Native American Wisdom Keepers, Part 1

Four Worlds Chairman Scott Ford, Founder Chief Phil Lane, and Mike Marburg

Earlier this year, we shared information related to our land clearing and blessing ceremony. As part of this process, I was lucky to spend time with hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. A member of the Ihanktowan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations, Chief Phil has dedicated his life to ambitious healing endeavors, with the end goal being to Unify Our Human Family, End War, and Begin Peace on Earth By 2030.

My most recent visit with Chief Phil overlapped with the Pope’s visit to Canada, and the Catholic Church’s apology regarding the genocide committed in their Indian Boarding Schools. Chief Phil shared a heartfelt film from 1986 (!) that documented the first healing ceremony related to these boarding school atrocities -- Healing the Hurts.

His film ignited a movement that highlighted what happened in the Catholic, Episcopal, United Church of Christ, and Presbyterian Indian Boarding Schools. So far, more than 7,000 children (from 4 to 12 years old), have been found in unmarked, hidden graves in Indian Boarding Schools across Canada. These discoveries were only uncovered in 2021. Current work is underway by Chief Phil and his team to bring attention to Indian Boarding School issues that may have (likely?) occurred in the United States.

As we have grown and evolved our understanding of Simply Shenandoah’s core values, we recognize these past and present efforts to eradicate Native American culture are the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. Deeply engrained within our regenerative philosophy is a focus on practicing and sharing traditional approaches for sacred living that deeply respect Mother Earth and her various plant/animal/fungal kingdoms (including the entire human family).

We appreciate how Indigenous cultures behave with a reverence for all living systems – considering both a decision’s current impact as well as how it will affect seven generations into the future. These practices have stood the test of time, and we find Native American teachings holistic and inspiring. As one example, these guiding principles and processes for building a sustainable and prosperous world are quite valuable.

We are so grateful to have the support, wisdom, and spiritual counsel from Chief Phil. If you are interested in learning more about his initiatives, please click the below links:

Support Four Worlds Global Impact Fund (sdgimpactfund.org)

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