About SAND’s Reciprocity Commitment
How Your Contribution
Supports Indigenous Communities
In the logic of modernity, giving is often framed as charity—a way to ease guilt without unsettling the deeper habits of extraction, accumulation, and consumption. True reciprocity asks something more of us. In producing The Eternal Song series, SAND has been invited into relationship with Indigenous communities who have shared their time, stories, knowledge, and presence. We are committed to living into the spirit of the gift and practicing reciprocity with communities over time.
From the beginning, this has meant entering communities with permission, care, and ongoing support throughout production and post-production. We respond to what communities ask of us, whether that means bringing blankets or cameras, resources or presence.
Part of practicing ongoing reciprocity, SAND commits to a modest financial contribution to Indigenous communities and initiatives featured in each film. The contribution comes from SAND and audience donations. If contributions exceed $15,000 for a given film, additional funds are shared across partner communities based on evolving needs and relationships.
We invite you to walk in this spirit of reciprocity by offering what you can and honoring the gifts that have been shared.Â
In addition, if The Eternal Song films generate profit, SAND is committed to sharing 50% of those proceeds with the Indigenous-led initiatives featured in the films. As an independently-produced and distributed series, we are not yet there and will continue to share updates with our audience and community as this evolves.
How We Practice Reciprocity
These principles reflect how SAND has practiced reciprocity and what we aim to carry forward:
- Relational tending and listening. Reciprocity is an ongoing conversation with the people, lands, and lineages whose stories SAND carries.
- Community-led priorities. The projects featured on SAND’s website have been brought forward by communities in the films and reflect their requests and priorities.
- Responsiveness to emergent needs. Reciprocity includes the ability to listen and respond to needs and invitations as they arise.
- Beyond financial giving. Reciprocity includes gatherings, knowledge-sharing, creative collaboration, and other forms of exchange that communities value.
- Transparency with integrity. We are committed to clarity and accountability while honoring the relational nature of this work.
If you have questions about SAND’s reciprocity commitment or would like to be in conversation, please reach out to us at support@scienceandnonduality.com
May our modest giving reflect a deeper kind of wealth, held in rivers and mountains, ancestral songs, seeds, ceremonies, kinship, and care. May we walk in right relationship and honor the past, present, and future Indigenous stewards of these lands.
