Indigenous Healers, Sacred Site Guardians and their knowledge are endangered. Destruction of the environment, loss of traditional lands, fundamentalist religious pressures, poverty and increasing westernization mean that today’s Cultural Practitioners are the last generation to be raised in an unbroken cultural chain and the loss of land. The loss of nature and lands is simultaneously the loss of the library and classrooms to teach the young; thus, the transmission of the great knowledge to the next generation is imperiled.
If the knowledge of the primordial mind, its holism, sustainability, underlying physics and outlook is to survive, Elders must be given a voice in the world and supported to express it; their knowledge must be translated and organized so that future generations can access the life-sustaining wisdom.
Since 1989, WISN has supported Elders, on their own terms, to gather, to exchange wisdom and cultural practices and to network through media and technology. WISN has also provided emergency support for indigenous Elders whose lives are endangered. Presently WISN works in Central Asia, South Africa, Siberia, Mongolia and Kenya.
Networking is organized around these principles:
- Elders, healers, sacred site guardians who are adepts in indigenous wisdom are to hold the center, or take the lead in Networking activities.
- Sacred Sites and life forms within and about the Sites are integral, partners in Networking.
- Networking activities are inclusive. Communities, and nature are vital participants.
- Networking activities are based in and sanctioned by oral and traditional wisdoms.
- Networking activities are built upon sovereignty, deriving from and expressed through the strengths of indigenous ‘best practices’.
- Networking aims to rediscover, remember and renew ancient pre history experiences and wisdom to fosters genuine, deep relationship amongst cultural practitioners and sacred sites (including sacredness embodied in life forms within a bio cultural, linguistic and kinship sphere).
- The vision of Networking is the healing and renewal of the planet through activating and re activating indigenous life ways and knowledge.