Restoring the Ancient Culture of Mother in North America

Easter Retreat 2008

Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

March 21 - March 23, 2008

We will begin our work on the restoration of Mother here in North Carolina, once part of the frontier land of the original thirteen colonies. The history preceding this colonization entails a wealth of important historical events, but there is little factual evidence to understand the peoples and migrations that occurred throughout North America. But it is important to our work to understand as much as we can to begin this spiritual work.

We will explore the spiritual connection of the early natives of North America, especially the Iroquois and Cherokee Nations. Did these cultures have within them remnants of other golden age cultures? And if so, how did they find their way to North America? What separated them out from other Indian tribes?

Many people have had the impression that most American Indians were savages and very primitive, scalping their enemies and constantly at war. And many tribes were very warring people. But as in all peoples and cultures, the rotten apples always spoil the bunch. And many early pioneers in America had proof enough that native Indians could at any moment have a war party and attack their homes and villages.

But many do not know of the very spiritual nature of many tribes, their love for nature, their honor of life and love of their Creator. And as many unscrupulous beings were incarnating among the American Indians, there were just as many unscrupulous explorers, and pioneers harbored among those coming to the New World.

In 1763 Benjamin Franklin wrote an enlightening piece where he recounts how whites had massacred Indians in the Pennsylvania colony just because they were Indians, condemning this behavior. It’s one of the best explanations by a white man of how white supremacist notions prevented the vast majority of whites from differentiating between friendly and unfriendly Indian Nations. To them, Indians were Indians, and, as such were not entitled to any human consideration whatsoever.

Europeans brought alcohol, disease, greed and powerful weapons to these natives who were defenseless against such an onslaught. It has been proposed that the Indian tribes were decimated and cut in half through just the diseases alone. War and massacres, expulsion from native lands and starvation took the lives of another 25%.

Who were some of these people and what did they have that we do not see in most of the Americans throughout North America today?

This Easter we will join together in IS, from Lake Junaluska and a short distance from the "mother town," the heart of the ancient Cherokee civilization. The lake was formed by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1913, as they put a dam across Richland Creek which ran through their 1,200 acre property. In 1938 the lake transferred ownership to the The Methodist Church with the merger of three Methodist denominations. Today, the lake is owned by the World Methodist Council headquarters, after moving their headquarters from New York in 1955.

Come join us live, or on broadcast, as we explore the spiritual connections of the past and present peoples of the area and the purpose of our gathering—the restoration of the culture of Mother in North America.

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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park's half-million acres are equally divided between Tennessee and North Carolina, with roughly forty percent of the Park in Swain County, Bryson City, including its highest peak, Clingmans Dome. Swain County offers some of the best waterfalls in the Smokies, including Deep Creek’s trio of waterfalls – Juneywhank, Tom Branch and Indian Creek Falls.

Just outside the Oconaluftee Entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Mingo Falls. A short hike rewards visitors with a beautiful 120 foot waterfall, one of the most beautiful in these mountains.

For more information on this retreat, see registration or email: Shangra-la Mission. Broadcast is available on the registration page for those who cannot attend live.

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