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the words of thegrandmothers

‘When the Grandmothers from the fourdirections speak, the earth will heal.’

Hopi Prophecy

Suzanne Duce

The Council of 13 Grandmothers in Assisi Italy 2008Back Row (from left to right): Margaret Behan (Cheyenne-Arapaho : USA) � Agnes Baker Pilgrim (Takelma-Siletz : USA)

Bernadette Rebienot (Omyene : Gabon, Africa)

Middle Row (from left to right): Flordemayo (Mayan : USA) � Beatrice Long-Visitor Holy Dance (Oglala Lakota : USA)Rita Pikta Blumenstein (Yupik : USA) �Tsering Dolma Gyaltong (Tibetan : Canada)

Clara Shinobu Iura (Mapia : Brazil) � Aama Bompo (Tamang : Nepal) � Julieta Casimiro (Mazatec : Mexico)

Front Row (from left to right): Maria Alice Campos Freire (Mapia : Brazil) � Rita Long-Visitor Holy Dance(Oglala Lakota : USA) � Mona Polacca (Hopi-Havasupai : USA)

Top left: Yupikgrandmother

Rita PiktaBlumenstein

drums and sings and (below)

kisses a youngTibetan girl

during a visitto Dharamsala

Since my childhood I have enjoyedbeing in the presence of elders,listening to them.

In the easy company of mygrandfather Harry, I would sitdreaming by the fire, listening to hisstories of the days when foxes ranthrough nearby fields. He was adown-to-earth man, typical of theno-nonsense stalwart North, notgiven to fanciful esotericexplanations. Yet he couldcommunicate with the spirit worldand had a spirit guide. It was simplyan ability he had, along with hiscarpentry skill, and we never thoughtit remarkable. I learned from himthat this reality is not the only one.

My other grandfather Charleshad knowledge of healing plantsand would point them out to me aswe walked by a hedgerow. He wassought out by neighbours to healphysical ailments with herbalmedicines, often dispensing hisinsightful wisdom as well.

Listening to grandmother Caroline,singing as she worked, is one of myearliest memories, linked forever tothe scent of lavender polish.

My earliest memory is of being inthe arms of grandmother Lily beforeshe died; with a pervasive feeling ofher unconditional love. I was toldthat I could not possibly haveremembered this as I was only a fewweeks old. But I’ve learned, sincefollowing a path to the ThirteenGrandmothers, that many things arepossible that we can’t explain.

It took me many years before Irealised that these experiences withmy own grandparents are allaspects of shamanic practice.Communing with spirits, workingwith healing plants, singing (inceremonies, prayers, and to theinvisible world of spirits), and holdingthe intention of love for all that is.

The thirteen indigenousgrandmothers incorporate all thesehealing practices, and more. Myjourney to them, my awareness ofbeing compelled by something Icouldn’t name, has been lifelong.

It was only after my parents andI emigrated to Canada in 1966, thatI began to connect with nativepeople and to understand myaffinity for spiritual beliefs andpractices that were aligned with thenatural world.

Propelled by an inner knowing that‘this is not all there is,’ in the 1990’s Imet grandmother Sarah Smith, aMohawk elder of the Turtle Clan, andkeeper of the dreamtime spirituality.

I participated in a ceremonialcircle she held to honour a womanwho had died in prison. After theoutdoor ceremony, she came aroundto hug each one of us. It was when Ilooked into her eyes that a newworld opened up for me and I wasdrawn into it, knowing that it wouldlead me to what I needed.

I began to dream of grandmotherteachers, and to find my way toreclaiming creativity as a healingpractice, and to an understanding ofthe healing aspects of shamanism. Idiscovered intuitive painting, five-rhythms dance, and the art ofdreaming awake.

Inspiring teachers came into mylife, and one of them spoke of acircle of powerful women who wereteachers and guides for dreamers,and those who walked the ‘goodred road’ to power. The heart oftheir teachings was, she said,unconditional love.

