41st Annual Native American
Elders and Youth Gathering

July 25th – 27th, 2025

Join Us for the 41st Annual Native American Elders and Youth Gathering
July 25–27, 2025 (Workshops: July 28)
In person at Sunray Peace Village in Lincoln, Vermont — or online via Zoom

The Indigenous peoples of the Americas prophesied that the day would come when they would share their spiritual teachings with all people. For 40 years, Ven. Dhyani Ywahoo, Sunray’s spiritual director, and Sunray Meditation Society have been fulfilling that prophecy through our annual Elders Gathering. This 41st year we are inviting young people as well as Elders to present and share from their hearts.

Come be part of a powerful tradition of healing, learning, and connection. Held on the sacred land of Sunray Peace Village, this beloved annual Gathering brings together Indigenous Elders and Wisdom Keepers from many traditions, youth, environmental leaders, scientists, and community members from around the world.

This Year’s Theme: Light is Consciousness
All matter is consciousness, and all is interdependent.

This year’s theme invites us to remember what Indigenous wisdom has shared for millennia and what some scientists now affirm: that light is not only physical energy—it is the very expression of consciousness itself. Everything that exists, from the smallest seed to the farthest star, is made of this luminosity.

As we gather, we’ll explore how this truth lives in our bodies, our relationships, our Earth, and our sacred responsibilities. In the presence of Indigenous Elders, youth, and Wisdom Keepers from many traditions, we’ll reflect on how to align our thoughts, speech, and actions with this light of awareness—and how to recognize it in all beings.

Through ceremony, teaching, dialogue, and deep listening, we’ll strengthen our collective capacity to walk in balance—rooted in the understanding that we are not separate from the Earth or each other, that we are expressions of a shared, living consciousness.

This theme is both a reminder and a call: to see more clearly, to act more compassionately, and to honor the luminous threads that connect us all.

Through ceremony, dialogue, and shared experience, we’ll explore ways to live in right relationship with each other and with Mother Earth.

What to expect:

Daily teachings from Indigenous Elders and Wisdom Keepers from many traditions
Timely and inspired messages from our youth
Children’s program
Exploration through artistic expression
Opportunities to engage with a global community rooted in peace, respect, and care for the Earth
Cross-cultural workshops, on Monday, blending spiritual traditions with science and environmental knowledge
A vibrant hybrid format — join us onsite or online

All are welcome — from long-time attendees to first-time seekers. Whether you come in person or connect from afar online, this is a unique opportunity to receive timeless wisdom and deepen your spiritual path in a community committed to creating a more harmonious world.