Groton — The Tree of Life Educational Fund is presenting a traveling encampment that links the struggles of Native Americans and Palestinians.

It's titled "Native Voices: A Traveling Encampment" and will make a stop at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Noank Baptist Church, 18 Cathedral Heights. It's one of four such encampments being held around the state that is free and open to the public.

The encampment will offer a "living portrait" of Lakota, Bedouin and Palestinian cultures through music and storytelling.

Tree of Life is a nonprofit that started out of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme but now operates independently. Its focus is on social justice and people living under occupation.

"When you're talking about social justice issues, often many are interwoven, are interlinked, and certainly have similar stories to tell," said Mary Tomassetti, executive director of the Tree of Life Educational Fund. "And so the traveling encampment focuses on the similarities between the people of Palestine and their struggle, and Native Americans and the struggles that they have faced living under occupation in the United States."

One of the participants is Travis Harden, a Lakota and Ho-Chunk storyteller, singer and artist. He spent several months in Standing Rock, protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline and was known as "Super No DAPL Man."

Alber Baseel is a Palestinian drummer from Bethlehem who has worked with Musicians without Borders and Sounds of Palestine, teaching percussion to Palestinian children in the Aida refugee camp. He currently attends Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Khalil Alamour is a Bedouin lawyer and historian from the Negev desert in southern Israel. The final voice in the encampment is Saber Shreim, a Palestinian actor who has done clown shows throughout the West Bank.

Tomassetti said one of her goals for the encampment is that "people will find stories of hope and resistance." Along with music and stories, the encampment also will feature a Native American tipi and a Bedouin tent.

"I hope that it's going to bring a lot of people in, just to see what's going on, and to talk to these people," said Gloria Marshall, administrative assistant at Noank Baptist Church.

The other public stops for the encampment are:

July 26 – 5 p.m., CLiCK Willimantic at 41 Club Road

July 29 – 1 p.m., Amherst, Mass., Town Common

July 30 – 2 p.m., Burlington, Vt., Fletcher Free Library 

Tree of Life is covering the travel costs for the speakers/performers, but is running a deficit for this program and is therefore accepting donations.

e.moser@theday.com