Author Topic: International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers (aka the 13 Pay to Pray Old Ladies)  (Read 143379 times)

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #105 on: May 29, 2012, 09:05:56 pm »
And... Look at who is also on this list of well-known frauds, scheduled to speak at this newage, ceremony-selling event: http://www.starknowledgeconference.com/phoenix-arizona-conference-december/phoenix-speakers/

Hunbatz Men
Grandmother Agnes Pilgrim Baker & Nadine Martin
Little Grandmother Kiesha
Grandma Chandra

Note: "Grandma Chandra" is a severely disabled girl with cerebral palsy who is being exploited by some of the pay to pray types. The child dozes or looks around at people, unable to speak, and her mother "channels" what she believes the child is saying. Google her; there are videos. It's very tragic.

Thread on the conference: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2752

One of the old ladies was also at Kie$ha's gig in CA (The Prophets Conference - Palm Springs 2011) - the one that was picketed by AIM Santa Barbara. I am pretty sure it was Flordemayo who was there (she was on the schedule); when AIMsters discussed Kiesha with her, she said they had no connection with Kiesha but also, shockingly, they "had no idea" that Kiesha is a fraud. Um... OK. This member of the 13 grannies said she would talk to the others about Kiesha. Guess they didn't care. No surprise, really... Kiesha is not Indigenous, but they have their pay to pray careers and so much more in common.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2016, 10:08:38 pm by Yells At Pretendians »

Offline ska

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Re: Indigenous grandmothers unite for international prayer gatherings
« Reply #106 on: August 19, 2012, 01:50:28 am »
 Indigenous grandmothers unite for international prayer gatherings

By Talli Nauman
Native Sun News
Health & Environment Editor

http://64.38.12.138/News/2012/006803.asp

" In the wake of the 2012 International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers’ recent gathering at Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana, one of two Lakota sisters on the council announced she will promote the interfaith efforts of the tribal elder women’s prayer group by hosting an upcoming meeting  . . . "

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #107 on: November 02, 2012, 05:41:04 pm »
Indigenous grandmothers unite for international prayer gatherings

By Talli Nauman
Native Sun News
Health & Environment Editor

http://64.38.12.138/News/2012/006803.asp

" In the wake of the 2012 International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers’ recent gathering at Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana, one of two Lakota sisters on the council announced she will promote the interfaith efforts of the tribal elder women’s prayer group by hosting an upcoming meeting  . . . "

As we thought, the gathering was to be held on private land owned by Behan. Then the wildfires started, and Behan's area had to be evacuated. The group was allowed to use the tribe's pow wow grounds for a while, but then had to be evacuated from there, as well. The pow wow grounds were needed for staging rescue and recovery efforts, and at one point the fires were bearing down on that area, as well.

Looking over the Facebook pages associated with the event, there were lots of non-Natives flying in, a considerable number from Europe. Some of the Cheyenne who went over to the pow wow grounds to check it out posted on FB; they were not aware that this is not an Indigenous-created council. At least not before the event happened.

Right now there is a lot of controversy about groups like this bringing in a flood of white people who want Indigenous Knowledge. Their money is welcomed by some of the people in the community, but at what cost to the culture? Some of the non-Natives who posted videos from the events don't seem to realize that pow wows and rodeos are not sacred ceremonies. And they film the pow wow and rodeos, so... Shortly after this event a European woman snuck into a Sun Dance, camera in hand. She is also rumoured to be writing a book about the ceremonies she managed to get into. I fear that the elderly people she swindled are going to find themselves, and the things they shared when she was present, in yet another exploitative book. It is very sad.

Offline YouKnowNot

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #108 on: January 04, 2015, 01:42:53 am »
Hi all ...

I know this is a little late in posting here about the Council of 13 Grannies, but with this group there is always an update. What I am writing is the truth, as I have no reason to fabricate any information, and should have posted this when I contacted the Yavapai Rez in Arizona in February 2014. I used to live south of Sedona, AZ during my teens and know about the new age quacks, crystal crunchers, woo-woo's, and frauds. My mother befriended a few people on Yavapai, and I got to know the area relatively well.

