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From: Donna Kuelz [mailto:donna@cgpp.org]
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 3:19 PM
Subject: What we learned from our visit to Oakhill Correctional Institution
Dear Friends:
On September 9th, Tajali and I had the privilege of meeting with 25 inmates at a low security correctional facility near Evansville. Many of these inmates are nearing the end of very long prison terms and are about to be integrated back into society. Tajali is good friends with Jason Garlynd, a fellow Dance Leader and student of Sufism, who teaches horticulture at the facility. He invited us in to meet with his students and we accepted the invitation thinking that this would be an excellent way to continue to grow a culture of peace in Southern Wisconsin. Jason has developed a program where his students sell seedlings to pre-schools and children's groups at discounted prices, enabling kids to plant flowers and have gardens. We think there might be some connections we can build here with the Evansville School District.
It was apparent as soon as we were invited into the room, that Jason has a trusting relationship with his students. We were warmly welcomed into the classroom. I expected more hesitation, perhaps resistance at the sight of two women walking in with art supplies and musical instruments. Instead there was a hesitant curiosity.
Tajali told the group how she started the program, described it, and shared how her work as a family therapist working with difficult life issues inspired her to find ways to reach out to children and give them the skills to find peace and thrive. The men understood this, and they were more than willing to share their wisdom with us. We asked them to identify a list of qualities that they thought children might need to feel peaceful and to grow up as productive citizens and leaders. They developed a list of about 20 characteristics.
Then we asked each individual to identify his top three choices. The top picks were love (#1), leadership skills, courage, responsibilty, and respect.
Then Tajali asked them to get into small groups (which we were told that they don't do) and she asked them to brainstorm how they would teach that quality! Almost everyone participated and each small group shared their list with the whole class. Tajali led them through a heart and breath practice. After this, we watched the video and asked the group for feedback and ideas on what to include in future videos. During the video, the group shared food with us that they had grown in their gardens as a part of the horticultural program.
When the video was complete, Jason led us all outside to the healing medicine circle he had created on the property next to the garden. It was a beautiful space. A large boulder stood in the middle of the circle on a large bed of gravel. The boulder was aligned with the four directions and each face of the boulder was engraved with a word symbolic of a stage of seasonal and personal growth. The circle was surrounded by beautiful landscaping. We all gathered in the circle and shared some of the songs and dances we did with the children. First we taught them "It's a Big Beautiful World" complete with signing. Though I am sure this stretched their comfort zones, the men bravely joined in and sang with us. Tajali shared the power of this song's message and how the children simply love it. "Imagine what it feels like to be a child and to hear someone say to you, You are beautiful." And then she said this to several of the men. "You are beautiful. You are beautiful." I'm grinning at them. They are grinning back. Then we danced to "Emalama." All but two men chose to participate, and those who didn't stayed with us to share the experience. Jason had forewarned us that this would be a difficult group to get to dance, but dance they did. And they smiled. They even held hands. They did the dance moves. Hearts were opening up all around. I found it to be an incredibly sweet and beautiful moment.
After dancing together, we all walked over to the garden and the men showed us their creation. It was one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen...incredibly healthy and well-tended. The men were so honoring. They picked produce for us, carried our instruments, and started to share their stories with us. When we went back to the room afterward, they all applauded us and cheered. Jason made some comment about how they all needed women like us who defied the rules, (rules like "There will be no dancing. We don't dance.") which generated a lot of laughter. Several of the men came up to us to shake our hands and thank us for coming. They asked us to come back. A number of them wanted information so they could donate to the program or ask their church to donate. Some wanted to find ways to volunteer.
This was an incredibly moving day for me. I saw the absolute value of this program in action. The power of witnessing the beauty of another human being...of acknowledging that they belong and have something of great value to contribute. I witnessed how our program reaches into the hearts of all people, no matter their age or their life experience. The transformational power of that heart connection is incredibly inspiring.
With love,
Tajali and Donna
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