#Vancouver #YYJ - a fab #Decolonized #Birding event coming up! Special Bird Service events are excellent #decolonization programs in the BC birding world ❤️

Magnificent Migration: #Sandpipers Shenanigans. You'll see thousands of them!

When: Saturday, April 25th, 2026, from 11:00 am–2:00 pm

Where: Brunswick Point, Delta (meeting location shared closer to date)

Target Species: #WesternSandpiper

This gentle shoreline walk will centre sandpipers and the many winged travellers who rest and refuel at Boundary Bay on their incredible journeys. Expect communal watching, storytelling, and an appreciation of small movements—of wings, tides, and time. Whether you’re a long-time birder or just getting started, this event is grounded in care, connection, and curiosity.

What to expect:

• Easy walking on flat dyke trail
• Sandpiper identification tips and shared observations
• Inclusive, welcoming scenes for all experience levels
• Binoculars & scopes to borrow
• Rest breaks, snacks, and educational story-sharing

This event is hosted on the Stolen, Traditional and Ancestral territories of the sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Semiahmoo, and Stz’uminus Nations.

Who We Are

#SpecialBirdService (SBS) creates #inclusive and restorative pathways into nature, with a focus on birding, experiential education, and community care.

#Birding and #OutdoorEducation have historically been dominated by white, colonial norms that have excluded and marginalized Global Majority communities. We hold space intentionally to challenge those histories and to support belonging, healing, and relationship-building in nature.

Our work is grounded in:

Ecological stewardship
Mental health advocacy
Anti-racism and equity
Generational knowledge sharing
Community-led care and accountability

* This event is part of Special Bird Service’s monthly #BirdingBeyondBarriers series; a collaboration with Nocs Provisions designed to make community-driven birding more #accessible with a focus on deep observation, curiosity and connection. Each walk will highlight different target species and ecosystems throughout the year. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from us, courtesy of our friends at Nocs Provisions, and let’s spot our feathered friends together! *

https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/magnificent-migration-western-sandpipers

#wildlife #birdlovers #birdwatchers #Birdwatching #DecolonizedLearning #NatureWalk #GuidedWalk #InterpretiveBirding #BIPOCFriendly #diversity #BirdMigration #Spring #DeltaBC #BCBirders #ecological #avian #POCLed

Magnificent Migration: Sandpipers Shenanigans

Join us for Magnificent Migration and witness thousands of Western Sandpipers traveling through the Pacific Flyway!When: Saturday, April 25th,  2026, from 11:00 am–2:00 pmWhere: Brunswick Point, Delta (meeting location shared closer to date)Target Species: Western SandpiperEvent DescriptionThis gentle shoreline walk will centre sandpipers and the many winged travellers who rest and refuel at Boundary Bay on their incredible journeys. Expect communal watching, storytelling, and an appreciation of small movements—of wings, tides, and time. Whether you’re a long-time birder or just getting started, this event is grounded in care, connection, and curiosity. What to expect:    •    Easy walking on flat dyke trail    •    Sandpiper identification tips and shared observations    •    Inclusive, welcoming scenes for all experience levels    •    Binoculars & scopes to borrow    •    Rest breaks, snacks, and educational story-sharing This event is hosted on the Stolen, Traditional and Ancestral territories of the sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Semiahmoo, and Stz’uminus Nations.Who We AreSpecial Bird Service (SBS) creates inclusive and restorative pathways into nature, with a focus on birding, experiential education, and community care.Birding and outdoor education have historically been dominated by white, colonial norms that have excluded and marginalized Global Majority communities. We hold space intentionally to challenge those histories and to support belonging, healing, and relationship-building in nature.Our work is grounded in:Ecological stewardshipMental health advocacyAnti-racism and equityGenerational knowledge sharingCommunity-led care and accountability* This event is part of Special Bird Service’s monthly Birding Beyond Barriers series; a collaboration with Nocs Provisions designed to make community-driven birding more accessible with a focus on deep observation, curiosity and connection. Each walk will highlight different target species and ecosystems throughout the year. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from us, courtesy of our friends at Nocs Provisions, and let’s spot our feathered friends together! *

Zeffy
I'm becoming an artist as I learn to discipline myself through my process.



