s over if that is what feels good for them!
- Can I show up late?
- Absolutely! These spaces support babes from all around the world! We know not everyone can make it right at group time, every time, and that’s ok! Don’t worry about popping in 30 minutes late, and hour late, it doesn’t matter. We will welcome you, whenever you show up! And just know that sometimes, if folks don’t show up, or if group ends early we may miss each other.
- Can I talk about anything in the Discord space?
The short answer is yes, you can talk about anything here.
We know that to heal we need spaces to talk about the traumatic parts of our past and present. We do not censor conversations here, about suicide, about self harm, about abuse, about anything.There are some text channels that you may find are created specifically for creating space for some of these experiences in our Discord channels.
Recently Discord has sent updates around about their “Safety Center” (https://discord.com/new/safety)
Most pertinent to us and the spaces we hold is their “Mental Health” page (https://discord.com/new/safety/360044103771-Mental-health-on-Discord), which currently reads as follows:
“If you or someone you know is going through a hard time. It can be difficult to know what to say or do when someone expresses a desire to harm themselves or others. If you or another user you know is in urgent trouble, please consider contacting authorities right away, regardless of the limited information you might be able to provide. Law enforcement has investigative resources and can contact our Trust & Safety team for information that we aren’t allowed to disclose otherwise and can identify those users to get them help.> > NOTE: You can always report the situation to our Trust & Safety team by following the instructions found here, but please consider escalating urgent situations to law enforcement. Self-harm: When we receive reports of self-harm, we review such content carefully, and we take into account the context in which comments are posted. We will take action on communities or users that promote, encourage, or glorify suicide or self-harm. This includes content that encourages others to cut or injure themselves. We will also take action against communities or users who promote, encourage, or glorify eating disorders, suicide, or self harm”
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US
Tender Fruits Collective respects autonomy and supports self-determination.
-We expect each other to not contact authorities, including about talk of suicide or self harm. We know that we are all the stewards of our own bodymind’s. And we all should have the right to make that decision for ourselves.
-Similarly, we ask that community members DO NOT contact Discord’s Trust & Safety team about talk of suicide or self-harm, or take other actions that might bring unnecessary law enforcement attention to this Discord space/server.
-We KNOW that the work that we do is not “promoting, encouraging, or glorifying” eating disorders, suicide, or self harm, and we also know how easily these rules and regulations can be used against community spaces like our. So please be aware.
-if you have any questions or concerns, please email us at info@tenderfruitscollective.com
-Given that this policy exists, some folks may be more comfortable talking about certain details in a voice channel, or some folks may feel better about posting in a text channel specifically set up for conversations about suicide and self harm
- How does the sliding scale work?
- All of our offerings are sliding scale, with the understand that not all of us are moving through the world with the same resources available to us. There is a sliding scale suggestion of $1-$10 for groups. And no one is turned away because of lack of funds. The sliding scale is designed so that those with access to more financial resources can give more, while those with access to less can give less. This model only works when folks are “right sized” in their participation, meaning that no one gives more or less than is actually sustainable for them based on how much they make, debts, etc. Only you can know what that number is for yourself.
- How do I join the groups?
Email us!
If you would like to join Cripple Cutie Care Circle email us at cripplecuties@tenderfruitscollective.com
If you would like to join Bad Mads and Crips email us at badmads@tenderfruitscollective.com
If you would like to join the Two Spirit Healing Circle email us at twospirit@tenderfruitscollective.com
Not sure or need more information? Check out our OFFERINGS page.
Haven’t found the answer you were looking for?
Feel free to email us with your questions!
info@tenderfruitscollective.com
WANT TO MAIL US DONATIONS?
You’re in luck because we have a mailing address!
Tender Fruits Collective
P.O. BOX 396
DERBY, VT, 05829