International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is an international alliance of Indigenous women elders whose work combines cultural preservation, spiritual practice, environmental concern, human rights advocacy, and peacebuilding. The council first gathered in October 2004 at the Menla Retreat Center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York, where the participants formally declared themselves a council. Its formation brought together elders from several Indigenous traditions and geographic regions, including North and South America, Central America, Nepal, Tibet, and Africa. The council presents itself less as a conventional membership organization than as a ceremonial and advocacy-based network. Its stated purpose is to strengthen relationships among Indigenous communities, share cultural knowledge, support traditional practices, and encourage responsibility toward the natural world. Meetings are generally held at approximately six-month intervals in the homelands of participating elders. Gatherings combine dialogue, cultural exchange, ceremonial activities, and a seven-day prayer vigil. Participants traditionally wear ceremonial or traditional clothing and use the meetings to learn from one another's communities and spiritual traditions. The council's public agenda has included environmental protection, international cooperation, Indigenous rights, peace, justice, and the preservation of plant-based medicines and related ceremonial knowledge. Academic commentary has characterized the group as an alliance formed to uphold Indigenous practices and affirm the ability of Indigenous peoples to use plant medicines without unnecessary legal restriction. The council's approach links social advocacy with spiritual and cultural renewal rather than separating political issues from ceremony and ancestral knowledge. Among its notable public actions was the council's 2008 visit to Rome. The grandmothers sought to draw attention to the legacy of the 1493 papal document Inter caetera and its connection to the colonization and Christian conversion of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. They placed a peace and reconciliation flag near Saint Peter's Basilica, delivered a written statement and gifts intended for Pope Benedict XVI, and conducted prayer and smudging ceremonies. The Vatican did not receive the delegation. The council's activities have also reached wider audiences through books, documentaries, public conversations, educational events, and speaking tours. Carol Schaefer's 2006 book Grandmothers Counsel the World presented the elders' perspectives on the future of the planet, while the documentary For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak documented their meetings and international travel. In 2011, Rita Pitka Blumenstein and Mona Polacca undertook a 22-city Timeless Message Tour that combined public talks with screenings of the documentary. The council has received recognition for its peace and justice work. In 2013, the Fellowship of Reconciliation awarded it the International Pfeffer Peace Award. The available reference material identifies numerous former members, including several who are deceased, as well as ambassadors and supporters who have helped extend the council's message. Because publicly available information does not establish a current administrative structure or a definitive present-day operating status, the council's current organizational condition is best treated as uncertain.

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers emerged from a gathering of Indigenous women elders at the Menla Retreat Center in Phoenicia, New York, in October 2004. At that meeting, the participants declared themselves a council and established an international platform for sharing Indigenous knowledge, ceremony, and perspectives on urgent social and ecological questions. The group brought together elders associated with communities in the Americas, Nepal, Tibet, and Africa, creating a network that emphasized relationship-building across distinct Indigenous traditions rather than uniformity. The council's activities have centered on recurring gatherings held approximately every six months in the homelands of participating elders. These meetings are intended to build trust and mutual understanding, allow participants to learn about one another's cultures, and maintain ceremonial continuity. Traditional clothing, prayer, and a seven-day vigil are important features of the gatherings. The council's work therefore operates through both public advocacy and spiritual practice. Its themes include environmental protection, human rights, peace, internationalism, and the defense of Indigenous cultural and medicinal traditions. The council has particularly emphasized the importance of preserving traditional knowledge and maintaining Indigenous authority over ceremonies and plant medicines. Its public identity is consequently connected to a broader movement for cultural survival and ecological responsibility. A major public episode occurred in 2007, when the council met in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The meeting reportedly attracted around 250 participants from multiple continents. In July 2008, the council traveled to Rome to address the historical effects of Inter caetera, a 1493 papal document associated with the authorization of Christian conversion and colonial claims in the Americas. The delegation placed a peace and reconciliation flag near Saint Peter's Basilica, delivered a written statement and gifts for Pope Benedict XVI, and conducted prayer and smudging. The Vatican declined to receive the delegation. The council's message spread through publishing and film. Carol Schaefer's book Grandmothers Counsel the World was published in 2006, followed by a Spanish edition in 2008 and a Kindle edition in 2009. The Center for Sacred Studies, identified as the council's parent organization in the reference material, produced the documentary For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak in 2007. Directed by Carole Hart, the film documented the elders' travels and meetings. The group also became the subject of interviews, public conversations, poetry, and educational programming. In 2011, Rita Pitka Blumenstein and Mona Polacca organized the Timeless Message Tour, a 22-city program featuring talks about the council and screenings of the documentary. The council received the International Pfeffer Peace Award from the Fellowship of Reconciliation in 2013 for its work on peace and justice. Publicly documented membership lists distinguish between named council members, former members, deceased members, and ambassadors. However, the available sources do not provide a reliable current roster, formal corporate structure, financial information, or definitive evidence about the council's present level of activity.

• 2013

  International Pfeffer Peace Award

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  The Fellowship of Reconciliation honored the council's peace and justice work.

• 2011

  Timeless Message Tour

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  Rita Pitka Blumenstein and Mona Polacca took the council's message and documentary to audiences in 22 cities.

• 2008

  Rome delegation

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  The council raised historical and reconciliation concerns connected with Inter caetera during a visit to Rome.

• 2007

  Black Hills council meeting

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  A council gathering in South Dakota drew an international group of participants and supporters.

• 2007

  Release of For the Next 7 Generations

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  The Center for Sacred Studies released a documentary following the grandmothers' meetings and travels.

• 2006

  Publication of Grandmothers Counsel the World

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  Carol Schaefer published a book presenting the elders' perspectives on cultural responsibility and the future of the planet.

• 2004

  Council declared at Menla Retreat Center

  [1]International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org

  Thirteen Indigenous women elders met in Phoenicia, New York, and formally established themselves as an international council.

A spiritually grounded Indigenous elder network that connects cultural preservation and ceremony with environmental stewardship, human rights, peace, and international dialogue.

• Documentary film · 2007

  For the Next 7 Generations: The Grandmothers Speak

  A documentary produced by the Center for Sacred Studies and directed by Carole Hart. It follows council members as they meet, travel, conduct ceremonies, and discuss their perspectives on Indigenous traditions, environmental responsibility, peace, and the future of the planet.

• 2011Timeless Message Tour

  United States

  Rita Pitka Blumenstein and Mona Polacca conducted a 22-city public speaking tour connected to the council, presenting its message and screening For the Next 7 Generations.

  Outcome. The tour extended the council's educational and advocacy work to audiences beyond its ceremonial gatherings.

  Source

• 2008

  Rome peace and reconciliation actionOther

  Background

  The council wanted to call attention to the historical impact of Inter caetera and its relationship to the colonization and conversion of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.

  Action taken

  The delegation placed a peace flag near Saint Peter's Basilica, presented a written statement and gifts intended for Pope Benedict XVI, and held prayer and smudging ceremonies.

  Aftermath

  The Vatican declined to receive the delegation, while the action became one of the council's most visible international advocacy events.

  Source

• 2004

  Formation of an international elder councilStrategy

  Background

  Elders from different Indigenous communities sought a framework for sharing cultural practices and addressing environmental, human-rights, and peace concerns.

  Action taken

  The participants declared themselves the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers and adopted recurring international gatherings as a central method of work.

  Aftermath

  The council developed a public profile through international meetings, documentary production, publications, and speaking events.

  Source

1. 1International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothersen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official websitegrandmotherscouncil.com