When I was still on FaceCrook/FedBook/Facebook, I got tagged in a post on February 19th, 2014 concerning a gathering at Montezuma's Well in Arizona calling it "In The Name Of The Mother" found here: http://inthenameofthemother.net/. As you will see, the website only has a picture of the Earth. At the time, my friend whom is Yaqui, wrote the following:

"********* tagged you in a post.

********* wrote: "$600... Really?? Once again, access to elders is lost because they're too busy making bank off giving those new-agers what they want. Am I wrong on this? I don't want to be disrespectful to the grandmothers, but with a price-tag just shy of my rent, it obviously isn't meant for me or most the natives I know. Just seems like more pimping-out to me. What are your thoughts?"

Well, I told my friend that I would get back to her on this after doing some research and making phone calls. When I checked out the website (no longer has content besides the earth picture) at the time it told of the feel-goodie-stuff, the price for camping and attendance at Montezuma's Well, dossier's of the women, etc.

Upon reading one page, again which does not seem to exist (I tried to search for the text), they said they were working with the park service and the "local tribes". The only local tribe I knew of was Yavapai, so I gave the tribal office a call ...

I told the receptionist woman about the event and asked if she ever heard of it. She told me "No" and asked me for the website information and the page where it said of working with local tribes. She put me hold a number of times as other tribal government people kept coming through the door, so that she could ask them if they knew of this. She asked 4 government people if they knew anything, all of which said "No." One of the people she asked is one of the main cultural advisers for the tribe.

Near the end of the conversation, she asked me if they was charging any money. I told her "Yup ... they charging 600 bucks." She said real loud through the phone "WHAAAAT?!!" I told her that I was assuming that this money is going to be used for traveling and camping fees, but someone is making a few bucks though. She said she was gonna look into this further, and if she finds out anything more she will call me up.

There are around 750 Yavapai's living in the tribal communities, so with that, word should get around about each other.

Because of the activist and Hip Hop circles I used to frequent are into some new age stuff (I get into trouble a lot voicing thing in contradiction to what they believe in that does more harm than good), so I got wind of this through some other people ... because I had already made the phone call to Yavapai, I had an opinion on the matter which most of the people I know (even people of color) which they got a sour look on their face.

Anyhow, I thought this might be worth while to voice on and also a method of operation of searching for information in general.

Here are a couple links. First one gives a general description http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/in-the-name-of-the-mother-the-first-ever-womens-gathering-with-the-thirteen-indigenous-grandmothers

The other from "xicanation.com" tells of what was NEVER listed on the main website; http://xicanation.com/in-the-name-of-the-mother-1st-womens-gathering-with-the-13-indigenous-grandmothers/

 "Our gathering will begin on  the Spring Equinox,  and the opening ceremony will be led by the local Yavapai women, as they welcome us to the land in their traditional way. The International Council of the Thirteen Grandmothers will follow initiating our sacred time together with a ceremony to celebrate a turning toward a new way of being and doing: a way that recognizes, honors, and builds upon the ways of our Ancestors."

Who were the Yavapai women doing a welcoming ceremony?

Lastly, even if the "grandmothers" are legitimate or not, is besides the point. There are a lot of legitimate ceremonial leaders, etc., that are happy with the attention from people outside of their tribes. They get to travel, get their ego's fueled, maybe make some cash, and get to do it again and again.

The fact that there is not any evidence of actual inter-tribal and inter-faith unification for real social and environmental change/ justice, tells us that this is being marketed and catered to particular demographics to make money.

I don't really care much, it's just that I want people to be honest. If people are about prestige, money, and status, then go for it and help the future generations by teaching bad behaviors that only fuels the same consciousness that is destroying ecosystems, people, plants, animals ... then go for it! Nothing new!

