Native American Family Day

Sunday, December 2 from noon to 5 pm, all ages are invited to a Native American Family Day at the Memorial Art Gallery. The event, offered in conjunction with the exhibition "Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 3," features art activities, tours, storytelling, and music and dance performances. Suggested donation is $5.

The program will include:

• Noon-4 pm: hands-on art activities for children in the Gallery¹s Creative Workshop
• 1 pm: "Napi Old Man" and "Prayer of the First Dance" by Daystar Dance Company
• 1, 2 & 3 pm: guided tours of "Changing Hands"
• 1 pm & 3 pm: Italian Baroque organ mini-recitals
• 2 pm: presentation on Native American art by Carlie Fishgold
• 2:30 pm: drum performance by Eastern Travelers
• 3 pm: storytelling presentation by Perry Ground
• 3:45 pm: interactive dance workshop by Ganondagan Young Spirit Dancers

For the complete schedule of events visit the schedule on MAG website and for more on the Memorial Art Gallery including hours and driving instructions, please Memorial Art Gallery website.

Sponsors: 
Made possible by Series Sponsor JPMorgan Chase Foundation, with additional support from the Robert and Madeleine S. Heilbrunn Memorial Fund.

Press Contacts: Meg Colombo, 585-276-8934 and Patti Giordano, 585-276-8932.

Images for Publication (press only): Images from "Changing Hands" are available for download at with the password NEWS

Summer Solstice Ganonyok @ white pine noon

JUNE 20 th- Summer Solstice Ganonyok

Arvel Bird's Animal Totem & Music Circle Workshops

For those who already are fans of award-winning Native American musician Arvel Bird or if you're curious to learn about Native American animal totems and music circles, check out two opportunities we're offering to participate hands-on with Arvel in a drumming and/or flute circle. You're encouraged to bring a percussion instrument or flute for the themed workshop, and if you don't have an instrument, or don't know how to play, no problem! Wear comfortable clothing, bring a mat or blanket and come anyway.

The first half of each workshop will focus on how indigenous tribes used animal “medicine” or “wisdom,” and how—through Arvel’s guided meditation—individuals can learn to find and connect with their power animal. He promises the music circles to be a "fun and healing time to connect to the Creator with movement and rhythm."

As there's a lot of local interest in Arvel, we're encouraging pre-registration by April 1 for the following Friends of Ganondagan-sponsored events:

• Saturday, April 9 from 1-3 pm, “Animal Totems and Drumming Circle Workshop”
• Thursday, April 14 from 7-9 pm, “Animal Totems and Flute Circle Workshop”
  

Both workshops will take place at the Quaker Meetinghouse (workshops not affiliated with the Quakers), at 84 Scio Street, corner of Scio and Charlotte.

To register, or for more information, visit www.ganondagan.org/programs/ArvelBird.html or call
585-742-1690.

And, as an extra incentive, our Friends of Ganondagan (FoG) members receive a $2 discount off the ticket price for Arvel ’s April 17 violin and flute concert with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra (David Fetler conducting) at 3:00 pm at the Hochstein Performance Hall. To receive this discount, FoG members should call Julie Doescher at the RCO Box Office, 585-442-9778. Arvel will premiere The Path Made of Rainbow, a work he wrote for the RCO and the Bach Children’s Chorus, which describes the Paiute story of how the Grand Canyon came to be.

Friends of Ganondagan is making some of Arvel's recordings available for purchase. Click here.

Hope to see you!

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program

Our good friend Dr. Les Moore is offering the next part of his Botanical Medicine Certificate Program. This program is an excellent way to learn more about medicinal plants and their usage. Check the information below for course and registration details. Please contact Classical Formulas with any questions you might have.

I've included a link to my favorite reference book on the medicinal plants that grow wild in this area, A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guide). May you enjoy it as much as I have!

