“Everything is on fire,
But everyone I love is doing beautiful things
And trying to make life worth living,
And I know I don’t have to believe in everything,
But I believe in that. -Nikita Gill
I am sitting here in the early morning before the sun is up, drinking my coffee while the smell of blueberry pancakes cooking for my 5 year old waft through the air. I am hit with gratitude of housing security, food, and safety. Yet I marvel at how quickly that can all change in the matter of moments, hours, days or months. I have been thinking a lot about what we have all been witnessing over the last year but also the current crisis that is happening in North Carolina after hurricane Helene. I personally have very deep ties to Asheville, North Carolina growing up going there multiple times a year to visit my grandparents, and uncles. Now having very close friends that reside there as well. Luckily all my dear ones are safe and ok!
There is something beautiful about what we witness in times of disasters in this country when community takes care of one another. In the darkness of this world, we get to see the humanity that can inspire us all to do better for one another. That in times of crisis we will care for one another because that is the only option. Mutual aid networks have been actively popping up in North Carolina to help get people supplies. If you aren't sure how to help the mutual aid disaster relief is working to get supplies to people and you can help through them. They are a grassroots disaster relief network based on the principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action. Their networks are on the ground, providing relief across the southeast.
You might be wondering what is mutual aid? How can we make sure that we aren't just showing up in times of disaster but consistently to provide help for people in our community? A huge part of the mission here at Bloodroot was to have monthly or bi-monthly events that bridge together herbalism with radical community care and providing mutual aid to people in southeast Michigan. We have hosted medicine making days at the shop and one in Detroit, at the Hitha Healing House with Motor City Mobile Wellness. We have another mutual aid medicine making day coming up October 13th at 11am. We will be blending some herbal pain relief capsules, pouring an anti-itch spray and possibly making a salve as well to give the Washtenaw County warming centers. Our good friend and saint Sheri who started and runs the houseless warming centers in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti will be able to distribute this medicine to people throughout this fall. We will also be taking donations like socks, gloves, hats, and sleeping bags.
Mutual aid is part of every civilization it's what we do to survive, it is our humanness and empathy that keeps it alive, as well as the realization that we have failing systems that pretend to keep us safe. The term mutual aid was popularized by anarchist philosopher Peter Kropotkin in his 1902 book Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, but the concept itself existed long before his writings. The history of mutual aid is rich and deeply embedded in human societies, dating back centuries as a means of survival, solidarity, and cooperation, particularly among marginalized communities. Mutual aid networks have emerged whenever people needed to rely on one another to address unmet needs, often filling gaps left by formal institutions like governments.
Mutual aid has roots in Indigenous and traditional communities worldwide, where cooperation and reciprocity were often central to survival. In these societies, resources were shared among members, and individuals relied on collective action to hunt, farm, build shelters, and care for the sick and elderly. These practices were common in African, Native American, Asian, and Indigenous Australian cultures, among others, where kinship networks and communal ownership of land fostered collective well-being.
Mutual aid was central to the survival of working-class communities during the medieval period in Europe. Guilds and fraternal organizations, such as craft guilds and friendly societies, provided members with mutual support, including economic assistance, healthcare, and funeral costs.
It is based on principles of solidarity, cooperation, and community-driven action. Unlike charity, mutual aid emphasizes collective empowerment rather than a top-down approach. Participants in mutual aid networks contribute and receive help according to their abilities and needs, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and interdependence.
We have community mutual aid which refers to the grassroots, collective efforts of people within a community who come together to meet one another’s needs, often in response to social, economic, or environmental challenges. These networks operate on a local level and focus on shared responsibility, where each person contributes according to their ability and receives support based on their needs.
Key principles of community mutual aid include:
1. Solidarity, Not Charity
Unlike traditional charity models, which often create a giver-receiver dynamic, mutual aid is based on the idea that everyone has something to contribute and everyone may need help at some point. The focus is on empowering people rather than simply offering assistance from a higher or more privileged position.
2. Direct Action
Community mutual aid focuses on addressing immediate needs, such as providing food, medical care, housing, and other essential resources, often without waiting for formal systems like government or large nonprofits to step in.
3. Decentralized and Horizontal
These networks are usually decentralized, meaning there is no single leader or controlling organization. Decisions are made collectively, and power is distributed evenly among participants. This makes mutual aid adaptable and responsive to community needs.
4. Reciprocity and Mutual Benefit
While one person might be in a position to give food or shelter today, they may need help with something else tomorrow. This cyclical exchange fosters a sense of community interdependence and reinforces the idea that everyone has value.
5. Local Knowledge and Solutions
Community mutual aid groups often rely on the lived experiences of local residents to solve problems. This ensures that solutions are tailored to the community’s specific needs and are more likely to be effective.
Here at Bloodroot we will continue showing up as much as we can. We will hopefully be able to supply people with herbal medicine and knowledge to support themselves, and their community with plants that grow around them. Educate people that herbal medicine can be used to fill the gap of care that our medical system, and government fail to do. Herbal medicine is a way to have autonomy over our health, and a way to offer comfort and care to those in need. Mutual aid gives me personal hope that if things get worse we will at least have each other, and now is the time to make sure those communities are stronger then ever. Thank you for taking the time to read, and as always in solidarity!