But if you really about social and environmental change/justice, then there are ways that are far more effective than this kind of thing.

Autumn

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #109 on: January 05, 2015, 11:33:23 pm »
There is more detail of the event written by Ymani Simmons - "(Chickasaw/Celt) is a peacemaker, writer, mentor, and facilitator of women’s circles and retreats" - on the blog Fellowship of Reconciliation:

Quote
So, on Thursday evening the observance began with a Welcoming Ceremony led by the women from the local Yavapai-Apache Nation. Prayer, song, drums, and a sense of sisterhood that knows no boundaries or restrictions were the foundation laid to hold us close in our Medicine blanket for the next few days.  We gathered as many and began to feel the surge of energy that swirled around us as we felt our hearts unite and we became One.

Quote
We had already been told that some of the Grandmothers might not be able to join us because of travel distances, health issues, etc., but we were blessed to be in Ceremony with:

    Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Confederated Tribes of Siletz
    Grandmother Rita Blumenstein, Yup’ik
    Grandmother Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance, Oglala Lakota
    Grandmother Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance, Oglala Lakota
    Grandmother Bernadette Rebienot, Omyene linguistic community
    Grandmother Maria Alice Campos Freire, Amazonia
    Grandmother Clara Shinobu Iura, Amazonia
    Grandmother Flordemayo, Mayan
    Grandmother Mona Polacca, Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa

http://forusa.org/blogs/ymani-simmons/name-mother/12925

Autumn

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #110 on: January 06, 2015, 01:25:08 am »
Here are a few photo montages of the event:

https://www.facebook.com/13GrandmothersCouncil/photos/a.593977514058725.1073741836.516658431790634/593977654058711/?type=1&theater
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-DQwxv/
http://sacredecologyfilms.com/project/in-the-name-of-the-mother/

They said there were 400 participants (and it looks like they pitched their own tents), so at $600 x 400, that equals $240,000.  Wonder where the money went?  If you pay the nine speakers perhaps $5,000 each (just guessing here, but I am definitely on the generous side) for travel, food, and lodging which would equal $45,000, then you would have $195,000 to pay for what?  Maybe supplies?  Rental of the campgrounds?  Salary for the employees who organized the event?  Food?  $195,000 is a lot to cover these expenses, IMHO, and they had a lot of money left over as profit. 

Autumn

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Re: International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #111 on: January 06, 2015, 01:45:09 am »
Attached photo of the campgrounds from this site:

http://sacredecologyfilms.com/project/in-the-name-of-the-mother/


Offline greybuffalo

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International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
« Reply #112 on: May 24, 2016, 09:25:57 pm »
I recently looked up one of the grand mothers on wiki,and it stated Margaret Behan,as a former member of the Council.can anyone help,as to why she is no longer one of the thirteen?
Native Americans found out what happens when you don't control immigration.

Offline Defend the Sacred

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I recently looked up one of the grand mothers on wiki,and it stated Margaret Behan,as a former member of the Council.can anyone help,as to why she is no longer one of the thirteen?

Maybe read the thread. She's the one who set up the P.O. Box in Lame Deer, and the fundraising for the "Cheyenne Elders Council" but as far as we could tell, she was the only person on the "council," and none of the actual Cheyenne Elders knew about it. I would be very surprised if any of those elders or Elders ever received any money from her efforts, but I'm all ears. The other P.O. Box sent all the money to New York City.

She wasn't living in the community, as far as I know, but bought land near the reservation. The year the fires came they let her group of white people, who flew in from all over the world to pay to hang out with the old ladies, rent out the public pow wow grounds in Lame Deer. They rent out to lots of people. They need the money.  Not everyone was clear about the fact that she and her group paid to use the grounds, and that it was pretty much all white people she brought in.

