International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers
Encyclopedia
The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers is a group of Spiritual Elders who came together in 2004 to form an international alliance of indigenous female elders. The Grandmothers are concerned for the state of the world and all living in it; believe that the need for change is urgent; and consider that their formation is fulfilling an ancient prophecy by many indigenous people of the world in which,
By 6 February 2010, the Grandmothers had a pool of 889 years of wisdom and experience to rely on.
's Menla Retreat Center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York
, declaring themselves a council at that meeting. The choice of location for the meeting, the land of the Iroquois
, was fitting as the Iroquois nation always consulted their own Council of Grandmothers before any decision was made, including whether or not to go to war.
The number of Grandmothers who could have joined the Council might have been more. In total, sixteen spiritual elders were contacted by Jyoti and asked to join the council. The number of Grandmothers who finally accepted the invitation (thirteen) coincidentally is seen as auspicious, as thirteen is a number held sacred in many indigenous cultures and appears in a prophecy of the Grandmother of one of the Grandmothers. When Grandmother Rita Pitka Blumenstein
was nine years old, her Grandmother told her that she would be in a council of Grandmothers and gave her thirteen eagle feathers and thirteen stones, telling her to give them to the Council of Grandmothers when they finally met.
, they realised that they had had the same vision. Bernadette Rebienot had also signed a letter with Peruvian Indigenous people to unite in protecting Mother Earth
. The letter (paraphrased by Jyoti) read:
Later, in the Brazilian rainforest
Jyoti met with Maria Alice Campos Freire who, with her daughter, had an almost identical letter which they had signed with six tribes within the inter-regional Brazilian rainforest in Jurua
. Due to this realisation, the International Council of Indigenous Grandmothers was formed.
It was a surprise for Jyoti to be told, at the first Council meeting, of the existence of First Nation
indigenous prophesies of a council of 13 Grandmothers.
Other abilities which the Grandmothers state that they are able to offer are, "how to [develop and reinstate] the proper relationship between women and men, integrating traditional and indigenous medicine, maintaining the Earth's balance, and bringing forth the collective power of wise women by deepening our relationship with the feminine."
One lesson which the Grandmothers stress is the concept of communality and sharing that is common in all indigenous people.
The Grandmothers refer to prophecies from each of their cultures about the Purification Times, claiming that people will be cleansed through changing themselves from being materially to spiritually oriented.
and related edict
s which authorised Portugal to "invade, search out, capture, vanquish and subdue all Saracens and pagans
". This sanction, relating to the invasion of the west coast of Africa, contributed to set the agenda in the conquest of the Americas. The Grandmothers did not wish to personally blame or accuse Pope Benedict XVI
(the head of the Catholic Church) for any complicity, as he was not there; they only ask Pope Benedict XVI to close the door on past policy and set the stage for a new climate of acceptance of indigenous people. If the Church does this, the Grandmothers feel that it would lift the stigma on the Catholic Church and be "a feather in the cap" of Pope Benedict XVI.
The Grandmothers received no reply from Pope Benedict XVI after this request, nor after delivering their petition to the Vatican City
by hand in 2008. However, their requests are seen as significant.
The Papal Bulls that the Grandmothers are demanding to be revoked are:
added, with a smile, that "anything is possible."
are "the Guardians
of the forest and medicines and are appointed by nature" rather than forests being destroyed for the greed of the few.
During their meetings, the Grandmothers begin by carrying out a seven-day prayer vigil, each wearing her own traditional dress and carrying out her own prayers and ceremonies.
The work of the Grandmothers is said to have inspired the creation of "little circles of Grandmothers around the world."
The dedication of the Grandmothers is said to be very great. Before arriving at one of the Council meetings, Aama Bombo
from Nepal is said to have "literally walked through bombs dropping in order to get to the airplane so that she could get to one of our meetings".
. In a note to the reader the author writes,
The book has been printed in nine different languages. It is in its 4th edition in English.
-winning filmmaker Carole Hart directed the film, For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak which documents the Grandmothers as they meet and travel around the world.
The title of the film stems from the indigenous culture of long-term acting and planning in order to consider how one's actions would affect the next seven generations.
The film won the 'best of festival' and 'best documentary' at the Talking Circle Film Festival in Hawai'i in 2009.
By 6 February 2010, the Grandmothers had a pool of 889 years of wisdom and experience to rely on.
Foundation of the Council
The Council was founded and sponsored by a non-profit organisation, The Center for Sacred Studies, under guidance of the Center's Spiritual Director Jyoti. The Grandmothers Council initially met, for 7 days, on 11 October 2004 at the Dalai Lama14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
's Menla Retreat Center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York
Phoenicia, New York
Phoenicia is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census.Phoenicia is located in the northeast part of Town of Shandaken, on Route 28. It is the largest community in the town...
