Indigenous Elders Share Ancient Teachings In the UK

“Let us embrace the societies and the peoples of the East and of the West and together build upon a new world of peace and respect towards one another”
Basilio Quispe, indigenous Aymara elder (speaking at the Native Spirit Festival 2010)

A delegation of indigenous elders, spiritual guides, and community leaders come to the UK this October to share their ancient teachings as part of the annual Native Spirit Festival, a platform for the voice of indigenous culture.

Since 2007, Native Spirit Festival has been celebrating indigenous culture with film screenings, workshops and performances taking place in various cities across the UK and Spain. The Native Spirit Festival is run by volunteers and provides a much needed space for inter-cultural dialogue between the indigenous world and modern western societies.

At the heart of these ancient cultures lies a wisdom that was once shared by all peoples. Against all odds, this wisdom has survived massacre and destruction and has been kept alive, passed from one generation to the next via the elder.

We have reached a turning point in the history of humanity and of the earth and it is indigenous people who are calling attention to the urgency of these changing times. They are asking for the world to listen to what they have to say. In this light, a delegation of indigenous spokespersons, representing communities from across the three Americas, have participated in the Native Spirit Festival for the previous three years, sharing their wisdom and knowledge of prophesy, nature and consciousness.

This year Native Spirit once again invites the public of the world to rediscover and remember together, a time beyond the history books.

Following the success of the encounters of previous years, Native Spirit Foundation with the support of SOAS Student's Union (University of London) is coordinating the visit of a delegation of indigenous elders to come to Europe. They come representing different communities – some having had very little to do with the outside world - from North, Central and South America.

The activities with the elders are programmed to happen in London, Lewes and Avebury in the UK and Asturias in Spain, during the last two weeks of October 2011. This year’s delegation follows in the footsteps of last year’s hugely successful visit. Over two thousand people attended the different activities led by the elders, which were covered by main press such us BBC in the UK and Cadena EFE and Diario el Mundo in Spain.

WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN

Thanks to the support of volunteering groups in Spain and the UK, we have so far secured a total sum of £8,600 in cash or services (such as accommodation). Our aim is to raise enough funds to bring up to 7 elders.

In previous years we have financed this independently and in order to continue working in this way, we ask for your contribution.

With your support, we are commited to raise the remaining necessary funds to facilitate this years' visit of up to 7 indigenous elders to the UK, calculated at £7,000.

If there is any money left after covering the costs of the visit, it will be allocated to our current projects of supporting indigenous autonomous education in their communities. Our current projects include building a new in a Mapuche community in Patagonia and building a new sports facility for the Indigenous School of Warisata in Bolivia.

BUDGET

See document attached.

ABOUT NATIVE SPIRIT FOUNDATION

Native Spirit Foundation is a UK registered charity promoting education and the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples. It was founded and is directed by the indigenous Mapuche artist and filmmaker Freddy Treuquil. Native Spirit is an independent organisation, run by volunteers. Native Spirit supports Educational projects in indigenous communities in South America. Every October since 2007, the organisation has produced the annual Native Spirit Festival in the UK and Spain.

ABOUT NATIVE SPIRIT FESTIVAL

For more than 500 years indigenous peoples have suffered the consequences of financial greed masked as 'necessary progress'. The monopolisation of the mass media has more often than not perpetuated a false image of their cultures in order to eradicate their co-creation with nature -Mother Earth- and have presented it as cultures that inevitably have to adapt to progress or perish.  For the Western view 'Mother Earth' is understood as 'natural resources' to be exploited for the common welfare.  However  for the 'peoples of the earth', there is a responsability to the Mother and this responsibility is being betrayed.  The festival intends to give back a voice to the indigenous communities to recount history from their perspective and to share their diverse cultures and wisdom.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.nativespiritfoundation.org

OR CONTACT US

Native Spirit Foundation, UK Registered Charity No 1140481 PO Box 60545, London W2 7NF

For the full film of last year's visit please see: http://www.vimeo.com/19131548