LINCOLN — A gathering of elders will take place at the Sunray Peace Village in Lincoln throughout the weekend of July 26. The annual event, now in its 29th year, will bring indigenous elders from around the world to the Green Mountains for a weekend of healing, teaching and ceremony.
“The elders come for conversation among themselves, to rejuvenate themselves and to look and listen to what’s happening on the earth according to the prophecies and ancient teachings they’ve held, and to look at what is appropriate to share now in order to keep things on a good path,” said David Lipkin, a resident of the peace village. “The other function is that they teach. They teach what they would like to say to the people who gather here.”
The peace village holds three days of ceremony around the ceremonial fire, which is considered the “home fire” of the village’s founder and elder, Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, the principal chief of the Green Mountain Ani Yun Wiwa branch of the Cherokee. Venerable Dhyani founded Sunray Peace Village in 1985.
The weekend will include rites of passage rituals, teachings and talks, and on Saturday night, a free and open-to-the-public Cherokee healing ceremony in which seven fires are lit around the central fire and practices are brought out “for anyone looking for balance or healing,” Lipkin said.
This year, six or seven elders from around the world are expected, including: Grandfather Warren Redwing Ramey (Cherokee), Abuela Margarita Nunez-Garcia (Mexican), Dane Larsen (Cherokee), Mike Bastine (Algonquin), and Auntie Puna Kalama Dawson (Hawaiian).
Recent gatherings have included conversations with eminent scientists exploring the relationship between ancient spiritual traditions and emerging scientific understanding, Lipkin said. This year, presenters will include Dr. Rudolph Schild, a Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist and astronomist; Dr. John Carlton-Foss, an MIT scientist who is currently CEO of a Boston-based energy company; and Dr. Barry Roth. Other distinguished presenters include top female instructors from Grupo Capoeira Brasil, presenting the ancient martial art and dance form of Capoeira to the energizing beat of live Afro-Brazilian music.
On-site camping is available and those interested may register online at www.sunray.org.