Dreams began to manifest,culminating in 2010 with a dream ofmeeting the Tibetan grandmother,Tsering Dolma Gyaltong. I picked upa newspaper I didn’t usually read,seeing an announcement that shewas coming to a local TibetanBuddhist meeting.

I met her and saw part of thefilm about the ThirteenGrandmothers. I knew that thesewere the teachers I had beensearching for and I prayed to meetthem in this reality, face to face.

In the Hudson River valley ofNew York State, only three hoursfrom bustling New York City, is agem called The Omega Institute forHolistic Studies. It was here, inOctober 2010, that my dream ofmeeting the Thirteen Grandmotherscame true.

I didn’t know that hundreds ofothers have felt this call to meetthem, it is a worldwidephenomenon of being called toserve and not knowing why or how.Just by being in their presencepeople are changed positively,becoming more conscious. That iswhat the Grandmothers do, theyfacilitate change and transformationon every level. They work in a non-linear experiential way thatconfounds the skeptic and thebeliever alike. Their appearance asinnocuous amiable grannies is theperfect disguise for shamanicpractitioners of the highest degree.

The coming together of 13 indigenousgrandmothers was foreseen in visions,

dreams, and prophecies, heralding atime of transformation. A time of

cataclysmic change not only for theearth, but for human consciousness

Right: smudgesmoke swirlsaround thehands of agrandmotheras she performsa ceremony

Below: thedining hallat the OmegaInstitute in NY

SH ISSUE 72 2011 8

THE GRANDMOTHERS SPEAK‘When the Grandmothers from thefour directions speak, the earth willheal.’ These words from a Hopiprophecy foretell a time when acouncil of wise women elders wouldbe vital to the world’s continuance.That time is here.

The coming together of thirteenindigenous grandmothers wasforeseen in visions, dreams, andprophecies, heralding a time oftransformation. A time ofcataclysmic change not only for theearth, but for human consciousness.

According to the Grandmothers,the changes are not only planetary,but cosmic. They are notdoomsayers, nor fear-mongers,they are truth-tellers who enlighten.

Each draws upon her lineage, thewisdom of the ancestors; oralteachings that have been passeddown only within that culture, untilnow. These chaotic and uncertaintimes are a prelude to a new way ofliving with all of Creation, that isfocussed on unity, not division. It isreferred to by the elders as a birthingprocess, with a difficult labour, whichis our resistance to change.

As we bear witness to massivelosses of species, forests and cleanwater, it is imperative that we stop,look, listen, and change course.Some say that it is already too late,that we’ve gone far beyond any hopeof reclaiming earth-centred valuesand reverence for nature, but intothis discord of chaos and fear comesthe bell-like clarity of the voices ofthe Thirteen Grandmothers.

They do not advocate violentrevolution, but peaceful awakening,an awareness of where our choiceshave led and will lead, if we refuseto change. They bring hope in darktimes. The vision of a new dream ofthe world, and the luminous beingthat is being birthed within humanconsciousness.

The Thirteen Grandmothers arenot what one typically associateswith elderhood. They are vibrantpresences, alert, powerful, andrespected in their communities fortheir wisdom and gifts of healing.

There is a mystique aroundthese women, a sense of being inthe presence of almost archetypalenergies. Face to face, theyemanate a deep calm, like ancientmountains. Their eyes probeintensely, and you know that theysee who you are, flaws and all.Nothing escapes their attention,they become mirrors of learning forall who go to meet them.

A MISTY WALK TO BREAKFASTA Mohawk woman I walked withone morning had come to, as sheput it, “release all the pain andanger I’ve carried for years.”

She had been in the residentialschool system, not allowed to speakher language, and subject to the manyabuses of spirit, mind and body, thatfrequently occurred in that setting.

“Good morning,” I said. “Skona,”she replied, “that is my languageand it means peace.”

