Ehani wichoun ikxoyagya woechun
Connecting with our Ancestors’ Way of Life
Dear Friends,
This July 15–20, 2025, we invite you to join us in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the Native American Bearing Witness Retreat—a gathering shaped by humility, listening, and our shared intention to remember the ways of our ancestors.
Held in the sacred lands of Elk Mountain and Hot Springs, this retreat brings us into relationship with the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota nations—through story, presence, and shared ceremony. It is not a reenactment of the past, but a living act of bearing witness to what is, and what still calls to be seen.
Since 1996, Zen Peacemakers has led retreats around the world, grounded in the Three Tenets: Not-Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Taking Action.
As described on our program page:
"Bearing witness is to be fully present for whatever arises, letting go of fixed ideas and holding space for transformation to occur.”
This retreat is a continuation of that legacy, and part of our deepening relationship with Indigenous communities across Turtle Island.
Together, we will:
Travel to sacred sites in the Black Hills, guided by Native elders and local hosts
Listen to firsthand stories of cultural survival, identity, and connection to land
Share reflections in daily circles centered on presence and mutual respect
Deepen our understanding of what it means to walk in solidarity with Indigenous peoples
We do not come to observe—we come to be transformed through listening and relationship. We do not arrive as strangers—we come as fellow humans seeking to remember a way of life, connected to our own ancestors.
We hope you’ll join us in this return to the heart.
In Gratitude,
Jim Hōden Fricker
Zen Peacemakers
Our mission is to realize our oneness and relieve suffering through contemplative social action.
www.zenpeacemakers.org
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