A Mini History of Southern Humboldt Community Culture. Part 1 of 6 - The Old Days.

written by Aiyana Floreterna Gregori @humboldt synchronicitrees

My name is Aiyana Floreterna Gregori My upbringing grew rooted, living off the land and preserving the ancient California Wilderness Exploring beneath the scented branches, I heard the wisdom of the ancients I'm able to communicate with trees and sing their healing songs Crafting music, poetry, and stories is what I thrive on This back to the land community and the culture we have built in one of my true loves

For many years, I have dreamed of telling our story I wanted to share the vibrance of living in a community closer to the land I grew up admiring this small group of people changing the world daily The mother ganja plant to fulfill our basic needs, giving us the time to create a new culture This tale must reach people’s ears

Recent legalization endangers us Big money interests slanted the law in their favor from the beginning by eliminating the acre cap to allow license stacking This gave a green light for market flooding and price dropping to eliminate craft growers Industrial technology cannot replace culture and quality of craft ganja Regenerative craft cannabis ensures rich genetic diversity and preserves the hundreds of strains where big cannabis does not We have seen a significant drop in quality since legalization began The highest quality herb often does not make it to the dispensaries due to the preference for “well marketed products” appearance

The Human capacity to build a harmonious equalitarian way of life astounds me We can think creatively and collaborate through coop-federations, horizontal integration, and farmer/ worker-owned businesses We can establish a new economy beyond anything we know By sharing experiences, we give additional stability to our legacy. We can access resources beyond cannabis to create a sustainable economy ‘Beyond the Goddess’ Quarterly’s goal is to share stories & experiences We strive to connect people & inspire transformation in and beyond the Emerald Triangle

I feel boundless passion for writing, playing music and supporting my Back to the Land community. After 20 years of cultivation as a second generation legacy farmer, I have decided to fallow my farm I want to make a larger contribution to this movement than I’m able to as another struggling cannabis farmer I’m enthralled to tell the inside story of the farms that remain In this rich and diverse community, it is essential to tie the old challenges and successes with future projects We must make connections to inspire positive action, resulting in building a new future together. Northern California and far beyond is full of heart-driven community building people, projects, and nonprofit-organizations Each is doing their part I yearn to unify people’s talents from “the mountains to the city” to achieve this goal. A society where everyone matters is paramount We don’t need anyone ’ s permission to change the world

We Are The World.

The Old Days. Back to the Landers vs Helicopters and the Government

As a child, they fascinated me with stories of Flower Children journeying to California from all corners of the United States. During and after “Summer of Love” many filtered slowly upstate looking for land to grow food Dreams of a life close to the land, where they raise free joyous children and educate them differently, flourished They were looking to build community, get close to nature. This challenged family, societal, and government norms. The Back to the Landers did not chase riches to Humboldt County Early in the 1970s, they hadn’t discovered its value People grew a few plants for personal use Soon it became a source of income to build homes in the wild and start the amazing non profits standing today

People arrived with precious few resources, doubtful they could survive winter They moved onto the land, camping in Teepees, tiny home-made cabins, or plastic domes They foraged for wild herbs, grew gardens, and hunted for venison and other wild animals. The raw land had no running water, road access, nor fences to keep out the deer. Presently, many old homesteads have foot access, or hand built footbridges across the creek

Little by little, people built their homes, constructed deer fences, installed water tanks, and planted gardens, learning the ways of the land Many hitchhiked to town, walking much of the long dirt road laden with supplies It was a beautiful and simple, but hard life

At first, people grew a few personal use plants in the open Once they realized its value, they could sustain themselves while they began dozens of non profits to benefit the community Community centers, music festivals, health centers, and schools were born. They started river restoration groups, environmental protection outfits. A nonviolence training cooperative & a civil rights protections nonprofit sprang forth to back many other projects They even build one of three people's powered radios in the country Many are in operation today as the heart of our community and culture. Soon after they sold the sacred herb, the CAMP raids began (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) People hid their plants in the shade, allowing barely enough light to insure growth Others wove plants expertly between abundant flower & veggie gardens to avoid being busted They centered community life around the land, not around pot money The motto was “keep it small” to protect your own crop and avoid getting your neighbors busted. Harvested pounds were scarce and hard earned, much less abundant than after prop 215 passed Ganja provided a meager source of income and financed creation of a better world They could build their dreams of a peaceful, loving community and fight for what they believed in.

