ONAC KM Resume function at the Central Eastern Oregon Sanctuary
Despite the unfortunate victimization of the Central East sanctuary and members, and the illegal destruction of the Mother Medicine sacrament garden by local law enforcers, ONAC KM moving ahead and resuming function, both with Church business and ceremony, and in the re-establishment of the Sacrament Garden.
This year however, brings a few additional affirmative defense protections for the garden and the patient members whom desperately rely upon the successful harvest of the garden.
Unlike the previous year, when law enforcement officials illegally invaded the sanctuary concerned over whether or not the garden was sanctioned by the state's medicinal program for patients, which it was not nor legally required to be - this year church Sachem (Chief) Joy Maxine 'Hawkeye' Graves along with the Board of ONAC KM and counsel from the elder members and Mother Church, have elected to in fact open up the sanctuary garden specifically to state sanctioned patients within the state of Oregon whom are members of Oklevueha Native American Church.
"This is NOT something that we as a church are required nor can be Forced to do, but rather it is Our way f helping to ensure that our patient members d not suffer anymore because of law enforcement's disrespect toward our church and our choice of medicinal sacrament." Graves said. "We are freely Choosing to do this for the 2015 Sacrament garden grow season, especially at our Grant County sanctuary, but it does not mean it will be a practice in future years nor gardens."
ONAC KM, in addition to opening up the garden to state sanctioned patient members, they are offering them 50% of the plants allowed under their OMMP sanction "Straight from the ground at harvest."
According to the Sachem, all of the member patients will be summonsed out to the sanctuary at the proper time of harvest, and will be presented with a "hat" containing pieces of paper each containing a number totaling the number of patient members whose cards were included in the garden. They will them line up in the order of the number drawn, and one by one will each pick one plant, which will immediately be pulled up from the ground and handed directly to the patient. Once each patient has selected a plant, a second "hat" containing the same amount of numbered papers will be presented to the patients once again, and too, the cycle of plant selection will begin once again as well. This will continue until all patients have selected and received their total share of the garden plants.
From there, the growers will then be gathered together and presented with a "hat" filled with the number of growers to be counted in the shares of the garden, and like with the patient members, they will cycle until they have received the shares of the garden entitled them. Once they have concluded, the plants which are left in the garden will then be claimed by the church for the ONAC KM medicine sacrament. Any and all donations received for the churches share of medicine sacrament will be used toward the expansion of ONAC KM via sanctuary land and additional sacrament garden establishment for future seasons for patient members.
Please Note: All ONAC KM medicine sacrament can ONLY be transferred to registered ONAC members, but can be transferred to ONAC members across the Globe!
