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Grief, Fear & Healing Through Indigenous Wisdom with Phillip Scott

Original Video: Injoy the Process Talk 2
This conversation was originally hosted and published by Injoy the Process with Sky, Kanyon and Bloom. The video is shared here alongside an original summary and viewing guide to help readers explore the themes discussed.

Description

In this wide-ranging conversation hosted by Enjoy the Process, Phillip Scott joins Skye, Canyon and Robin “Bloom” to explore grief, fear, loss and transformation through the lens of Indigenous wisdom and ceremonial ways of life.

Phillip shares teachings on fear as a gateway rather than something simply to be avoided, and reflects on grief as a profound teacher capable of deepening our compassion, presence and relationship with life. Drawing from his own experience of losing his wife, he discusses why grief isn’t necessarily something we “get over,” but something we learn to carry and relate to differently over time.

The conversation expands into the role of ceremony and sacred practice in healing; the relationship between individual and intergenerational wounds; and Phillip’s teaching of the “burden bundle” and “blessing bundle”—the wounds, patterns, gifts and medicine passed through our family lineages. Phillip also offers a practical four-step approach for meeting fear: stop, breathe, assess and act.

Later, the discussion turns toward interdependence, decolonization, relationship with the Earth, cultural appropriation, ancestral traditions and the responsibility involved in learning from Indigenous medicine ways. Phillip emphasizes the importance of approaching Indigenous traditions with humility, understanding their cultural and historical context, and learning from experienced, properly trained medicine people rather than separating practices from the lineages that hold them.

The conversation concludes with audience questions about ancestral connection, shame, childhood trauma, ceremony and the responsible practice of Indigenous medicine.

In This Conversation

00:00 — Opening: Grief, Fear & Loss
Skye introduces the conversation and its central inquiry: how we can understand fear, grief and suffering—and discover tools for navigating them during periods of uncertainty and change.

02:00 — Phillip Scott Introduces Himself
Phillip shares his background as a ceremonial leader in the Lakota tradition and Native American Church and a practitioner of traditional Indigenous medicine.

08:05 — Opening Meditation & Prayer Song
Phillip guides the group into a meditation before offering a prayer song to honor the ancestors, the Earth and the elders.

14:42 — Understanding the Nature of Fear
The conversation begins with personal reflections on abandonment, inadequacy, suffering and the different ways people experience fear. Phillip describes fear as one of the first gateways encountered on a sacred path.

20:03 — Moving From Fear Toward Courage
Phillip distinguishes between legitimate dangers and fears rooted in projection or conditioning. He discusses identifying the fears that constrain us, confronting them and cultivating courage rather than allowing fear to create paralysis or avoidance.

25:04 — Grief, Impermanence & Loss as Teachers
Phillip explores grief as a powerful teacher and reflects on impermanence, mortality and the many forms of loss we encounter—from death to relationships, jobs and dreams.

29:24 — Phillip’s Personal Journey Through Grief
Phillip shares the loss of his wife more than 20 years earlier and how Indigenous ceremony and community supported his grieving process. He explains why he doesn’t believe we necessarily “get over” profound grief; instead, our relationship to the loss changes as healing unfolds.

33:18 — Finding Joy Alongside Suffering
The conversation turns toward the preciousness of life and the possibility of experiencing joy even in the midst of grief.

35:55 — The Difference Between Suffering & Sacrifice
Drawing from the Sundance tradition, Phillip distinguishes involuntary suffering from sacrifice chosen in service to others. He describes sacrifice as an expression of love.

40:56 — The Burden Bundle & the Blessing Bundle
Phillip shares a teaching received during a traditional vision quest: that we inherit both a blessing bundle containing the gifts and talents of our lineages and a burden bundle containing wounds, fears and intergenerational trauma. Healing becomes part of what we pass forward to future generations.

47:23 — Healing Through Relationship & Interdependence
Phillip challenges the Western ideal of complete independence and speaks instead about interdependence, community, elders, ancestors and Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“all my relations.”

53:55 — Ancestral Voice & Remembering Indigenous Ways of Life
Phillip speaks about Ancestral Voice and the importance he places on remembering how Indigenous ancestors lived in relationship and balance with the Earth.

55:37 — A Practical Tool for Navigating Fear
Using an emergency protocol from scuba diving, Phillip offers four steps that can also be applied when fear arises: stop, breathe, assess and act. Rather than reacting from familiar patterns, we can interrupt the pattern, return to center and respond with greater clarity.

