Indigenous people across the world hold prophecies about the time that we are in. There are groups, communities and collectives that are doing the spiritual work to honour those prophecies. With love and intentions for the future generations yet to come, they are picking up the bundles that our ancestors kept safe and protected for the times that we are in now. These bundles provide guidance for how we can learn to be in good relations with Mother Earth again.
This session will give a brief introduction to prophecies internationally and work that is being done to support the Earth. This webinar is meant to support knowledge sharing with youth from various elders, grandmothers, and Earth workers on what is happening on the Earth and how it includes all of our relations within this work.
Speakers
Mindahi Bastida
Mindahi Munoz Otomi-Toltec from State of Mexico is the Director of Originals Nations Program at The Fountain and member of Mother Earth Delegation. Until 2020 was the director of the Original Caretakers Program, Center for Earth Ethics, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is also the General Coordinator of the Otomi-Toltect Regional Council in Mexico, a caretaker of the philosophy and traditions of the Otomi-Toltec Peoples and has been an Otomi-Toltec Ritual Ceremony Officer since 1988.
Grandmother Dianne Ottereyes Reid
Reid is a Cree grandmother from the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, Quebec.
In 1991, she worked as a regional cultural coordinator working with local and regional elders’ councils of the nation. She supported the establishment of the local cultural coordinators and local elders’ councils, as well as a regional elders’ council in the early 1990’s. Through their guidance, she represents the Cree Elders with their indigenous knowledge, traditional medicine and healing.
In 1994, she was initiated to the regional council of elders and continues as a grandmother to pass on the traditional knowledge transmitted to her by Cree elders and indigenous elders from various tribes of the world.
She was President of the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute for 18 years up to April 2015. She chaired the Exhibit Advisory Group for the development of the opening and permanent exhibit of Aanischaaukamikw. In 2012, she received the Diamond Jubilee Governor General Award for work achievements in cultural heritage and aboriginal radio and television broadcasting.
Throughout her career, she has trained in the traditional healing field for the last 35 years, being active as a grandmother for Sun dances & Moon dances. She is an initiate in the traditional teaching lodge of the Midewiwin community as a grandmother, traditional healer and a teacher of traditional knowledge. She conducts rites of passage ceremonies from birth to adulthood and continues to hold individual and group healing sessions for the wellbeing of all that seek Miyupimaatisiiun.
She currently provides elder support as requested to implement traditional healing approaches and tradition medicine into the health system for the Cree Nation in Quebec.
Mike Nadjiwon
My Spirit name is Little Half Moon, I am Eagle clan of the Ojibway Nation and a Midewiwin man. In our time of prophecy, it was foretold about a time when we would pick up the lost pieces left on the trail. My path led me to the Midewiwin lodge in 1989 and in my spiritual development have discovered my work is much engrained in prophecy.
Mike’s work is for the future generations and activating the goodness of life with that which Creator and creation continues to generously place upon my path. May our joining of knowledge bring light to the important work needed at this time.
Pooven Moodley
Pooven Moodley is a Human Rights and Environmental Lawyer and social justice activist from South Africa. He is currently the Executive Director of Natural Justice, lawyers for the community and the environment.
Before joining Natural Justice he was the Associate Country Director of Oxfam GB in South Africa and the Global Head of Campaigning for ActionAid International. He most recently led with other activists, the successful Campaign to stop South Africa’s proposed massive nuclear deal with Russia. He has contributed to a range of struggles across the globe starting with the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa when he was 14. He is a Council member of the ICCA Consortium and the Chair of the Defending the Territories of Life stream working with environmental and land defenders. He is also on the Board of Digital Democracy which backs up indigenous communities and their territories using technology.