SHARING ONE SKIN

Jeannette Armstrong
As a child of ten, I once sat on a hillside on the reservation with my father and his mother as they looked
down into the town on the valley floor. It was blackcap berry season and the sun was very warm, but there in
the high country a cool breeze moved through the overshading pines. Bluebirds and wild canaries darted
and chirped in nearby bushes, while a meadow-lark sang for rain from the hillside above. Sage and wild
roses sent their messages out to the humming bees and pale yellow butterflies.
Down in the valley, the heat waves danced, and dry dust rose in clouds from the dirt roads near town. Shafts
of searing glitter reflected off hundreds of windows, while smoke and grayish haze hung over the town itself.
The angry sounds of cars honking in a slow crawl along the black highway and the grind of large machinery
from the sawmill next to the town rose in a steady buzzing overtone to the quiet of our hillside.
Looking down to the valley, my grandmother said (translated from Okanagan), The people down there are
dangerous; they are all insane. My father agreed, commenting, Its because they are wild and scatter
anywhere. I would like to explain what they meant when they said this. I do not speak for the Okanagan
people, but my knowledge comes from my Okanagan heritage.
- Creating communities of heart The discord that we see around us, to my view from inside my Okanagan community, is at a level that is not
endurable. A suicidal coldness is seeping into all levels of interaction; there is a dispassion of energy that
has become a way of life in illness and other forms of human pain. I am not implying that we no longer suffer
for each other as humans but rather that such suffering is felt deeply and continuously and cannot be
withstood, so feeling must be shut off. I think of the Okanagan word used by my father to describe this
condition, and I understand it better. Translation is difficult, but an interpretation in English might be people
without hearts people who have lost the capacity to experience the deep generational bond to other
humans and to their surroundings. It refers to collective disharmony and alienation from land. It refers to
those whose emotion is narrowly focused on their individual sense of well-being without regard to the wellbeing of others in the collective.
The results of this dispassion are now being displayed as large nation-states continuously reconfigure
economic boundaries into a world economic disorder to cater to big business. This is causing a tidal flow of
refugees from environmental and social disasters, compounded by disease and famine as people are
displaced in the rapidly expanding worldwide chaos. War itself becomes continuous as dispossession,
privatization of lands, exploitation of resources and a cheap labor force become the mission of
peacekeeping. The goal of finding new markets is the justification for the Westernization of undeveloped
cultures.
Indigenous people, not long removed from our co-operative, self-sustaining lifestyles on our lands, do not
survive well in this atmosphere of aggression and dispassion. I know that we experience it as a destructive
force, because I personally experience it so. Without being whole in our community, on our land, with the
protection it has as a reservation, I could not survive. In knowing that, I know the depth of the despair and
hopelessness of those who are not whole in a community or still on their own land. I know the depth of the
void. I fear for us all, as the indigenous peoples remaining connected to the land begin to succumb or
surrender. I fear this as the greatest fear for all humanity. I fear this because I know that without my land and
my people I am not alive. I am simply flesh waiting to die.
Could it be that all people experience some form of this today? If this is so, it seems to me that it is in the
matter of the heart where we must reconstruct. Perhaps it is most important to create communities with
those who have the insight to fear, because they share strong convictions. Perhaps together they might
create working models for re-establishing what is human. Yet fear is not enough to bind together community,
and I cannot help but be filled with pessimism, for I continue to see the breakdown of emotional ties between
people.
I see the thrust of technology into our daily lives, and I see the ways we subvert emotional ties to people by
the use of communications that serve to depersonalize. I see how television, radio, telephone and now
computer networks create ways to promote depersonalized communication. We can sit in our living rooms
and be entertained by extreme violence and destruction and be detached from the suffering of the people.
We can call on the phone or send e-mail to someone we may never speak to in person.

