Women’s Lodge Weekend:
Join Nan Heddi and a circle of sisters for a transformative weekend of connection, healing, and celebration. Together, we will honor Mother Earth, the women’s lodge, the land, and Spirit through ceremony, prayer, and community.

Friday, August 22nd - Sunday August 24th
Deer Mountain Sanctuary, Montague, CA

Weekend Flow
Friday, August 22nd (3 Kiej): Arrival and Opening Circle
Arrive between 2–5 pm to set up camp and settle into the land.
Share a potluck dinner and gather for an opening circle to set intentions.

Saturday, August 23rd (4 Q’anil): Sacred Preparation and Women’s Lodge Ceremony
Together we will prepare the Grandmother’s Hearth and hold a powerful sweat lodge ceremony to purify, heal, and deepen our connection to Spirit and one another.
Come together to prepare a nourishing dinner, grounding and replenishing as a community.

Sunday, August 24th (5 Toj): Sunrise ceremony & River Offerings
Begin the day with a sunrise wood fire ceremony, offering prayers for our lives and the healing of Mother Earth.
Prepare and enjoy a nourishing brunch together, break down camp, and optional journey to the newly free-flowing Klamath River where we will make offerings, honoring the cycle of life and our place within it.
Return to Deer Mountain and depart by 3 pm.

Sacred Themes of the Mayan Calendar

• 3 Kiej:  A day of balance between body, mind, and spirit with energy of Spiritual Connection and Sacred Service.

• 4 Q’anil: A day of the four colors of corn coming together, and planting the seeds that we want to harvest in the Four Directions.

• 5 Toj: A day of deep connection to Reciprocity: Giving offerings and fully Receiving the gifts that come to us.
  
  This 13 day week prepares us for 13 Noj - the full empowerment of Wisdom that lives in the Earth and ourselves.

Logistics
Camping: We will camp at Bear Paw Meadow and work together to prepare meals (food provided except for Friday’s potluck).
Sliding Scale: To honor accessibility and inclusivity, we offer a sliding scale for this 3-day experience. Offer what feels right for your financial situation. Contact us for work-trade options.

🌱 Community Supported – $152
For those with financial need — this tier is supported by the heart-giving of others. Your presence is a gift, and this option is made possible by those contributing at higher levels.

🔥 Sustainer – $260
Covers the full cost of food, land use, materials, and event coordination for the full 3-day experience. This is the true cost per participant and helps the gathering remain viable.

🌞 Abundant Supporter – $444
Helps feed elders, sustain events, and provide scholarships and future offerings.This generous tier strengthens our community and ensures accessibility for others.

Space is Limited to 20 Women: Reserve your spot early to join this sacred gathering.

How to Register
Please secure your spot with a $50 deposit below and fill in the registration form so we can best prepare to receive you.
For questions or inquire about work-trade and scholarship opportunities, please contact Heddi@earthpeoplesunited.org. 

June 19–23, 2025 | Deer Mountain Sanctuary | Camping + Glamping Upgrades Available

Join us for a sacred, land-based gathering at Deer Mountain Sanctuary during the powerful days surrounding the Summer Solstice. Over five days, we will walk in prayer, remembrance, and celebration through traditional ceremonies, earth-based teachings, and land tending projects. (A weekend option is also available for those who cannot come for all 5 days).

This gathering is a return to ancestral ways — weaving community, fire, storytelling, and skill-sharing into a circle of unity and reverence. Together, we honor the Earth, the waters, and our place within the sacred web of life.

Click HERE for full details and to register.

Join with Nan Heddi and other Sisters for a women’s weekend celebrating our Mother Earth by connecting with the women’s lodge, each other, the land, and Spirit.

Friday: Arrive between 2 - 5 pm, set up camps, potluck dinner and sharing circle.

Saturday: Women’s sweatlodge ceremony. We will spend the day praying with the fire and the women’s lodge so that we can purify, heal and connect inside of the Grandmother’s Hearth.

Sunday: Morning fire ceremony to make offerings for our life at this spring time, then we will go down to the newly free-flowing Klamath River to make offerings for the return of the salmon, the cycle of life and our place in it.

We will be camping and working together to prepare meals. Space limited to 15 women. We are asking for a sliding scale love offering of $150 and up to support the care of this sacred Sanctuary.

Contact Nan Heddi at HeddiL@gmail.com to learn more…

Add Your Offering to the Healing of the Klamath River Ecosystem!

Earth Peoples United is hosting a special gathering over Memorial Day Weekend (May 24 - 27) at the Deer Mountain Sanctuary, alongside the Free-Flowing Klamath River. This event will bring together Wisdom Keepers from different traditions with many others to offer ceremonies, medicines, songs, and dances for the healing of the Klamath River Ecosystem. We invite you to bring your offering for the healing of the river by either attending or contributing in some way to this gathering.

