News

Please read the 2009 Four Winds Foundation donation letter(PDF).

Check out our sister site - http://thefourelements.org/ 

3/1 - Here is an update from Sweet Medicine(PDF) after the first earthquakes in Chile.

2/4 - Valentine's message from Sweet Medicine(PDF) from Chile.

Check out the article on Sweet Medicine & Four Winds Foundation on Alternatives.com by our friend Sarah Clarke.

Sweat Lodges, Central Oregon begin in January Little Buffalo will be leading of these. Contact us on calendar page.

Jan. - Apr. 2010 Central Oregon Classes Bend Oregon, New study group on the Shamanic practiced of South American people looking at similarities and ceremonies in comparison to the N. American indigenous ways.  Once a month groups will meet on the 4th Sunday at 11 a.m. each month.  For more information and details go to the Info page on events.

Jan 7th - 2010 - A Travel South to Chile, this beautiful South American country, asks to be explored. Form its Mapuchi people to the sacred trees and mountains, Ceremonies for the South.  Led by Sweet Medicine. Contact: info@fwfoundation.com

April and May 2010 - Boys to Men & Girls to Maidens
We were delighted to offer the April  Boys to Men &  May Girls to Maidens  rites of passage ritual to the 5th & 6th graders of the Portland Waldorf schools and the attendance was wonderful.  Parents were introduced to the need for such Rites of Passage. The young girls and boys had teachings that help prepare them for these rites to occur.  The comments from most parents are why did we not have these when we grew up?  We are trying to answer the call for more honoring in our lives as well as the deeper understanding of the ontological process we all go through when growing into adults. Four Winds Foundation is again seeing to teaching these Life Ways and offering them to our next generations. Contact us for groups or individuals offerings.

Vision Quest Camp   June 18 - 24th 2010  

FWF supports many like minded groups locally and abroad. Visit our Friends of FWF page

September - 2009 - A Travel to the Heart of New Mexico. A week in the Beautiful High Country of the Southwest.  Lead by Sweet Medicine. Contact: info@fwfoundation.com

Oct 2009 Ireland, the Land of the Stone Circles..A Traveling in the misty Green Isles of the holy, teachings. Accompany Sweet Medicine, to learn the ways of the pipe and compare the ways of the Ancients, travel to sacred sites, in the Dublin and in Cork, southern shores of Ilrans. Contact us for dates in 2010.

October - 2009 - 14th Annual Women’s Sacred Journey’s Weekend - Woman the Fifth Element at Brietenbush Hot Springs, Central Oregon

May 2009 - Boys to Men & Girls to Maidens
We were delighted to offer the Boys to Men & Girls to Maidens ­rites of passage ritual to the 5th - 12th graders of the Portland Waldorf schools and Public school children wishing to attend.  The attendance was wonderful last year and we are enhancing our program this year.  Parents are introduced to the need for Rites of Passage. The young girls and boys have teachings that help prepare them for these rites to occur.  The comments from most parents are – “why did we not have these when we grew up?”  We are trying to answer the call for more honoring in our lives as well as the deeper understanding of the ontological process we all go through when growing into adults. Four Winds Foundation is again seeing to teaching these Life Ways and offering them to our next generations. Boy’s weekend is attending by boys and a father/chaperon, the same goes for the girls to maiden’s ceremony that are scheduled in many cities in the Willamette Valley.  For more information look at Calendar for dates.  Or if you would like to schedule such an event in your church, school or community.
Call:  Michael Foster - Boys to Men – 503-545-0701
       Julie Foster - Girls to Maidens – 503-793-3875
 
Four Winds Foundation 2008 Eco News Article in Bend, Oregon SOURCE magazine - click here

May 2nd - 4th 2008 - 13th Annual  Women’s Sacred Journey’s Weekend

“Walking in the Footprints of the Ancestors”
Metolius River - Central Oregon

Gathering of Women in furthering our Sacred Walk of Spirit and initiating these holy roles, we have undertaken.  Relearning the steps to this dance and the spiral journey it takes us on, back into the center of Light, Love and our Lives.  Lead by Sweet Medicine and guest speakers.  A time to rest, reflect and engage in deepening your ritual of bringing forth Woman. Contact info on Calendar page.   All welcome.

January – April 2008 - Mexico for the Winter

For the first part of the year, Sweet Medicine will be in Mexico.  She has been invited to attend a immersion program in the City of Morelia , Micheacan, Mexico to continue the deepening of this link with the South gate nations.  Sweet Medicine has traveled to forums every other year and spoken an offered view points on ecology and its response to ritual and  its spiritual components.  “We are seeing that there are really no borders, when it comes to people, our ways and the greater needs we all have.”  FWF is also dedicated to furthering these ties in Mexico and the South American areas to protect and nurture better understanding between counties as well as sharing our knowing.   During this extended stay Sweet Medicine will be meeting with religious and indigenous spiritual leaders, sharing ceremony, knowledge and experiences.   The culmination of which will be a book.

September 2007 - Awarded SolAire Grant by Central Oregon Environmental Center

Four Winds Foundation (FWF) was awarded a grant from the Central Oregon Environmental Center in recognition of our commitment to the environment. Funds from the SolAire Grant will help us, in collaboration with Wolftree, to complete a special project. FWF is assisting in the preservation and re-establishment of home waters for 146,000 steelhead fry by restoring the banks of the Sisters Wychus Creek to clean waters. The goal is the re-establishment of the riparian margins in support of these young and sensitive fish. Wychus Creek was chosen for its history as the native home of steelhead. Through outreach programs with schools in Deschutes and Jefferson Counties, children will see firsthand the effects of our efforts through underwater viewers, hand crafted by Four Winds members with materials purchased with SolAire Grant monies. All of us at Four Winds Foundation would like to thank SolAire and the Central Oregon Environmental Center for recognizing our work and supporting us in continuing our commitment to all our relations in the Great Hoop of Life.

