Documentary KIVA | The Call of the Wisdom Keepers

Unique KIVA film + fundraise evening with 3 indigenous KIVA Wisdom keepers!

KIVA | The Call of the Wisdom Keepers
'A Message from the Indigenous Peoples'

A film by Marijke Kodden & Jaap Verhoeven.
Produced by Marijke Kodden & Rakinah Buttner

Programme of the evening:
* Film screening of the KIVA documentary
* Inspiring dialogue with 3 Wisdom Keepers:
- Cheryl Angel (USA)
- Shirley Krenak (BRA)
- Sankale Ole Ntutu (KEN)

We are extremely happy that on this very special evening Lakota Elder Cheryl Angel (USA), Krenak Wisdom Keeper Shirley Krenak from Brazil en Sankale Ole Ntutu from Kenia will be present to share with us their important message from Mother Earth.

Synopsis documentary:
In 1968, medicine man Raymundo Tigre Perez (Mexico/USA) had a vision. He saw indigenous Wisdom Keepers from all over the world united in a circular pit - with a fire in the heart - performing a ceremony. A spiritual ceremony for the earth, for peace and well-being of all living beings. Only later did he discover that this was a KIVA, an ancient ceremony already used by the Anasazi 3000 years ago. Hundreds of native Wisdom Keepers answered his call and these KIVA ceremonies have been taking place around the world for more than 30 years. The KIVA ceremony is a collective call from the entire indigenous population: they have never lost touch with nature and with their ancient wisdom they can lead us to a more connected and sustainable way of life!

In this documentary we get a unique view of the KIVA ceremony, where indigenous Wisdom Keepers gather around a sacred fire and express their love via prayers, ancient rituals, songs and dance. But they also share their concern about the care for Mother Nature and humanity! Because of the moving prayers and the impressive conversations with the Wisdom Keepers – the viewer is invited to reflect upon how to heal our relationship with the Earth. ‘Because she is crying and is calling her children home!’

And so the Wisdom Keepers carry out their final call through KIVA ceremonies all over the world. At the same time they bring healing and solutions through their ancient rituals, prayers and indigenous wisdom.

The filmmakers:
Marijke Kodden started filming at the unique KIVA ceremonies in the Netherlands in 2018 and traveled to the KIVA ceremonies in Mexico, India and back to KIVA Holland in 2019. Many Wisdom Keepers were interviewed and together with best friend Rakinah Buttner and Jaap Verhoeven (who they are involved in) they have made a hopeful documentary, showing us how to heal our relationship with the earth!

To get a first impression, here a short aftermovie of KIVA Mexico: https://youtu.be/tkcyMX9g1B4

* SHIRLEY KRENAK (Brazil)
‘Indigenous activist’, is the best way to introduce Shirley Djukurnã Krenak. Since the age of 13, she has answered Mother Earth’s call to be a representative of indigenous rights and - above all - to become a fighter for the preservation of the environment and ancestral spirituality. Today, at the age of 42, she dedicates body and soul to the struggle of indigenous women, something inherited from her traditional name, Djukurnã: a woman always willing, because she is the bearer of the spirit that never grows old. She belongs to the Krenak people, located on the bank of the Watú (rio Doce), in the east of the state of Minas Gerais. Much of her traditional knowledge was learned through the wisdom of her father, Waldemar Ytchó Ytchó Krenak, around a fire in the margins of Doce river, our sacred kinsman.

Nowadays she takes part in many initiatives in Brazil and worldwide, such as the COP 26, COP 27, the KIVA gathering, the National Articulation of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestry (ANMIGA), the Shirley Krenak Institute and others. Recently, she had the opportunity to sing a traditional song of her people to President Lula at COP 27, which was an incredible chance to echo the indigenous voice and strengthen the fight for Mother Earth.

* CHERYL ANN ANGEL (USA)
Cheryl is a native leader and venerable (Sioux) Lakota Elder woman. She is a water guardian, and descends from the Sicangu tribe of South Dakota. She supported Sacred Stone Camp, during the occupation of Standing Rock to stop the Dakota Access Pipe Line. She carried the message Stand with Standing Rock, Defend the Sacred and most important Mniwiconi, Water is Life.

Cheryl Angel has been traveling extensively over the past six years, connecting with indigenous and non-indigenous women and people living in sustainable communities. Mexico in particular has been a rich source of inspiration as she has explored the best ways to take the Water Protector work to the next level. Those travels – and a sacred staff she was entrusted with – are what inspired the Sovereign Sisters Gathering that Cheryl has organised in the sacred and besieged Black Hills of South Dakota. In Rapid City, she is the Matriarch of 9 young relatives. Her ‘tiwahe’ (family) is 9 fold.

Cheryl Angel has worked intensively to return lands back to the Indigenous People. Currently she is launching a national campaign to make the theft of the Black Hills a National Issue.

* SANKALE OLE NTUTU (Kenia)
Sankale, son of the Paramount Chief Lerionka Ole Ntutu and proud to be a Maasai Tribes Man. He is the Community Chief in Maji Moto of more than 5.000 Maasai people. Nature is his guidance: nature never becomes biased, nature equilises people. He is spokes person between the communities and the Kenian Goverment, he is a Naturalist and passionate Nature Guide in Kenya. He loves sharing his knowledge about living in harmony with nature. Together with is wife, Manon van Oldenbarneveld, he is the founder of the Back to Nature Foundation. His mission is to conserve Biodiversity and Maasai Cultural Heritage in the famous Masai Mara ECOSystem. As a leader not only for his community but for humanity, he started an authentic small camp called Loita Hills Basecamp where people from all over the world come on organized tours to learn about Maasai culture and the way they live in complete harmony with nature.