Featured Activities of 2013 -- Special Guest

Grandmother Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance – During our Gathering in 2012, we hosted a screening of the film For the Next 7 Generations, an acclaimed documentary produced and directed by Carole Hart, which captures the essence of the “13 Grandmothers” who have come together from all corners of the globe for the common purpose of helping to bring awareness, respect, and healing to our Mother Earth. The film truly resonated with those Gathering participants able to attend the screening. Since then, we sponsored a second screening on the campus of Kansas State University to share their extraordinary vision in restoring balance to our Mother earth for the sake of many generations to come.

This year, we are immensely honored to have with us, one of the “13 Grandmothers”, Grandmother Rita, who will be accompanied by her son, Nathan Blindman, also featured in the film. Grandmother Rita and her sister, Grandmother Beatrice, are part of a group of thirteen indigenous grandmothers who came together in 2004 from around the world to form an alliance for the good of all beings.

In their mission statement, they declare:  WE, THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF THIRTEEN INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS, represent a global alliance of prayer, education and healing for our Mother Earth, all Her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come. We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth and the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. We look to further our vision through the realization of projects that protect our diverse cultures: lands, medicines, language and ceremonial ways of prayer and through projects that educate and nurture our children. More information regarding The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is available on their website at http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/.

Let us raise our voices with them in their prayer for peace and unity of purpose. Let us be inspired to take on the challenge of this urgent mission to heal our world. Let us find that kernel of grandmother wisdom within each and every one of us. Let us act accordingly with our seed of wisdom, exceeding our human potential.