In June of 2005 I was fortunate to be in New Mexico where I was invited to some of the prayer ceremonies performed by 13 Indigenous Grandmothers from all over the planet. I was deeply touched by their strong compassion for the Earth’s trials and their vision of caution and healing for the next seven generations and beyond. After feeling the impact of their prayers and ceremonies in New Mexico I have stayed in touch with Jyoti, the woman who had the vision that brought them together.
Jyoti and her partner Ann have now organized three meetings of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. The first of these Herstorical encounters took place in New York State in October of 2004 where the 13 Grandmothers agreed to form a council of prayer for the planet and all her living species and meet every few months in each of their home places. The second gathering took place in Nambe, New Mexico in May of 2005.
In May 2006 I attended the third gathering of the Grandmothers in Hauatla, Mexico hosted by renowned shaman Grandmother Julietta Casimiro. I was honored to be at that event and became more deeply convinced that the Grandmothers prayers and council are an essential component of a global movement to stop violence and the possible destruction of the earth, our habitat.
The grandmothers have given me permission to interview them one at a time and on this page I am dedicated to bringing the words of the 13 Grandmothers to the widening audience of futureprimitive.org/staging.
May the gentle force of the Grandmothers be with you!
— Joanna Harcourt-Smith
John Lash interviews Joanna about her trip to attend the third meeting of the grandmothers in Hauatla, Mexico.
26 minutes, listen below:
The International Council of 13 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. They are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth and the destruction of indigenous ways of life. They believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. They 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.
LINKS:
www.grandmotherscouncil.com
www.forthenext7generations.com
www.sacredstudies.org
Jyoti (Jeneane Prevatt, Ph.D.)
May 23, 2007 – An internationally renowned spiritual advisor and psychological consultant. She obtained her PH.D in transpersonal psychology, including two-and-a-half years of postgraduate study at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. Jyoti is the one of primary forces behind the creation of the 13 Grandmothers Council.
Click below to listen:
[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/Jyoti070502.mp3]
Bernadette Rebienot
February 6, 2007 – Born in Libreville, Gabon of the Omyene linguistic community. Bernadette is a healer, master of the Iboga Bwiti Rite, master of Women’s Initiations and has participated in numerous national and international conferences on Traditional Medicine.
Click below to listen in French (with English intro)
[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/BernadetteRebienot.mp3]
Click below to listen to English translation
[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/BernadetteREnglish.mp3]
Julieta Casimiro
January 25, 2007 – Mazatec elder, from Huautla de Jimenez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Julieta carries the tradition of healing and ceremonies with the use of sacred plants, the pre-hispanic Teonanactl, Ninos Santos way.
Click below to listen:
[audio: http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/JulietaCasimiro.mp3]
Mona Polacca
January 24, 2007 – Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa elder working on her Ph.D at the Interdisciplinary Justice Studies department of Arizona State University. Mona has worked on Native American alcoholism and domestic violence issues and mental health related issues for the elderly native peoples.
Click below to listen:
[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/MonaPolacca.mp3]
Agnes Baker-Pilgrim
September 26, 2007 – The oldest living female member of the Rogue River Indians, Takelma Band. Originally from Southern Oregon, Agnes was chosen by her tribe as a Living Legend. She is an ambassador for our Mother Earth, a spiritual elder of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz and granddaughter of Chief George Harney, the first elected chief of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. She is a world renowned spiritual leader, elder mentor to the Native American Student Union of Southern Oregon University, and keeper of the Sacred Salmon Ceremony.
Click below to listen:
[audio: http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/AgnesBakerPilgrim060926.mp3]
Margaret Behan Red Spider Woman
August 25, 2007 – Arapahoe-Cheyenne, fifth generation of the Sand Creek Massacre. Margaret is a Cheyenne traditional dancer and has served as a dance leader in Oklahoma and in powwows across the U.S. She is an accomplished and published author, poet and playwright, a sculptress and licensed Substance Abuse Counselor. She has presented workshops and retreats for women, adult children of alcoholics and co-dependents. Currently researching generational trauma, her interest is in cross-cultural Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome-trauma of loss and grief, danger and fear, hatred and chaos.
Click below to listen:
[audio: http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/MargaretBehan.mp3]
Flordemayo
July 9, 2007 – Mayan elder born in a small village on the Nicaragua/Honduras border. Flordemayo’s father was a local shaman and Flordemayo’s mother was a midwife and a healer. As her children grew, Flordemayo began to work as a healer/curandera. Flordemayo is a sundancer who considers her Mayan heritage a keystone of her work. She studies under Don Alejandro Oxlaj, a head of the Mayan Council of Elders, who convened the first Gathering of Indigenous Priests and Elders of America in 1994.
Click below to listen:
[audio: http://media.libsyn.com/media/futureprimitive/flordemayo.mp3]
