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PAGE 6 ALL ABOUT IDAHO IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020
Finding Peace in the Panhandle
For Linda Heisel, peace comes in the form of prayer flags, similar to the Tibetan flags often depicted on or around Mount Everest. “When I see prayer flags blowing
in the wind, I see energy moving and dancing; I see joy creators,” says Heisel, who started making the color flags in 2014. Photo courtesy Linda Heisel.
In response, residents formed the Bonner North branch existed as it does now for
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO County Human Rights Task Force in 1992, residents of Idaho’s northernmost Bonner
building awareness through such events as and Boundary counties.
Look up Sandpoint, Idaho, and you’re an annual student art show. Heisel generally makes the flags her-
likely to read about its beautiful lake, Art is a prominent feature in Sandpoint self, although occasionally she gets help
nearby ski resort, small town charm, and and has been inherent to many local art- cutting the colorful blocks of cotton she
eclectic community. ists promoting peace. In 2001 artist David uses. In addition to selling through her
While all of those are true, this little burb Kraisler created the sculpture Tolerance Facebook site, her flags are available at
on the lakes of Pend Oreille, about 144 miles in response to a planned Aryan Nations David Mercantile ($24) in Hope, Idaho—
south of Canada, has a legacy of peace worth parade in Sandpoint—it didn’t occur— how apropos, right?
mentioning in light of the 94th anniversary and the piece stood at the Bonner County Sometimes she leaves a roll of flags on
of International Peace Month. Courthouse until 2012 when portions of the her travels to share “kindness and peace
Proclaimed in August 1926 by attendees foundation began to erode. with whomever finds them.” And she’s
at the Democratic Peace Conference in For Linda Heisel, peace comes in delighted to learn that they’ve traveled
Germany following the conclusion of the the form of prayer flags, similar to the with others to such places as the Camino
first World War, the original intent of the Tibetan flags often depicted on or around de Santiago, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
proclamation was to set aside time to learn Mount Everest. To date, Heisel’s sold 400 sets, given
from the horrors the war, which did not “When I see prayer flags blowing in the away even more, and sees as much need for
leave Sandpoint untouched. wind, I see energy moving and dancing; I them as ever, says the 73-year-old.
Like many American towns, Sandpoint see joy creators,” says Heisel, who started “Peace on Earth begins with peace of
pays tribute to the survivors of WWI and making the color flags in 2014. mind, and that is hard to come by in an
subsequent wars in various ways. War Soon she purchased a wood alphabet unjust world,” says Heisel. “Peace of mind
Memorial Field, for example, was established printing set, making flags to give to friends, comes in knowing our neighbors, listening
in 1993 after a community-led campaign to which mushroomed into others requesting to one another, respecting our differences
develop the multi-use lakeside location where her flags. and offering support and kindness.”
Sandpoint High School students play sports Instead, her Prayer Flags of Hope and She says the coronavirus has pointed
and annual Festival at Sandpoint extrava- Peace donates the proceeds to a regional humans in a new, yet familiar direction.
ganza had been held since 1983, bringing in branch of National Alliance on Mental “We are staying at home and taking care
world-class musical talent. Illness, a grassroots mental health advocacy of each other; neighbors dance together in
Just south of Sandpoint, Farragut Naval organization that helps people with mental the street, strangers sing together. Perhaps
Station was created in the middle of WWII, illness and those affected by it. we can create lives that aren’t totally depen-
housing more than 50 thousand troops at It’s a topic close to home for Heisel, dent on unjust systems; we see now that the
its peak, its history helping shape Sandpoint whose brother had schizophrenia (albeit security they seemed to offer is an illusion.”
and surrounding areas ever since. undiagnosed), and was homeless when he Peace, she says, is built on a foundation
Ironically, Sandpoint has faced down came to live with Heisel and her husband, of trust. “If we can move from fear to trust,
and dealt with a considerable legacy of an artist and musician. the Earth teaches us how to live; our true
WWII: white supremacy, Nazism, and the “His condition deteriorated until finally needs are very simple—light, water, and
Aryan Nations, which had engulfed Coeur he was removed by local law enforce- dirt. When we trust our heart’s desire, we
d’Alene, a similar yet larger lakeside town ment,” says Heisel, who knows they all find the path of love is the way to peace.” ISI
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