39th Annual Native American
Elders and Youth Gathering
July 28th – 30th, 2023
Presenters
Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, is the Founder and Spiritual Director of Sunray Meditation Society. She is the 27th generation lineage holder of the ancestral Ywahoo lineage in the Tsalagi / Cherokee tradition. She is unique as a teacher, carrying three intact streams of ancient spiritual wisdom. Venerable Dhyani is the Chief of the Green Mountain Band of the Ani Yun Wi Wa. She is the author of Voices of Our Ancestors, Learning Cherokee ways: The Ywahoo Path, and 108 Quotations: A Treasury of Mystical Wisdom. She has also contributed to many books over the years and has written various curriculums that have been utilized for peacemaking around the world.
Tehoronio Joey David is a member of the Mohawk nation (Wolf Clan). He works at the Tekanikonrahwa:kon Wholistic Health and Wellness Program in Akwesasne, NY. He utilizes the Onkwehonwehnéha Ohkakowenta, or “original person wheel” to help clients and community members connect with their hearts and develop spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.
Tatjana Cady is of the Abenaki Turtle Clan, and also has Abenaki, Mohawk, Huron, French and German ancestors in her lineage.
Earlier in her life, she was adopted as first daughter by Grandmother Nanatasis in traditional Abenaki family ceremony. She spent 17 years with her learning and participating in ceremony and the sharing of Abenaki Women’s Sacred Wisdom Teachings & Practices and Medicine Wheel Teachings. She has been actively continuing with these ceremonies and sharing of teachings for the past 26 years. She is a member of communities locally and in Europe, where she shares teachings and holds ceremony as called for.
Grandfather Michael Bastine is a member of the Algonquin Nation, and he is a healer, elder, and former student of famous Tuscarora medicine man Wallace “Mad Bear” Anderson and Tuscarora healer Ted Williams. He lives in South Wales, New York. He is the co-author of the book, Iroquois and Supernatural: Talking Animals and Medicine People.
Nootauau Kaukontuoh, “she hears the crow,” is a woman of the Eastern Woodlands. She lives her life in the tradition of the Nanhigganêuck, 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 a ‘kuhkootomwehteâen’ (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.
Larry McDermott is an Algonquin Elder of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, and he and his wife Nancy live in a 170 year-old log home on 500 acres of biologically-diverse Algonquin land along the Mississippi River. Elder Larry is the Executive Director of Plenty Canada, Lanark,Ontario, an Indigenous charity working to share Indigenous knowledge with western science. He is a member of numerous organizations, including the International Indigenous Forum for Biodiversity, the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP), Ontario Biodiversity Council, the Ontario Professional Foresters Association, the Healing Place partnership, the Indigenous Circle of the Canadian Biosphere Association, and is a co-chair of the Lanark County Safety and Well-Being Plan. He was a Commissioner for the Ontario Human Rights Commission and served on Ontario ‘s Species at Risk Public Advisory Committee. Elder Larry was a humble student of the late Algonquin Elder, Grandfather William Commanda.
Rudy Schild, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of FREE: Foundation for Research into Extraterrestrial Encounters. He is a Professor Emeritus research astrophysicist at the Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, following an extensive career studying dark matter, black holes, and the fluid mechanical origins of cosmic structure. He has become deeply interested in the formulation of a coherent understanding of the nature of space-time in the Universe. As an editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cosmology, he is seeking to broaden the scope of scientific inquiry to include the nature of consciousness and the Universe. He is a co-author of the book, Beyond UFOs: The Science of Consciousness & Contact with Non-Human Intelligence.
Sky Road Webb is a descendant of the Tamal’ko – Tomales Bay Band of Miwok of the Coast Miwok Tribe of Marin County, California. Sky Road is a councilman on the Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin, the tribally self-determined governance of the Coast Miwok of Marin. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Hukukio Inc., (which is the original, traditional name of the Coast Miwok and means: The People Who Stand in Front – perhaps a reference to the Point Reyes Peninsula which juts out into the Pacific Ocean), which is the Tribal non-profit the Coast Miwok Tribe of Marin. He is the President of the Marin American Indian Alliance (MAIA), based in San Rafael, CA — a 501c3 non-profit formed in 1968 to support all Native Americans in Marin County and the North Bay area. He sits on the Board of Directors for MAPOM (Marin Archeological Preserve of Marin), a 501c3 dedicated to preserving Coast Miwok archeological sites and cultural heritage.
Sky Road is a 12-year veteran of the US Navy, and a graduate of the US Naval Academy, Annapolis MD. Currently, he is employed as the chief of operations for Inter-Tribal Council of California, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit that provides federally funded social services for over 50 California Tribes and Tribal organizations. As a certified FEMA CERT instructor, Sky Road instructs and helps build Tribal Community Emergency Response Teams (T-CERT) at Rancherias and Reservations throughout California. He provides cultural presentations and native skills classes to K-12 school children through the American Indian Education Program.