, declaring themselves a council at that meeting. The choice of location for the meeting, the land of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, was fitting as the Iroquois nation always consulted their own Council of Grandmothers before any decision was made, including whether or not to go to war.
The number of Grandmothers who could have joined the Council might have been more. In total, sixteen spiritual elders were contacted by Jyoti and asked to join the council. The number of Grandmothers who finally accepted the invitation (thirteen) coincidentally is seen as auspicious, as thirteen is a number held sacred in many indigenous cultures and appears in a prophecy of the Grandmother of one of the Grandmothers. When Grandmother Rita Pitka Blumenstein
Rita Pitka Blumenstein
Rita Pitka Blumenstein was the first certified traditional doctor in Alaska and works for the Southcentral Foundation. Blumenstein gained international recognition as a healer and has resided on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women...
was nine years old, her Grandmother told her that she would be in a council of Grandmothers and gave her thirteen eagle feathers and thirteen stones, telling her to give them to the Council of Grandmothers when they finally met.
Prophecies of the formation of such a Council
Instrumental to the creation of the Council was Jyoti's vision of a sacred basket. When Jyoti shared this vision with future Council Member Bernadette RebienotBernadette Rebienot
Bernadette was born in Libreville, Gabon Bernadette Rebienot is a spiritual leader. Through her work as an indigenous elder stateswoman, Bernadette gained international recognition as a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women...
, they realised that they had had the same vision. Bernadette Rebienot had also signed a letter with Peruvian Indigenous people to unite in protecting Mother Earth
Mother Nature
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
. The letter (paraphrased by Jyoti) read:
We were here before the governments came and we will be here after the governments leave. It is not okay for them to go into our forest and patent our medicine without our permission. It is time for all First Nation people to stand up globally and declare our solidarity as First Nation people and guardians of our planet again.
Later, in the Brazilian rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
Jyoti met with Maria Alice Campos Freire who, with her daughter, had an almost identical letter which they had signed with six tribes within the inter-regional Brazilian rainforest in Jurua
Jurua
The Juruá River is a southern affluent river of the Amazon River west of the Purus River, sharing with this the bottom of the immense inland Amazon depression, and having all the characteristics of the Purus as regards curvature, sluggishness and general features of the low, half-flooded forest...
. Due to this realisation, the International Council of Indigenous Grandmothers was formed.
It was a surprise for Jyoti to be told, at the first Council meeting, of the existence of First Nation
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
indigenous prophesies of a council of 13 Grandmothers.
Education
The Council believe that their ancestral ways of "prayer, peacemaking, and healing are vitally needed today."Other abilities which the Grandmothers state that they are able to offer are, "how to [develop and reinstate] the proper relationship between women and men, integrating traditional and indigenous medicine, maintaining the Earth's balance, and bringing forth the collective power of wise women by deepening our relationship with the feminine."
One lesson which the Grandmothers stress is the concept of communality and sharing that is common in all indigenous people.
The Grandmothers refer to prophecies from each of their cultures about the Purification Times, claiming that people will be cleansed through changing themselves from being materially to spiritually oriented.
Healing
The Grandmothers state that indigenous tribes have been connected with the earth and had the role of Earth's caretakers. The Grandmothers wish to help restore this connection, and the role of respect for and care of the planet, in order to restore the balance that has been lost.Rituals and ceremonies
The Grandmothers are open to share rituals and ceremonies with others in order to advance healing. This includes sharing with people who have been their oppressors.Petitioning against laws that encourage "rape and run" economies
The Grandmothers together petitioned the Catholic Church in 2005 and 2008, asking that it revoke a 15th-century Papal bullPapal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
and related edict
Edict
An edict is an announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism. The Pope and various micronational leaders are currently the only persons who still issue edicts.-Notable edicts:...
s which authorised Portugal to "invade, search out, capture, vanquish and subdue all Saracens and pagans
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
". This sanction, relating to the invasion of the west coast of Africa, contributed to set the agenda in the conquest of the Americas. The Grandmothers did not wish to personally blame or accuse Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
(the head of the Catholic Church) for any complicity, as he was not there; they only ask Pope Benedict XVI to close the door on past policy and set the stage for a new climate of acceptance of indigenous people. If the Church does this, the Grandmothers feel that it would lift the stigma on the Catholic Church and be "a feather in the cap" of Pope Benedict XVI.
The Grandmothers received no reply from Pope Benedict XVI after this request, nor after delivering their petition to the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
by hand in 2008. However, their requests are seen as significant.
