The Coco Canary Monthly Newsletter

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November 2021

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Summary:

Stop Line 3 (Nov Update & Call to Action), Guiding Principles, A National Day of Mourning Reflection, and more!

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Welcome to Coco Canary!

If you’re new here, read this section! Otherwise, skip on down.

Hello from Molly O’Connor, the principal, and founder of Coco Canary Consulting, LLC, a creative evaluation firm.

We are based in St. Paul, MN, and acknowledge that we are on the stolen lands of the Wahpekute Band of Dakota, who are among the Oceti Sakowin, (“Seven Council Fires”). These people were the first stewards of the lands we occupy, and they are still here. We honor their connection to this land and their ongoing resilience in the face of violent colonialism.

You may ask, how do social justice and racial equity relate to evaluation? Well, from our experience, we have seen evaluations designed and reported in ways that harm, undervalue, and take advantage of the communities being served. This is our current status quo, and it is not okay. It has to change. This is why we do our work differently because we want to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Please visit Community Centric Fundraising for more information. It is a new movement that has inspired thousands (including Coco Canary) to do better. For extra credit, visit Consulting With a Racial Equity Lens too.

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A Grounding: Stop Line 3 November Update & Calls to Action

Here is an update from the front lines:

“Hundreds of water protectors are currently facing criminal charges in Minnesota for standing in defense of the water, the climate, and the treaty rights of the Anishinaabeg people. Water protectors put their bodies on the line to stop Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline. Police forces – directly funded by Enbridge – have responded to this movement with surveillance, harassment, physical torture (‘pain compliance’), and trumped-up charges, including felonies. In this time of climate catastrophe, Attorney General Ellison and Governor Walz must listen to water protectors instead of criminalizing and prosecuting them.” 

From the Stop Line 3 November Newsletter.

Calls To Action:

1. Sign this petition: Tell Attorney General Ellison & Gov. Walz: Drop the Charges Against Water Protectors! 
2. Donate to the Stop Line 3 Rapid Response campaign: These donations will offset legal costs for water protectors who were arrested while exercising their First Amendment rights in opposing Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline.
3. Check out the Stop the Money Pipeline website

In love and solidarity,

<3 Molly

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Business Updates

1. Check out Coco Canary’s Guiding Principles. They are Like Values, But Way Cooler!

As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, one of my goals for 2021 was to develop guiding principles. This was accomplished thanks to the wisdom of Inspire to Change’s Nora Murphy and colleagues from the Creative Evaluation & Engagement Fall 2021 Cohort. See below for more information about Guiding Principles, as well as Coco Canary’s process.

What Are Guiding Principles? They are values expanded and defined to be actionable during times of uncertainty and ambiguity. They provide direction (and action) but not a predetermined path. Like a North Star.

What is the Purpose of Guiding Principles? Guiding Principles hold us accountable during times of complexity and emergent change. Instead of a personal Action Plan that needs to be updated when a new obstacle occurs, Guiding Principles are designed to be adaptable, meaningful, and inspirational during times of change. 

Coco Canary’s Guiding Principles: Read below for our Guiding Principles! For a deeper look, check out our Guiding Principles page.

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2. Opportunities for Reflection and Learning About the National Day of Mourning

This holiday season, my goal was to learn more about the indigenous perspective of “Thanksgiving” (known to many indigenous folks as the National Day of Mourning). Here is a summary of my learnings, with links to the resources that I highly recommend you check out!