-kim


Botanical Medicine Certificate Program

Medical Herbalism Part II
January 20 – February 17, 2011  

Medicinal Calendula

This Course is the second in a series of three herbal study programs to be offered at Clifton Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. While each series has a similar format, they will contain different information. These classes are appropriate for health care providers, people employed in health related businesses or anyone interested in Herbalism.

Dr. Moore and herbalists from Classical Formulas Herbal Medicinary will instruct these classes.  Dr. Moore has a life-long interest and extensive education in the field of Herbalism, both Western and Eastern.

You may register for the whole series or at the beginning of each class.  Students may begin ANY series at ANY time with no prerequisites of the previous series. Each series is a stand-alone module.  Students completing all three of the series (Parts I, II & III) will receive a certificate upon course completion.  To be certain you have a place in class please register early, as class size is limited.

Tuition is $120 or $20 per class. Contact Classical Formulas for Registration at 315-462-0190 by January 18th.

Female Gingko Tree w/nuts
(Highland Park)

PLEASE NOTE: All classes are held on Thursdays at Clifton Springs Hospital from 6:30-8:30 pm with the exception of the herb walk on Saturday January 29th, 2011 held at Lamberton Conservatory at 10:00am.

Course Descriptions

Class 1 – Botanical Medicine/Single Herbs–January 20th, 2011
Learn about herbs and homeopathy used for stress, immune stimulation and for combating specifically colds and influenza. Will also cover single herbs for traditional Indian medicine, (Ayurvedic Medicine).

Class 2 – Herb Pairs/Drug Interaction and Materia Medica for Children – January 27th, 2011
This class will focus on paired herbs that are therapeutic for specific conditions.  Information on interactions that can occur between medicines and herbs will also be discussed as well as herbal dosages for children. Will also cover Ayurvedic herbs for children.

Class 3 – Plant Identification/Herb Walk – January 29th, 2011

Native medicinal - Pokeweed

This class will be a 3+ hour walk to identify plants in the Lamberton Conservatory located in Highland Park.  This is essentially a green house so temperature will be comfortable without a heavy jacket.

Class 4 – Herbal Medicine Making – February 3rd, 2011
Learn how herbs are used to create various herbal therapeutics.  Participate in some hands on preparation of herbal formulas.

Class 5 – Herbal Formulas/Modifications – February 10th, 2011
This class will focus on herbal formulas and how the herbs in each formulas work on the body and how they can be modified to fit a specific condition or person.  Discussion of how the pulse and tongue can be used to diagnose a condition.  Will also cover Ayurvedic herbal formulas.

Class 6 – Homeopathy and First Aid – February 17th, 2011
Learn how homeopathic remedies are used for first aid, and many other conditions.  Will also cover first aid from Ayurvedic medicine.

Canandaigua Treaty Keynote Speaker Oren Lyons

When I first heard that Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, would be the keynote speaker at this year's commemoration on Thursday, November 11 of the Canandaigua Treaty of 1794, it brought back my first experience hearing this quietly charismatic and visionary man. In the summer of 1991, I happened to catch Oren's interview with PBS television host Bill Moyers. I was taken with Oren's tremendous historical knowledge and perspective, his awareness of the importance of bringing the past into the present with consideration for the future, and of his tremendous sense of responsibility in his role as Faithkeeper. (A year later, he addressed the General Assembly of the United Nation, where he opened the International Year of the World's Indigenous People.)

It is remarkable that one man has done so much for so many. The awards he's received for his range of accomplishments is stunning: the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor; the National Audubon Award; the Earth Day International Award of the United Nations; the Elder and Wiser Award from the Rosa Parks Institute for Human Rights; and the Universal Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.

As if that's not enough for one man, this author, artist, and professor also received an Honorary Doctor of Law from Syracuse University, and was an All-American lacrosse player at S.U., receiving Man of the Year in Lacrosse by the NCAA.

So, on Thursday, November 11, I'll be there at the 216th commemoration of the Canandaigua Treaty between the Six Nations and the United States, rededicating the agreement that secures perpetual peace and friendship between the two. And I'll be grabbing a front-row seat to hear Oren. Hope you'll be there too for what I know will be an unforgettable experience.