I spoke of meeting Mohawkgrandmother Sarah Smith, and howmuch I respected her, and as wetalked, we realised that each of ushad carried a great weight to thisgathering, and that we were united,rather than different, in our senseof grief at past personal histories.

“The Grandmothers help us torelease all that no longer serves us,” Isaid, saying how I had felt my heartopen on seeing them all enter thegathering around the fire, and theMohawk woman I walked with agreed.

The ‘grannies,’ as they callthemselves, are from many differentcultures, each with its ownlanguage. They have all suffered invarious ways, some through theignorance of the dominant culture,some through exile from theirhomeland, some through torture,attempted genocide, the anguish ofloss and the abyss of addictions.

Yet they are filled with lovingcompassion, it flows out of themlike a river - everyone is touched byit; and, it was working on the twoof us, the Mohawk woman and I aswe walked to breakfast that day.

We all barricade ourselvesagainst being hurt, and add to thelarger wars ‘out there’ by keepingthe small ones active within. Thatmorning, as we walked, we bothagreed that we were in some smallway, changing that, and when weparted, something had shiftedwithin us and we each put a hand

Above: Diné(Navaho) man

Rex Bizahalonistands in thewaters of the

Colorado riverwhich passes

down theGrand Canyon -a sacred place

to many NativeAmerican people

SH ISSUE 72 2011 9

over our heart, no words necessary.Later on when we reconnected,she thanked me for my friendship. Irealised that she had gifted me witha new concept of friendship. That itcan mean simply walking withsomeone in the same direction, fora few minutes on a misty Octobermorning, each opening their heartto the other, knowing that theirpaths may not cross again.

WOMEN OF POWERThat is the gift that theGrandmothers bring to all who gatheraround them. A feeling of unity in ourshared humanity, not separation, tobe in their presence is enough toheal the deepest divisions.

Their message is simple, ‘loveone another,’ put aside self-importance and be of service; stepout of self-pity and into the powerof your dream, your unique gifts.

The Thirteen Grandmothers areall wounded healers, who havewalked through their pain andemerged as powerfully giftedteachers, elders who know how toshift others out of victimhood,disease, and apathy. TheGrandmothers belie that title, with itsconnotation of fragile little old ladies,they have more stamina (eventhough some of the women are intheir 80’s) than I had in my twenties.

Takelma elder Agnes Baker-Pilgrim zoomed around on hermotorised scooter. She is 86, abear-like presence, humourous andkind. She told us of the sacredsalmon ceremony which sheperformed at Ti’lomikh, on theRogue River in Oregon, near towhere she lives.

The salmon season in 2010, notonly in the northwest US but

Canada’s west coast as well, wasone of the most prolific ever.

Scientists had predicted a declinein the annual catch and acommission had been convened tolook into that, and yet fishermenwere reporting a record number offish. According to the VancouverSun newspaper (August 25, 2010),‘the huge salmon run, ironically,comes during the $15 million CohenCommission of Inquiry into thedisappearance of Fraser river sockeye.’

We all laughed when grandmaAgnes told us of receiving a visitfrom representatives of the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service asking,“what have you been doing?”

She told them that she hadspoken to the salmon people andasked them to come back, and thatcleaning up the river system waswhat had been asked in return.

All things in nature have spirit,we were told, so everything listens.When we speak truth, and theintent behind our words is love andappreciation, the water, the earth,stones, trees, plants, animals, birds,receive that communication.

We live in relation to all otherlifeforms, and to the spirit beingswho live alongside us, say theGrandmothers. Elders of theindigenous peoples around theworld have not lost touch with thatview. Communication throughprayer, singing, drumming, andblessing of the natural world, keepsus in right relationship with it.

Awareness of the spirit worldand how to positively interact with

it, is also vital to our well-being andthat of the planet. Shamaniccultures - and we all came from ashamanic culture originally - havealways understood theseconnections. Each of theGrandmothers represents ancientteachings that they are now willingto share with everyone.

