Quote:
Originally Posted by Kre8ive Lady
sjkted, I honestly do not know the best way to get around the issue of “land ownership” being perceived by the owner(s) as being MINE, from their perspective. No matter how you slice it, referring to land ownership, it is still working with the current paradigm.
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I think land ownership is the key issue for all of society not just intentional communities. I always think that there must be some way to completely opt out of the system and live without the need to participate in the money game- but no matter how I slice it, it always comes back to land ownership.
If you think you own your property try not paying your taxes- see what happens. Essentially you are just leasing it.
How does one live if they do not want to contribute to the current system at all? Is there any place on the planet that has land set aside for this purpose?
What about Indian reservations? These places are decimated by poverty, but they are sovereign territories (although the federal government has strings attached). Some reservations might welcome new ideas and just maybe new people.
What if some like minded people went over to the Indian reservations scattered about and said "hey we would like to live with you and build communities within the boundaries of your reservation...
many of us have knowledge of sustainable systems and modern permaculture techniques. We want to live close to the earth. We would like to learn the ways of your people and we would like to share our new knowledge and skills with your youngsters...
some of us are lawyers and we would like to assist you in your efforts to lessen infringement on your territories by the federal government...
some of us are healers and would like to share our love and medicine with your people."
The Hopi and other tribes have been fighting a losing battle against the federal government because of mining interests. Their lands are constantly being chipped away and their traditions and languages undermined by the government. Their children are forced to attend public schools where they are not allowed to sing the songs of their ancestors- robbing them of their own heritage. Casinos have become a new form of gold fever for the newer generations of the tribe... it's all part of the Fed's plan of assimilation.
Is there a way to be adopted by a tribe? I'm totally serious about this.
If thousands of people lived on the Indian reservations it would not be an easy task for the Fed to push these people around. If people flocked to these places in numbers the Fed would not have the man power to deal with it.
I believe that we are at the right moment for this... people are waking up en-masse. Large numbers of people looking for a place to live and to form communities. It just needs some organization and diplomacy with the tribal elders.
These tribes need our help people- and I'm not talking about donating a used computer to their cause. They need us. The effort has to come from outside the system because the government just keeps screwing them. If we do nothing we will lose the only sovereign territories left on the planet and entire cultures will be assimilated into the system- this is already happening but it's not too late. Yet.
look here:
http://www.shundahai.org/bigmtbackground.html
http://cheyennefreedom.wordpress.com
On another note- there is also something called an agricultural land trust. From what I understand you can designate your land for agricultural purposes. Basically you would be giving up private ownership of it but in the trust you can give members the right to live on the land forever. They can even hand it down to family members as long as they are like minded and actually live on the land and contribute to the community. I don't know much about it- has anyone heard of it?