Two Ganondagan Events with Amy Stewart & Jan Longboat

This weekend Ganondagan will be hosting two events that feature Amy Stewart, the best-selling author of Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities and Jan Kahehti:io Longboat, Mohawk Elder and Keeper of Earth Healing Herb Gardens and Retreat Centre at Six Nation.

Our "Wild & Wicked Dinner" is the first event and it is friday night October 1 from 6-9pm. The dinner will be will held be an intimate setting in a beautiful private home in Mendon, NY and will feature a delicious night of wicked, wild, and powerful plants where you will get an opportunity to meet both Amy and Jan as well as dine on sumptuous dishes featuring foods native to the Americas. The evening will also feature a  book-signing with Ms. Stewart.

The second event, The Good, the Bad and the Powerful: Native Plants and Healing Seminar, is the next day on Saturday October 2. It will feature discussions by both Amy Stewart and Jan Longboat on the plants used for healing as well as those plants that can kill us - and sometimes a killer and a healer exists in the same plant. Come learn about our powerful green neighbors. Amy will also be on hand for a book signing.

Please see our "Wild & Wicked Dinner" webpage for videos of both Amy and Jan. They are very enjoyable and you will surely not want to miss these events! But if you do not hurry you will miss out. Registration for both events close Wednesday 9/29! Call to register or register on-line!

-kim

Charlie's Old Goat Run Pictures

Here's a great slide show of the race photos - it makes you feel like you were there! Enjoy!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=584435050903%3A960193747&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

-kim

Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run - Results!

Saturday September 18th was one of those rare gifts in Western NY at this time of the year - absolutely beautiful temperature, brilliant sun, and in a word, perfect. It was a perfect day for the running of Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run.

The proceeds from the race benefited the Friends of Ganondagan - a huge Nya:weh [thank you] to all who ran, cheered others on, organized the event, and the sponsors of the event!!  It's the generosity of people like you who make everything we do at Ganondagan possible!

Let's give a big hand to the top 5 runners from this year's race:

Charlie Andrews
DDennis Vankerhave
Tim Howland
Martin Coffey
Michelle Weiler

Great job one and all!

The Friends of Ganondagan and the staff at Ganondagan State Historic Site would like to express our thanks to Charlie and Sara Sabatine who worked so hard to organize this fund raiser for Ganondagan. NYA:WEH!

Please join us in thanking all the sponsors of this year's race as well:

Advent Auto, Apple Farm, 

Austin-Spencer Collision, Biaggi's,

 BJ's, Champps, Charlie's Restaurant, 

Dibella's, The Distillery, 

Eastern Mountain Sports, Fleet Feet Sports, 

Gander Mountain, Hogan's Hideaway, 

Longhorn Steakhouse, Marketplace Liquor,
Medved, Merle Norman, Metlife, 

Mickey Finn's, Olive Garden,
Parkview Fairways, Pellegrino's, Starbucks, 

Tri Running & Walking, Target, Tim Horton's, 

Victor Advanced Chiropractic, 

Victor Cole & Lumber
Victor Hills Golf Club, Wade's Market, 

Walmart, Wegmans, Wendy's

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program - Herbalism I

This Fall Dr. Les Moore will be teaching the next part of his herbal medicine certificate program. The Fall series of classes also features a guided trail walk at Ganondagan where wild medicinal plants are identified and discussed. 
  
The walk, as well as the other classes in the series, are excellent and I highly recommend them - I have personally taken the entire series as well as completing an apprenticeship with Dr. Moore.
  
While no books are required for the classes or the walk, Peterson's Medicinal Plants and Herbs by Foster and Duke is an excellent reference book for students of herbal medicine as well as people who want to know more about those "weeds" in their lawn which are more than just weeds. It is the most often referenced herb book in my personal library and I've included a link to the right for you to check out more about the book.
  

