Song of the Week

Listen to this song as you read to help open you up.

Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We'll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home, they killed and roamed
In the winter of '26
We'll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Updates!

Brick. By. Brick. Fascism has to be built, brick by brick. Our goal is to not let them build that. We do this by preventing them from reaching long-term goals by preventing them from reaching their short-term goals. We do this by never standing idly by when we witness dehumanization and their attempts to spread hopelessness. Last Saturday 50,000+ people marched in -20 degrees F. As Adam Wahlberg said, “for two hours Minneapolis was the warmest place on earth.”

We need to continue to fight for the commons (not the downtown park in Minneapolis, but as a practice and as a process), for the right to take up space in public, and for our neighbors. I recently came across an article that discussed how Minneapolis is practicing neighborism, which is that people all over Minnesota are practicing the act of standing up for their neighbors, regardless of who they are, or their legal status. If they are taking our neighbors away, we have a problem with that. My invitation to you this week is to pay attention to what is working, and share it with others through art, or communicating with others.

Here’s what I have seen work. Clarity + Unity. Two weeks ago I was tear gassed by ICE and here’s why. They tear gassed us because they wanted to give us the last middle finger, have the last angry word. You know, it’s what people who don’t know how to fight-well, it’s how they feel big and powerful at the end of a conversation. It’s what they do instead of taking accountability, which is what people who have the skills and abilities to repair do. What happened was that at least one of our neighbors was abducted a few blocks from my house. By the time I arrived, there were at least 30 other rapid responders on site. At first we were disorganized, groups of 2-5 people having different conversations with ICE, about half the people were filming, and the other half were just feeling upset.

Then, a woman came up to me and said, “did we get the name of the person who was abducted?” My stomach dropped. No. We didn’t even know that. Her question snapped me out of my freeze. What’s my new role now? So I started narrating my video with objective details, how many ICE agents were there, their weapons. I started thinking clearly. That’s when I noticed us get organized.

A BULLHORN. A woman with a bullhorn started a chant that unified the separate islands of folks making a thousand different moral appeals to the ICE agents. She chanted, “ICE OUT NOW. ICE OUT NOW.” A man next to me stopped trying to convince an agent to get another job. Another woman next to me stopped trying to convince an ICE agent that he was out of line. All those side conversations (which weren’t working very well) stopped. It felt like a magnet, people grouped back together and started chanting in unison. It felt powerful, because it was. ICE agents started looking uncomfortable, they felt it too. This is when they started whispering to each other. It was time to leave.

No one was blocking their way, they just pace back and forth making it appear that they are blocked in, they weren’t. Within three minutes of chanting, all ICE agents were back in their cars. It was as they stepped into their cars, as a toxic goodbye— that they casually threw and dropped their smoke bombs and tear gas into the crowd of rapid responders. This is what I learned two weeks ago, I hope you all document and share what you see working too.

On when you feel afraid. Ground into something that gives you so much clarity, your fear pales in comparison. Personally, every time I go out to be a observer/rapid responder, if I feel afraid, I think about my Japanese relatives and community, who desperately needed their neighbors to stand up against the internment camps they were sent to. Then the answer seems simple to me, do what I wish others had done for us, is how I repair my own trauma history and this country’s trauma history. This is how we make things right. Get out there and use the privileges I have, we have, while I have, we have them. This needs saying because there is so much self-shaming that happens. Not everyone needs to be a rapid responder; there are so many ways to show up and help right now. Donating for folks to receive bodywork, donating to fundraisers for rent, packing food, making playlists for us, supporting folks who are rapid responders, offering first-aid, boycotting, standing watch outside of schools, talking to people on the fence about ICE, supporting people who are on the ground, organizing fundraisers, and so much more.

Finally, a note on receiving bodywork and therapy as a way to help inoculate yourself and beloveds against PTSD. Obviously not all PTSD can be prevented, but a lot of it certainly can be. Now is the best time to reduce the amount of stress on your nervous system. Later we can help you nervous system, healing is always possible, but the best time is close to when the acute stress and trauma has occurred in order to prevent PTSD, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness, from getting worse, or settling in for the long-haul. Please see information below about the Peoples Fund to receive pay what you can services from me and others. Please book with myself or others who can help you release shock from your nervous system. We need, and want you here, because we love you.

Schedule With Me! Taking Referrals!

OTR/L, BA, MHP, LMT,
she/they) Integrative Therapies

I offer individuals and couples trauma informed somatic therapy/coaching, craniosacral therapy, Swedish massage, Thai bodywork, myofascial release, group workshops, and healing through art, play, and connecting to nature. Free 15 minute consultations can be booked on my website if you’re intrigued or have questions.

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xoxo Eiko