Tribute to Sisters of Earth Margaret Swedish

This fall Sisters of Earth lost one of our strong, prophetic persons in Margaret Swedish from Milwaukee. Margaret attended many of our SoE Conferences over the years. A truly dedicated advocate for social and ecological justice, she was a prolific writer and speaker on themes at the intersection of ecology, racism, segregation, environmental justice, spirituality and culture. Margaret authored two books: “Living Beyond the End of the World: a Spirituality of Hope” (2008) and “Like Grains of Wheat: a Spirituality of Solidarity” (2004), both published by Orbis. She collaborated with Alice’s Garden and the Table in their outreach to the local community, and maintained a garden plot there. Margaret's celebration of life was at Alice's Garden Urban Farm complete with some of her favorite things: a fire, peanut stew, Alice’s Garden tea, and a guided labyrinth walk honoring creation. 
 
More: Tribute for Margaret Mary Swedish | Becker Ritter Funeral Home & Cremation Services
 
Margaret was the Sister of Earth who strongly recommended that some among us WITNESS the extractive industrial complex of the Alberta Oil Sands, its effects on the health and traditional livelihood of the Cree, Chipewyan and Metis people there. And to do this as an extended contemplative pilgrimage that following the Athabasca River from its source in the Canadian Rockies to where this glacier-released water is used in the industrial process of extracting bitumen from the 'tar' (oil) sands in northern Alberta, polluting the water and air in the process, and piped to the east and to TX for further processing into jet fuel, etc. She was quick to join the first pilgrimage in 2013 and wrote extensively about it. A composite of photos from that experience includes three SoE: Margaret, Lucy Klein-Gebbinck, Maureen Wild:
 

 
Near the end of our journey, Joanna Macy joined us on Zoom to help us process the experience.  
 

 
Sisters of Earth will miss you, Margaret!  

We thank you for a life so fully and passionately lived with the dream of justice and healing for our vulnerable earth/humanity. 

Rest well in Great Mystery's Peaceful Embrace of Beauty, Justice, and Compassion!