European Roots: A Group To Rediscover Our Indigenous Traditions

There was a clear, blatant, and successful genocide of the European Tribal Peoples. The rise of the empire, the Church, and colonization also meant a suppression and wiping out of the more Earth-based ways of the people. We were given snippets of this brutal history in our education, yet there is so much not spoken.

Who were the original peoples of Europe?

Our textbooks often refer to them as heathens, and barbarians. The history books will tell us that the conquering of these peoples, and these ways, was in the name of religion, and the betterment of all of humanity.

We are in a time to remember who we are. Knowing thyself, has been a cornerstone of most wisdom teachings throughout time. And, as European descended people, most of us do not know where we have come from, who our ancestors are, who are our people, what our traditions are. To know where we come from, gives vision for where we are to go.

Without this knowledge, our root systems are not intact, our memory, and our connection with our ancestors is severed.

And for many European descended people, there is a search and a quest to find a sense of spirituality, a sense of connection with the Earth and with all living beings. The church doctrine has not met many of our quests in a good way, and so many of us turn and gravitate towards indigenous teachings and ways.

The indigenous people of the Americas, through all the genocide here, all that has been attempted to erase their culture, have remained. They have kept in tact, their traditions, their languages, their songs, and their ways. Of course there have been many casualties and many things have been lost. Through determination, resiliency, and deep connection to the land we walk upon, many things have also remained.

As we reach towards these beautiful cultures, there is also a deep remembering that though there are similarities of all indigenous cultures of the world, there are also differences. There is a beautiful diversity when we explore cultures from around the world. And, it is important for us to remember that we are now walking on the bones of the ancestors of the original peoples of this land. For us to then take and practice their culture, can be a further injury to what has already happened.

By learning, remembering, and bringing forward our own indigenous teachings, we can then be in circle and ceremony with the indigenous of this land and we can share instead of take.

Many of us believe this is a key in healing the wound of cultural appropriation

There is much to dig up to connect to these roots.
Most of the songs have been lost.
Most of the traditions have been lost.
Yet, some pieces from this thread remain.
There are stories, and legends that have made it through time.
There are some people still practicing some of the ancient ways.
The ancestors continue to be on the other side to guide us.
The root remains.

And many of us believe this is the time to remember.
To connect deep within the Earth, and Her ways.
That it is time to bring in the power of our ancestors,
To guide us.
When we remember who we are,
We remember our way home.

Our time together will begin with prayer, for each of us to connect with our own lineage and ancestors.

We will partner up with a buddy that is researching the same area so you can hold each other accountable and support one another in discovery.

Every weekend one guest teacher will come for a portion of our time together to share their wisdom and knowledge.

We will share with one another what we are finding, to share resources and direction. There will be home practices to connect deeper with your ancestors, and we will create rituals to honor them based on the traditions we are discovering.

Our intention is to find songs, and stories, prayers, ceremonies, rituals, names of tribal peoples, instruments (especially drums), languages, food traditions and Gods/Goddesses from our own lineage.

This will be both a diving into HERstory, and looking beyond what was written in History.

Each weekend, a guest teacher will come into our group to share their wisdom and teachings.

In this group you will receive:

• Support and connection with a group to do this work together
• Guidance from various teachers on how to connect with your ancestors
• Guidance and wisdom about indigenous people of this land on how we can be sensitive to cultural appropriation.
• A pool of resources on how you can rediscover your roots.

Sliding Scale $77-$333