Agnes asked us all to thank thewater, to pray for it, for water warsmay come. Clean water is moreprecious than oil because we can’tlive without it. She said: “Knowwhere your water comes from andwhat’s in it. It’s easy to go to awater source, a river, lake, ocean,and say a prayer of thanks. It’s away of giving back to the earth.”

Reciprocity, balance, is the wayof creating a viable future for all,understanding how everything isconnected. All the Grandmothersencourage prayer and gratitude,communication with the worldaround us, and as Agnes told us astory of how her tribal ancestorshad transformed intodragonflies, suddenly many

dragonflies flew among thegathering, landing on people,like blessings.

Flordemayo, a Mayancurandera, describing her originas being “from Central Americaand the Pleiades,” shared hervision of the shift in humanconsciousness. Her intensity andeloquence riveted the audience.She is a passionate speaker,often emotional, as are all the

Agnes asked us all tothank the water, topray for it, for waterwars may come.Clean water is moreprecious than oilbecause we can’tlive without it

Takelma elder Agnes Baker-Pilgrimzoomed around on her motorisedscooter. She is 86, a bear-likepresence, humourous and kind

Right: TibetangrandmotherTsering DolmaGyaltong

Inset: a Tibetanstatue of GreenTara (Dolma) theSaviouress

Below: YupikgrandmotherRita PiktaBlumensteinprays by asacred fire

SH ISSUE 72 201110

Grandmothers when theyare moved. She showedus that it’s alright toexpress our feelings asthey occur, helping us tounderstand the power ofemotion when it movesinto the words we speakand the prayers we make.

Words have power,the Grandmothers toldus, adding we should becareful how we use them,as the intent behind

words can harm, or bless.

TENDING THE SACRED FIREDuring the time I spent with theThirteen Grandmothers, eachmorning, noon, and evening, wewould gather around the sacredfire which was tended twenty-four hours a day by John, thefirekeeper, and his helpers.

At these times, one of theGrandmothers would pray in hertraditional way. Margaret Behan, RedSpider Woman, (Arapaho-Cheyenne), prayed while standing ona bearskin, asking us to join with herchanting. She spoke of herawareness of the web of energeticconnection between us all.

Grandmother Margaret workswith the peyote plant andemphasised the importance ofworking in a sacred way with all

plant medicines; not treating themas recreational drugs, butapproaching them with respect, asone would approach a great teacher.

Tibetan grandmother TseringDolma Gyaltong, prayed indoors atan altar dedicated to the Buddhistgoddess Tara (called Dolma inTibet), and we recited the Taramantra along with her.

Grandmother Tsering is humble,graceful, without a shred of self-pity.She encouraged us all to recite the

Tara mantra as aneffective protectionagainst all harm.

Braziliangrandmother MariaAlice Campos Freire,created an altar of flowers and plantsby the lake, singing with herexquisitely beautiful daughter songs ofinvocation and thanks to the deitieswho work through her, blessing all

present with water. GrandmotherMaria works with the powerfulhealing plant, Santo Daime, alsoknown as ayahuasca, and providesother plant medicines and herhealing abilities, to her communitydeep in the Amazon rain forest.She told us of her experience oftorture when she was a youngwoman, and how it had broken heropen not in hatred, but into an

awareness of compassion.

Mexican Mazatecgrandmother Julieta Casimirosang her prayers, then walked

around blessingeveryone with wateron a spray of leaves.

Grandmother Julieta isthe personification of

humility, with apoignant child-likeinnocence in hersinging, that breaks

through any residualcynicism and doubt.

She laughedreadily, evenwhen standing inline at the ladies!

