Drumming for Peace in Washington, DC
In October 2008, women, men and children gathered in Washington DC for 4 days and 3 nights to drum for peace. This event was echoed and supported by drumming gatherings in Washington state, California and other areas. The vision for the drumming and coming together of women to drum for the peace of the world is from Eli PaintedCrow. We drummed from dawn on Friday continuously until noon on Monday. The drums never stopped. Kaya, the grandmother drum held the drum beat for the entire time. Sometimes there were only a few drummers on site and other times there were several hundred people gathered together. The sense of wonder, power, community, love, sharing and the force behind the prayer for peace was incredible and extremely moving.
The 8 of the 13 members of the The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers were present on Monday for the drumming and the closing ceremonies. The Council's mission statement is about healing the earth.
The Veterans for Peace came in to act as guardians for the event. There was always at least one of them present; they were a great help and took part in all the events.
Some of the pictures are shown below - others can be found on the photo page or the video page.
"The Vision"
"The Mission is here: A gathering of women, the grandmothers, mothers and the daughters of all. To see our sisters, our friends and lovers who are ready to start something great. It’s all about you; it’s all about me, together it is “We”. Imagine how powerful this can be, listening to our heartbeats growing strong. A heartbeat that is a stand for Peace.
We the Turtle Women are rising, rising to help our mother, rising to witness her cries for the loss of all lives. We the Turtle Women are rising, rising to speak through our hearts, through the beat of the drum that connects all life for all times. We come together to shake loose the parasitic thinking in the heart of the wound.
We have no words. We have no anger. We are Turtle Women Rising, rising for Peace. Rising in Love, in Song, and in Prayer. Our faith grows strong in our own knowing. The Power of Love, the Power of life. Yes, we can imagine that.
We rise to support the tears of all life givers and hold in our hearts the pain of violence, the hope of healing. We are strengthened by the faith in our own walk. We are here to raise the vibration, and to bring the Light closer to ourselves, to each other. We are here to shine this Light on the wounds of our Mother who is so desperately trying to heal. This is the Light that will heal the holes in our hearts. Our drums resonate that Vibration, that Light, and the remembrance of Life.
All My Relations."
--Eli PaintedCrow
SFC Eli PaintedCrow
SFC Eli PaintedCrow is a 22 yr. retired Army Veteran who served in Iraq in 2004. A Native American from the Yaqui Nation, grandmother of 8, a mother of 2 sons who both served in the military, she has been called upon by her conscious and her spirit to play and pray for peace.
Turtle Women Rising Logo |
Eli PaintedCrow |
Kaya - Grandmother Drum |
The Invitation |
Don Alfredo and the Grandmothers |
Estelle, Alice and Kimberly |
Altar at night |
My Drum being played |
Imani singing |
My drum and I |
WE, THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF THIRTEEN INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS, represent a global alliance of prayer, education and healing for our Mother Earth, all Her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come. We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth and the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. We look to further our vision through the realization of projects that protect our diverse cultures: lands, medicines, language and ceremonial ways of prayer and through projects that educate and nurture our children.
Grandmothers with the Dali Lama |
Grandmothers at Turtle Women Rising |
I can be contacted at janeearly_hmb@yahoo.com