Our sources said she's not from the Cheyenne community, and that when she first showed up there, not long before the 13 Old Ladies thing started, she immediately wanted access to ceremonies and ceremonial people, but was turned down (as would happen to any stranger). Then she started speaking publicly that, oh, you know, those weren't the *real* ceremonial people; that she had found the *real* ceremonial people, and that they were secret, the Cheyenne didn't really know about them but she did, and *those* people accepted her. Yeah. She said that. It's probably still up in her bios. She's also the one who was "adopting" white strangers over the satellite broadcast.

Others in the group of 13 (or however many it is now) are also problematic. All of them that I know of are involved in pay to pray, though I'm sure at least some of them mean well. Did they decide she was too much of a liability? I don't know. Anyone else here have an update?
« Last Edit: May 25, 2016, 10:14:31 pm by Yells At Pretendians »

Offline greybuffalo

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Wetiko
« Reply #114 on: May 26, 2016, 08:36:14 am »
is an Algonquin word for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess, and selfish consumption (in Ojibwa it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan)
It allows—indeed commands—the infected entity to consume far more than it needs in a blind, murderous daze of self-aggrandizement.

 zengardner . com / 63636-2 /

[edited to break link to newage site]
« Last Edit: May 27, 2016, 06:31:02 pm by Yells At Pretendians »
Native Americans found out what happens when you don't control immigration.

Offline Sparks

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Re: Wetiko
« Reply #115 on: May 26, 2016, 03:33:26 pm »
[Wetiko]is an Algonquin word for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess, and selfish consumption (in Ojibwa it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan)
It allows—indeed commands—the infected entity to consume far more than it needs in a blind, murderous daze of self-aggrandizement.

 zengardner . com / 63636-2 /


You are linking to a New Age site infested with conspiracy theories, and that page is in no way whatsoever relevant to the topic of this thread, as far as I am able to determine.

Are the authors of that article in any way (pro or contra) related to NAFPS activities?

http://www.truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/48352
http://www.truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/48351
http://www.kosmosjournal.org/contributor/12110/

[quote edited to break link to newage site]
« Last Edit: May 27, 2016, 06:32:52 pm by Yells At Pretendians »

Offline Diana

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Re: Wetiko
« Reply #116 on: May 26, 2016, 06:09:29 pm »
[Wetiko]is an Algonquin word for a cannibalistic spirit that is driven by greed, excess, and selfish consumption (in Ojibwa it is windigo, wintiko in Powhatan)
It allows—indeed commands—the infected entity to consume far more than it needs in a blind, murderous daze of self-aggrandizement.

http://www.zengardner.com/63636-2/

You are linking to a New Age site infested with conspiracy theories, and that page is in no way whatsoever relevant to the topic of this thread, as far as I am able to determine.

Are the authors of that article in any way (pro or contra) related to NAFPS activities?

http://www.truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/48352
http://www.truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/48351
http://www.kosmosjournal.org/contributor/12110/


Yeah, I asked her what reservations she "healed" people on and haven't received an answer yet....then she posts an unusual inquiry about one of those pay to pray "grandmothers". Now the weird irrelevant response. Where have we seen this behavior before? .....hmmm, lol. This isn't going to end well.

Offline Sparks

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I wonder if this Wetiko stuff was meant to be the first post in a new topic, and then was misplaced here?

if so, it should have been accompanied by an explanation why greybuffalo thinks it is relevant to this forum.

The article itself is quite interesting, but I still maintain it has been posted on a very disgusting conspiracy site.

Offline Defend the Sacred

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No, "greybuffalo" has been writing privately to say that Margaret Behan pressured him to participate in pay to pray activities with her and Bennie Le Beau and that he thinks Behan has the Windigo Sickness. I asked him to post these accounts on the forum and he agreed to, then changed his mind. He said we could post them, but I don't know why he doesn't just do it himself as he's signed up with an anonymous account. I'll say more in his intro thread.

Offline Sparks

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I'll say more in his intro thread.

That's here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4854.0

Seems he was active here only for four days, and wrote one post and two comments.