58:13 — What Grief Taught Phillip
Phillip returns to his experience of losing his wife and shares how grief softened his heart, deepened his compassion and transformed his understanding of suffering, faith and connection with the ancestors.

1:05:13 — Grieving Song & Honoring Those Who Have Died
Following a moment of silence, Phillip offers a Sundance grieving song honoring loved ones who have made their journey to the other side.

1:12:45 — Courage, Change & the Search for Freedom
Phillip discusses the momentum that can develop as we confront fear and cultivate courage. The conversation explores willingness to change, selflessness and a deeper conception of freedom.

1:16:29 — Interdependence, Decolonization & Relationship With Earth
The discussion expands into Western individualism, interdependence, decolonization and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Phillip reflects on the need to remember our responsibilities to the Earth and to one another.

1:28:56 — Integrating the Teachings Into Daily Life
Asked how these ideas can become lived practice, Phillip discusses ceremony, prayer, meditation, awareness and devotion to one’s sacred path. He emphasizes that time alone doesn’t necessarily heal wounds—what we do with that time matters.

1:35:37 — Canyon on History, Accountability & Decolonization
Canyon reflects on honoring Indigenous knowledge while also acknowledging histories of colonization, the importance of accountability, and approaching difficult conversations with humility, reciprocity and awareness of our relationships with one another.

1:48:43 — Audience Question: Connecting With Your Ancestral Lineage
An audience member asks how someone whose ancestral Indigenous traditions have been disrupted can connect with their own “blessing bundle” while learning respectfully from other Indigenous traditions.

1:50:50 — Exploring Your Family’s Blessings & Burdens
Phillip recommends studying one’s own family lineage and taking an inventory of favorable and unfavorable qualities passed through parents, grandparents and earlier generations. He also discusses respectful learning across cultural traditions and the importance of understanding history.

2:01:22 — Audience Question: Shame, Mistakes & Childhood Trauma
The conversation explores fear of making mistakes, shame and the lasting effects of childhood trauma. Phillip reframes mistakes as opportunities for learning and discusses the relational understanding of actions within Indigenous community life.

2:07:20 — Ceremony, Trauma & Choosing Medicine People Carefully
Phillip discusses Indigenous ceremony in relation to healing trauma and emphasizes the importance of carefully vetting ceremonial leaders—their training, lineage, experience and qualifications—before entrusting oneself to their care.

2:13:36 — Cultural Appropriation & the Word “Shaman”
Phillip discusses what he sees as the problematic universalization of the term “shaman,” emphasizing that Indigenous medicine traditions have their own languages, cultural contexts, protocols and names for their practitioners.

2:18:07 — Indigenous Wisdom as a Lived Practice
The conversation closes with a distinction between intellectually studying Indigenous traditions and experiencing a way of life through direct relationship, ceremony and practice.

2:22:45 — Closing Reflections
Phillip offers a final prayer for the group and encourages listeners to use periods of difficulty as opportunities to go inward, transform patterns, liberate themselves from fear and allow grief and suffering to become catalysts for change.

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Grief as a Sacred Journey: Indigenous Wisdom on Loss, Ceremony and Healing with Phillip Scott

What might change if grief were not treated as a problem to overcome, but as a sacred journey that unfolds over years?

In this conversation, interviewer Kim Adams speaks with Phillip Scott about Indigenous perspectives on death, bereavement, ceremony and our ongoing relationships with those who have passed. Drawing from decades of involvement in Indigenous medicine traditions—as well as the sudden death of his beloved wife—Phillip reflects on the ceremonies and communal practices that helped him navigate profound loss.

The conversation explores the Lakota tradition of the 13-moon mourning cycle, the wiping of the tears ceremony, four-year memorial practices and the role of dreams in maintaining relationships with ancestors. Phillip also challenges Western culture’s tendency to rush, suppress and pathologize grief, including the growing diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder.

Kim brings in her own experience of losing her mother suddenly, opening a wider discussion about dreams, grief, addiction, collective loss and the ways Western society often lacks communal structures for mourning.

The conversation then expands into collective grief following COVID-19, the relationship between loss, addiction and disconnection, and the rapid commercialization of sacred plant medicines. Phillip offers a call for greater reverence, patience, community, sustainability and Indigenous leadership as interest in psychedelic healing continues to grow.

