Indigenous Peoples Day

I ran across this picture in a blog post about Wisdom of the Indigenous Elders three weeks ago.  I googled to learn more and discovered it's about changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.  That day is today.  I also found The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers on Facebook and clicked "follow" so I can continue to read their wisdom.

That's when I learned they had published a book four days earlier:  Grandmothers Wisdom: Reverence for All Creation.  Now I want a copy, but when I got to the Pre-order page, I found it costs $76.  Nope, I can't afford that.  On the Facebook page for the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, I also found an article about the Dalai Lama claiming that Women are the Leaders of the Future.

“In the West, you have education.  This is good.  You have technology.  This is good.  But you do not educate your people in values of the heart, of compassion.  This you must do,” the Dalai Lama said.  “It does not matter whether you are Buddhist or Christian.  Compassion lives in the heart, beyond religion.  Even me, a Buddhist, can say that you do not need Buddhism.  All you need is the compassion of the heart.  Women know this because peace is implicit in women.  You put boys together, they make war.  You put women together, they make peace.  Women are the leaders of the future.”

Something has to change ... and soon.  We are killing the planet, killing people all over the world.  Maybe the Thirteen Grandmothers can make a difference.  Here's their Mission Statement:

The Grandmothers view the earth as the giver of life and the mother of all things.  They are painfully aware of the dire state of our planet and have announced themselves as forerunners of an international movement with a common ideology to preserve our natural world.  They are teaching reverence for all creation – the earth, air, fire, water and all living beings.  A Hopi proverb says: “When the grandmothers speak, the world will begin to heal.”

Through their global union, the Grandmothers have collectively become a catalyst for the awakening of the feminine principle and its healing force — without which, wars will continue without end and aggression will rule.  They believe that saving the planet calls for a profound transformation in the heart, mind, and spirit of human beings, and that it is the nurturing spirit of the feminine that is needed as an alternative perspective at all decision-making levels regarding peace, justice, human rights, indigenous rights, environmental protection, and the health and welfare of children and the elderly.

Read about the Thirteen Grandmothers themselves, who are elders from all parts of the earth.  I'm fascinated by their individual thoughts and ideas.  Women everywhere need to join their efforts to bring peace and health to the planet.