This year's Deer Mountain Wisdom Keeper and Youth Council was amazing!  We had over 90 people -double last year. It is so rewarding to see our time together grow, and we look forward to plans for next year. There was anincredible amount of work to get ready for the Wisdom Keepers, including cutting firewood; stripping bark off ofthe tipi poles; setting up tents,tipis, and domes; setting up a much larger kitchen, serving and dish washing area; planning and purchasing food preparing food for such a large group, and getting the Council House ready. Whew! All of you who showed up worked so hard - look at the beauty we all created...

We are incredibly grateful for all the volunteer and work trade efforts made to be prepared to receive the amazing Wisdom Keepers that joined us this year:

• The BearComesOut families from Montana,Northern Chayenne
• Debassa Guyo from Kenya, Oromo
• Patricio Dominguez from New Mexico, Tewa
• Dana Mitchell from Maine, Penebscot
• Tata Jose Sanchez from Mexico, Huichol
• Tata Apolinario Chile Pixtun, Tata Pedro Cruz, & Nana Amalia Tun, Maya
• Sherri Dick, Hope Setso,  Isabel Rorrick & Vicki Moody, Haida
• Hua Anwa,Metis
• Jeanne Shenandoah, Onandaga
• Dallas Cain,Cherokee
• Bobby Lake-Thom, Medicine Grizzly Bear,Karuk/Yurok

For the first time we were able to hold the Council withinthe Kalpul Kiej Juyu Pop Jay- the Deer Mountain Council House! Shade cloth kept us out of the sun, while the Grandfather Fire burned, accompanied by the heartbeat drum 24 hours a day. Each Wisdom Keeper had a chance to share withthe Council, and many led additional evening teachings, sweatlodge, sunrise, or sunset ceremonies as well. The women also gathered in the Rainbow Woman MoonLodge tipi in the evenings to hear teachings from the women.  Bringing the teachings of the women into our Earth PeoplesUnited gatherings is so needed and we look forward to more.

We were also extremely blessed to have many youth joinus.  The youth have been an integral partof all of our Councils, but this year we had many more.  We were all touched by their deep presence and sharing throughout the Council. Their reflections on the impact on their lives of the ceremonies andtime at Deer Mountain with the Wisdom Keepers had a profound effect on everyone.  They served the Wisdom Keepersin a beautiful way. Each young person sat behind an elder during Council, providing them food and drink, giving them opportunity to be in service and come in close to the center of the Circle. The Youth were given responsibility as a group to tend the Grandfather Fire during the times we were in Council. We would like to thank Jay Bellis and Sherri Dick for their efforts and inspiration to bring a group of youth all the wayfrom Haida Gwaii, B.C. And for the beautiful voices in song...

As always, it was a great inspiration to see the community come together to serve everyone's needs. An event takes a lot of coordination, and we thank our Council Coordinators. We had an amazing kitchen crew that lovingly prepared delicious meals, and everyone pitched in to help serve and wash dishes at one time or another. To ALL our volunteers who worked SO hard in so many ways, and those who came to listen and be present: thank you for joining us, thank you for bringing your children to Council.  Thank you for believing in our mission at Earth Peoples United.

August Council Reflections by Tata OmeAkaEhekatl Erick Gonzalez

The Elders and youth August gathering was a time ofincredible blessings, beauty, and divine experiences. We experienced theimmense beauty of a spiritual community serving the sacred elementals, and thetransformation of what many of us are carrying from humanity's challenges andheavy and dark experiences, into feeling the support and the love- the strengthof the sacred container. This is what our ceremonies and what Deer Mt is allabout. This was further reflected in the beauty and transformation of the youthtowards feeling hope, support, guidance and love by the elders and the communityat large.

My reflectionto the elders isto please feel that we aretruly blessed to witness that with all the wisdom and efforts they have done and continue to do, we are now making things better for our communitiesand families- this next generation of our relatives that are coming to our fires to see a life of fullness and gratitude.

And as we mature into rebuilding our world community, as we continue to reconnect to the Spirit of Life, andwe continue to learn in what it is going to take and what we have to do to re-establish the sacred connection to Mother Earth, we feel like these experiences should be longer and more lasting. And we have a long ways togo. However, as we work together, it will be a joyous journey.

Thank you to all my relations that supported as part of this incredible creation. We are starting to get a taste of what we can truly be- not only in beautiful sacred places, but knowing the feeling of spiritual fullness. 

Matiox Chawe,

Erick