Ultimately, this interview invites us to understand grief not as evidence that something has gone wrong, but as an expression of how deeply we have loved.

Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Introduction and the absence of meaningful grief rituals
Kim opens the conversation by reflecting on how little time Western society gives people to mourn, remember and ceremonially release those they love, and asks Phillip to share what he has witnessed in Indigenous traditions.

03:30 – Grief as a teacher, tyrant and taskmaster
Phillip describes impermanence as a fundamental truth of existence and explains how grief can remain with us until we have received its lessons, medicine and meaning.

05:00 – The sudden death of Phillip’s wife
Phillip shares how the unexpected death of his wife at age 35 shattered his world and transformed his understanding of bereavement, trauma and compassionate grief support.

09:30 – Indigenous ceremonies for death and bereavement
Phillip explains that many Indigenous mourning traditions provide ceremonial and communal support over the course of months and years rather than only a few hours or days.

13:00 – The 13-moon mourning cycle and wiping of the tears
Phillip discusses visible expressions of mourning, the Lakota wiping of the tears ceremony and the gradual process of being welcomed back into the life of the community.

18:00 – Four-year memorial practices and relationships with ancestors
Phillip describes annual memorial practices within the Native American Church and Lakota Sundance traditions, and how these ceremonies support an ongoing relationship with the deceased as an ancestor.

22:30 – Why avoiding grief can deepen it
Phillip explains that suppressing grief may compound pain rather than resolve it, and encourages people to allow anger, sorrow, despair and longing to move through them.

25:00 – The pathologizing of prolonged grief
Kim raises the addition of prolonged grief disorder to the DSM and reflects on how grief that lasts beyond a prescribed timeline can become treated as pathology. Phillip responds by contrasting this with Indigenous traditions that may formally honor grief for several years.

30:00 – Dreams as a bridge to the spirit world
Phillip describes dreams not simply as products of the unconscious, but as meaningful spaces where people may continue to encounter and communicate with ancestors. Kim shares her own experience of her mother continuing to appear in dreams after her death.

34:00 – Peyote ceremonies, memorial meetings and intentional prayer
In response to Kim’s questions about peyote and grief, Phillip explains how Native American Church meetings may be sponsored to honor someone who has passed, gather the community and support both the deceased and the bereaved.

39:00 – The ocean metaphor for living with grief
Phillip compares profound loss to being dropped into an ocean and overwhelmed by waves. Over time, a person may reach the shore, but he suggests they continue walking along the water’s edge rather than leaving grief behind entirely.

44:00 – COVID-19 and unacknowledged collective grief
Kim reflects on the collective losses created by the pandemic, including changes in safety, connection and assumptions about everyday life. Phillip expands the discussion to collective grief and despair within the human experience.

49:00 – The so-called psychedelic renaissance
Phillip notes that sacred medicines never disappeared from Indigenous cultures. What is often described in the West as a psychedelic renaissance has remained a continuous way of life within many Indigenous communities.

57:30 – “Turtle medicine”: slowing down the psychedelic movement
As Kim asks what kind of structure might help guide the rapidly expanding psychedelic field, Phillip calls for “turtle medicine”—slowing down—and emphasizes patience, extensive training, humility and collaboration with experienced Indigenous ceremonial leaders.

63:00 – Medicine is not a replacement for community
Phillip explains that sacred plants and fungi may strengthen connection, but should not become the sole foundation of community. Relationships must also be cultivated through everyday care, shared responsibility and time together outside ceremony.

69:00 – Sustainability, overharvesting and reciprocity
Phillip addresses the ecological impact of increasing demand for sacred medicines and the responsibility to support Indigenous communities that have protected these traditions, medicines and ceremonies.

73:00 – Loss, addiction and the need for connection
Kim reflects on the relationship between unresolved loss, addiction and abuse, and the absence of meaningful community structures in Western culture. The conversation explores connection as an essential part of healing.

82:30 – Two-eyed seeing and translating Indigenous wisdom
Phillip reflects on bringing traditional medicine people into Western academic environments and the ways their knowledge has sometimes been dismissed because it does not fit Western standards of education. He discusses the value of “two-eyed seeing”—the ability to understand through both Indigenous and Western lenses.

