Serve Indiana like a bundle of twigs

By Aleeah Livengood

Member, Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism


Coming from a Native American background, storytelling was a very important part of our family. Many of these stories made us laugh, but others served to remind us of past family members or historical events that stressed the essential qualities of compassion and humility, the difference between right and wrong, and the importance of family and community. One such story was told by my father concerning the Shawnee War Chief Tecumseh.

After the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, people began moving onto land that was historically known as tribal hunting land. These territories comprised the present-day areas of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, eastern Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Instead of sharing the land as had been done for generations, the tribes were forcibly removed, and the settlers put up fences.

By 1805, the tribes in this region were confined to a small strip of land in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana; they could no longer hunt to feed their families. Tecumseh became alarmed at the growing encroachment. Already recognized as an inspirational leader and orator, he attended multiple council meetings with government representatives contesting land sales and land seizures, all in the hope to avert a war. As his words fell upon deaf ears, he could foresee all tribes were in danger of losing their lands and culture. So in an effort to unite the tribes of North America, Tecumseh sprang into action by campaigning from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico to create an Indian Confederacy.

He used the argument that the land was held in common by all Indians, that no one tribe could give away land without the consent of all tribes, and that it was in all their best interest to defend it. To illustrate his argument he would show them a bundle of twigs,

“A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.”

This metaphor is as powerful today as it was then, especially when applied to service and volunteerism. One organization is limited in the services it can provide. However, if collaborative partnerships are developed with other community and faith-based organizations, not only would the range of impact be greatly increased, it could also enhance a program’s survival. So let’s join forces –share people, resources, programs, expertise, operating models, and ambition to Serve Indiana!

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For ways to serve Indiana somewhere near you (or anywhere else of your choosing), especially in the wake of recent flooding, see the OFBCI volunteer website at http://www.in.gov/ofbci/volunteer/ or contact the Indiana OFBCI at 317-233-4273.