The Papal Bulls that the Grandmothers are demanding to be revoked are:
- Dum DiversasDum DiversasDum Diversas is a papal bull issued on June 18, 1452 by Pope Nicholas V, that is credited by some with "ushering in the West African slave trade." It authorized Afonso V of Portugal to conquer Saracens and pagans and consign them to indefinite slavery...
, June 18, 1452 - Romanus PontifexRomanus PontifexRomanus Pontifex is a papal bull written January 8, 1455 by Pope Nicholas V to King Afonso V of Portugal. As a follow-up to the Dum Diversas, it confirmed to the Crown of Portugal dominion over all lands discovered or conquered during the Age of Discovery. Along with encouraging the seizure of the...
, January 8, 1455 - Inter CaeteraInter caeteraInter caetera was a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on , which granted to Spain all lands to the "west and south" of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands.It remains unclear to the present whether the pope was issuing a...
, May 4, 1493
Women's role in future changes
One of the things that the Grandmothers feel is vital for effecting change is to re-balance the relationship between the sexes. Being givers of life and connected with the seasons, the Grandmothers see that women are achieving important roles and going through changes. The Grandmothers suggest that men should take on the roles of women so that this will free women to help the change needed in the world.Men's role in future changes
During a satellite conference with Bioneers, the grandmothers were asked how men could help with their work and global change. The answer, voiced by Maria Alice Campos Freire, was to be humble and thus receptive. Bernadette RebienotBernadette Rebienot
Bernadette was born in Libreville, Gabon Bernadette Rebienot is a spiritual leader. Through her work as an indigenous elder stateswoman, Bernadette gained international recognition as a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women...
added, with a smile, that "anything is possible."
Activism for indigenous medicine
The Grandmothers consider that indigenous medicine should remain legal and free from ownership or being patented. The Grandmothers believe that indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
are "the Guardians
Trusteeship (Gandhism)
Trusteeship is a socio-economic philosophy that was propounded by Mahatma Gandhi.Putting it in Gandhiji's words "Supposing I have come by a fair amount of wealth – either by way of legacy, or by means of trade and industry – I must know that all that wealth does not ...
of the forest and medicines and are appointed by nature" rather than forests being destroyed for the greed of the few.
Council meetings
It was proposed at the first meeting, by Grandmother Agnes, that the Council should meet every six months in order to "build our relations and learn about each other's cultures." Since then, with one exception when Grandmother Bernadette was unwell in 2008, the 13 members of the Council have been hosted by each of the 13 Grandmothers in turn twice a year. The frequency of the councils are also seen as necessary because of the urgency of their work.During their meetings, the Grandmothers begin by carrying out a seven-day prayer vigil, each wearing her own traditional dress and carrying out her own prayers and ceremonies.
The work of the Grandmothers is said to have inspired the creation of "little circles of Grandmothers around the world."
The dedication of the Grandmothers is said to be very great. Before arriving at one of the Council meetings, Aama Bombo
Aama Bombo
Buddhi Maya Lama, or Aama Bombo as she is also known, is a spiritual leader and Shaman who was born in Melong, Nepal. Aama gained international recognition as a healer and resides on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women and wisdom...
from Nepal is said to have "literally walked through bombs dropping in order to get to the airplane so that she could get to one of our meetings".
Book published about The Grandmothers
The author Carol Schaefer worked with the Grandmothers to publish Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet through Trumpeter Books, an imprint of Shambhala PublicationsShambhala Publications
Shambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Many of its books deal with Buddhism or related topics...
. In a note to the reader the author writes,
Finally, though my name appears on the cover of this book, the words of wisdom expressed within it are not mine, and I do not lay claim to them. In a sense, this book represents our collective spiritual heritage.
The book has been printed in nine different languages. It is in its 4th edition in English.
For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak (documentary)
The Emmy and Peabody AwardPeabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
-winning filmmaker Carole Hart directed the film, For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak which documents the Grandmothers as they meet and travel around the world.
The title of the film stems from the indigenous culture of long-term acting and planning in order to consider how one's actions would affect the next seven generations.
The film won the 'best of festival' and 'best documentary' at the Talking Circle Film Festival in Hawai'i in 2009.
Grandmothers sitting on the council
- Agnes Baker PilgrimAgnes Baker PilgrimAgnes Emma Baker-Pilgrim is a Native American spiritual elder from Grants Pass, Oregon. She is the oldest member of her tribe, the Takelma. She is also the Granddaughter of the first elected Chief of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz - Jack Harney...
