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Support Blue Deer

The healing and transformation of one person benefits us all.

Your gift will bring traditional spiritual healing and life-changing transformation to people. All of our programs are subsidized by the generosity of our donors.

Blue Deer is a non-profit 501 c (3) Tax ID 22-3741704

Support Blue Deer

The spiritual healing and transformation of one person benefits all beings.

Your gift will bring traditional spiritual healing and life-changing transformation to people. All programs are made possible by the generosity of our donors.

Blue Deer is a non-profit 501 c (3) Tax ID 22-3741704

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Sherry Boatright

Sherry trained as a psychotherapist and had a private practice where she was involved for many years with facilitating women’s groups. She helped to create the Ukalái Women’s Gathering, (now LifeWork for Women: Ukalai) and has offered that program in the US, Mexico, Australia and the UK.

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Vickie Reeves Cowan

Vickie is a “weather worker” or granicera (one who works with hail and storms) in the Nahua indigenous tradition of Mexico. She has returned each year to the highlands of Mexico to honor her commitment to this tradition and to lead her community in building a reciprocal relationship with the weather.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Linda Felch

Linda has been supporting Healing Camps at Blue Deer since 2008. She is initiated as a Mara'akame in the tradition of the Huichol people of Mexico.

PLANT SPIRIT MEDICINE TEACHER

Alison Gayek

Alison Gayek brings a wealth of knowledge to her healing and teaching practices with over twenty-five years of experience. Alison trained under Eliot Cowan, and began her clinical practice in the late 1990s. In 2002, Eliot Cowan invited her to begin teaching with him and in the ensuing years became a fully trained teacher of Plant Spirit Medicine in the Eliot Cowan tradition.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Patrick Hanaway

For over 20 years, Patrick has served as a functional medicine family physician. As an initiated Mara’akame (healer in the Huichol tradition) and Firekeeper, he leads ceremonies and offers healing sessions to promote balance in people’s lives. At his core, Patrick is a healer and teacher.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Anna-Lena Hilton

Anna-Lena was initiated as a Mara’akame, a traditional healer and ritual leader, in 2007, in the lineage of the Wixárika (Huichol) peoples of the highlands of the Sierra Madres of western Mexico.

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Annie King

Annie has taught yoga, meditation and stress management in schools and hospitals and private settings both in Australia and the US, offers retreats, and has a healing practice in Florence, SC.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Lisa Lichtig

A devoted and heartful family physician, midwife, herbalist and mother for over 30 years, Lisa also serves community as a traditional healer and ceremonial leader. Through a rigorous 15 year apprenticeship under the guidance of elders, don Elias Cowan and don Jose Sandoval, Lisa was initiated as a mara’akame (healer) in the Huichol healing tradition in 2014.

CEREMONIAL LEADER, TRADITIONAL TEACHER, AND HEALER, MOHAWK

Diane Longboat

Diane Longboat is from the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan, from Six Nations Grand River Territory, Canada. Diane is the leader of Soul of the Mother.

ONONDAGA COUNCIL OF CHIEFS, HAUDENOSAUNEE

Chief Oren Lyons

Chief Lyons is a faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Council of Chiefs, Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy). He has been active in international Indigenous rights and sovereignty issues for over four decades at the United Nations and other international forums.

ARHUACO ELDER

Benerexa Marquez

Benerexa Marquez  is an Indigenous Elder of the Arhuaco people in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, Colombia. She is known for her work with Arhuaco women, working always under the guidance of the traditional Mamos.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Lawrence Messerman

Lawrence was initiated as a mara’akame (healer and ritual leader in the Wixárika or Huichol tradition of Mexico) in 2004. He and his wife Jessica De la O began serving as Firekeepers under the auspices of Sacred Fire that next year.

NATURE EDUCATOR

John Michelotti

John is the owner of Catskill Fungi whose mission is to empower people through Fungi.

CHIEF OF THE LONGHOUSE COUNCIL OF AKWESASNE

Tom Porter

Thomas R. Porter (Sakokwenionkwas-“The One Who Wins”) has been the founder, spokesperson and spiritual leader of the Mohawk Community of Kanatsiohareke (Ga na jo ha lay gay) located in the Mohawk Valley near Fonda, New York since 1993. He is a member of the Bear Clan of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Susan Skinner

Susan began her healing practice as a Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner and continues as an initiated Mara'akame in the tradition of the Wixárika (Huichol) people of Mexico. Susan has maintained her practice in middle Tennessee for over twenty years, dedicated to initiating healthy transformation in the lives of people so they can better align with the natural cycles of life and face our inevitable challenges with balance and courage.

REGISTERED NURSE, NATURE EDUCATOR

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower, R.N. combines natural wellness in traditional and eclectic herbalism with evidence-based, health-oriented community outreach programs.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Randy Whitlock

Randy Whitlock is initiated as a Mara'akame in the Huichol tradition. He is a self-taught sculptor, working mainly in soapstone.

13TH GRANDMOTHER ON THE TURTLE ISLAND COUNCIL

Gail Whitlow

Gail Whitlow is Mohawk, born into the Bear Clan of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). Gail is the 13th Grandmother on the Turtle Island Council.

TSAURIXIKA IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

David Wiley

Don David is initiated in two living indigenous traditions in Mexico: the Nahua & the Huichol. He is a teacher of those traditions and their medicine.

Sacred Fire

The mission of Sacred Fire is to transform lives through the gift of Fire.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Prosperity Ritual

Sacred Fire
Blue Deer
Nahua Medicine Path Group
Huichol Medicine Path Group
Local Tepoztlan Community

THE WISEST ELDER

Nature

The natural world sustains itself with balanced relationships, and it can also restore balance, healing and sustainability in human life.

