16-17 OCTOBER 2015
“Healing Hearts at Wounded Knee” Landmark Speech
Presented at the Parliament of the World’s Religions

On October 16-17, 2015, Chief Arvol Lookinghorse together with Saniel Bonder, founder of the international movement of Waking Down in Mutuality, Stephen Dinan, founder of The Shift Network, Audri Scott Williams, leader of the Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk, and Jean Fleury, Co-Founder of Healing Hearts at Wounded Knee, offered one of the most powerful presentation at the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions : Healing Hearts at Wounded Knee.

The first session included a five-person panel delineating how the problems of massacre, racism and war are identified as leading to deep multi-generational wounding that ultimately touches each person and affects every nation on earth. Human evolutionary experiences of deep healing, spiritual transformation, and consciousness expansion indicate how far reaching, resonant and crucial it is for us to end denial of these pervasive wounds and truly heal. 

An invitation for people around the world was made to join with us on December 29th, 2015 in the Ceremony for Healing Our Hearts at Wounded Knee. This is a call for Deep Indigenous and Global Healing initiated by ceremony, healing practices, and a written declaration/invocation to end massacre, racism, and war.

The second session was a dynamic workshop designed to engage participants in: a profound examination of sites and historical events of massacre and other forms of grave collective wounding with the purpose of instigating healing ceremony at these locations; identifying the growing number of resources for healing (workshops, ceremonies, talking circles and other modalities); beginning to identify and support those who are willing to commit to join us in ceremony and the healing journey; initiate considerations for the future.  We present an action for healing.

Saniel Bonder’s speech was titled “To Really Reclaim the Heart of Our Humanity, Let Us Also Claim the Heart of Our Divinity.” His talk addressed the multi-generational and multi-lineal, psychological and also biological impact of trauma stemming from wars, massacres, atrocities, and genocide — and the potential for cultivating resilience and healing through many means. 

You can download the text of Saniel’s talk here: To Really Reclaim the Heart of Our Humanity, Let Us Also Claim the Heart of Our Divinity

You can see the whole delegation’s presentations from Friday, Oct. 16th, to an audience of over 200 people, at the links below. The other speakers included:  

• Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the 19th generation keeper of the Sacred Pipe brought to the Sioux peoples by White Buffalo Calf Woman,
• Jean Fleury, a Lakota Sioux Grandmother, visionary, and the convener of the delegation, and also a practitioner of the Waking Down® teachings,
• Audri Scott Williams, a Native American and African American champion of the “beloved community,” Peacewalker, and award-winning humanitarian,
• Stephen Dinan, the co-founder and CEO of The Shift Network.

Saniel and the other panelists were told by many attendees that their events were among the most powerful and moving at the enormous convention of 10,000 people from 80 nations and 50 faiths, with more than 1,200 presentations going on concurrently over all four days. Their follow-up workshop on Saturday, Oct. 17th, the day after their presentations, was standing room only. Here are the links to the Oct. 16th presentations:

Presentations: (click to watch)

• Introduction by Lynne Sagen and opening prayer by Chief Arvol Looking Horse
• Chief Arvol Looking Horse
• Saniel Bonder #1
• Saniel Bonder #2
• Audri Scott Williams #1
• Audri Scott Williams #2
• Jean Fleury #1
• Jean Fleury #2
• Stephen Dinan

Audio of Presentations (Click to Play & Listen)

Day 1

Day 2