​Thank you Shenandoah University Rev. DeLyn Celec; University VP of Student Affairs Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson Shenandoah; University President Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons; slide assistant Manny Brown; and my dear friend University Instructor Marco Pflanzen for inviting me to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from a Lumbee Indigenous perspective.

The university held its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Service of Remembrance on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Goodson-Chapel Recital Hall. The service, SU's longest-running celebration of the King holiday, 

This "We Are Still Here" poster is part of a Native Voices Exhibit in Bluemont, Virginia open on Sundays (only) from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm from May to October 2024.

Over the years, the Indigenous individuals featured in this poster have participated in bringing educational Indigenous events and activities to the small town of Bluemont located in Northern Virginia.

​Lumbee Indian René Locklear White created this poster as a symbol to show that "We Are Still Here," dancers, veterans, elders and others still contributing.​

Despite centuries of colonization, oppression, attempts at genocide and cultural erasure, this statement carries a powerful message of survival, strength, and resistance. This is a reminder that our Indigenous communities have endured and continue to exist, despite historical injustices and challenges. 

Traditional Skills in Modern Times from masters of sustainable living Nate and Carrie Fox of River Fox Farm in Berryville, VA bring all types of skills to the Indian Village 10 am - 5 pm. 

The Indian Village is a living history experience located in Northwestern Virginia ​about 70 Miles Northwest of D.C. Follow parking signs to ​Snickersville Turnpike Bluemont, VA 20135. Free parking. Fair general admission is only $10, children nine and under are free.

Hope to see you there.

Ramapo Lenape Nation Goduar Siafu and Kym Weldon bring TheHealingNatureStore.com. Follow Goduar on Instagram: HealingNature_PortJefferson.

The Indian Village is a living history experience located in Northwestern Virginia ​about 70 Miles Northwest of D.C. Follow parking signs to ​Snickersville Turnpike Bluemont, VA 20135. Free parking. Fair general admission is only $10, children nine and under are free.

Hope to see you there.

Join us for unique discussions during a new Elders Talking Circle on Sept.17-18, 2022. Ask an Indian any question.

Topics of possible interest: 

• Pottery
• Flint Napping
• Indigenous Foods
• Native. American. Literature.
• Treaties vs. Reserved Rights
• Sovereignty
• Self-Determination
• Inherent Rights 
• Blood Quantum
• Sacred Herbs
• Living History
• MMIWC
• The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 
• Diversity and Inclusion

Children and adults join us for unique discussions during a new Elders Talking Circle on Sept.17-18, 2022. Ask an Indian any question.

Past topics children ask: 

• Do Indians wear hats? 
• What do you eat? 
• Did we kill you all? 
• ​Where do you live? 
• Why do you wear feathers in your hair? 

This unique book is produced by Lumbee Nation author Jamie K. Oxendine and illustrator and jewelry artist Timothy P. Locklear II.

About the Author: 

Jamie is a Native American of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, educator, historian and speaker. He has been an adjunct professor of Native American studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University, University of Toledo, Lourdes University, and has served as the Native American liaison & education consultant for Ohio University.

He has served on the board of trustees for the Ohio Humanities Council, Board of trustees for the Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission and governor appointee to the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Board.

He has also sat on the ACCESS Grants Panel with the National Endowment For The Humanities.

Donations to purchase this book help bring Native American educational experiences to Northern Virginia.

Special Guest Andrew Morizio, expert of Ayurveda Healing joins us at the Indian Village. Reducing suffering is one of our goals for this educational experience.

​Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person's consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.

Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process, followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.

The concepts of universal interconnectedness, the body's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas) are the primary basis of ayurvedic medicine. Goals of treatment aid the person by eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, reducing worry, and increasing harmony in life. Herbs and other plants, including oils and common spices, are used extensively in Ayurvedic treatment. 

In India, Ayurveda is considered a form of medical care, equal to conventional Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathic medicine. Practitioners of Ayurveda in India undergo state-recognized, institutionalized training. Currently, Ayurvedic practitioners are not licensed in the United States, and there is no national standard for Ayurvedic training or certification. However, Ayurvedic schools have gained approval as educational institutions in some states.  

Ayurveda can have positive effects when used as a complementary therapy in combination with standard, conventional medical care. 

Source: John Hopkins Medicine

Participants in the Indian Village are volunteers. Your $40 donation for a map goes towards helping bring this educational event to Northern Virginia. Donations are tax deductible. Our host non-profit is Sanctuary on the Trail a 501(c)3.

​Born out of a long-standing need, Tribal Nations Maps is a company dedicated to representing all historical Indigenous Nations across the Western Hemisphere, using traditional and given Tribal names. They also promote authentic Native-perspective books and other materials in an effort to bring awareness and representation of the Indigenous Peoples of this land. 

The tribal nations map reflects the vast richness of Native America. Although we honor the individual cultures of each Native American nation, modern-day Native Americans recognize the beauty of our cultures shared as a whole as well.

This map asserts that our nations spanned the entire United States landscape from sea to sea, that as a collective group we are the original and true heirs to what is now called the "United States."

​We thrived on our God-given homelands from time immemorial and nothing can testify to that quite like our Tribal Nations map. We appreciate non-Native American's respect and fascination with our history and hope that they, too will appreciate the information that our map has to offer.

Jeanette McCauley owner of J&J Gems Native American Arts is a our featured leather, rock, gems and crystals exhibitor at the Indian Village 2022.  
​
The Indian Village is a living history experience located in Northwestern Virginia ​about 70 Miles Northwest of D.C. Follow parking signs to ​Snickersville Turnpike Bluemont, VA 20135. Free parking. Fair general admission is only $10, children nine and under are free.

You will not believe all of the beautiful and affordable things that this lovely lady carries. Hope to see you there.