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Through technology there is a constant deluge of people who surround us but with whom we have no real
physical or personal link, so we feel nothing toward them. We can end up walking over a person starving or
dying on the street and feeling nothing, except perhaps curiosity. We can see land being destroyed and
polluted and not worry as long as its not on our doorstep. But when someone is linked to us personally, we
make decisions differently. We try harder to assist because we care about them.
In a healthy whole community, the people interact with each other in shared emotional response. They move
together emotionally to respond to crisis or celebration. They commune in the everyday act of living. Being
a part of such a communing is to be fully alive, fully human. To be without community in this way is to be
alive only in the flesh, to be alone, to be lost to being human. It is then possible to violate and destroy others
and their property without remorse.
- The protectors of Earth With these things in mind, I see how a market economy subverts community to where whole cities are made
up of total strangers on the move from one job to another. This is unimaginable to us. How can a person be
a human while continuously living in isolation, fear and adversity? How can people 20 yards away from each
other be total strangers? I do see that having to move continuously just to live is painful and that close
emotional ties are best avoided in such an economy. I do not see how one remains human, for community to
me is feeling the warm security of familiar people like a blanket wrapped around you, keeping out the frost.
The Okanagan word we have for extended family is translated as sharing one skin. The concept refers to
blood ties within community and the instinct to protect our individual selves extended to all who share the
same skin. I know how powerful the solidarity is of peoples bound together by land, blood and love. This is
the largest threat to those interests wanting to secure control of lands and resources that have been passed
on in a healthy condition from generation to generation of families.
Land bonding is not possible in the kind of economy surrounding us, because land must be seen as real
estate to be used and parted with if necessary. I see the separation is accelerated by the concept that
wilderness needs to be tamed by development and that this is used to justify displacement of peoples and
unwanted species. I know what it feels like to be an endangered species on my land, to see the land dying
with us. It is my body that is being torn, deforested and poisoned by development. Every fish, plant, insect,
bird and animal that disappears is part of me dying. I know all their names and I touch them with my spirit. I
feel it every day, as my grandmother and my father did.
I do know that people must come to community on the land. The transience of peoples criss-crossing the
land must halt, and people must commune together on the land to protect it and all our future generations.
Self-sustaining indigenous peoples still on the land are already doing this and are the only ones now
standing between society and total self-destruction. They present an opportunity to relearn and reinstitute
the rights we all have as humans. Indigenous rights must be protected, for we are the protectors of Earth.
I know that being Okanagan helps me have the capacity to bond with everything and every person I
encounter. I do not stand silently by. I stand with you against the disorder.

-----Jeanette Armstrong is a member of the traditional council of the Penticton Indian Band in British Columbia,
Canada, and is director of the Enowkin Centre, a school teaching traditional Okanagan philosophy and
practice: http://www.enowkincentre.ca

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Characteristics of a True Community

1. Everyone is included In a true community, people are not excluded because of
their race, nationality, gender, age or beliefs.
2. Commitment to the people and to the work In a true community, people stick
with each other even when the going gets tough. When there are personal
differences or setbacks in the communitys plans and activities, people are
determined to work things out and to support each other.
3. Reaches decisions through consensus A true community doesnt work on the
principle that the majority wins. People keep working to understand each other
better, until they reach consensus; that is, until they can all agree on the course of
action that they will support to the best of their ability.
4. Transcends individual differences In community, instead of being ignored,
denied, hidden, or changed, human differences are celebrated as gifts. Learning
how to do this takes time and commitment.
5. Realistic about its strengths and weaknesses A community can make more
realistic plans if everyones point of view in considered. A true community is also
realistic because it keeps evaluating its own condition and is willing to keep trying
to improve.
6. A safe place for people to be themselves In a true community people will
feel safe to grow and develop as individuals and to be loving and supportive to each
other. No one is trying to fix someone else; each person is working on their own
development.
7. A circle has no sides Leadership flows from person to person. No one is
always the boss. Everyone is sometimes the leader and is respected for his or her
contribution. Everyone is also sometimes a learner who can gain knowledge and
skills from someone else in the group.
8. A spirit of peace and love True community has the spirit of unity and
fellowship. People feel good about being there.
Source: M. Scott Peck. (1987) The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace.
New York: Simon & Shuster.
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What is Community?
Some Definitions
Community
The concept of community is hard to define it can be approached as a value, a
descriptive category or a set of variables. Here are some common ways to approach
a definition of community:
Place: Territorial or place community can be seen as where people have
something in common, and this shared element is understood geographically.
Another way of naming this is as locality.
Interest: In interest or elective communities people share a common
characteristic other than place. They are linked together by factors such as
religious belief, sexual orientation, occupation or ethnic origin.
Communion: In its weakest form we can approach this as a sense of
attachment to place, group or idea (in other words, whether there is a spirit of
community). In its strongest form communion entails a profound meeting or
encounter not just with other people, but also with God and creation.
(www.infed.org/community/community.htm)
Sustainable Community
A sustainable community would be resilient, self-reliant, creative, and resourceful.
A sustainable community understands that there are limits in a finite world and
lives within its economic, social, and ecological means. A sustainable community
fosters stewardship of the natural environment and ethical behaviour, and takes
seriously its rights and responsibilities. In a globalizing world, all human
communities are becoming more and more interconnected. A sustainable community
seeks to achieve balance and fairness in its relations with all other communities,
wherever they may be. (Dover Report Sustainable Calgary)
Sense of Community
Sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that
members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that
members' needs will be met through their commitment to be together. (City of
Calgary)
Community Engagement
Community engagement is people working collaboratively, through inspired action
and learning, to create and realize bold visions for their common future.
(Tamarack)
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Sense of Community Research