85:00 – Integration versus medicine as a way of life
Phillip explains why the language of “integration” is less prominent in Indigenous medicine traditions, where ceremony, relationship with the Earth and sacred medicines may already be woven into daily life. For Western participants, integration becomes necessary because the ceremonial experience often exists outside ordinary life.

90:30 – Closing reflections and future conversations
Kim and Phillip close by reflecting on the breadth of grief traditions around the world and the need for continued conversations about community, ceremony, Indigenous wisdom and healthier ways of relating to loss.

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Phillip Scott on Colonization, Political Division and the Path to Peace

In this candid and wide-ranging episode of Center of the Universe, Mercury welcomes Chief Black Horse for a conversation about colonization, political division, Indigenous wisdom, authoritarianism, spirituality, and the path to peace.

Beginning with the unrest in Los Angeles and the response from the federal government, Chief Black Horse places the current American political climate within a much longer history of colonialism, domination, fear, oppression, and social control. He explores how these patterns continue to influence modern politics and challenges the Western tendency to understand the world through opposition—light against darkness, one political party against another, and one group against another.

Drawing from Lakota teachings and Indigenous perspectives, Chief Black Horse offers a different way of understanding conflict. Rather than seeing other people as enemies or outsiders, he invokes the principle of Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“all my relations”—and invites listeners to recognize the interconnectedness of humanity.

The conversation then develops into a spirited philosophical exchange about the present moment, the nature of time, personal history, and collective healing. Mercury argues that only the present moment truly exists, while Chief Black Horse makes the case that understanding our past is necessary if we hope to recognize harmful patterns and create a different future.

Their disagreement opens into a larger discussion of addiction recovery, human conditioning, prophecy, karma, belief, faith, language, and spiritual consciousness. Although Mercury and Chief Black Horse remain committed to different perspectives, their exchange demonstrates the possibility of engaging in passionate disagreement without losing respect, compassion, or human connection.

Ultimately, the conversation returns to shared ground: lasting political, social, and spiritual peace cannot be created through government or institutions alone. Peace must also begin within each person through self-acceptance, emotional healing, forgiveness, unconditional love, and reconciliation.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — America at an Inflection Point
Mercury welcomes Chief Black Horse and opens with reflections on the unrest in Los Angeles, the federal government’s response, and the deeper issues of poverty, education, political power, and social inequality.

01:25 — Colonization, Oppression and the Politics of Control
Chief Black Horse connects the current political climate to the longstanding history of colonization in North America. He discusses domination, coercion, fear-based leadership, and the continued suppression of marginalized communities.

04:15 — Are Light and Darkness Really at War?
Mercury introduces his philosophy of light, darkness, and the present moment. Chief Black Horse challenges the Western tendency to frame opposites as enemies, suggesting that light and darkness exist in a natural and interconnected dance.

06:10 — Lakota Wisdom and “All My Relations”
Drawing upon the Lakota phrase Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ, Chief Black Horse offers an Indigenous alternative to political polarization. He invites listeners to see humanity as one family rather than dividing people into allies and adversaries.

09:20 — American History, Monarchy and Authoritarianism
The conversation turns to the American Revolution, the structure of the United States government, political loopholes, authoritarian leadership, and the consequences of failing to learn from history.

12:00 — White Supremacy, Social Systems and Political Participation
Chief Black Horse discusses attacks on healthcare, diversity initiatives, and social protections. He also emphasizes civic engagement, voting, and the responsibility of ordinary people to participate in the political process.

15:20 — Does the Past Really Exist?
Mercury argues that the past and future do not possess an independent reality and that the eternal present is the only place where healing, transformation, and peace can occur.

19:10 — Addiction Recovery, Conditioning and Personal History
Chief Black Horse uses addiction recovery to explain why examining past behavior and personal conditioning can help people recognize destructive patterns and make healthier choices.

20:40 — Healing Through the Present Moment
Mercury reflects on his experience of overcoming marijuana addiction and maintains that personal transformation occurs through awareness, choice, and action in the present.

22:00 — Indigenous Prophecy, Karma and the Future
The discussion expands into Indigenous spirituality, visions, prophecy, and Buddhist understandings of karma. Mercury and Chief Black Horse debate whether the future exists independently or only becomes real when experienced in the present.

23:25 — Belief, Faith and the Power of Language
A disagreement about the meaning of belief becomes a broader exploration of spirituality, faith, thought, and the limitations of language.