Sky Road appeared in the award winning 2014 independent documentary, “The Invisible Peak,” by Gary Yost, about the restoration project of Mount Tamalpais, the sacred mountain in the center of Marin County. In an effort to learn, revive and teach his own indigenous language of the Tamal’ko, Sky Road composes and performs original songs in Coast Miwok. Sky Road integrates Native language and songs in the telling of traditional “First-People” stories of the adventures of Old Man Coyote, Deer, Bear, Raven and the other First Peoples who lived on the back of Mele-ya, The Great Turtle, in the time before Humans.
Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. is an enrolled member of the Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations and is an internationally recognized leader in human, community, and economic development.
During the past 50 years, Chief Lane has worked with Indigenous Peoples from the Americas, Micronesia, South East Asia, China, India, Bhutan, Hawaii, and Africa. He served 16 years as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (1980-1996).
In 1982, Chief Lane founded the Four Worlds International Institute (FWII). As well, Phil is Chairman of Four Directions International and Compassion Games International.
Chief Lane has been the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions. He was the first indigenous person to win the prestigious Windstar Award, presented annually on behalf of the late John Denver and the Windstar Foundation. In 2000, he received the Year 2000 Award for Freedom and Human Rights given by the Swiss Foundation. In 2008, Chief Lane received the Ally Award presented by the Center for Healing Racism for his dedicated work, for more than 19 years, as one of the key Indigenous leaders in the resolution of Canada’s Residential School issue, which involved the sexual, physical, cultural, psychological, and emotional abuse of thousands of Aboriginal children in Canada.
On August 15, 1992 in recognition of his hereditary lineage of leadership and longtime service to Indigenous Peoples and the Human Family, Indigenous Elders from across North America recognized Phil as a Hereditary Chief of the Hinhan Wicasa and Deloria Tiospayes of the Ihanktonwan Dakota, through a Traditional Headdress Ceremony.
Since 2008, Chief Lane has stepped into global leadership. He currently serves as a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Council of Elders. He is host of the Shift Network’s Global Indigenous Wisdom Summits. As well, Chief Lane is an Honorary International Advisor to the Help Foundation of Beijing.
Lei’ohu Ryder and Maydeen Ku’uipo ʻĪao are visionaries, ceremonialists, musicians and kahu/caretakers of a sacred temple on Maui. They celebrate life by embracing the spirit of aloha within the one ocean of our collective hearts.
Mayan Spiritual Guide and Elder, Nana Wilma will be returning from Guatemala to Vermont this summer to share the medicine, wisdom and knowledge from her people. She will offer fire ceremonies, water ceremonies and individual sessions.
Nana Wilma has been travelling to share her medicine and her teachings for over 30 years. We are delighted to welcome her back to the Green Mountains. Nana is a bridge builder, fire tender, wisdom keeper, and a humorous and loving spiritual guide.
Abuela Maria Theresa (Grandmother Elena Ixcot) is a Maya Spiritual elder (Ajq’ij) of the Maya Mam Nation. In the 1980s during the height of the internal armed conflict and genocide against the Maya people, she and her family were persecuted for their work demanding justice and equal rights for the Maya people. Grandmother Elena, her children and husband were forced to flee to Chiapas, Mexico and ultimately were provided sanctuary as political refugees in the United States. Throughout her life, she has advocated for the rights of the Maya people, other Native Nations, and the care and protection of Mother Earth. She now lives in Guatemala and is former K’amalb’e of the Regional Council of Ancestral Maya Authorities of Guatemala; is current member of the National Council of Ancestral Authorities of the Maya, Garifuna and Xinka peoples of Ixim Ulew (Land of the Corn); member of the leadership council of the Maya Mam Council of Quetzaltenango; member of Aj Q´ij, Oxlajuj B´e of 8 municipalities of the Mam people in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; member of the Consultative Group of the Maya Program of the United Nations, Guatemala; and a Founder and current Board Member of the International Mayan League
Chief Lee Plenty Wolf, is Lakota medicine man from the Oglala tribe, one of the seven tribes composing the Sioux Nation & is a very influential and well-established leader of the movement of water protection at Standing Rock.
Chief Lee is the founder & Spiritual Advisor for non-profit organization, White Horse Creek Council, who provides for the continuance and practice of native spiritual, ceremonial, cultural, and indigenous permaculture practices of first nation peoples and provides financial and promotional assistance for ceremony and its spiritual leaders.
He also the Spiritual Advisor for the organizing committee of the Boulder Valley Indigenous people day Pow Wow & parade in Boulder, Co, serves as Board of directors for ‘Love Wild Horses/ Wild Horse Protection Act & is an award winning Prayer Singer.
Chief Lee has offered spiritual support in the form of Inipi, Sundance, Chanupa & other ceremonies for over 30 years and speaks regularly on climate change and life principals outlined in his book, Plenty Wolf Medicine: 7 Lakota Values.
Jonel Beauvais is a Wolf Clan, Mohawk. Who is the proud mother of three children and chosen auntie, sister and friend to many. She works diligently to empower and induce healing within all Native/Indigenous communities in order to prosper in the Haudenosaunee teachings of good medicine and good minds.
