We are coming up on 20 years as La’akea intentional community, in March 2025. In someways this is hard to believe. Yet when I think of the physical, mental and emotional energy we have all put into this land and the systems we’ve created, I feel happy, excited and proud. It has been a long journey, filled with growth, connection and learning, with much more to come.
Read on for some examples and for a snippet of my summer adventures. Thanks for being a part of who we are now!
We’ll be celebrating La’akea style by hosting our annual New Culture Winter Camp March 12th-21st.
Now… a little story time…..
In 2005 six of us signed the escrow papers to acquire the 23 acre parcel here in Puna. I shout out to Dona Willoughby, Laurelsong Cook, Loreal “Bear” Fletcher, Robert Silber, Biko Long and myself. Three months later, Judy Dolmatch joined us. The land was mostly overgrown jungle with paths to the main house, the meadow space, one composting toilet and three cabins. The paths had 15+ foot walls of jungle on either side. I wish I had videos of that. Phones, with their easy cameras, weren’t so popular then, especially not with us.
As March 15 of 2025 fast approaches we are a community of 11 members, Including Biko Long, Amara Karuna, Michael Howell, Sundog Sherman, Ruben Guetschow, Janice Johnson, Aniko Willoughby, Ananda Fischer, Bjorn Maynard, Teyo Jerge and myself.
Two babies have been born – Kai’ea and Ai’ala – and two elder members have died and are buried on the land – Prasad Dittman and Berni Reichelman.
Whew! That’s a lot of names. Of course there have been a few others who joined and have left as well, Randy Friesen, Kai and Fred- still in their bodies- thankfully.
The land is now much less jungley. Though the land is definitely still a rainforest, now there’s space, open views and breeze.
Our structures have multiplied and many, many hands and hearts have blessed this land with their presence.
Most of you are on this list either through our internship program or our connection with Network for New Culture.
We have swum through rough seas together and calm balmy waters, always focusing on staying connected and accepting of each other. We’ve gone through phases of personal physical challenges, such as broken ankles and hip replacements as well as standing together when outside folks intended us ill will such as lawsuits and asking folks to leave. Living in community brings ease in some regards and does so through strong determination and commitment.
I used to view La’akea as a baby we all needed to nurture for it to grow strong. I think we’ve reached our teens and possibly even sub-adulthood! I went away this summer for 10 weeks and I very much enjoyed having a home to come back to.
I took a job on a bear tour boat off the Katmai coast of Alaska. I was the cook/chef. Ruben was the 1st mate and skiff driver. The clients arrived by float plane, spent four days with us on board, going out with a guide every day to get close and observe grizzly bears. I prepared phenomenal seafood dishes and soups. Breakfast, lunch, desert, dinner, desert – was my daily mantra. Friends say it sounds like the show “Below decks”, but I haven’t watched the show so I don’t know. The views were astounding and soul inspiring. The work was endless and the bears were…. Well… huge and wild! I’ll probably go back next summer. It’s the best way I know of to get way out in nature for so long. I’ve attached a couple photos.
Now I’m back home and we’re gearing up or rather clearing up the meadow space and the land to bring back our annual seed exchange! Being held October 26th. We’re going to spend the next five days after that working collaboratively together on the land. I’m looking forward to that! Although we live in community, closer than most folks, it’s still easy to get wrapped up in our own projects. Our main focus will be the area behind the hot tub where we’re setting up a syntropic agroforestry installation.
Well, it’s past my bedtime so I’m going to wrap it up here. I’ll send another note closer to our anniversary.
Hope to see you here!
Love,
Tracy
