“….we are not separate from our soils, waters, and air – nor are we, in truth, separate from one another”
Photograph by Cali Anicha – Elders’ Cove sculpture emulates the aerial roots of nearby Banyan tree
I went to visit one of Jackie Brookner’s earlier works in a place called Dreher Park in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jackie Brookner (1945-2015) worked on the Dreher Park project in 2003-04, with Angelo Ciotti, to revamp the Park’s water flow and flood control systems consisting of eight acres of inter-connecting lakes and retention ponds.
I didn’t know I was on a pilgrimage until we drove into the park. As I walked toward the large pond named Elders’ Cove an almost surreal sensation enveloped me and I began to tear up… When I reached the plaque that described the site I was snuffling loudly enough to gather a few curious sidelong glances from some children on the nearby boardwalk. The inscription helped me realize what was happening for me – the final line reads: “The water, the plants and animals, the birds, the frogs and fish, and we too, are all interconnected parts of a larger whole.”
Photograph by Lynn Fundingsland – Elders’ Cove at Dreher Park
Dictionaries define a pilgrimage as a journey to a holy/special/unusual place. Wikipedia’s interpretation feels more like what I experienced: a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith. For me, Elders’ Cove represented a working model for the core intentions of The Fargo Project, namely, an explicit recognition of the many rich cultural traditions in the area, beginning with the first indigenous peoples of the region, and the grounding assumptions that we are not separate from our soils, waters, and air – nor are we, in truth, separate from one another.
As this recognition dawned on me, I began to look around – who might I ask about their experience here? The family on the boardwalk spoke Spanish and I approached them tentatively because my Spanish es muy poco; though the children looked my way now and again, the two women remained engrossed in conversation with one another. I had passed a man sitting on a bench near the pond who had wished me a Merry Christmas, so I returned to him, approaching slowly as he was deep in thought. “Pardon me… sir…? Excuse me?” He looked up rather startled, then a broad and welcoming smile spread across his face. I asked if he came here often and we fell into conversation – yes, he worked nearby selling water and did come to the pond often –in fact, he had caught a nice bass in Elders’ Cove recently. He seemed pleased to hear about the Fargo connection and said he visited the Cove as often as he could, finding it calming and welcoming.
Photograph by Lynn Fundingsland – Family find many ways to enjoy activity on the Elders’ Cove mounds.
A few paces further on a family sat together enjoying a take-out meal on a bench by the pond. They looked up from unwinding their tamales from steamy corn husks as I approached, then turned back to their meal… As I rounded the edge of the cove I met up with my partner and we soon crossed paths with a woman walking her dog. She responded to our greeting and I quickly asked “Do you come here often?” A bit surprised she stopped and said that she lived just a couple blocks away and tried to come by each day before dark. After learning that we were visiting from out of town and that Jackie had also been working in our home community, she seemed to relax. She shared that before the changes brought by the Elders’ Cove installation, the area had been little-used, though since then it had become a very bustling community gathering space – and we all nodded as we looked around at the many people in small and large groups enjoying the day.
Photograph by Lynn Fundingsland – Local Fauna also enjoy Elders’ Cove
As we drove away, we agreed – it had been an unexpectedly moving encounter, a poignant reminder of Jackie’s intense commitment to an inclusive and planet-wide sense of justice. Today, I am mulling over my experience of the place. The cord it plucked in me reverberates still, resonating with a sense of unity, of connection, of community, of shared belonging. I am looking forward to sharing that experience with folks here in the Red River region as we play and work together in the coming years on The Fargo Project – to remind one another that “[t]he water, the plants and animals, the birds, the frogs and fish, and we too, are all interconnected parts of a larger whole.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cali Anicha lives and works in Fargo-Moorhead and is a founding member of the community team that initiated The Fargo Project. She continues to be involved in the ongoing social engagement mission.