Humboldt County has been the target of CAMP’S raids for decades They ripped apart people’s lives, homes and families during the drug wars. Helicopters buzzed all day during the growing season People had to lie low They gathered at the river and watched the choppers fly overhead No one wanted to be home during a raid As kids, we still had fun, eating watermelon & swimming, our parents getting high playing, playing music and talking about what to do for the upcoming year. Someone in the valley would fall victim soon enough. The community united to support those who lost everything to the cops They shared food, rides to town for supplies or a seasonal job, and even child care

I grew up in Ettersburg, overlooking the Mattole Canyon Creek Delta and Mattole river My sister and I walked home from school, playing in the forest and river along the way. Our family worked in the garden, sometimes naked Mom rose early My sister Mariah and I helped to milk the goats and harvest food We each had one night per week to be in charge of making dinner We planted trees, such as oaks, redwoods, and firs, as well as fruit and nut trees I dug thistles out of the yard to make a few bucks. During the summer, we rode horses to the river, jumped off rocks and pretended to be mermaids On hot days we swam the horses In the summer, wild herbs and berries stained and perfumed us In winter we ate licorice ferns from the moss off the old oaks. We stayed awake until the wee hours, hoping to see a UFO. Eventually, this led to a UFO sighting. Later, we heard someone saw one over Whitethorn that night as well. Sometime later we took from our parents and looked at the stars We painted our faces with ground wet rock dust, made arrows with pounded nails and straight branches, and dreamed about learning to knap real obsidian. These were our favorite activities.

Kids those days roved through the woods, fields, and rivers During the day, they refuge in one country home or another We had several sets of parents They all took turns working and caring for us. Neighbors gave each other a lift to town when vehicles broke down and collaborated for arduous tasks It was the Emerald Triangle Love Culture

Choppers flew all summer and fall nets bulging with marijuana plants. Huge piles smoldered in public places such as AWAY park, Honeydew, a family campground with river access. I remember the police during endless hours standing and watching the plants burn I always wondered who had lost their livelihoods that year and hoped they’d be ok

Stories of CAMP raids, wild persecutions through the woods to escape from the cops, were commonplace. It was the talk of summer gatherings and school hallways once the raids began. Those whose crops often depended on community support to get by. They often hid multiple small gardens under the trees to ensure safety and stay hidden from the air In the early days, I sometimes helped water dad’s patch or even a friend’s, careful not to mark the grass or the land around We created a cover from the choppers, and let in only the minimum light The system was against us. We had to fend for ourselves It was an Outlaw Life

Marijuana provided people with a livelihood It provided free time to support non-profit organizations They could fight nuclear power plants & testing labs, or prevent arms shipments to central América. A non violence training collective ensured it was all done in peace. Prevention of clear-cutting takes time not available while working a 9-5. They left a legacy of protected wild parklands previously destined as redwood decks or toilet paper Restoration work prevented erosion to the rivers that destroyed salmon egg laying habitat Salmon smolt hatcheries replenish them from near extinction. Alternative schools, community centers, music festivals and a radio station spread this love culture around the globe They built volunteer fire departments and formed road associations Marijuana gave us the freedom to work towards making the world a better place

To Be Continued

Citations

1.

Robie Tenorio- Telephone interview May 20232

2 Peggy Andrews - Interview October 2022

3 John Casali - Multiple Interviews 2023

4 My own experience growing up in Humboldt County