37th Annual Native American
Elders and Youth Gathering
July 30th – August 1st, 2021
Post-Elders Gathering Workshops
Sunray’s 37th Annual Native American Elders Gathering featuring Workshops on Monday, August 2nd via Livestream Online
Emerging From The Pandemic: What Have We Learned? Where Do We Go From Here?
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Grandfather Mike Bastine is an Algonquin healer, elder, and former student of famous Tuscarora medicine man Wallace “Mad Bear” Anderson and Tuscarora healer Ted Williams.
Grandfather Mike will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect together on the past few months. He will give insight as to how to move forward and stay healthy and resilient as our planet, and our galaxy continue to go through coming changes. Grandfather will offer a chance to harvest what we have learned from our current world situation involving the Covid-19 pandemic, political and social unrest, and global warming. We will examine what we each can do to help our family, and community stay connected rather than numbing out and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information bombarding us with social media on our many devices. Although we can be grateful that it helped us stay connected, how do we take care to not let social media and other confusing information sources take over our minds and hearts? After assisting Tuscarora Medicine Man, Mad Bear Anderson, for many years, Grandfather Mike reminds us that as Mad Bear would say. “It is not only so much about what we believe, but about a way of life.”
Grandfather Mike will offer questions for participants to discuss in small breakout groups to help us all reflect on what we have learned during this Covid-19 pandemic individually. We will then come back to the larger group and collectively come up with new practical insights to help us all going forward.
$25
How do we go into the future and build healthy, loving communities while honoring our Mother Earth?
1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Lawrence Happy Laughing is a member of the Turtle Clan from Akwesasne. His Turtle name is Aronwantankie and also Wakasehronni, which is his nick name ‘Happy”. He comes from the Rotinonsonni, People of the Longhouse, and was always inspired by his Onkwehonwe people in his community who still carry their cultural ways, ceremonies, language and sacred knowledge which connects them to Mother Earth. He has worked in the North American Indian Travelling College, different schools, drug and alcohol programs, and community projects with the Longhouse Clan Mothers and Clan Chiefs. In California, as a cultural specialist in the 4 Elements Earth Education–4eee Fox Walkers Program, rather than teaching young people about survival which only promotes fear of our Mother Earth, Happy teaches them through stories, song and round dance about building community through expressing great gratitude and great love for our Earth Mother.
Participants in this workshop will reflect on what living according to “the Natural Laws of the Mother Earth” means especially for today’s young people. Happy asks us to think about how, with the “craziness of Capitalism, and the negative effects of the Nature of Money” there is a great need to live according to the time-honored wisdom and ways taught by the Rotinonsonni, People of the Longhouse. Happy helps young people to speak and act from their hearts and honor Mother Earth. He will share from his community-building work in the 4eee Fox Walkers Program and Coyote track work in the schools in Central Park New York, New Jersey, and California.
$25
Welcoming the Other
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT
Nootauau Kaukontuoh, known as Hears Crow is a woman of the Eastern Woodlands. She lives her life in the tradition of the people known today as the Narragansett. A Storyteller of Longhouse Tales, told in different styles including Native Sign Language, call and response and other traditional styles, she has twice been awarded publishing contracts for her book of poetry and is currently completing a Native mid-grade novel. She brings to life the oral tradition at schools, community centers, Indigenous gatherings and wherever the stories lead her.
As one who shares knowledge, a ceremonial leader, and thirty-five plus years of telling, she brings forth the culture of the Longhouse People, through their stories. This workshop is the result of that work.
Drawing on diverse resources, this powerful and highly interactive workshop inspires an appreciation of and engagement with “the Other.”
In its core format, after laying foundational instruction – and a story or two! – participants engage in an exercise designed to evoke a strong, empathic response to being “outside,” ultimately invoking motivation to action. Dialogue and collaboration are used throughout; full advantage is made of the power of small groups and immersive creativity.
The attendees should be equipped with a few sheets of paper and preferably a pencil, but a pen will do. Grandmother recommends participants bring water or some other beverage to sustain hydration.This an interactive workshop but not physically active. Grandmother has given permission for the recording of the workshop to be shared with participants afterwards but requests that they not share it with anyone who did not participate live in the workshop.
$25
All Workshops are online. Register to receive Participation Links
Receive recordings for re-watch or if unable to attend in real time (exception Grandmother Hears Crow’s workshop — see above). Recordings will be sent by email to all who register. They will be sent once review and editing process is completed.