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program - Medical Herbalism Part I
September 23rd – October 21st  2010

This Course is the first in a series of three herbal study programs to be offered at Clifton

Bloodroot

Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. While each series has a similar format, they will contain different information.  These classes are appropriate for health care providers, people employed in health related businesses or anyone interested in Herbalism.

Dr. Moore along with herbalists from the Classical Formulas Herbal Medicinary will instruct these classes.  Dr. Moore has a life-long interest and extensive education in the field of Herbalism, both Western and Eastern.

Register for the whole course or for class sessions separately, if you wish.  Each class meeting can be taken independently, with no prerequisite.  Students completing all three of the series (Parts I, II & III) will receive a certificate of course completion.  To be certain you have a place in class, please register early.

   

Location:   See individual class descriptions

Tuition:     $120 or $20/class 

Contact Classical Formulas for Registration:  315-462-0190

Blue Cohosh

  
Class 1 – Basic Herbal Therapeutics and Materia Medica
Learn about the historical uses of plant and their extensive studies reflected in “Materia Medica”, a standard reference. Topics of discussion will include origins, methods of preparation, the chemical construction and constituents, general physical characteristics, preparations, dosage and general influence on the body. Thursday, September 23rd 2010 at 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 2 – Plant Identification and Herb Walk
Take a 3+ hour walk in the woods to identify plants in your surroundings.  Learn about their habitat, history and uses.  Meet Ganondagan in Victor.  Bring water and snack, dress for the weather and wear appropriate walking footwear. Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 9 a.m., Ganondagan, Victor, NY

Class 3 – Herb Pairs and Drug-Herb Interaction
This class will focus on paired herbs that are therapeutic for specific conditions.  Information on interactions that can occur between medicines and herbs will also be discussed. Thursday, September 30th 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Witch hazel

Class 4 – Herbal Medicine Making
Hands on instruction will include herbal  infusion, decoctions and fomentations.   Thursday, October 7th 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 5 – Herbal Formulas and Modifications
Herbs used in herbal formulas can act synergistically and can be tailored for each unique individual, even as a person or environment changes.  This class will consider how formulas can be used and altered to address specific changes. Thursday, October 14th 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 6 – Herbal Therapeutics and First aid
Learn how herbs are used for first aid care, immune system building and gastrointestinal disorders. Thursday, October 21st 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

2010 Educators' Day - Iroquois Confederacy

Ganondagan's Educators' Day is our annual conference that focuses on a particular theme related to the history and/or culture of the Iroquois people.

This year's conference will be held on 8/26 and will feature the theme "The Iroquois Confederacy."

While the event is geared for teachers and other educators, anyone may register and attend. Life-long learners are always welcome!

There is limited seating so register soon or you may miss out on this year's event!

For further information or to register, please see our Educators' Day webpage at:

www.ganondagan.org/programs/EducatorsDay.html



-kim

Native American Dance & Music Festival and More!

Our Native American Dance & Music Festival is next weekend! We are excited because we think that this is one of the best festivals we have ever had! We think everyone will enjoy the Navajo Codetalkers and The Plateros not to mention all the other festivities we have planned. Please see our Dance & Music Festival webpage for the festival program which includes the complete festival schedule as well as information on the various acts and attractions, driving directions, and more.

If you visit our webpages, you will also notice a new icon/link on the left-hand side of the screen for Amazon. If you shop at Amazon, please consider navigating to Amazon via this link. Your shopping experience at Amazon is completely the same, but the Friends of Ganondagan can earn money from any purchases made.

We also have created a Ganondagan Online Store that features Iroquois and other Native American books, DVD's, and CD's. We have stocked the online store with suggestions from staff and friends for high quality items that our friends and members would enjoy. We even added a special Codetalker product page if you would like to read more about the Navajo Codetalkers or see one of the videos available. By the way - if there are books, movies, or music you would like to see us carry, please send us an email and let us know!

Thanks and hope to see you at the festival!

