(July 25) Miyuki Sese, Street Roots full-time intern this summer recently traveled to a land far, far away. Sese is from Japan and has been in the states nearly one-year and in Portland for nearly three months. Her adventures recently took her to the annual Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming. Her beautiful story is below.
On the afternoon of June 28, I left Portland for Wyoming with my friends to join the 2008 Rainbow Family of the Living Light (Rainbow Gathering). Not everyone might be familiar with the name. Rainbow Gathering is an annual international camping event, held July 1-7, that anyone can join.
I made up my mind to go there without hesitation. I was just curious about it and wanted to get some strange experiences in the U.S. as a Japanese exchange student. Most of my friends were surprised that I went, but the philosophy of the Rainbow Gathering -- liberty, love and peace without violence - attracted me and made me feel I had to grasp the opportunity to learn more about those things.
My short journey started with excitement and a little worry about going to unfamiliar country. The trip was longer than I expected - it took more than 15 hours of driving. One night, we camped at a public parking lot in Idaho. I slept in a sleeping bag at the corner of the small rest stop. I have never slept outside without a tent before, but it did not scare me. In fact, I slept well with the pleasant temperature and a breeze.
The next day, we finally arrived at the Rainbow Gathering after passing by the vast wilderness, ever-expanding magnificent green mountains and herds of sheep, cows and deer. I felt so far from reality. I did not know there were such huge, semi-wild places in the world. The amazing landscape never stopped impressing me.
This year, the Rainbow Gathering took place north of Pinedale, Wyo. There was nothing but woodland as far as I could see. It was so far from modern society and its technology. No TV, no grocery store, no house. What was the most surprising for me was that there was not even a restroom! How did I address it? I made it myself by digging a hole in the ground. This was the wildest experience ever for me. Fortunately, there were kitchens made of wood and medical volunteers on hand.
People at the Rainbow Gathering thought about others as family. That was a main concept there. "Welcome home" was our password. Even if people met one another for the first time, they always said those words to each other. It felt strange to hear that at first, but gradually I came to understand why they said it. People cooked, shared food, sang, played, danced, drummed, sat around campfires and talked together all day long. They did not care about who they were, and anyone could be one of the Rainbow family. It's a big family consisting of people from all over the world.
The Rainbow Gathering gradually expanded with many newcomers every day. I met so many unique, attractive and kind people. I was surprised to see one group from Massachusetts that drove for 10 days to get to Wyoming. I also met an exchange student from Zambia. I asked her how she felt at this dynamic camp. "I enjoyed it!" she said. I bet she must have had an experience that she never had in her mother country, just like me. When I met her, she was supposed to leave for Zambia. We exchanged addresses and e-mails with the promise to see each other again someday.
At the beginning of the Rainbow Gathering, I was uncomfortable around strangers, but I gradually opened up as I got to know them. I realized that it was important for me to talk with people without prejudice to really know who people are. I think that it is always necessary in our society.
The Rainbow Gathering was divided into three meadows, and after a long walk through gorgeous nature, we finally reached the main meadow, where the big events were going on. On the hill, people were trading foods, jewelry, hand-made products and foreign items. Then, more than 1,000 people formed a big circle to share dinner in the huge meadow. Cautiously, I joined in and held hands with the people next to me with closed eyes, meditating to give thanks for the dinner and pray for peace. It was something I'd never seen before. I felt the spiritual atmosphere at that time.
Our life at the Rainbow Gathering was like a survival game. The most important thing was having water to drink in the hot temperatures. If we had the opportunity to visit the town, we could get supplies, but eventually, we used up our water. Fortunately, one family who had a water purifier gave us fresh water. I helped them pump water from a stream and carry it.
Everything that I always had taken for granted in my life could not be gotten easily at the gathering. Even water - which came so easily with the turn of the tap at home - was not easy to get there. I could not live without depending on natural blessings. I needed the support from people as well. I did not have everything I needed, but my friends had something I needed. They gave me essential supplies, such as food, hygiene products and a place to stay as a friend.
I also had something my friends needed. One day, I happened to meet one woman who had many scratches on her foot, so I gave her some Band-Aids. Even if it was little treatment, I hoped it was as helpful for her as the many things that my friends gave me. We needed to help each other, because every person had both strengths and weaknesses.
Non-violence was one of the concepts at the Rainbow Gathering, and people tried to keep the peace during this event. However, sadly, a lot of crackdowns by federal and local police took place all day and night. Many times I heard police car sirens scream to catch cars, and I saw them remove the riders to search the car for something. The scene was not normal for me. My friend Jill Severson, who has been volunteering at the Northwest Constitutional Rights Center, also received a ticket from a United States Forest Service officer for having a brake light out on the friend's car she was driving. I was riding with her. The police used a drug-sniffing dog on the outside of our car.
Jill went to the United States District Court in the small town of Farson, a drive of more than 50 miles from the Rainbow Gathering, to see how people were treated by the court system.
"What I saw there saddened me, because most people made plea agreements with the federal prosecutors, thereby giving up many of their constitutional rights," she said. "As a result, for next year, I want to encourage people to come to the Rainbow Gathering using their constitutionally protected rights."
During the evening of July 3, one friend saw at least 13 U.S. Forest Service vehicles, with their sirens blaring and lights on, speeding down the road. Later, we heard word that there had been an incident where "pepperball guns" had been used at the gathering's "Kiddie Village," where parents stay with their children. Although I was not able to speak firsthand with anyone who was there, you can view several videos of the incident at YouTube.
My memory at Rainbow Gathering still remains in my heart after coming back to Portland on July 8. I feel what I saw and learned at the event are related to homeless issues that I have been involved in recently. I have heard that a lot of backpackers including homeless people go to Rainbow because they can get free food during the camping. I read the local newspaper in Wyoming called the "Sublette Examiner". The paper quoted one Rainbow member who said that in 2008 there were 2,000 people, many homeless, who had arrived early, when 3 years before at the same time there were only 75. At the Rainbow Gathering, I actually saw some homeless people who were involved in the city hall protest in Portland.
Homeless people need to be helped by their family, friends and others in our society as I was given much help at the Rainbow Gathering when I was in trouble that I would never solve by myself without their support. Homeless need to eat foods to survive as I did at the Rainbow Gathering. Homeless need a place to stay safely to protect them, as I sought. Homeless need affection not to be lonely, as I did. They need vital support to build their new life again from their starting line with nothing. Through this remarkable event, I realized that no one can live alone. Love, happiness and peace are not objects, but we can make and feel them in our heart.
One of my traveling friends, Paul McAdams who has been working at KBOO radio station says, "Money never makes happiness." So, what makes happiness? It's your love for others. "Welcome home." When our society becomes the place where people think others as family, our society will be filled with more happiness.
Posted by Israel Bayer