Complementing Higan (彼岸) is 'Shigan' (此岸), meaning the 'Near Shore'. Higan is the Pure Land (the World of Buddha), whereas Shigan is our world (the World of the Living). At equinox day and night are of equal length, and thus the world is in perfect balance.
Originally the spring equinox was taken up by a Shintō festival called 'Shunki kōrei-sai' (春季皇霊祭), created in 1878 and centered around imperial ancestor worship.
In 1948 this was repackaged as a day for admiring nature and all living things.
On Feb 7th, #Trump sacked the
head of #NARA, the agency that maintains the ofcl texts of the nation’s laws, & whose motto is “the written word endures.”
>110k govt pages have gone dark in a #purge that one scientist likened to a “#DigitalBookBurning,” & which has proved as frightening in its imprecision as in its malice.
The Records Preservation and Access Coalition is hosting its second Family History Hill Day on Wednesday 9 April 2025.
RPAC advocates and others in the genealogy community are invited to attend the event and meet Members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C.
Our focus in 2025 will be on funding for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
@geneadons @genealogy @histodons
#FamilyHistory #Genealogy #Research #NARA #NationalArchives
https://www.recordsadvocate.org/come-to-dc-register-for-family-history-hill-day-on-9-april-2025/
#government #archives #transparency #NARA
' NARA is seeking $481.1 million in discretionary budget authority for FY 2025—a $9.2 million decrease from the FY 2024 annualized continuing resolution level—at the same time its responsibilities are increasing, its facilities and technologies are aging, and requesters are waiting over a decade for responses to their declassification requests.'
This week, you can find me:
On a panel about advocating for #NHPRC and #NARA as critical infrastructure @ National Humanities Day
Advocating to my legislators on the Hill for NARA appropriations and federal #archives workers
Giving a workshop " #Facilitation and Project Management for All" at the New England Archivist's Spring Meeting
On a panel about the environmental effects of #AI and how archivists can evaluate this aspect of AI tools @ NEA
HMU if you wanna hang! 
Webinar "Saving A Nation’s Stories: The US National Archives and Why Advocacy Matters" is freely available for a limited time from the Association of Professional Genealogists.
This panel discusses the importance of NARA to all types of historians, how congressional appropriations impact its operations, and why advocacy for continued funding is essential.
Learn how you can effectively engage with legislators to support archival access.
For the first time in about 40 years, Nara Park has installed public trash cans to help protect its famous deer following a rise in littering that has created a health hazard for the protected animal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/05/japan/society/nara-park-deer-protection/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #nara #narapark #deer #animals #parks #waste #tourism
#NARA Suggestion from the chat: contact the appropriations committee members as well. Https://appropriations.house.gov/subcommittees/financial-services-and-general-government [appropriations.house.gov]
#NARA Call to action: contact your representatives/senators to advocate to at least keep funding at the current level. Here’s a video showing you how: https://fundnara.com/take-action
Update. "The National Archives is nonpartisan but has found itself targeted by Trump."
https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-archives-firings-layoffs-historical-recordkeeping-559027fdd2f634263bea7774a78d66fe
"The president didn’t give a public reason for firing archivist Colleen Shogan, but he has long held a grudge against the agency for notifying the Justice Department of his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office following his first term…A Trump-aligned archivist might also be less inclined to enforce the Presidential Records Act or ask questions if Trump leaves office with troves of classified documents, said Norm Eisen, executive chair of the State Democracy Defenders Fund."
@genchat@lor.shWow - if you never knew the scope of the responsibilities of the National Archives ( #NARA ), read this. #archives #genealogy https://action.everylibrary.org/we_should_all_be_paying_attention_to_what_s_happening_to_the_national_archives
@genchat@lor.shSharing this, seen over on Bluesky. #archives #NARA #genealogy https://freedom.press/the-classifieds/hostile-takeover-at-national-archives-erodes-our-right-to-know/
I just signed this petition and hope you will too.
https://sites.google.com/view/saafellowsaotus
"We call upon all concerned citizens, professional organizations, and public officials to: Demand transparency regarding the circumstances of this dismissal [of the director of the National Archives]; Advocate for the reinstatement of proper professional oversight of #NARA; Support legislation to strengthen the independence of the Archivist position; Remain vigilant in defending the professional integrity of our national archives."
Nara's deer are arguably as big a tourist draw as the city's ancient temples, but a lack of trash cans means harmful litter the critters then eat. Can a new street patrol clean up the animals' diet? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/02/15/lifestyle/nara-deer-trash/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #lifestyle #tourism #nara #environment