-kim

Native American Dance & Music Festival Video

Haven't been to one of our Native American Dance & Music Festivals yet? Perhaps you want to see who are our special guest performers this year? Or maybe you just want a little something to get you excited to attend again? Well, I've got just the thing for you - check out the following video!

-kim

Beat a Drum for Ganondagan Rally

We hope you could make it to our Beat a Drum for Ganondagan Rally today. It was a gorgeous day - sun and blue skies with the cherry, apple, and serviceberry trees in bloom. The day was made all the more special and beautiful by all the friends and supporters who came to show their support for Ganondagan! 


At the rally Perry Ground, President of the Friends of Ganondagan, spoke, shared stories, sang, and introduced our guest speakers. All our speakers and supporters were of the same mind - a treasure like Ganondagan can not be allowed to vanish! Even the hawk that flew overhead lent his support to our cause.


If you were not able to attend, let me be the first to share with you excellent news - the Seneca Nation of Indians has committed to the full amount of money that is needed to allow the site to open on May 1st for the season! NYA:WEH! [Thank you!] The money will be used for all the costs associated with opening the site for the season.

Nya:weh to all those that have generously opened their hearts and pocketbooks to financially support us as well! We will use your generous donations in support of the site and the programming which we offer to you.

Even though we have the money to open, please do not let up your pressure on your elected officials. The state budget must pass and insure the state parks and historic sites can not only open but remain open for the season. The money that we have collected and that has been pledged to us thus far will enable us to open but we require the state to pass a budget that supports us for the rest of the season.


 Nya:weh to all our supporters, rally attendees, friends, donors, and well-wishers!


-kim

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program

While this is not Friends of Ganondagan sponsored programming, we thought our friends and members may be interested in taking a few classes or perhaps the whole series from our good friend and skilled Naturopathic doctor, Dr. Les Moore, N.D. M.S.O.M., LAc. I can personally vouch for the high quality nature of these herbal medicine classes since I have taken the entire certificate program as well as completing an apprenticeship with Dr. Moore.

Whether you are interested in learning how to use herbs medicinally or love plants and want to know more about how they are used, be sure to check these classes out! I have included class details below but contact Classical Formulas at 315-462-0190 for any additional information or to register! Enjoy!

-kim

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program

Medical Herbalism Part III
April 8th through May 13th

This Course is the third in a series of three herbal study programs to be offered at Clifton Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. While each series has a similar format, they will contain different information. These classes are appropriate for health care providers, people employed in health related businesses or anyone interested in Herbalism.

Dr. Moore and herbalists from Classical Formulas Herbal Medicinary will instruct these classes. Dr. Moore has a life-long interest and extensive education in the field of Herbalism, both Western and Eastern.

You may register for the whole series or at the beginning of each class. Students may begin ANY series at ANY time with no prerequisites of the previous series. Each series is a stand-alone module. Students completing all three of the series (Parts I, II & III) will receive a certificate upon course completion. To be certain you have a place in class please register early, as class size is limited.

Tuition is $120 for the series or $20 per class. Contact Classical Formulas for registration at 315-462-0190 by April 6th.

PLEASE NOTE: All classes are held on Thursdays at Clifton Springs Hospital from 6:30 - 8:30pm with the exception of the herb walk on Saturday May 1st 2010 held at the Ontario Pathways Trail, Phelps, NY at 9:00am.


Medical Herbalism Part III - April 8th through May 13th 2010
Course Descriptions

Class 1 – Botanical Medicine/Single Herbs – April 8th
Learn about herbs to soothe gastrointestinal tract as well as nervous system, aid in digestion, allergies and cleansing as well as combating viruses including fevers.

Class 2 – Herbal Therapeutics/Spring Detoxification–April 15th
This class will focus on herbal therapeutics for detoxifying the body.

Class 3 – Herbal Medicine Making – April 29th
Learn how to make herbal infusions with oil, vinegar and honey. We will also discuss making herbal salves from the oil infusions.

