"We, the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, 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 the 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."
This month we honor our pages with their images of prayers and healing and ask that we all meditate on the words from the Great Law of the Iroqios Constitution:
"In all our deliberations, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."
At their first meeting in October 2004, the Grandmothers, shamans and
medicine women, bonded deeply and discovered that despite their
different languages and cultures, they all shared a common goal. This
led to the formation of The International Council of 13 Indigenous
Grandmothers. From then on, the Grandmothers decided to carry out their
mission globally through visits to each of their home communities.
Through the years, they've become teachers and icons who are galvanizing
and uniting a rapidly emerging global movement. They are awakening
people to the urgent need for change if we are to survive on this
planet. But they are not using fear as a weapon. They are offering us
hope. What many people see as a threat, they see as an opportunity.
They show us that by going back to the ancient and time-proven
earth-based traditions and practices of our Indigenous people, we will
be able to break away from our destructive habits and make the changes
necessary for our survival."
