Song of the Week

This Year By Emily King

Updates

I went on my first turkey hunting trip this weekend! It was a BIPoC focused trip with twelve other folks to Beaver Valley Creek State Park (2.5 hour drive from Minneapolis) with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Trust for Public Land, and skilled mentors who volunteered their time to coach us. The course was rigorous and rewarding. We learned about turkey habitat, biology, behavior, hunting ethics, and how to shoot a gun once a week for eight weeks in advance of the hunt plus completed a 40 hour hunter safety course on our own time. Our mentors were passionate about ecosystem expansion, preservation, and building community amongst hunters who are often marginalized in the hunting community. Hello heteropatriarchy and white supremacy.

Like most other people who haven’t hunted, I thought hunting a turkey would be far easier than it was. Turkeys behave entirely different when they feel safe versus when it's hunting season in the wild. Makes sense— I behave differently when I am in a safe environment versus one where I am being hunted/surveilled/studied too. Literally and metaphorically it makes a world of difference.

I knew I would enjoy the experience, and it surpassed my expectations. I definitely recommend the program for anyone who is interested in it next year.

I also thought I knew what a wild goose chase was…now I've been on one. It’s not for the faint of heart.

I wanted to learn to hunt turkeys because my family on both my Irish and Japanese sides experienced and hold recent memories of starvation. What that means is that when we see fish, birds, insects, mushrooms, free food offered at the event, we double back. 

My body also wants to have a relationship with the food I enjoy eating.  I've always been that way but haven't had access to the community or collective knowledge that eating meat via hunting requires.

A short aside if you didn't know, turkeys are native to North America. While not found in every state, they are present in 49 of the 50 US states, with the exception of Alaska. The wild turkey's range also includes parts of southern Canada. There are two species of turkey: the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) found in eastern and central North America, and the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) found in the Yucatán Peninsula. 

Back to the hunting weekend. A highlight of the experience was having a conversation with turkeys. Watching my mentor Colleen use the many instruments to “call” a male turkey in was astounding. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a male who is willing to listen, and intrigued enough by your sexy hen calls to check you out. I was tickled by the idea of hundreds of mostly cis straight men in Minnesota pretending to be the most alluring hen in the woods. To succeed at hunting turkeys you really have to get into the seductive hen role because getting a male turkey to come to you is not easy.  

For me, my mentor Colleen built in consent throughout the process. She repeatedly mentioned that if given the opportunity for a clean shot— that it was up to me to decide if I felt comfortable taking the shot. Ultimately I did decide to shoot when I had a clear shot and I felt good about my decision. I was actually the only person in the group of 12 new hunters over the course of three days who successfully was able to call in a turkey for a clean shot. I say that to give you an idea of the perseverance that most, especially new hunters, need to have. Jordan Darley (check out his cool video on his homepage), an incredibly talented videographer, who volunteered his time for the hunt was following me in order to make a short video on the importance of public land conservation. I’ll share the video of the hunt once it’s complete.

The last thing I’ll say about this is that I believe if we all learn to eat off the land, be it hunting, foraging, growing our own food, that it would lead to a much greater preservation of our forest ecosystems.

Resources:

The Hunting Public Youtube Channel has videos of people hunting on public land, you can learn so much from these videos on your own if you don’t have a mentor yet. 

Schedule With Me

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

I offer trauma informed somatic informed therapeutic coaching, craniosacral therapy, Swedish massage, Thai bodywork, myofascial release, group workshops, and healing through art, play, and connecting to nature.

Syria on Screen

Shoutout to my friend Aydin, who is organizing this event. Co-presented by Mizna, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of Syria (CISPOS), and From the Periphery Media Collective, join us for a screening of The War Show (2016) by Obaidah Zytoon and post-screening discussion with Ramah Kudaimi and Mazen Halabi. This event aims to provide space for our local community to learn about and process the recent events in Syria. Donations at the event go to SARD’s project to rebuild university dorms in Aleppo, Syria. When: 6:00–9:00 PM (reception with light refreshments at 6:00 PM; film starts at 6:30 PM; discussion at 8:15 PM) Where: New City Center (Sanctuary), 3104 16th Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55407. Panelists: Ramah Kudaimi and Mazen Halabi

Is this A Date?

For the queer and the quonfused. I’m Too Old for this $hit is an event organized by a friend. Online dating is not for the faint of heart. Travel back in time to the olden days where we smiled, made eye-contact, body-languaged, and pheromoned our way through it!

No Mow May

Bugs allies of the world rise up! Let the baby bugs sleep and grow. We need pollinators for a lot of reasons. The number one reason is because they are so cute. Let them raise their babies in peace and reduce fossil fuels while you’re at it. Unlearn toxic European traditions of maintaining colonial lawns meant to glorify the monarchy! Just chill, rest, get rid of your grass.

Community Events

Thanks for READING! xoxo Eiko