26:05 — Communication, Precision and Emotional Intensity
The two speakers explore the difference between anger and passion, denotation and connotation, and the importance of using language carefully when discussing complex political and spiritual ideas.

27:35 — How to Disagree Without Losing Connection
Mercury reflects on the trust and mutual respect that have developed through more than five years of conversations with Chief Black Horse. Their exchange demonstrates how people can disagree deeply while remaining connected.

28:50 — Inner Peace, Forgiveness and Collective Healing
Chief Black Horse suggests that political violence and social conflict reflect the internal warfare carried by individuals. Lasting peace begins with self-acceptance, unconditional love, forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation.

29:40 — Closing and Preview of the Continuing Conversation
Mercury closes the episode and invites listeners to continue exploring these themes in the next part of the conversation.

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PHILLIP SCOTT- REFLECTIONS ON THE RED ROAD Ancestral Voice 3rd Quarter Newsletter, 2026

Summer Salutations Relations,
 
Trusting you and your loved ones are having an enjoyable and safe season.
 
Recently returned last month from conducting Traditional Ceremonies in Costa Rica at the gorgeous Yacumama Eco Village and celebrating my 63rd revolution ‘round the Sun (July 18). In addition to a 700+ year old Grandmother Ceiba tree, the landscape was truly breathtaking – one of the Ceremonial sites had the most magnificent views I have ever witnessed – a verdant valley with the ocean on one side and a mist enshrouded mountain on the other, whose interior contained a series of waterfalls with clear, refreshing pools. Absolutely magical!
 
This year of the Fire Horse has been potent and fruitful for Ancestral Voice, characterized by considerable invitations to travel and be of service. In January (pre Fire Horse), I visited the Sea of Cortez in La Paz, Mexico where I had the privilege to swim with a gentle and graceful whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet. February found me in Siargao Philippines, teaching intensives, performing healings and conducting a Fire Ceremony on the beach as well as an indoor Ceremony during a torrential downpour (clearly to honor the Sacred Waters). Unfortunately, the reefs in this region are being ravaged by overfishing. Prayers and concerted action required to protect the fragile ecosystem there. Gratitude to Tracy and the staff at Soultribe Beach Retreat for stepping up and taking great care of me.
 
In March, I was invited to attend my second Sunrise Ceremony with a family from the White Mountain Apache Rez – a profoundly moving celebration to honor the transition for a girl into a young woman soon after her first Moontime. It is truly lamentable the colonized world does not embrace these essential rites of passage, especially for our youth. In late April, I travelled to NYC to attend the 25th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN. Gratitude to Meistro Rufino and his community at the Golden Drum for the honor to participate as their guest. My presentation at the conclusion of the Forum – an adamant request for Sacred Fire Ceremonies to be conducted on the grounds of the UN throughout the forum – are included in the written record. Offsite from the UN, I also attended the second Global Indigenous Peacebuilding Summit where, as a member of a committee, we drafted a declaration of further rights, which was submitted to the UN.
 
Early May, I returned to the Daintree rainforest in Queensland Australia to conduct a Land acknowledgment and Fire Ceremony for Barnaby and his amazing staff at Climate Force along with leadership and team cohesion trainings. It was remarkable to behold the swift regeneration and growth of the forest from the Indigenous trees we planted only three years ago. This year, 1,500 Native trees were planted in collaboration with Rainforest Rescue, I was granted the honor from Aboriginal elders to speak at the opening of an installation showcasing art from Aboriginal youth, as well as to present for a class of first graders at an Aboriginal charter school. It deeply touches my heart to see Indigenous youth preserving their lineages, culture and identity by learning their Languages, Sacred Songs, Dances and oral histories.
 
June found myself and some of my supporters back in Texas, this time at the Blue Star Sundance, where we were warmly received by the Chief and his community and had a beautiful Ceremony of Sacrifice. I appreciate the impeccable organization, precision and exacting attention to detail in which this Chief conducts the Ceremony. Looking forward to returning there for at least four more years.
 
The next couple of months, I will remain closer to home and the Institute where we will be offering intensives on Soul Retrieval (August 29 & 30) and our annual weeklong intensive in September (14-19), this time on The Four Elements. Please contact Ancestral Voice at (415) 310-0981 for specifics and to register. Near the end of September, I will resume travel by returning to be of service and support for another Sunrise Ceremony on the White Mountain Apache Rez.
 
