Defending Mother Earth: Indigenous Elders Bring A Message of Hope to London

Public Conference with Indigenous Elders

Tuesday 26th October 2010, 7pm

School of Oriental and African Studies

A group of 8 indigenous elders will arrive in London on Tuesday the 26th October.  They come to share an important message with the West. The group represents a variety of different indigenous communities:  Maya, Kuna, Mapuche & Aymara, the eldest of them is 110 years old. They will be making this momentous journey to share their teachings and wisdom of the earth. They come to reaffirm the messages that it is time to re-connect with Mother Earth in order to overcome a global environmental disaster.

These elders come from “the cultures of the Earth” and they are motivated by a deep concern for the planet and its peoples. Their visit forms part of a much wider popular movement in which indigenous peoples are uniting in an effort to raise awareness of the devastating effects of managing the earth as a ‘natural resource’ instead of understanding our planet as a living entity. They want to express the urgent and immediate need for change.

Native Spirit Foundation in collaboration with SOAS Students Union invite you to share the wisdom of elders in a conference in the School of Oriental and African Studies.

The event will be followed by a day of workshops, given by the guest speakers, at SOAS on Saturday 30th October

EVENING PROGRAM

7 pm Welcoming by Albert Pellicer (Co-director Native Spirit Foundation), Freddy Treuquil (founder and director of Native Spirit Foundation) and Sebilio Uribe (Co-president SOAS Student Union)

7.15 pm Mapuche Culture and Cosmology

The prophesy of the Condor and the Eagle

By Freddy Treuquil and Leonidas Quiniyao

7.35 pm Maya Culture and Cosmology

Tzolkin Calendar

By Casimiro Sicajau, Agustin Xoquic and Victor Lem

7.55 pm Kuna Cosmology and prophecies

Environmental Crisis

By Ernestina Arias and Fany Avila

8.10 pm Pachamama and the Aymara spirituality

Pachakuti

By Basilio Quispe and Juan Ramiro Quispe

8.30 pm

Questions from audience

Venue and entry details

School of Oriental & African Studies

Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H

Entry: Suggested donation £10 (concessions £5)

(the entry donation shouldn’t be an obstacle to attend the conference. The most important is to share the message)