Meet BCC Minneapolis

Sweetgrass Circle

“Together, this is how the world changes.
We have braided a Sweetgrass community,
awakening for each other the knowing that we are not alone.
The strength of that community has the power to activate change,
and our collective rhizomes are spreading.”

- Robin Wall Kimmerer

         Our Sweetgrass Circle is a Beloved Community Circle comprised of eight members who meet in-person monthly. Our members are in the northeast Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We are not a demographically diverse group with six women and two men, all European descent and in the 45-80 age group. We are members of the Still Water Sangha and have been practicing together in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh for more than six years.
        We formed our BCC in June 2022. In addition to belonging to the same Sangha, we had participated in engaged actions for environmental and social justice together in the past. These actions were organized by the Midwest Earth Holder Community or other local organizations, and we didn’t participate as a group. The BCC was formed with the aim of having a structure to care for each other, practice mindfulness together (outside of Sangha meetings), and to take actions for environmental and social justice together. Each meeting starts with meditation, personal sharing with the group, and then discussion of ideas/opportunities for engaged actions in our local community or in the broader community or state. We meet at the home of different circle members and are moving toward a shared leadership.
        We have participated in various actions over the last two years. We have had a focus on climateaction and indigenous rights which aligns well with a Rise and Repair platform developed by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light (MNIPL). We participated in a rally at the State Capitol in St. Paul during the Minnesota legislative session the last two years. Both years the rally was organized by MNIPL. We have also talked to our state legislators individually about proposed legislation. There has been growing interest by our members to address homelessness in our area and in the state and to support an Equal Rights Amendment to our state constitution. There have been some actions at the State Capitol on these issues as well. All of these actions have been very energizing for our circle.

Contact: Keith Miller keith.miller3 [at] comcast [dot] net