Class 4 – Plant Identification/Herb Walk – May 1st
This class will be a 3+ hour walk to identify plants in the surroundings area. You will learn about their habitat, history and uses. This class will meet at the Ontario County Pathways trail, Route 96, Phelps, NY. Bring water and snack, dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear.

Class 5 – Herb Pairs/Drug Interaction and Materia Medica for Children – May 6th
This class will focus on paired herbs that are therapeutic for specific conditions. Information on interactions that can occur between medicines and herbs will also be discussed as well as herbal dosages for children.

Class 6 – Herbal Formulas & Modifications – May 13th
Herbs used in herbal formulas can act synergistically and can be tailored for each unique individual, even as a person or environment changes. This class will consider how formulas can be used and altered to address specific changes.

Save Ganondagan Video

Please see the following for a few of the reasons to keep Ganondagan from closing!!



-kim

Save Ganondagan!

Dear Friends,

As many of you may have heard, Governor Paterson has made serious cuts to New York State's parks budget, closing or reducing services to 57 parks in New York State. Although Ganondagan has been removed from the "cut list," funding is now slated to be handled by the Environmental Protection Fund and must be approved by legislature, which puts our funding at serious risk.

If funding is cut or Ganondagan is closed - even for one year - it could irreparably damage the land, the buildings and the programming, obliterating the 23 years that have gone into creating this national treasure.

We are asking for your help in making legislators and the Governor understand why Ganondagan must be preserved, now and in perpetuity. At our website, we give links making it easy for you to click on the link, find your representatives and send an email.

Ganondagan is many things to many people, and by sharing what Ganondagan means to you, the legislators will realize the many ways in which Ganondagan contributes to the state, the community and its people. In case you've got writer's block, we've drafted a letter with several paragraphs from which you might select two or three to cut and paste or to use as inspiration in your communications with legislators.

The Iroquois people have a philosophy called "The Seventh Generation," traditionally applied to environmental concerns, that all decisions, all actions, must be regarded in terms of how they will impact those living seven generations in the future.

Please go today to the links listed on our website, before it is too late, to make your voice heard, taking action to protect Ganondagan for at least seven generations, for your grandchildren and your grandchildren's grandchildren.

Nya:weh (thank you)!

PS. - Be sure to visit our website to see a wonderful slide show showcasing many of the things that would vanish if Ganondagan closed its doors. See the show at: www.ganondagan.org/about/SaveGanondagan.html.

Parks & Trails New York - Call to Action: Don't Close my Park!

Urgent: Parks to close unless you speak out!

If there's one time New York's parks need your help it's now.

The Governor's proposed budget slashes funding for state parks. If the budget passes as is, there will be no choice but to close parks, according to Parks Commissioner Carol Ash. How many and which parks are still unknown. But it's likely that one of the parks or historic sites you love and use will be on the list.

Please take just five minutes to help parks by contacting your legislators this week. Read more on how you can take action...

-kim

The Walk Home: Journey to Native American Wellness

During Ganondagan's 2009 Native American Dance and Music Festival, Ganondagan was honored to receive guests from the Tohono O’odham Nation. The article below is based on an interview conducted with Terrol Dew Johnson, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Tohono O’odham Community Association during the group's visit:

Walkers from the Tohono O'odham Nation were welcomed warmly at Ganondagan's 2009 Native American Dance & Music Festival

L to R, Maray Johnson (age 14), Shane Johnson (age 16), Terrol Dew Johnson and G. Peter Jemison (Seneca). Photo by David Mitchell.

Terrol Dew Johnson is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Tohono O’odham Community Association (TOCA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating a healthy, sustainable and culturally vital community on the Tohono O’odham Nation.

If you had told him 19 years ago that he would be walking with family members from Bar Harbor, Maine to his home in Southern Arizona where the Tohono O’odham Nation is located, he’d probably have looked at you in skeptical disbelief.

In July, Terrol, his niece and nephew took time out of their 3000 mile walk to participate in the annual Native American Dance & Music Festival at Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, NY. where he shared insights about his mission.