(Elected Chairperson) - TakelmaTakelmaThe Takelma were a Native American people that lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon, with most of their villages sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means Along the River.-History:...
, Confederated Tribes of SiletzConfederated Tribes of SiletzThe Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the United States is a federally recognized confederation of 27 Native American tribal bands that once inhabited a range from northern California to southwest Washington.-Tribes:...
- Grants Pass, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, USA - Aama BomboAama BomboBuddhi Maya Lama, or Aama Bombo as she is also known, is a spiritual leader and Shaman who was born in Melong, Nepal. Aama gained international recognition as a healer and resides on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women and wisdom...
- TamangTamangThe Tamangs are the ancient and original inhabitants of the mountains and plains of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. Their ancient capital being Yambu - modern day Kathmandu. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Their ancestral domain is popularly known as...
- NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... - Margaret BehanMargaret BehanMargaret Behan is a Native American spiritual elder who is Arapahoe-Cheyenne and a fifth generation of the Sand Creek Massacre. Through her work as an indigenous elder stateswoman, Margaret has gained international recognition through her work as part of the Council of the International Council of...
- ArapahoArapahoThe Arapaho are a tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux. Arapaho is an Algonquian language closely related to Gros Ventre, whose people are seen as an early...
/CheyenneCheyenneCheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
- MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, USA - Rita Pitka BlumensteinRita Pitka BlumensteinRita Pitka Blumenstein was the first certified traditional doctor in Alaska and works for the Southcentral Foundation. Blumenstein gained international recognition as a healer and has resided on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women...
- Yup’ik - Alaskan TundraAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, USA - Julieta CasimiroJulieta CasimiroJulieta Casimiro is a Mazatec Healer. As well as her work as an indigenous healer, Julieta has gained international recognition as a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women and wisdom keepers since its founding in 2004.-Healing...
- Mazatec - Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico - Maria Alice Campos Freire - Amazonian RainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Flordemayo - MayanMaya peoplesThe Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
- Highlands of Central AmericaCentral Highlands (Central America)The Central Highlands is the name given for the string of mountains and volcanoes which run through the middle of Central America. The highlands are part of a circle of volcanoes known as the Pacific Ring of Fire that runs through Japan, New Zealand, the Americas, and rims the entire Pacific Ocean....
/ New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... - Tsering Dolma GyaltongTsering Dolma GyaltongTsering Dolma Gyaltong is a Tibetan spiritual leader who lives in exile in Toronto, Canada. Tsering has been active in being an Founding Member of the Tibetan Women's Association and re-establishing it again in 1984....
- TibetanTibetan peopleThe Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan... - Clara Shinobu Iura - Amazonian RainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Beatrice Long Visitor Holy DanceBeatrice Long Visitor Holy DanceBeatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance is a Native American spiritual elder who is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and comes from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota...
- OglalaOglala LakotaThe Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people; along with the Nakota and Dakota, they make up the Great Sioux Nation. A majority of the Oglala live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the eighth-largest Native American reservation in the...
Lakota - Black HillsBlack HillsThe Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, USA - Rita Long Visitor Holy DanceRita Long Visitor Holy DanceRita Long Visitor Holy Dance is a Native American spiritual elder who is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and comes from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota...
- OglalaOglala LakotaThe Oglala Lakota or Oglala Sioux are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people; along with the Nakota and Dakota, they make up the Great Sioux Nation. A majority of the Oglala live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the eighth-largest Native American reservation in the...
Lakota - Black HillsBlack HillsThe Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, USA - Mona PolaccaMona PolaccaMona Polacca is a Native American spiritual elder from Arizona. She has worked to further social justice for indigenous people from an early age...
- HopiHopiThe Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
/Havasupai/Tewa - ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... - Bernadette RebienotBernadette RebienotBernadette was born in Libreville, Gabon Bernadette Rebienot is a spiritual leader. Through her work as an indigenous elder stateswoman, Bernadette gained international recognition as a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers - a group of spiritual elders, medicine women...
- Omyene - GabonGabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
, Africa
Ambassadors for the Grandmothers
Several elders have been involved in supporting the message and work of the Grandmothers, among them:- Pauline Tangiora - Māori elder from New Zealand
- Jyoti - 'Traveling Ambassador Charged with The Mission', CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, USA - Madrinha Rita Gregório - Amazon RainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, Brazil - Constance dePauliac - France
External links
- Official website for documentary For The Next Seven Generations
- For The Next Seven Generations film trailer
- The Center for Sacred Studies
- Conversations from Penn State - Interview with Grandmother Agnes
- Statement of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
- Turning Prayer into Action TV documentary of Grandmothers dialogue with Bioneers