You might be wondering what all these “white folks” are doing teaching at a Center that promotes the honoring and preservation of indigenous traditions. We understand the serious problem of cultural appropriation of indigenous practices, the theft of traditions that are not our own, for personal possession or to place feathers in our caps.

As you will see from the stories of our elders and teachers, our work within a culture that lives mostly outside indigenous traditions follows a respectful approach to indigenous wisdom. It is not ours to take. We can request the sharing of that wisdom, but we must be prepared to hear and accept, “No” if an elder does not wish to share. We can ask to receive teachings, but we must be prepared to fulfill conditions of acceptance in exchange for those teachings.

Click Here to Learn More