American Indian Institute and Traditional Circle of Indian Elders and Youth. Mohawk Elder Jake Swamp, Tekaroniaken, had a dream that evoked the need to heal and receive the new times invoking not only the spirit of hope, but also the spirit of unity between Indigenous peoples from North and South. His dream brings forth the need to close the wounds that Indigenous peoples have suffered since the arrival of Europeans. On June 18-22, 2012 at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, an Indigenous Continental Meeting of unprecedented scope and size was held, at which Mr. Swamp’s dream was honored with a special ceremony that healed the wounds of Indigenous peoples and brought continental unity for the new time coming.
The burdens of historical trauma were eased through the loving process of the Condolence Ceremony of the Haudenosaunee, a sacred rite never conducted on this scale outside of their home territory, and a water ceremony conducted by spiritual leaders from South and Central America.
The ceremonies and prayers from the elders brought hope, love, and life back to the delegates from the Four Directions in attendance, and they will bring this strength home with them. The words of condolence and direction from the elders will forever be felt and remembered, and will illuminate once more the path of the ancestors and their teachings.