“I was fortunate to grow up with my grandparents. My grandfather was a Medicine Man and my grandmother was knowledgeable about herbs and plants. I was raised with the idea that I should help my family and my people.”

Terrol learned basketweaving at an early age and traveled the world through his art, but brought his skills home to share with his people.“I was giving basket weaving lessons and the size of the classes was starting to outgrow my home when a Missionary came to our Nation. He wasn’t like many, only interested in sharing his beliefs. He was my age and interested in our indigenous foods and gardens. He was also knowledgeable about grant writing.

“When I discovered he was doing gardening, I went to visit him. As we talked and found out more about each other, he offered to write grants to provide services that would enrich the community. That was the beginning of TOCA.”

Today, under the nurturing efforts of Johnson and TOCA business partner, Missionary Tristan Reader, the non-profit organization has grown in size and scope. The organization’s activities include Food System and Wellness initiatives, a Basketweavers’ Guild, Arts and Cultural Revitalization, Youth & Elders Programming and Food and Fitness Collaborations. Johnson and Reader have achieved most of the things they set out to do including growing the farm to 1800 acres, building classrooms in which to teach, founding an art gallery and a café and offering enhanced economic opportunity to the community.

So how does that lead to a 3,000 mile walk?

“For most of my life, I’ve been focused on my people, but I realized if I didn’t take better care of myself, I wouldn’t be there for them. I am a diabetic and I wasn’t eating right or getting exercise. I needed to make a stand, which is how ‘The Walk Home: Journey to Native American Wellness’ came about. The walk is a fundraiser for TOCA, but it’s also meant as an inspirational message to the Native community.”

Johnson enlisted four nieces and nephews, age 12 to 16 to join him in his walk.

“Like many of our people, my family members are dealing with painful situations at home – drugs, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, premature death – and I wanted to share the world with them and give them hope for change.”

Two of the four young people who started out have returned home due to family complications.

“I was really upset at first, but I realized I just had to ‘Let Go, Let God’ and believe there was a reason for their early return home.”

It was by fortuitous coincidence that Terrol and his two companions arrived at Ganondagan in time for the late July Festival.

“When I was looking at our route, I put a message out on Facebook, asking for contacts in this area. A mutual friend, Loretta Oden who has been a chef at Ganondagan’s Native Foods Feast, suggested I contact Jeanette [Miller] and Peter [Jemison].

“Since we’ve been here at Ganondagan, the outpouring of support and friendship has been amazing. People have come up and given us food baskets and money. They’ve offered prayers and blessings. I’m used to caring for others, so it feels odd to have others taking care of me. I’m certain there will be future collaborations between TOCA and Ganondagan.

“If there was something I’d like others to take away from our walk, it’s that there are people out here who are trying to make a difference. That’s why we’re walking.”

For more about TOCA, The Walk Home: Journey to Native American Wellness, or to make donations toward this initiative, visit http://www.tocaonline.org/.

By Carol White Llewellyn

Photo by David Mitchell.

Winter Games & Seneca Snow Shoe Run

While I dearly love the quiet stillness that the winter season brings, we all have to get out of the house, move around, and enjoy the crisp winter air. A perfect way to get some winter fun is to visit our Native American Winter Games and Sports event on February 6, 2010, 10am - 4pm.

The event is FREE to the public and features:

• Dog Sledding
• Story Telling
• Food
• Snowshoeing
• Snow Snake
• "Seneca Winter Camp" Demonstrations

See all the Native American Winter Games and Sports event details at our Winter Games web page.

New this year to the Winter Games event, we are adding a Seneca Snow Shoe Run Competition. This three part competition includes a snow shoe run on a course laid out at Ganondagan, an archery shoot, and the snow snake throw. The competition has two levels: The Pro Snow Shoe Run and the Fun Snow Shoe Run.

Please see our Seneca Snow Shoe Run web page for more details and registration information.

I hope to see you there!!

-kim