The removal of the Copco Dam on the Klamath River offers a historic chance to correct past injustices, restore native fish populations, and strengthen the understanding of the relationship between fish and Indigenous communities. By enabling salmon and trout to access crucial spawning and rearing grounds in the headwaters, we can help preserve these ecologically and culturally significant species. We invite you to add your prayers for the revitalization of Indigenous homelands and traditional ways of life.

Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the future of the Klamath River and all the beings that depend on it. Join us in honoring this vital ecosystem and celebrating the unity between nature and humanity!

Ways you can join & support:

• Be part of the gathering (see section below)

• Donate to help cover the expenses of this gathering

• Share the fundraising campaign with others

• Donate food items, flowers, or gifts for the elders

• Send offerings for the fire, prayers, messages, etc in advance to be offered on behalf of those who cannot be there in person.

Please contact Heddi at HeddiL@gmail.com for more information and coordinate physical donations or offerings.

Thank you for being a part of this transformative journey!

This special camping weekend gathering will include:

Friday May 24th (3 E):

• Arrive between 2-5 pm to drive up the mountain and set up camps at Bear Paw Meadow

• Welcome and Potluck Dinner at 6:30 pm (please bring a prepared dish to share)

• 8 pm - Storytelling & Songs around the Fire

Saturday May 25th (4 Aj):

• 7-8:30 am Breakfast and cleanup

• 9 am prepare for Mayan Fire, Flowering Staff Ceremony, and Blessing of the Waters

• 10 am - light Mayan Fire

• Lunch after the ceremony is complete (we will have snacks for everyone and provide lunch for the elders, please take care of your own needs)

• Driving Pilgrimage (15 minutes) to the edge of the Klamath River to offer Waters that have been blessed and Flowering Staff to the river with smoke and prayers

• Dinner (provided for elders, please take care of your own needs)

• Social Fire

Sunday May 26th (5 Ix):

• Sunrise Pipe Ceremony and Council Fire at youth arbor at Bear Paw Meadow

• Brunch

• Ceremonial Preparations

• Early Afternoon: Walking pilgrimage to ceremonial grounds for Ceremony Honoring the Bear, Rattlesnake and Salmon

• Potluck Celebration Feast (*Please bring something to contribute- we will have suggestions)
  
  Monday May 27th (6 T’zikin):

• Sunrise Pipe Ceremony & Gratitude Circle

• Brunch (provided for elders, please take care of your own needs)

• Pack up camps & Depart by 2pm

Please bring what you need to camp, including food for potluck dinners to share on Friday and Sunday nights, and to take care of yourself for all other meals.

The closest gas station for gas and ice is about 25 minutes away from the property, and the closest grocery store is in Yreka, a 30 minute drive from the entry of the property. There is very limited cell phone service. We do not have RV hookups. No dogs allowed at this event.

EPU will provide:

• A simple hot dish for breakfasts and dinners. (oatmeal, rice and beans, meat and veggie options for soup, etc).

• Hot Coffee and Teas

• Spring Water

• Outhouses

• Hot Showers

• Dish Station

• Limited area for charging devices & wireless internet

Registration is required for this event. Camping Space is limited to 40 people.

REGISTER HERE.

* You will need to complete an informational form HERE in addition to the registration on Eventbrite.

After registration more information will be provided on protocols, what to bring for yourself and the ceremonies, potluck contributions, directions, and general information.

Day Passes (no camping) are available ($25 contribution) for Saturday and Sunday.

We are suggesting contributions of $100 or more. Contributions support hosting the gathering, caring for elders, and supporting the stewardship of Deer Mountain Sanctuary. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact Heddi at HeddiL@gmail.com if you are unable to make a suggested offering with this registration.

We invite donations to support this gathering at the Deer Mountain Sanctuary. We also invite offerings for the fire, prayers, messages, etc to be sent in advance to be offered on behalf of those who cannot make it in person.

Contact Heddi at HeddiL@gmail.com or 707.280.7033 (text/WhatsApp preferred) for more information.

Uniting Our Circles Ceremonial Weekend with Tat Erick Gonzalez in Nevada City

• Friday Mar 8th (4 T’zikin), 4 pm - 8pm : Ceremonial fire, potluck dinner and community talk on Uniting the People. 19000 Augustine Rd. Nevada City. This is the Mayan day of 4 T’zikin – the energy of the four directions, visioning, beauty and abundance.
  530.470.0319 or 530.913.7749 for more info.
  

• Saturday Mar 9th (5 Ajmak), 12-2 pm: Circles of Unification Council Fire and prayers for the ancestors in the Big House at Pata Panaka Village. 19200 Lake Vera Purdon Rd. Nevada City. This is the Mayan day of 5 Ajmak – a day of connecting to the ancestors and future generations, at the Tsi Akim Maidu village site.
  Bring snacks and finger food to share, 4E will provide beverages; water, tea, coffee, coconut water for break at 2.
  2:30 - 4pm Continue council/tour of grounds/time for one on one conversations.
  Please RSVP to Tam at 360.775.0942 or Rick at 530.277.6829 or for more info
  

• Sunday Mar 10th (6 Noj), 1:30 - 5:30 pm: Mayan Fire & Pipe Ceremony to pray for the Mother Earth at a beautiful rolling meadow in Chicago Park, less than 20 minutes from Grass Valley. This ceremony is an offering to the earth, we invite you to bring dried herbs, natural candles, sugar, chocolate, honey for the fire.
  Please RSVP to Asher for more info and directions: 415.595.5309

A time when we gather at Deer Mountain Sanctuary to honor the Mayan ceremonial days of Waqxaqui B’atz, a time of Spiritual Renewal, when we make offerings of beauty here in the north in synchronicity with the countless altars set and ceremonial fires burning in the Mayan world. 