University of Calgary
On behalf of the University of Calgary, the OSE conducted an online survey of U
of C students asking them to comment on their involvement with their
communities. Here are a few findings:

58% agreed or strongly agreed that feeling a sense of community with the U of C was
important to them
Higher levels of sense of community were related to higher levels of faculty/student
interactions, higher levels of participation in U of C events, higher levels of involvement in
extra-curricular activities and higher GPAs
International students reported a higher level of sense of community than did students with
home addresses in Canada

See the OSE website: www.ucalgary.ca/ose/files/ose/SenseOfCommunitySurvey_Highlights.pdf

City of Calgary
The City of Calgary, together with four community partners explored the sense of community
experienced by Calgarians with an on-line survey. Their definition of sense of community was
a feeling that members have belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to
the group, and a shared faith that members needs will be met through their commitment to be
together. Here are some preliminary results:

67% of respondents had an average sense of community score

When asked who made up their community, 36% said the people in
their community district and 21% identified their immediate
neighbours

See the City of Calgary website: www.calgary.ca

Canada
Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey showed a link
between community belonging and self-perceived health: People who
are socially isolated and have few ties to other individuals are more likely
to suffer from poor physical and mental health and are more likely to die
prematurely. Here are some of the survey results from early 2005:

64% of Canadians reported a strong sense of community this rate has risen since 2001
Approximately three quarters of the residents of the Atlantic provinces reported a strong
sense of belonging, with Newfoundlanders having the highest rate in the country at 79%
Health regions comprised of major urban centres tended to have the lowest rates of
community belonging whereas predominantly rural health regions had higher rates of
belonging
People with low household income were less likely to report a strong sense of community
belonging

See Statistic Canada: http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-621-XIE/82-621-XIE2005001.htm

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A Community Leadership Action Plan:

Building a Community Organization
It is always like this. Real change begins with the simple act of people talking about what they care aboutIt only
takes two or three friends to notice that theyre concerned about the same thing and then the world begins to
change. Their first conversation spreads. Friends talk to friends. Because friends care about each other, they pay
attention to what is being said. Then they talk to others, and it grows and grows.
~ Margaret J. Wheatley

These basic steps can be used to start a new community organization or to strengthen
one that already exists.
1. An idea: Something in your community isnt working. A situation in the world
confronts you and you have to do something about it. But you cant do it alone!
2. Vision: Develop a vision of how you would like your community to be.
3. Motivation tell your story: Understand why this action is important. What about
you motivates you to take on this work?
4. Listen to others: your idea will develop by talking to others. Do others share your
perspective on the problem? Are they also concerned? Will they help?
5. Write it down: write down a description of the problem and what you propose to do
about it. A written version can be broadcast widely and adds legitimacy to your idea.
6. Get a sponsoring committee: get the written support and commitment of others.
7. Bring together a core group: you will need to find a group of people who share your
vision and will do the work to get the organization off the ground.
8. Draft a mission, identify goals and objectives: as a team, clearly identify your
priorities and what you hope to accomplish
9. Develop a structure: build your organization with a strong foundation and framework
so that it stands over time.
10. Build power: what will it take to accomplish your mission? Power requires that you
mobilize resources: recruit people, develop leaders, gather information and raise
money.
11. Strategy: it helps to understand your overall path you are following and the
assumptions behind it.
12. Action, evaluation, reflection: keep learning!
Source: Jacoby Brown, M. (2006) Building Powerful Community Organizations. Arlington, MA: Long Haul
Press.