Blue Deer Center

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Sherry Boatright

Sherry trained as a psychotherapist and had a private practice where she was involved for many years with facilitating women’s groups. She helped to create the Ukalái Women’s Gathering, (now LifeWork for Women: Ukalai) and has offered that program in the US, Mexico, Australia and the UK.

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Vickie Reeves Cowan

Vickie is a “weather worker” or granicera (one who works with hail and storms) in the Nahua indigenous tradition of Mexico. She has returned each year to the highlands of Mexico to honor her commitment to this tradition and to lead her community in building a reciprocal relationship with the weather.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Linda Felch

Linda has been supporting Healing Camps at Blue Deer since 2008. She is initiated as a Mara'akame in the tradition of the Huichol people of Mexico.

PLANT SPIRIT MEDICINE TEACHER

Alison Gayek

Alison Gayek brings a wealth of knowledge to her healing and teaching practices with over twenty-five years of experience. Alison trained under Eliot Cowan, and began her clinical practice in the late 1990s. In 2002, Eliot Cowan invited her to begin teaching with him and in the ensuing years became a fully trained teacher of Plant Spirit Medicine in the Eliot Cowan tradition.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Patrick Hanaway

For over 20 years, Patrick has served as a functional medicine family physician. As an initiated Mara’akame (healer in the Huichol tradition) and Firekeeper, he leads ceremonies and offers healing sessions to promote balance in people’s lives. At his core, Patrick is a healer and teacher.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Anna-Lena Hilton

Anna-Lena was initiated as a Mara’akame, a traditional healer and ritual leader, in 2007, in the lineage of the Wixárika (Huichol) peoples of the highlands of the Sierra Madres of western Mexico.

QUIATIZQUES IN THE NAHUA TRADITION

Annie King

Annie has taught yoga, meditation and stress management in schools and hospitals and private settings both in Australia and the US, offers retreats, and has a healing practice in Florence, SC.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Lisa Lichtig

A devoted and heartful family physician, midwife, herbalist and mother for over 30 years, Lisa also serves community as a traditional healer and ceremonial leader. Through a rigorous 15 year apprenticeship under the guidance of elders, don Elias Cowan and don Jose Sandoval, Lisa was initiated as a mara’akame (healer) in the Huichol healing tradition in 2014.

CEREMONIAL LEADER, TRADITIONAL TEACHER, AND HEALER, MOHAWK

Diane Longboat

Diane Longboat is from the Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan, from Six Nations Grand River Territory, Canada. Diane is the leader of Soul of the Mother.

ONONDAGA COUNCIL OF CHIEFS, HAUDENOSAUNEE

Chief Oren Lyons

Chief Lyons is a faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Council of Chiefs, Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy). He has been active in international Indigenous rights and sovereignty issues for over four decades at the United Nations and other international forums.

ARHUACO ELDER

Benerexa Marquez

Benerexa Marquez  is an Indigenous Elder of the Arhuaco people in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, Colombia. She is known for her work with Arhuaco women, working always under the guidance of the traditional Mamos.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Lawrence Messerman

Lawrence was initiated as a mara’akame (healer and ritual leader in the Wixárika or Huichol tradition of Mexico) in 2004. He and his wife Jessica De la O began serving as Firekeepers under the auspices of Sacred Fire that next year.

NATURE EDUCATOR

John Michelotti

John is the owner of Catskill Fungi whose mission is to empower people through Fungi.

CHIEF OF THE LONGHOUSE COUNCIL OF AKWESASNE

Tom Porter

Thomas R. Porter (Sakokwenionkwas-“The One Who Wins”) has been the founder, spokesperson and spiritual leader of the Mohawk Community of Kanatsiohareke (Ga na jo ha lay gay) located in the Mohawk Valley near Fonda, New York since 1993. He is a member of the Bear Clan of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Susan Skinner

Susan began her healing practice as a Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner and continues as an initiated Mara'akame in the tradition of the Wixárika (Huichol) people of Mexico. Susan has maintained her practice in middle Tennessee for over twenty years, dedicated to initiating healthy transformation in the lives of people so they can better align with the natural cycles of life and face our inevitable challenges with balance and courage.

REGISTERED NURSE, NATURE EDUCATOR

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower, R.N. combines natural wellness in traditional and eclectic herbalism with evidence-based, health-oriented community outreach programs.

MARA'AKAME IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

Randy Whitlock

Randy Whitlock is initiated as a Mara'akame in the Huichol tradition. He is a self-taught sculptor, working mainly in soapstone.

13TH GRANDMOTHER ON THE TURTLE ISLAND COUNCIL

Gail Whitlow

Gail Whitlow is Mohawk, born into the Bear Clan of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). Gail is the 13th Grandmother on the Turtle Island Council.

TSAURIXIKA IN THE HUICHOL TRADITION

David Wiley

Don David is initiated in two living indigenous traditions in Mexico: the Nahua & the Huichol. He is a teacher of those traditions and their medicine.

Sacred Fire

The mission of Sacred Fire is to transform lives through the gift of Fire.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Prosperity Ritual

Sacred Fire
Blue Deer
Nahua Medicine Path Group
Huichol Medicine Path Group
Local Tepoztlan Community

THE WISEST ELDER

Nature

The natural world sustains itself with balanced relationships, and it can also restore balance, healing and sustainability in human life.

Blue Deer Center

BLUE DEER PRESENTERS
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