In the US, it’s hard to think of the connection between Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities and land without thinking about violence. The same is true for Queer and disabled communities. Today, the relationship with nature that should be the sacred basis for life often feels unsafe for many communities. And at a time of ecological/climate collapse, the question of what is secure is in constant flux.
Shelterwood Collective was birthed out of the desire to heal communities through restoring right relations with land. Their 900-acre community forest in Cazadero, California, offers a homecoming for Black/Brown/Indigenous/Queer/Disabled people. Through cultural organizing, forest management, and the creation of accessible infrastructure, they are honoring their relationships with each other, with non-human kin, and with the Indigenous communities who have ancestral connections to land.