Originally from Seattle Washington, Spoken Word Poet/Emcee and Teaching Artist, Rajnii Eddins has been engaging diverse community audiences for over 30 years. He was the youngest member of the Afrikan American Writers Alliance at age 11 and has been actively sharing with youth and community in Vermont since 2010.
Rajnii’s diverse talents and passions allow him to offer a wide variety of powerful experiences that foster connection, learning, and mutual growth. He thrives at creating spaces that are educational, explorative, and celebratory, whether in a classroom, a conference hall, a community center, or online.
Bear Fox is a songwriter and singer of the Mohawk nation. On her website she greets visitors in her native language by saying: “Shekon Sewakwekon, Kenkiohkoktha ionkia’ts wakathahionni, Akwesasne nikiteron”, (hello everyone, my name is Kenkiohkoktha, this name means I am standing at the back of a crowd of people, or at the end of a long line. I was named after my Grandmother. I live in Akwesasne.) www.bearfoxmusic.com
At the age of 29, she realized that she had a gift for songwriting. She first began writing songs in Mohawk for the Traditional Women’s singing group called, ‘Kontiwennenhawi’, (Carriers of the Words). In 2001, she began writing songs in English as well, and her first song was entitled, ‘Broken.’ She now shares her music widely in many forms and to many people.
Reverend Katherine Amtul Hannan, Lithuanian/Irish lineage, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Artist, Psychotherapist and Seeker, began study with Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo in October 1978. She was ordained with Louise Diamond in 1985, at the hand of Venerable Dhyani.
Rev. Amtul focalized Star Child Gathering with amazing teams of people, in Vermont 1988-1998 and in Germany 1992-2019.
Chonyi Richard Allen, Teaching, healing, and ministry. Psycho- spiritual therapist/ facilitator of inner journeys and co – creator of sacred spaces. Traveler of many worlds.
Lucie Marie Gabrielle LeBlanc, Interior designer, beauty maker, artist, and body/mind & biomagnetic pair therapist. World traveler.
Gayle Young and Reinhard Reitzenstein, a Sound artist, composer, historian and Member of our Music Gadugi. Gayle has worked with sound professionally and personally for years. Reiner as her “sits beside” has been right there at her side.
Tashi Sky Burke-Tomaeno has grown up as a member of the Sunray family. He has always had a love of music. Before he could form full sentences, he was using the dining room table as a drum. Eventually, he progressed from the table to the Native American drum, djembes and then a drum kit.
At 3 years old he was invited to offer his drumming in the arbor for the first time. Now, at almost 20, he joins us virtually from his music college in California to inspire us with some vibrations, sounds, and rhythms.
Brian Russo, is a teacher, musician, and Evolutionary Leader committed to personal and planetary transformation through the peacekeeper teachings. With inspiration from Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, he created Rainbow Circle, a whole systems education platform for co-creating a regenerative Earth. Most recently, Brian contributed a chapter on holistic design to the Holomovement book. The Holomovement is a social movement founded in love with a collective mission to support a global shift in consciousness that bridges science and spirituality. At the gathering, Brian will play crystal bowls and share his overtone singing to support everyone’s well-being and attunement to individual and collective harmony.
Brian resides in the Boston area with his loving wife Caileigh, and they enjoy singing, hiking, and spending time with family.
Sandra Sheridan, Physical Therapist specializes in manual therapy and therapeutic exercise. A long time student of Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, she is the NGO representative of Sunray Meditation Society at the United Nations and has been for the past 25 years. Her focus has been on Indigenous Peoples rights and utilizing the Sunray Peacekeeping Principles within the UN system and internationally in support of Indigenous Peoples.
Carolyn DiCarlo’s approach to form, function and design is unique. She believes that we are profoundly affected by our surroundings. With that in mind, she makes environments that you feel, not just see.
DiCarlo combines her vast knowledge of ancient architecture and sense of style as she creates homes, work environments, and public spaces. Having designed over 500 residences in New York City and surrounding areas, DiCarlo brings her expertise in construction and fabrication, as well as her connections to resources, contractors, and artisans.
Having launched two design showrooms in the Flatiron district in NYC and worked on numerous commercial, hotel and restaurant projects around the world, including Chanel Headquarters NY and Rockefeller Group corporate offices, DiCarlo currently manages a successful architectural and interior design firm based in NYC. Her projects include residential design, commercial projects and her latest venture—designing sanctuary spaces.
DiCarlo has been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the Associated Press, Mindbodygreen, Oprah Magazine, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful.
Reverend Meli (aka Mary Kitchens), through her father, is part of the Western Cherokee diaspora that journeyed to California during the dust bowl of the 1930’s. She is the drumkeeper for Unole, a drum group that has been nominated for a Native American Music Award. She is a Sunray minister in the Ywahoo tradition.
Calpulli Tletl Papalotzin is a group dedicated to indigenous Mexika tradition, revitalizing the culture, dances, and ceremonies that are carried out depending on the various seasons. Calpulli Tletl Papalotzin strive to continue and share indigenous values, medicine, and traditions to preserve their indigenous cultural inheritance.