13 Grandmothers

[Catherine Sarah Hislop]

Who Are the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers?

The Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers are women of prayer, and women of action.

In 2004, 13 Indigenous Grandmothers from around the world joined together to Save Our Planet. Their alliance is called The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. 
The Grandmothers Council fulfills an ancient prophecy found among many indigenous peoples: that a group of elderly women will come together to save Mother Earth when she is in peril.

Since the founding of the Council in 2004, the Grandmothers have been traveling the globe to spread a message of peace, goodwill and the need to protect Mother Earth.  In response to the prophecy, the Grandmothers have held 11 Council Gatherings and numerous other events in North, Central, and South America, Europe, India, Australia, and Japan.

After 11 successful Gatherings that have resulted in worldwide support for their prayer for peace, the Grandmothers are seeking funds to hold their 12th Council Gathering, "Praying for Peace in the Land of the Buddha", scheduled for November 8-11, 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

As the Grandmothers' Mission Statement says:

- We represent a global alliance of prayer, education and healing for our Mother Earth, all Her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come.
- We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth and the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future.
- We look to further our vision through the realization of projects that protect our diverse cultures: lands, medicines, language and ceremonial ways of prayer and through projects that educate and nurture our children.

The Grandmothers are active in many causes on behalf of their communities: they work to prevent their lands being destroyed by illegal logging and mining, to keep their waterways from being poisoned, to protect wildlife on the brink of extinction, to free their youth from  poverty, abuse and addictions, and to halt the systematic genocide of their people and the loss of their cultural heritage. The Grandmothers' work is done through prayers, education, actions, and empowerment, for the healing of our Mother Earth, all her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come.



A Global Alliance

The 13 Grandmothers come from all over the world. They are:

 

 

Aama Bombo (Tamang - Nepal), Agnes Baker-Pilgrim (Elected Chairperson - Takelma, Confederated Tribes of Siletz - Grants Pass, Oregon, USA), Beatrice Long-Visitor Holy Dance (Oglala Lakota - Black Hills, South Dakota, USA),  Bernadette Rebienot (Omyene - Gabon, Africa),  Clara Shinobu Iura (Amazonian Rainforest, Brazil), Flordemayo (Mayan - Highlands of Central America/ New Mexico), Julieta Casimiro (Mazatec - Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico), Margaret Behan (Arapaho/Cheyenne - Montana, USA), Maria Alice Campos-Freire (Amazonian Rainforest, Brazil), Mona Polacca (Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa - Arizona), Rita Pitka Blumenstein (Yup’ik - Alaskan Tundra, USA), Rita Long-Visitor Holy Dance (Oglala Lakota - Black Hills, South Dakota, USA), Tsering Dolma Gyaltong (Tibetan)

The 13 Grandmothers full bios can be found here.

find out about the 12 gathering http://www.indiegogo.com/13-Grandmothers?contribution_success=true&...