Over these sacred days, offerings are made for all life that has come through the matrix, making all of the living world. Consciously connecting again to our own place in the Universe that we are a part of, reclaiming our appreciation for the bundle of threads we have to weave with in the well of our own being. Taking time to vision the path to crystalizing our visions through the weavings of our every thought, intention and action. Through intention and ritual, we gather the  threads of energy that flow from our center and connect us to our past and future generations – to our own infinite potential. And it is also a time when initiations and levels of spiritual training are marked in time through ceremony. 

Join us this August when we will circle, feast, pray and create together. Sharing wisdom from the elders and connecting to each other and the elements in the nourishing embracing arms of the Siskiyou Mountains at the Deer Mountain Sanctuary.  

This year we are honored to have Isabel Rorick, Haida Grandmother and Traditional Weaver with us to share her wisdom and guide us in an introduction to weaving workshop happening through the weekend right after these ceremonies.

Click here for more information and to register…

This is the second CA Family Week of 2023 with the 4 Elements Earth Education (see the first week HERE).

For years Juan Villarreal and Rick Berry have talked about an Art in Nature program, and it's finally happening! The week will include Nature Observation time, as the cornerstone of awareness and the doorway to the spirit world. Art? Yes! Drawing, painting, sculpting clay into vessels, making baskets out of willow, weaving fiber into cordage ropes and belts, making rattles out of rawhide, and more. They will join with Earth Peoples United in ceremonial spaces, campfires, councils, and sharing of the Mayan Traditions with Tat Erick Gonzalez. There will be time to wander the land, go for a swim, take a nap, relax and unwind from the hectic pace of the modern world. We will have activities for all age groups to engage every member of the family.

Our Wilderness Survival Quest for Teens (ages 14-17) runs alongside this Art in Nature Family Camp. This Quest is designed to challenge teens skills and mental well-being while wandering out in the remote backcountry with minimal gear. The Survival Quest is one way to discover who you are at the core. We require teens to apply for the program and they must have some experience with Earth Skills. Teens will begin at the same site as the Family Camp, having meals together and prepping for the Quest. Depending on the group, there will be up to 3 nights out in the bush, with minimal gear. There will be a ceremonial send off for the group from family camp and upon the return to main camp.

Learn more and register HERE.

From June 18th -23rd we will be partnering with 4EEE for their Wilderness Earth Skills Family Camp. This week is for the entire Family, all ages welcome, and will include honoring the Summer Solstice that falls within this week.

Everyone comes together for meals, councils, campfires, and ceremonies over these days with the main focus on learning wilderness earth skills, honoring the sacred order of Shelter, Water, Fire, Food.

Please note that any youth 4 years and younger would need to remain with parents. Youth ages 5-7-will have morning and shorter afternoon sessions, and youth ages 8-12 will be together as teen ages 13-17 will be on separate adventures.

Parents will have the option to take part in activities throughout the week as well with opportunities for enriching connection around the hearth and crafting space, the heart of where we will be circling our families together for meals.

Click HERE to learn more and to register!

We invite you to Bring your love in action to the ceremonial lands for our Annual Deer Mountain Memorial day Weekend Land Service Camp. A time of collective spirit family village building when we tend to our shared spaces and do the preparations for the ceremonies to come this season. Evenings will be full of connection, laughter and love at Bear Paw Meadow. Pack your instruments and anything you’re inspired to share. 

This is a potluck and camp-style gathering, so bring what you need to be self sufficient, work well in the elements, and weave beautifully others for our communal meals and time getting to being a village. Email us at heartofearthpeoplesunited@gmail.com to R.S.V.P. and coordinate to join us for camp.

This April family weekend retreat will be a dedication of beauty to life itself.. A time to come together and make offerings for balance between the feminine and masculine, within and without. Weaving spirit and prayer for the initiation of the Women’s Lodge held by Nan Heddi Gonzalez-Neale.

Children, youth, adults and elders of all traditions are welcome to join in this weekend full of heart centered connection and collective rituals for the renewal of this sacred feminine space on Deer Mountain, and the sacred creative channel within.

We will be blessed to have Mama Silvia Calisaya, Elder Aymara Medicine Woman, with us as our special guest, making offerings with the Earth Peoples United Nanas at the lodge fire in a collective ritual of beauty to bless all present and all of those to come.

Click HERE for more information and to register.