My process is my own. Guided by instinct and necessity. Raw. Scattered. Sporadic. Adding discipline to my process helps me express when I feared it would oppress. I am learning to appreciate process as ritual. Ritual as discipline and discipline as order. Not authority or rank or a measurement for productivity (the language of capitalism). Discipline is order. Arrangement. Even melodies need to be arranged. Symphony or cacophony. Decolonized view of discipline



I can reject the notion of decorum and etiquette as presented and enforced by whiteness to extract, conquer, and destroy while developing my own paradigms and rituals that govern my artistic metamorphosis

#artist #process #artistsway #discipline #decolonized

I was on my way to the 2nd Annual #INDIGENOUS DNA: #DECOLONIZED #NATIVE #ART show when I received a message from John Khus (the organizer & main artist in the show) that he had been forcibly removed from the Courthouse & banned from the property for simply sitting in a public space as a member of the public!

I was horrified to hear this & wrote emails to the security company (Triumph Security) & the Santa Barbara County Courthouse to bring their attention to this injustice. I suggested that their staff undergo anti-bias training, & that they publicly apologize to John. Neither ever responded

I checked the Mural Room rules, the rules for the general grounds, the Santa Barbara Municipal Code, & the Code of the County of Santa Barbara & John followed all of the rules. Therefore, John was illegally removed from a public space. I'm appalled that the Courthouse allows their security officers to break the law & treat the public this way

John posted some details...
https://www.facebook.com/61561223067309/posts/pfbid02kCzbznge29KY3n8hDZ58c6TDkSuzJuxqt6aP2bKn2RfZ8JTuReiNVT29Nvsx5PHol/

Decolonized Native Art

The Santa Barbara Courthouse Docent Council recently posted a video calling for people interested in Santa Barbara history to help tell the stories of the Courthouse — including the Mural Room, a...

#wikipedia #regavim

Today, the Hebrew #Wikipedia functions as settler-colonial propaganda, naturalizing ethnic cleansing through environmental and legal frameworks.

Hebrew edition (translation):

[…] “Regavim is a right-wing Israeli movement and organization established in 2006 with the goal of establishing ‘a Jewish and Zionist agenda for the State of Israel in land and environmental aspects,’ for the purpose of ‘protecting the lands of the Jewish people and the natural and landscape treasures of the Land of Israel.’”

Problems:

1. Uses neutral-to-positive framing: “movement,” “protecting,” “treasures”

2. Emphasizes environmental protection discourse

3. No mention of (illegal) settler connections in opening (implied when mentioning founders like Smotrich or the term “green line”)

4. Uses biblical terminology “Land of Israel” (ארץ ישראל) instead of occupied territories (a term used nowhere in the Hebrew Wikipedia as far as I know)

The Hebrew version omits/minimizes the following:

1. Forced displacement of Palestinians - never uses terms like “ethnic cleansing” or “forcible transfer”

2. Violence against Palestinians - no mention of how Regavim’s legal actions facilitate settler violence

3. International condemnation - no mention of US Congressional calls for sanctions

4. Academic characterization as “settler-colonial” - absent, duh 🧐

5. The Khan al-Ahmar case - minimal coverage despite being emblematic

6. School demolitions - not mentioned (e.g., Bat Zuwaydin Secondary School near Hebron where “members of Regavim posted leaflets on the walls…calling for the school’s destruction”)

But it gets worse. Neither version adequately conveys that Israel’s permit system in Area C makes it virtually impossible for Palestinians to build legally (Palestinian permit approval rates are approximately 1-2%). According to UN Secretary-General reports, this permit denial system combined with demolitions creates “a coercive environment that contributes to displacement that may amount to forcible transfer, which is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention”.

The Wikipedia is clearly not a neutral encyclopedia. While the Hebrew version shows how Israeli civil society narratives naturalize occupation, the English version shows how even international “critical” discourse still employs colonial frameworks.

Example: the phrasing “lacking Israeli permits” in the English edition treats Israeli military permit system as legitimate “law”.