I opened the door andthere she was, this littlepowerhouse who is a respectedcurandera and works with the niñossantos, the holy children, which iswhat she calls the psilocybin

Grandmother Tsering,humble, graceful,without a shred ofself-pity, encouragedus all to recite theTara mantra as aneffective protectionagainst all harm

Above andleft: TamanggrandmotherAamo Bombo

from Nepal

Below: HisHoliness theDalai Lamameets the

Grandmotherson their visit

to Dharamsala

SH ISSUE 72 2011 11

(magic) mushrooms which help herin her healing work.

What was remarkable at thisgathering is how approachable theGrandmothers were, even though nophotographs or recording deviceswere permitted - as we wereasked to respect the oraltraditions through which theGrandmothers received theirteachings, and to really listen,instead of writing it all down.

We were asked to becomeaware of deep listening, notonly to words, but to nuancesof meaning within them.

When Nepalesegrandmother Aama Bombo(whose name means, ‘Mothershaman’), prayed, shespontaneously shifted intochanneling the healing deities whowork through her. Kali, andHanumanji, the monkey god, aresignificant deities in her healingwork, as is the spirit of her father,who was a Nepalese shaman.

Resplendent in her peacockfeather headdress and wearingancient bells on leather strapsaround her body, she sat andplayed her shaman’s drum andchanted. Deep in trance, she beganto move, to shake. Watching as shemorphed into a tiger-like big cat,stretching, rolling, growling as ahuge tiger would, was spellbinding.

As she worked, two vulturescircled overhead. Kali, like thevulture, devours darker energies,the dead places within, andprotects her devotees. Kali is abeloved goddess, reflecting thecomplexity of the life-death-lifecycle, dismembering all that is ofthe ego-identity, so that the trueself shines through.

When the energy settled withinher, and she became calm,grandmother Aama offered allpresent the healing ability that wascoursing through her right then.Fifty or more stood in line. Sheused a fan which appeared to bemade of hair, fanning it over people,and spoke in her own language.

One man who arched backwardsin the chair, appeared to have beenstruck unconscious, and Aamaspoke to him in what sounded like

English words saying, “heart! heart!open heart!” She usually speaksonly in Nepalese and requires atranslator. A murmur ofapprehension moved down the line,but no-one left. When I sat withher, I felt a surrendering of any fear

and a trust of her, as she held mewith her gaze. The hair fan feltheavy, almost like being physicallystruck, as if I was beingadmonished to let go of all myegocentric self-importance.

A purring sound came from her.She pulled me into her and I felther working at the assemblagepoint at my back. My friend whowas watching said that she hadremoved something from my back.and I had to admit that I felt lighter,as if a weight had gone.

Each Grandmother shared herways of healing, her wisdom, andanswered all questions.

The two Lakota grandmothers,sisters Rita and Beatrice Long VisitorHoly Dance, received news of thedeath of a young relative. They

allowed us all to witness their griefand how they honour the deadthrough prayer and ceremony, withtheir personal chanupa (sacred pipe),while seated on a buffalo hide.

Rita’s son sang a mourning chant,and as we all focussed on the passingof the young man, a large hawk flewlow over our heads, so everyone sawit. It flew into the West, which isconsidered by some native elders, tobe the direction of death,transformation, and the sacred dream,signalling that our prayers had beentaken to the spirit of the departed.Such occurrences were common,during the five-day gathering.

Hopi-Havasupai-Tewagrandmother Mona Polacca spoke

When Nepalese grandmother Aama Bomboprayed, she spontaneously shifted into channeling

the healing deities who work through her

of her Havasupai heritage, of thepeople of the blue-green waterswho live in the Grand Canyon, andshared stories of her ancestors.

In a spontaneous very emotionaltalk, she spoke about TibetanGrandmother Tsering, about how shehad been forced to leave Tibet andwalk at night through treacherousmountains with her young childrenand mother, leaving behind one ofher children for fear of arousing thesuspicion of the Chinese.

“Do you know who is standinghere before you,” grandmotherMona asked, inspiring us to see thecourage and tenacity of her sistergrandmother.