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Community Leadership Resources

Books
Jacoby Brown, M. (2006) Building Powerful Community Organizations. Arlington,
MA: Long Haul Press.
MGonigle, M. & Starke, J. (2006) Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the
University. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.
Wheatley, M. (2002) Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore
Hope to the Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Online Resources/Organizations
U of C Office of Sustainability - www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability
Sustainable Calgary - www.sustainablecalgary.ca
Vibrant Communities Calgary - www.vibrantcalgary.com
Arusha Centre www.arusha.org
City of Calgary www.calgary.ca

Interested in Volunteering?
If you are not sure how to get involved in your community, here are some ideas and
resources for you to consider:
Off-campus opportunities:
SU Volunteer Centre www.su.ucalgary.ca/services/studentservices/volunteerservices.html
Volunteer Calgary www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca
On-campus opportunities:
Office of the Student Experience website www.ucalgary.ca/ose
Chaplains Centre www.ucalgary.ca/chaplain
Native Centre www.ucalgary.ca/nativecr
Womens Resource Centre www.ucalgary.ca/women
Graduate Students Association www.ucalgary.ca/GSA/services/volunteercorps
Career Services www.ucalgary.ca/careers
Centre for International Students & Study Abroad www.ucalgary.ca/cissa
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What The Data Tell Us

Nearly 8 million Canadians, or about one-quarter of Canadas adults, volunteer each year and contribute
more than a billion person hours to community life.

Volunteering rates have remained relatively constant over the last twenty years, but the number of hours
being offered is dropping among the greatest majority of those who volunteer.

There are early signs that volunteering rates may be moving into decline.
When about one million volunteers quit between 1997 and 2000, the total number of volunteer hours didnt
decline. A small number of typically older volunteers made up the difference by working longer and harder. But how
long can they sustain that level of involvement?

At present, 67% of all volunteering is done by only 5% of Canadian adults. A huge amount of work rests on
the shoulders of a very few. Those very few are typically aged and nearing their end of active volunteer involvement.
Its a precarious and fragile workforce responsible for the community life we both enjoy and expect.

There are signs that volunteering could decline by as much as 1 to -2% per year. Over a decade that could
represent a serious loss of precious resources. And it will occur just as the largest age cohort of our population
reaches an age when they will begin shifting from providing volunteer effort to consuming ever greater social, health
and community services.

Historically, people have started to move away from volunteering at about age 55, and the drop in
participation rate increases sharply as people reach their mid- to late-60's. If baby boomers, who have been
volunteering so much over the last three decades, follow those patterns the loss of volunteers in this country will be
great, and so will the consequences.

It is expected that baby boomers will not undertake the routine maintenance and administrative roles that
now-older volunteers are filling for us. Many nonprofit organizations arts, social, health, and faith charities for
example will lose their leaders and sustainers. The people who have been sustaining the local chapters, organizing
the fundraisers, and leading organizations will be gone.

Evidence of decline is already visible. Organizations in small and rural communities where populations are
disproportionately older report trouble finding enough volunteers to keep their doors open. Many service clubs and
civic organizations are in significant decline. Some have already closed their doors. Boards across the country are
having more trouble recruiting new members, particularly new younger members. Like canaries in mines, we believe
these are harbingers of a seriously damaging pattern beginning to sweep over this country.

Signs of a more generalized decline in caring are evident. Canadians are connecting less with others,
reaching out less often to help others. When they do volunteer, they often engage in the creation of amenities and
services that tend to benefit themselves rather than others. What does that mean? It may well suggest that our
civility and our community mindedness are eroding.

Source: www.canadawhocares.ca

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