stolen land declaration:
All people not indigenous to North America who are living on this continent are settlers on stolen land. We acknowledge that Canada, the United States of America, Mexico, and Central & South America were founded through genocide and colonization of indigenous peoples–which continues today and from which settlers directly benefit.
All settlers do not benefit equally from the settler-colonial state, nor did all settlers emigrate here of their own free will. Specifically, we see slavery, hetero-patriarchy, white supremacy, market imperialism, and capitalist class structures as among the primary tools of colonization. These tools divide communities and determine people's relative access to power. Therefore, anti-oppression solidarity between settler communities is necessary for decolonization. We work to build anti-colonial movements that actively combat all forms of oppression.
We acknowledge that settlers are not entitled to live on this land. We accept that decolonization means the revitalization of indigenous sovereignty, and an end to settler domination of life, lands, and peoples in all territories of the so-called “Americas.” All decisions regarding human interaction with this land base, including who lives on it, are rightfully those of the indigenous nations.
As settlers and non-native people (by which we mean non-indigenous to this hemisphere) acting in solidarity, it is our responsibility to proactively challenge and dismantle colonialist thought and behavior in the communities we identify ourselves to be part of.
Anti-oppression Statement:
As a collective, Sacred Lattice is committed to dismantling all systems of oppression, whether they are found in institutional power structures, interpersonal relationships, or within ourselves. Individually and as a collective, we work compassionately to support each other through these processes. Participation in struggle requires each of us to engage in both solidarity and our own liberation: to be accountable for the powers we hold, while also fighting for liberation from internalized and/or experienced oppression. We seek to build a healthy culture of resistance, accountability, and sustenance.
We are committed to providing an organizational environment that is free from all forms of oppression where personal worth and dignity are respected.
We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. This policy encompasses all forms of discrimination and oppression including but not limited to: ableism, ageism, classism, heterosexism, racism, sexism and cissexism.
Harassment includes:
Offensive comments related to (but not limited to) gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion.
Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.
Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names.
Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not appropriate.
Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “*hug*” or “*backrub*”) without consent or after a request to stop.
Threats of violence.
Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm.
Deliberate intimidation.
Stalking or following.
Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes.
Sustained disruption of discussion.
Unwelcome sexual attention.
Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others
Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent
Publication of non-harassing private communication.
Sacred Lattice prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. We reserve the right not to act on complaints regarding:
‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’
Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial
Criticizing racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions
If you are being harassed by a member of Sacred Lattice, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact the leadership team at sacredlattice@gmail.com. If the person who is harassing you is on the team, they will recuse themselves from handling your incident. We will respond as promptly as we can.
The anti-racism/anti-oppression policy is in effect at all locations where organizational activities are conducted. This policy applies to all who work (paid or unpaid) at Sacred Lattice and individuals who receive services from Sacred Lattice. Sacred Lattice will ensure that all members and service users have access to this policy. Anyone who violates this code of conduct may be sanctioned or expelled from these spaces at the discretion of the leadership team.
This code of conduct applies to Sacred Lattice spaces, but if you are being harassed by a member of Sacred Lattice outside our spaces, we still want to know about it. We will take all good-faith reports of harassment by Sacred Lattice members, especially the leadership team, seriously. This includes harassment outside our spaces and harassment that took place at any point in time. The abuse team reserves the right to exclude people from Sacred Lattice based on their past behavior, including behavior outside Sacred Lattice spaces and behavior towards people who are not in Sacred Lattice.
Some Sacred Lattice spaces may have additional rules in place, which will be made clearly available to participants. Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these rules.
We will respect confidentiality requests for the purpose of protecting victims of abuse. At our discretion, we may publicly name a person about whom we’ve received harassment complaints, or privately warn third parties about them, if we believe that doing so will increase the safety of Sacred Lattice members or the general public. We will not name harassment victims without their affirmative consent.
Consequences:
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the leadership may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all Sacred Lattice spaces and identification of the participant as a harasser to other Sacred Lattice members or the general public.
on Light-skinned/passing privilege:
Identities are complicated but systemic oppression has much greater consequences for those of us with darker skin. Light skin is always a privilege and never a burden. Some of us can almost be white enough, but while we are allowed a lot of access to some resources, we are still always kept at arm's distance and reminded of how we are different, exotic, or one of the safe ones. Part of what we are here to do is heal the way that white supremacy and capitalism have hurt us as individuals, groups and as a whole. Those of us with light skin or who are white passing benefit from white supremacy and need to be working doubly hard to tear down the systems that have drastically lifted us.
If you mostly function in your day to day life as a white person, think long and hard about if you need to be here. If you can pick up and put down your identity as not white, and your only relationship to not whiteness is through a DNA test, please seek out another place of learning. Consider how much space you take up and be sure to stay in your lane when it comes to issues that don’t directly affect or reflect your day to day existence.
Make sure you are giving more than you are taking, pay it forward to our other community members, and use your privilege to amplify the voices of more marginalized family members. Light skin is ALWAYS a privilege and never a burden. If you are struggling with an identity crisis, please reach out to Layla, don’t make it the whole group’s burden to help you process.