A #decolonized language might be something like this:

“Regavim monitors and reports Palestinian construction to Israeli military authorities for demolition, exploiting a permit system designed to make Palestinian building virtually impossible”

And yes, Regavim’s expansion into #Gaza (naming of #Rafah checkpoint) must be understood within this genocidal context.

See:

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/2/2/regavim-israels-new-rafah-border-site-carries-coded-annexation-message

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2611354/middle-east

#wikipedia #regavim #decolonized #gaza #rafah #palestine #zionism #SettlerViolence #israel #gazagenocide #dromoelimination #ethniccleansing

😍 I am so excited to attend the 💕💕 2nd Annual #INDIGENOUS DNA: #DECOLONIZED #NATIVE #ART! 💕💕 I can't think of a better way to spend time on the National Day of Mourning

This will be an art occupation of the Santa Barbara Courthouse's Mural Room, whose walls depict the devastating colonization of Chumash land (now called Santa Barbara) as if it is to be celebrated

🎨 Indigenous art by Indigenous artists and ally artists will be carried by people standing inside the Mural Room to Indigenize the space on this day

🗓️ 27 Nov 2025, 10am - around 5pm
📍 Santa Barbara County Courthouse's Mural Room (on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, CA)

More info at https://www.facebook.com/people/Decolonized-Native-Art/61561223067309/#

The #UnitedNations must be #decolonized and relocated from (soon-to-be Trump-controlled) #NewYork. It must "integrate the perspectives of #marginalized and most affected communities and nations, particularly those who are still suffering the brunt of the #colonial legacy, manifested in #loan bondage, unequal #development, and outright #pillage of #NaturalResources."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/25/un-gaza-decolonize-reform

The UN has failed us on Gaza. We need to decolonize and radically reform it

By decolonizing, I mean a transformative process that embeds the views of marginalized and most affected communities

The Guardian

This is a collaborative effort by hundreds of indigenous elders and language preservationists to accurately document the toponymy of the main cities and historical sites in North and Central America #decolonized

https://decolonialatlas.wordpress.com/turtle-island-decolonized/

Turtle Island Decolonized

Turtle Island Decolonized: Mapping Indigenous Names across “North America” Indigenous place names carry the stories of the land and its people, reflecting the unbroken relationships bet…

The Decolonial Atlas
I also want to add here -I don't disconnect what has affected my mental health and eating disorders from the colonized mindsets that were passed down to me. Unfortunately that is part and parcel of Puerto Rican colonization, racism, white supremacy. I am counteracting that with my #decolonized spiritual practice, listening to my ancestors and the health they really want for me. I am here as a testament of #liberation through my spirituality, practice and self love.

[Thread] The next installment from #KleeBenally 's book, #NoSpiritualSurrender. This may feel like an attack to some, but read his words all the way through. He spoke truth!

"The ‘Green New Deal,’ like its parent ‘Green Economics’ are meant to sustain the US #settler colonial project and the #capitalist relations whose interest lay within the specificity of continuing the ongoing exploitation (destruction) of the whole of the Earth, while cashing in of course. In the case of the Green New Deal, which in many ways begat its own child, that of the Red New Deal, who aside from outright plagiarizing, fronting, and co-opting the long-term #Indigenous #ClimateJustice work, the Red Nation’s ‘Red New Deal,’ proposes an anti-capitalist and woefully limited anti-colonial response that not only reinforces #industrialization but ultimately leads to the ongoing participation in capitalism proper, just ‘renamed’ and ‘reformed’ under a ‘transitional’ Socialist Rubric, that leads to their Marxist organization’s propositions for a ‘#decolonized’ authoritarian worker-run state as the best solution. So while we’re collectively dying from the air we can’t breathe, the water we can’t drink, or both priced out of accessibility in the here and now, we are meant to await the building of yet another Socialist Utopia. A utopia belt upon the current dystopia of growing wastelands and climate disasters on every continent. From deadly #nuclear power to lithium and rare Earth mineral #mining, the the privatization of water, the greening of any economy is still a war against #MotherEarth and all existence."

Pages 137-138

#IndigenousAnarchy
#Ecosystem
#DefendTheSacred
#CorporateColonialism #Greenwashing #NoLithiumMining #WaterIsLife