October and November 2007 - Boys to Men & Girls to Maidens
We were delighted to offer the Boys to Men & Girls to Maidens – rites of passage ritual to the 5th & 6th graders of the Portland Waldorf schools….and the attendance was wonderful.  Parents were introduced to the need for such Rites of Passage. The young girls and boys had teachings that help prepare them for these rites to occur.  The comments from most parents are “why did we not have these when we grew up?”  We are trying to answer the call for more honoring in our lives as well as the deeper understanding of the ontological process we all go through when growing into adults. Four Winds Foundation is again seeing to teaching these Life Ways and offering them to our next generations.

October and Dec 2007 - Roots and Shoots program offered

Four Winds Foundation has joined again in partnership with Wolftree in providing powerful hands-on programs for the youth of Sisters.  We are coupling this season with the Roots and Shoots program this fall to further assist with the “greening” of Sisters, Oregon.  We are giving students further opportunities in creating a forest and river management plan and forethought in a restoration project around our area that they can watch and be proud of.  These projects are mainly along the Wychus Creek flood plains...as well as private property owners lands...many advanced classes in restoration of streams, water courses and forestry assistance focus on riparian habitat.  These energetic students have taken to this project with amazing pride.  We are creating citizens with knowhow and increasing their backgrounds in forestry and fisheries.  They are our future, and this investment of time and energy is being seen around our area as a new way of schooling.  We are looking towards more hands-on classrooms in the forest this spring.

November 2007 - 5th Annual Conference Guatemala

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL FORUM ABOUT THE SPIRITUALLITY OF THE INDEGENOUS PEOPLE OF AMERICA  “THE SPIRIT OF WATER”

The Inter-American Council for Indigenous Spirituality, CISEI and the Great Confederation of Main Councils “Ajq’ijab” from the Mayan community of Guatemala, extended an invitation to participate in the fifth international forum about the spirituality of the indigenous people of Americas, where the main subject shall be: “the spirit of water”. From the 24th to the 29th of November 2007, in “Tiosh Abaj”, Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala

Within this fifth forum, we have considered the importance to continue with meetings where we can share and exchange scientific knowledge, ancestral wisdom and peoples daily experiences; presenting viable solutions though the consensus of spiritual leaders, field specialists and organized civil society.

Today, humanity is facing the great challenge of fighting the over exploitation of water. An Irresponsible exploitation resulted from the negative impact of human conduct throughout time. The inadequate use of this resource has caused the exhaustion of underground water reserves, the disappearance of lakes, and the reduction of rivers volume and capacity; eliminating, also, native vegetation and threatening the subsistence of ecosystems throughout the planet.

The irresponsible exploitation of water reserves limits the future development in the affected regions and shall worsen if the climatic tendency of the past years -characterized by extreme conditions that include longer and more severe drought periods-, continues.

Furthermore, there are an increasing number of regions where the underground water reserves shall be the main and in some occasions, the only source of water available for common use; this is why, these resources become so strategic, and must be handled and managed efficiently, in order to assure the continuity of life.

The environment and water problems have been approached in different forums from a scientific and technical perspective. However, intercultural and spiritual perceptions have been excluded. Ancestral cultures within our continent give account of the importance of the “spiritual handling” of water throughout time. 

This forum intends to recognize these ancestral practices related to the spirit of water and their contributions towards the responsible use of water within the world.  
 
Therefore, this forum shall be dedicated to the “spirit of water” and shall be developed within the three main circles established in past forums.

Main objective is: Claim, reinforce, and deepen our connection with the spirit of water, and strengthen the links between scientific and ancestral wisdom.

• Understand the relation with the spirit of water as a form of practicing spirituality within the indigenous world.

• Recognize the integral management of water applied by ancestral cultures of our continent, enabling us to transform them into public policies and perspectives around the globe, in order to avoid the exhaustion of this vital resource.

• Establish a link between indigenous tradition and those responsible of creating environmental policies, acknowledging the contribution of ancestral cultures and there harmonic relationship with nature.  

Conclude with the declaration about the spirit of water and deliver it to the different governments, members of CISEI, in order to influence the creation of new public polices in America.

Oregon Measure 37

FWF is working in tandem with C e n t r a l O r e g o n L a n d W a t c h, speaking out, at the County, State and with local residents: giving voice to the Land and other nations such as the (deer, elk, cougars and birds) in this local area, who can not show up in court to speak for their homes.  We are working with Land Watch to insure that the voice for balance for the ecosystems, where mass “commercial destination resort” are planned during this time of Measure 37 proceedings.  This will effect all in the Lower Bridge Way region and those on the Crooked River Ranch that look to towards the splendid Mountain views over the Wild and Scenic River area of the Deschutes.    
Sweet Medicine

C e n t r a l O r e g o n L a n d W a t c h official letter opposing Measure 37 - click here for PDF letter (large file)

WomanSpeak 2007
Sweet Medicine was invited to speak at WomanSpeak 2007 conference.

This gathering of women of all nations and creeds and honor the unspoken wisdom held by Spirit within a woman's heart. We must think differently in order to effect change in the world. Reach for the power and compassion that lies within. Respond to the beauty and power that is already yours.