FINAL DAY TO DOUBLE YOUR GIFT TO THE ELDERS PROJECT

EarthAction is honored to announce that the Sacred Fire Foundation has chosen to support The Elders Project—a project of EarthAction since 2009—in their special year-end fundraising campaign. Their goal is to raise $20,000 by midnight Dec. 3rd. Your donation will count 2x thanks to a generous donor. We hope you will find The Elders Project compelling, inspiring, and worthy of your support. 

  "Sometimes a project comes along that touches us so profoundly... on so

   many levels...it is hard to find the words. This is that project." 

                                                                           - The Sacred Fire Foundation

 

Please read the information below and click on the ‘DONATE’ button which will take you to the Sacred Fire Foundation’s website where you can make a secure donation. Or, send them a check in the mail. We are grateful to The Elders Project, the Sacred Fire Foundation and to you.

 

 

With your support, they can retrace their ancestors' footsteps  in the HEART OF THE WORLD and help bring balance to Mother Earth PLEASE HELP US RAISE $20,000 BY MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 3RD!     YOUR DOLLARS COUNT 2X UP TO $10,000 THANKS TO A VERY GENEROUS DONOR.     THE GUARDIANS OF THE WORLD   Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), Colombia, The Heart of the World...    The Koguis, Arhuacos, Wiwas and Kankuamos consider themselves the Guardians of the World. They have also been declared at risk for cultural extinction by Colombian Court decree.   Imagine Indigenous Peoples so exquisitely connected to divine that they care and pray for our entire planet, for the Mother in all her fullness. They petition for balance and health of the oceans and rivers, all plants and animals, human relationships, even the sap flowing in the trees.   To do this, they must make a pilgrimage in the highest coastal mountains on earth known as the Heart of the World (SNSM). This pilgrimage pays homage to 54 sites along the border of SNSM known as the Línea Negra or Black Line. The Black Line forms a triangle, 100 miles on each side. This pilgrimage for which they are seeking help is called the Black Line Journey.   In a few short weeks, with your help, their spiritual leaders, or Mamos, will embark on the Línea Negra. This pilgrimage will help to bring balance to Mother Earth, revitalize their traditions and protect their sacred lands from the ravages of development, energy extraction, drug trafficking and civil wars.  94-year-old Arhuaco Grand Mamo Seukukwi will lead this epic journey        Why time is of the essence...    These four Indigenous Peoples acknowledge Arhuaco Grand Mamo Seukukwi to be the Spiritual Geographer of the Sierra. At 94, time is running out for him to impart his knowledge to the younger Mamos and apprentices.    The 54 sacred sites along the Línea Negra are all interconnected. The Grand Mamo knows the medicines of all these sites and how they interrelate and converge at Gonawindúa, known as Mt. Bolivar, who reigns at 18,700 feet. Reclaiming their  birthright...   Undoing colonialism   The Koguis, Arhuacos, Wiwas and Kankuamos made their pilgrimages for millennia. With aggressive encroachment their traditions began to erode. Their homeland was divided into three states to weaken their Indigenous rights. Access to some sites is now being denied. Other sites have been paved over.    In the last 4 years, through the help of The Elders Project, the people have had the opportunity to resume the sacred rite of pilgrimage, making 3 journeys. By making the pilgrimage at this time, it serves to create an energetic fence protecting the land and the people and strengthening and revitalizing their teachings, traditions, language and sacred ways of life. Who are Indigenous Peoples? Why does protecting them now matter more than ever?   Rick Harlow, The Elders Project Coordinator, with the Arhuacos "Indigenous Peoples hold the moral reserve of the World," Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons to the UN Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2013.    "It's pretty ironic that the so-called 'least advanced' people are the ones taking the lead in trying to protect all of us, while the richest and most powerful among us are the ones who are trying to drive the society to destruction." Noam Chomsky  read more   Indigenous peoples are peoples defined in international or national legislation as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory, and their cultural or historical distinctiveness from other populations that are often politically dominant. The concept of indigenous peoples defines these groups as particularly vulnerable to exploitation, marginalization and oppression by nation states that may still be formed from the colonising populations, or by politically dominant ethnic groups. (as defined by Wikipedia)   What truly sets Indigenous Peoples apart is their intrinsic connection to the Sacred World and how that informs their lives and is the guidepost for bringing Western Culture back into balance and right relationship with Mother Earth.  Sometimes a project comes along that touches us so profoundly...on so many levels...it is hard to find the words. This is that project. Please open your heart to these people and discover how you will be touched.   We are deeply honored to be asked to be the sole funder for this enormously important project. It is rare that these people ever ask for help. It is humbling to know how much is at stake.    We are asking you to help reopen the doorway for the Koguis, Arhuacos, Wiwas and Kankuamos. Please contribute generously today knowing the blessings of your gift extend not only to these 4 Indigenous Peoples but helps bring healing to our Mother Earth.   Click here for more. Photos © TEP Rick Harlow