LOVE AND UNITYWhat is so evident when watchinghow the Grandmothers interact withone another, is how much they

revere and love each other, acrossthe divides of culture and language.

Near the end of the gathering wewere each led to one of theGrandmothers to receive their blessing.We didn’t know which grandmother itwould be, and I found I had been ledto Lakota grandmother Rita LongVisitor Holy Dance. Her home is inthe Black Hills in South Dakota, thehome of the Lakota. It is one of thepoorest areas in the US, and thelocation of one of the mosthorrendous mass killings in history,Wounded Knee. Yet here I stood, awhite person, receiving the blessingof a woman whose ancestors hadbeen slaughtered by whites.

Even in their recent grief overthe death of a family member, sheand her sister Beatrice had madeus all laugh whenever an infusion ofenergy was needed to lift us all -such was their generosity of spirit.

The Grandmothers do notdiscriminate about who receivestheir teachings, their blessings, ortheir powerful healings. Theirexample teaches us to work withwhoever is in front of us, withoutprejudice and without blaming.

As I stood there, looking into theeyes of this dignified elder, all Icould do was cry, not in sadness,but with great joy, as if she hadunlocked that early memory of theunconditional love I had felt frommy own grandmother, when I wasjust a newborn. As I felt the eaglefeathers of grandmother’s fangently move over me, I knew whata blessing I was receiving. I felthumble and thankful.

I heard many people recounthow moved they had been; how

many there had experienced life-altering moments. The Mohawkwoman I had talked to on the wayto breakfast that misty morning afew days earlier, said how thankfulshe was to all the Grandmothers,and to all the people who hadshown kindness to her and hadsaid, “I’m sorry,” when they hadheard about her experiences.

We all returned home from thatgathering with a sense that themessage of peace that theGrandmothers are carrying aroundthe world reaches deeply intoeveryone who meets them.

And I still marvel at the sheerphysical energy of these ‘grannies,’as after they had been with ussome of them were travelling toJapan, to visit the ancestral homeof another of the Grandmothers,Clara Shinobu Iura; whileGrandmother Tsering was returninghome to Toronto, to host the visit ofthe Dalai Llama there.

Their commitment to their callingto be messengers of hope, was,and still is humbling. Thosefortunate enough to look into theireyes, see the possibility of a newworld that is taking shape, whereharmony is the key word.

When the Grandmothers speak,those who listen becomemessengers for them and theirwork, and it is an ever-wideningcircle of light.

Further Reading: ‘Grandmothers Counselthe World: Women Elders Offer TheirVision For Our Planet,’ by Carol Schaefer(Trumpeter Books, Boston, 2006)www.grandmotherscouncil.org

Most of the photos in this article are byMarisol Villanueva, courtesy of TheInternational Council of Thirteen IndigenousGrandmothers. Sacred Hoop Magazinewishes to thank Laura Jackson for herhelp in obtaining them.

Suzanne Duce was born in Sheffield,England, but now lives in lives inBurlington, Ontario, Canada. She paints,writes, and facilitates workshops oncreativity and shamanic healing practices. After meeting Mohawk grandmother SarahSmith in the 1990’s, Suzanne began todream of native grandmother teachers,which has led her to focus on the wisdomof the Thirteen Grandmothers.Suzanne practices the art of dreaming, andparticipates in the ‘Circle of Dreamers’founded by the UK writer and dreamerManda Scott. azensun@sympatico.ca

For details of the Omega Institute forHolistic Studies www.eomega.org

See the review of the film ‘For TheNext Seven Generations’ about thework of the Thirteen Grandmothers inthis issue of Sacred Hoop.

As I felt the feathers of grandmother’sfan gently move over me, I knewwhat a blessing I was receiving.

I felt humble and thankful

Above: Acrossthe generations- grandmotherRita greets andblesses agrandmother of the future

SH ISSUE 72 201112