PROGRAMM

Aunty Patricia June Vickers (CAN)

Ancestral Teachings and Healing
Sm'algyax speaking peoples on the northwest coast of British Columbia Canada hold ancient healing teachings and ways that are not lost but hidden from the conditioned, colonized (traumatized) mind. Through the Ayaawx (ancestral law), feasts, adaawx (sacred stories) and cleansing ways is the eternal line of freedom and peace.

Neuroscience is not in conflict with the transformational power of the Ayaawx but the coupling of the two offer support for healing that unites the natural and supernatural, and awake and dreamtime life.
Through meditation, plains sweat lodge practice, and orientation practice from DBR, participants will be invited to observe the vast and expansive beauty of the internal landscape.

Dr. Carlie Atkinson (AU) and Ash Dargan (AU)

Healing in Relationship: Dreaming, Embodied Knowing and Transformation

Following Aunty Patricia June Vickers’ exploration of Dreamtime, deep mystery, truthfulness and transformation on the preceding day, Carlie and Ash will continue the festival conversation from an Aboriginal Australian perspective. Their day will explore Dreaming as living and continuing relationship - connecting past, present and future; people and Ancestors; Country, culture, spirit and the more-than-human world. Drawing on We Al-li’s Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Approach (CITIHA), the day will weave shared dialogue and teaching with embodied and experiential learning through circle, deep listening, story, Dreaming Time Dialogue, Wayapa, movement, sound, rhythm and reflection. 

Both Carlie and Ash are experienced facilitators and will co-facilitate the teaching, dialogue and experiential processes throughout the day. Transformation and spirituality will be held within an Aboriginal relational frame - not as separate or purely individual experiences, but through relationship with body, kin, Country, Ancestors, spirit, community and future generations. This creates a natural point of dialogue with Peter Levine’s following day, while keeping the knowledge systems distinct.

Dr. Peter A. Levine (USA)

Two Minds One Heart

Last year I had the rare opportunity to meet with a group of Aboriginal Elders in Bundjalung Country Australia. There I found a rare friendship, and a special colleagueship. In teaching my healing neurobiological based work (SOMATIC EXPERIENCING), as they taught their healing approaches, which have evolved over the past sixty-five thousand years, we found much in common with my scientific basis and their Wi-Il Li approach (which translates to “Fire and Water”). In my part of this Bildungsfestival, I will attempt to bridge between their deep native wisdom with what are core neurobiological elements of trauma healing and therapy.