At Wild Grief we try to hold life in all its complexity, and Thanksgiving is a holiday that is rich with complexity. For some, gathering together with family on Thanksgiving may be a tradition we grew up with. The focus on gratitude, family, and togetherness may bring warm feelings of love and gratitude. For those of us who have lost a loved one, Thanksgiving may be a time of grieving as we feel our losses more acutely, and are forced to adapt and make new traditions without our loved ones present. This year, as the pandemic makes it unsafe to gather in groups, even those who haven’t lost a loved one may experience sadness, grief and isolation. And, on a cultural level, for many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is always a day of mourning, as it serves as a reminder of colonization’s devastating impact on Indigenous Peoples. 

We invite you to consider how you might honor your own emotions, traditions, and needs at this time, as well as extending that care and compassion outward.

Notice what emotions are arising for you, without judgement.

What can you do to support and nourish yourself during this time?

What can you do to nourish and support loved ones in your life, especially those who are actively grieving?

What can you do to raise awareness, acknowledge, and help heal the traumatic history of colonization here in the U.S.?

Here are some resources to help grow our thoughtfulness and awareness around this holiday.

Missing a Loved One on Thanksgiving, Ways to Remember Them and Cope with Grief

You Don’t Have to Fake it Through Thanksgiving

16 Ideas for Creating a New Holiday Tradition After a Death

What does Thanksgiving mean to Native Americans?

Healing from Colonization on Thanksgiving and Beyond

Nature is always there as a source of support. It can be as simple as taking a minute to look out your window to notice the sky or the trees, or stepping outside and feeling the fresh air fill your lungs.

Or, to dive a little deeper, try out one of our guided Grief Walks.

Wild Grief was born and lives to support people in their loss and mourning. Through the events of the last weeks, we are once again witnessing the grief and pain experienced by communities of color, especially Black and Indigenous communities, both historically and today. We join in mourning the recent deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and the many whose names we do not know.

This is not only about speaking up right now; the work to change the harms of systemic racism is in many actions over time, at the personal and organizational levels. There is much to be done, to support folks healing from this deep trauma, as well as to change the roots of these traumas. We believe that the work of grieving and feeling the pain of grief- our own and others’- is one small piece in the big puzzle of healing.

We are dedicated, compassionate, grief-knowledgeable and predominantly white. We know that it will take ongoing learning and reflection, as well as changes in our policies and practices to ensure that our organization is welcoming, inclusive and reflective of our community at all levels- leadership, program delivery, and participants. Wild Grief is committed to this work for the long term. 

We believe and are committed to the power of nature in healing. Connecting with nature through hiking and backpacking is not always accessible or safe for People of Color, especially Black folks. We are learning about the many individuals and organizations that are working to change this and we have deep gratitude for their work. We encourage you in particular to support the work of the following groups through learning and sharing about their work and supporting them financially if you are able.

Wild Diversity is an organization in Portland dedicated to creating a sense of belonging in the outdoors for the BIPOC* and LGBTQ+ communities through hosting outdoor adventures, providing outdoor education, and facilitating community workshops. (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)

Outdoor Afro is a national network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature, and has chapters across the country including Seattle and Portland. 

Diversify Outdoors is a coalition of social media influencers who share the goal of promoting diversity in outdoor spaces where people of color, LGBTQ+ and other diverse identities have historically been underrepresented. Through their website, you can learn about people doing this work in myriad ways across the country. 

We are dedicated to doing our part in making accessing the outdoors more inclusive and safe for all people. You may be able to help us further this work; we are open to hearing from you. It takes many minds, many hearts and many hands to make these changes and to heal.

The first step is learning from what we don’t know. We invite you to join us in this learning journey. We are sharing some resources below that we are exploring and found helpful. 

Outdoors & Racial Justice

Bad Things Happen in the Woods: The Anxiety of Hiking While Black

The Melanin Base Camp Guide to Outdoor Allyship

Grief & Racial Justice

The Unbearable Grief of Black Mothers

Grief Out Loud Podcast, Suffocated Grief & Supporting Black Youth
 

Thank you for joining us on this journey of learning and listening with an open heart.