If you have any questions about the process or timeline, feel free to reach out to Rebecca Geary.
Our Indian Brook community this session has been tackling some of these large questions. What makes this place our home? How do campers reconcile their varying histories, identities and homes with this new place? How do we create community in a way that includes and celebrates all people?
In our 75th year as Indian Brook, we’ve been thinking about traditions that have held fast since the beginning. As an example, we ponder the name of our camp and the history that it holds. What associations does “Indian” have for our community today, which has changed from our inception? Is this important for IB, following the lead of some communities and sports teams that are rethinking and renaming themselves to represent them more accurately?.
We are looking at what makes our community special as we hold onto what is dear and take corrective action through a critical lens.We are passionate and proud of our traditions. we have all these pieces — the history and identity – that gives our community identity. Sometimes it might feel uncomfortable to do this reflection. But as we tell all our campers, it is important to examine this discomfort, because that is where the most growth happens.
Our campers across engage with everything here at IB. Whether they are identifying plants or discussing current events, going on long-distance swims or unpacking the nuances of what gender and race mean, cooking food in our cob oven or researching the backgrounds and cultural implications of our song cards, there is always care and attention put towards what ignites them and what makes IB home for them.
They are able to hold onto the warm, connected feeling of lifting our voices all together during singing time, while also engaging in an activity where we have gone through our song card collection, considering which identities are represented in the artists, what the messages of the songs are, and how to add more diversity to our song collection. They are able to enjoy the silliness and energy of our “IB Birthday Chant”, a long-standing tradition, while also considering revising the parts of the song that might be considered “body talk” or not inclusive of trans or non-binary folks. They are able to work happily and hard making ConEggBurts, an eggshell- filled-with-confetti creation that IB brings to Fair. Recently, we discovered their origins; they are called cascarones, and originated in Mexico as a traditional celebration component..
Our campers empower themselves to make this place home. And the thing that makes a home truly beloved is when we are able to look at it closely, tenderly, and see the things that need to grow and change within it. One of those may be our name.
— Megan Chamberlain, director, and IB Staff