Nathan & Bob Centerhis gathering is a manifestation of the visions of Bob Center –Dances Under the Sun (Wi Ohlate Waci)– and Nathan Standing Bear (Mahto Najin).

It began in October 2013. Throughout the years people from different tribes have joined us—a Lakota hoop dancer from Pine Ridge, Elders from Mexico, Utah, and Canada, and a Paiute elder, who brought a water blessing ceremony, Ollican Yolotl Drummers, Intertribal, Eagles Heart Drum, Cherokee Water Ceremony facilitator, Kevin Henson. , Nuwa Fiber Presenter. For the past 3 years we have held a Forgiveness Ceremony with permission of Basil Brave Heart, an Oglala Lakota elder.

OEF (One Earth, One Family) Seventh Generation, Inc. has continued this celebration even though our visionary friends have passed through the veil 8 and 9 years ago. I am Nathan’s Hunka Sister, Wichapi Tho Wi, and I am carrying on this Celebration in honor of my dear brother and for the well being of the people past, present, and future.

Intention:

Gather on our relative, OEF Inter-tribal Ceremonial Grounds @ Mud Springs, to deepen relationship with ourselves, each other, the land, our ancestors, and Spirit, in care and love, as we focus, pray, connect, tell our stories, and work with the elements of fire, earth, water, and air.
You are invited to bring into this gathering the richness of your own traditions, gifts, and stories. All our contributions make the celebration, including helping in the kitchen, with the fire, at the craft table, etc.–Family Style.

We value the opportunity to pass on traditions to the youngers. Bring your kids/grandkids.
People/dog friendly, well mannered in the kitchen, 4 leggeds are welcome.

Bring dishes to share, veggies/fruit/other to create community meals, ice, drinks, refillable water containers.
Breakfast—hot cereal, fruit, yogurt, nuts, hard boiled eggs
Lunch—sandwich makings, salad, fruit
Dinners—soup, pasta/rice dishes, tacos/burritos, and/or salad, with vegetarian options.
If you have a special diet, please bring your own food.

Leave behind drugs and alcohol–we gather with Spirit to guide and take us to new heights.
Leave behind politics.

We have running water, composting toilets, a shower, cooking facilities and a sheltered gathering area.

FYI: Our well water is 9.8 pH and high in fluoride. We have filters at designated faucets. You are welcome to bring drinking water, if you are concerned.
This land is sloped, so bring good walking shoes.

The nights will be cold and the weather variable. Bring clothing layers, warm bedding, flashlights, camp gear.
Women are expected to wear skirts below the knees and modest tops in ceremony areas. Men wear shorts for lodge. Towels are helpful.

We will have a give away. Bring something to add to the blanket.
In the spirit of reciprocity, we will have a donation jar available to those who would like to contribute.
OEF is a non-profit and all the facilitators are giving of their time and talents so you, the people, can thrive—mind, body, spirit.
We have camp costs and maintenance costs that your reciprocity can help cover.

Each year we dedicate our focus, activities, and prayers on one element each day.

Schedule of Events:

Wed, Oct 22– set up camp day

Thurs, Oct 23–Fire Day:

We celebrate our beginnings–that explosion, it is said, that sent out the splinters of light/love contained in all things; that set life in motion for each of us… the power of fire to transform–new beginnings.
Activities may include: Cacao ceremony, wood gathering, teachings about fire, making Fire Medicine, sharing origin stories. Connect with ancestors who sat at the fire and dreamed/prayed for us.

Fri, Oct 24—Earth Day:

We celebrate the physicality of all our relations. Here on earth, our spirit is robed in our Grandmother/ Mother—Unci Maka. She feeds our bodies, shelters and heals us, and delights us with her beauty. We take care of her.
Activities may include: Women’s/Men’s Meet in the Middle Prayer, Permaculture teaching/activity, foods/medicines from the land, sharing stories of healing, planting seeds

Sat, Oct 25—Water Day:

Mini wiconi (Water is life!) Mini wakan (Water is sacred!) Women are said to be the keepers of the waters–we celebrate the Sacred feminine. We pray for the healing of the waters of the world and for the healing powers of water within and without.
Activities may include: Water Mandala Blessing Ceremony, Making medicines, sharing our traditions/cultures which typically are protected and passed down through the women, demonstration of knapping by Gary

Sun, Oct 26—Air Day:

We celebrate God’s breath, our breath, the movement of the Spirit through all our relations. It is a day on which some will leave our company for commitments and other necessities, as if on the wind.
Activities may include: Forgiveness Ceremony @ dawn, wopila feast (potluck), Aztec Dancer/prayers

Mon, Oct 27–clean up camp

Each day: Pre-dawn 2-door lodge, arts/craft table, activities, games, simple healthy meals, camp fire

Forgiveness (Woakiktunze) Ceremony–Air Day, Sunday Oct 27, 2024 @ Dawn
This is a transformative ceremony that has been brought into the world through Basil Brave Heart, an Oglala Lakota Iyeska. It came through a vision from his Grandmother Lucy Black Bear Tyon who was born in 1884. She lived through many cultural changes, hardships, and traumas. Yet she taught Basil the power of forgiveness. Yes, her people were oppressed, but she said the oppressors knew not what they did. And like the flower that you step on and then bend down to smell, she released her healing fragrance into the world through Basil.
This ceremony has brought healing to groups of people who have carried conflict and hurts for generations. It has brought healing to individuals who have held onto hurts and misunderstandings, but found a way to let go. It has brought healing to generational traumas. I invite you to participate from afar, even if you cannot join us.

The Forgiveness Ceremony—as with all ceremonies, this starts with your intention to participate.
At home, or in quiet time at camp, make a bundle of red cloth that contains:
1. 80 blue prayer ties that are made when you are grounded spiritually—the energy you put in is for the purpose of prayer for yourself, other people, the planet; do this in a place where you are not distracted by TV, radio, conversation, etc. If you can have a smudge going, all the better. You can smudge before and after.
2. Any or all of the following: tobacco, sage, sweet grass, cedar, bear root
3. Optional, yet recommended: written prayer/letter. Bring the bundle to Air Day—October 26—at dawn Fire is lit predawn and kept burning throughout the ceremony. We gather at the ceremony circle (hocoka) at dawn. There will be 4 rounds of 4 songs each in the hocoka. There will be a rest time between. Your bundle will be laid down at the west gate in the 1st round and then picked up in the 4th. You will carry your bundle to the initi area and lay it down on the blanket provided.
We will have a 4 door Inipi. You will pick up your bundle and let it go into the transformative power of the sacred fire. If you brought and filled your cannupa, you smoke it now. We celebrate with a Wopila Feast (potluck)

If you cannot attend, yet want to participate, please make your bundle. Stay with us in prayer in the morning of Air Day and then burn your bundle.

I pray you are well–mind, body, spirit–and that you are meeting your challenges with courage and hope.
Sending you love and prayers,
Grandma Sarah