• Let’s first uplift the Wôpanâak / Wampanoag (“Wom-pa-nog”) people. These people lived and thrived for centuries on the coasts and inlands of what is now called Massachusetts (Cape Cod). For example, through centuries of experimentation and passing down knowledge by elders, they perfected the art of cultivating corn, squash, beans and used fish bones as fertilizer. We often think (or at least focus primarily on) that indigenous history started when the first boats arrived in what is now called North America. That is incorrect. The Wampanoag history began 12 thousand years prior and still continues to this day. You can learn more by visiting the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum.
  In the early 1600s, the Wampanoag had violent and harmful interactions with English traders and other colonizers. During their earlier interactions, several Wampanoag people (specifically from the Patuxet) were captured and sold as slaves. One particular captive was Tisquantum (also known by colonizers as “Squanto”), who returned to his homeland years later to find that nearly all of his people had died from disease. He became a leader of the Wampanoag and was a key figure when the pilgrims arrived in 1620. When they observed the pilgrims barely surviving, they taught them how to plant corn, squash, and beans. The “First Thanksgiving” (called a Harvest Festival back then) happened years after the pilgrims’ arrival. This is because, after a year of using the ecological knowledge bestowed upon them by the Wampanoag, they grew and caught enough food to warrant a Harvest Festival. The pilgrims did not invite the Wampanoag to this feast. The Wampanoag’s attendance was a pure coincidence due to a misunderstanding when they heard gunfire and showed up ready to fight a battle. When they saw a feast, the Wampanoag people brought deer and other food to share. It is important to note that after years of generosity from the Wampanoag people, they were forced off their homelands and required to pay land taxes. To this day, the Wampanoag only have a small percentage of what was their original territory.
• In 1526, There Was A Moment Of Black and Indigenous Co-Resistance and Solidarity. Khury Petersen-Smith shared a story during a Retelling Thanksgiving Event hosted by SURJ & ISN. Below is a transcript of his story from the event. “…What I want to talk about tonight is not about 1621 or 1620. I want to talk about 1526, because 1526 was a year when there was another attempt to introduce a permanent European settlement in this place that we now call North America.  This was an attempt that was led by Spanish colonizers who had already… colonized lands in the Caribbean and were attempting… to set up a permanent settlement [on what] we call Georgia and South Carolina. Brought with them enslaved Africans. And instead of setting up a permanent settlement they actually failed in their endeavor. [They] failed because there was actually a revolt of enslaved Africans and Indigenous people, the people who were the original [inhabitants] of this place they were trying to set up this settlement. This revolt in 1526 ended this project of trying to set up a Spanish settlement in that place and as part of the revolt enslaved Africans…joined the Niguali people. The Spanish left and the Black people, the Africans remained in this place with Indigenous people who became relatives… We don’t know exactly what happened but we do know that they did not build borders walls. We do know they did not enslave people. We do know that they did not invade nations. They found another way of living and I think about 1526 and that history and… I think about the fact that the descendants of that revolt are alive, among us today and I think what does it mean to be the political descendants of that revolt to claim those rebels, those Indigenous and African rebels, as our political ancestors.” Read the full transcript here
• Resources: A Wampanoag retelling of Thanksgiving (Indian County Today. Start watching at 7:38 and end at 18:45).
  An Interview With Russel Means About Native American Land Rights, Thanks-Taking, and the future of Native American Culture (Al Jazeera).
  This tribe helped the Pilgrims survive for their first Thanksgiving. They still regret it 400 years later (Washington Post)
• Other Resources: Lyla June – All Nations Rise (Official Music Video) &
  Rethinking Thanksgiving Toolkit. & Indigenous Allyship, An Overview &
  Before You State a Land Acknowledgement, Mean it.

The last two resources were recommended by Nicky Bowman (Lunaape/Mohican).

Other Business Updates

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Personal Update

A November Photo Collage

November was a good month for Coco Canary. Now is a slower work season for me, which I am grateful for. I was able to spend time with family, friends, and out in nature. Things will be picking up once the new year begins, and I look forward to getting you up to speed with a couple of new projects I will be jumping into. Until then, be well and talk soon.

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Let’s Stay Connected!

To keep up to date with my business news, connect or follow me on Linkedin. Don’t forget to follow our newsletter (and share with others), as well! And, of course, if you know of anyone who may benefit from our services, send them our way. Referrals are what make the world go round.

Much love and in solidarity,

Molly O’Connor (she/her/hers)
CEO – Evaluation Specialist
direct: (612) 868-0364
email: moconnor@cococanary.com
website: cococanary.com

Black Lives Matter
Justice for Breonna Taylor, Eric Gardner, George Floyd, Jamar Clark, Philando Castille, Winston “Boogie” Smith, Daunte Wright Jr., and many more. Know their names.