Regarding next quarter, our annual Hanbleceya (Traditional Vision Quest) occurs in October (10-18) and though unable to accept Questers at this time (preparation requires a minimum of nine months), supporters in basecamp to chop wood/carry water as well as to eat, drink, sleep and Purify in daily Lodges for the Questers are always welcome and appreciated. In December, after well over a decade, I return to Cusco, Peru, to collaborate and share Ceremonies with the local Indigenous Medicine People there.
 
Considering the myriad global challenges and crises we are facing as a species, it is essential that each and every one of us focuses upon healing and inner work. Therefore, if compelled to find liberation from the shackles of familial and social domestication by learning the Ancient ways of our Ancestors in order decolonize and re-humanize (place the being back in human), we welcome you to join our various Training programs and community of committed seekers. Check out our website at https://AncestralVoice.org
 
For the Sake and Welfare of the Earth and Future Generations, Time to Place Moccasins on Our Prayers,
Phillip
Fire Ceremony on the Beach Siargao, Philippines
700+ Year Old Grandmother Ceiba Tree in Costa Rica
The Indigenous Trees Planted Three Years Ago in Queensland, Australia
Planting New Indigenous Trees this Year in the Daintree Rainforest
Sunrise Ceremony on the White Mountain Apache Rez in AZ
Fire on the White Mountain Apache Rez in AZ
Tipi in Costa Rica
Waterfall in Costa Rica

Photos by Phillip Scott. All Rights Reserved, 2026

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Phillip Scott – Reflections on the Red Road Ancestral Voice 2nd Quarter Newsletter 2026

Spring Salutations Relations,
 
Praying you and your loved ones are in health and safety during these turbulent, tumultuous times.
 
Dog Medicine – Lessons from Four Leggeds….
The bond between humans and canids (wolves/dogs) is ancient and primordial – an alliance that has deepened and been cultivated over millennia. Their Medicine includes abiding loyalty and unwavering protection. 
 
Coco, a terrier mix, is currently 16 years of age. I have had the pleasure of caretaking this remarkable being and elder for nearly six years. In this window of time, she has become quite the Ceremony dog –  at the Purification Lodge Site, she lies quietly, patiently waiting for us to emerge, then standing to warmly greet everyone with a wag of her tail and ebullient enthusiasm. During healing and counseling sessions at the Institute, she instinctively knows when to approach to offer comfort or lend support by sitting/standing beside or lying directly behind the person. She is a fine teacher and a loyal companion. I am inspired by and marvel at her presence, sensitivity, and awareness. Particularly, her ability to literally shake off whatever is troubling her – whether something that thwarts, irritates or frustrates her or an unpleasant interaction with a fellow canine, with a swift, full body flutter, she is immediately back and riveted to the present moment, without residue of or attachment to the past. 
 
She embodies true Buddha nature. 
 
On account of her advanced age, she is beginning to show signs of decline. Based on the Medicine of canines’ devotion to humans, dogs rarely Pass on their own. Rather, it becomes the responsibility of the caretakers to render that difficult decision – to pay attention to the signs and determine when it is time to support that faithful friend in making the Journey Home. 
 
Soon, this time is arriving for Coco and when it occurs, I will profoundly miss her and her buoyant, playful and joyous Spirit. Being away at college when my first dog of 19 years was placed to sleep, Coco is also fostering healing in my life by allowing me to care for her in her latter years and to be present when she takes her final breath. Requesting your Prayers for her Journey and for all who are left to remember her and were touched by her loving, gentle presence and sweet Medicine.

Photo Credit: Crystal Yescas

In the Spirit of shaking off difficulty and challenge, equally ancient ways involving peace and reconciliation were practiced by Indigenous Nations throughout the world. Inevitably, conflicts, disputes and disagreements arise between individuals, communitites and Nations. As a consequence of this unavoidable reality, Ceremonial protocols were established and implemented to ensure the restoration of harmony and balance between relations. Considering the current turmoil and unconscionable violence transpiring on the global stage, wise it would be to apply these ancient principles and practices. 

Join us the weekend of April 11th and 12th for The Art and Paths of Peacemaking to learn time tested ways to achieve peace and reconciliation within ourselves and our relationships. 

In the Samurai Tradition, before drawing one’s katana to harm, it was necessary to exercise self restraint and first learn the healing arts so join us for an intensive onIndigenous Healing during the potent Full Moon weekend of May 30th and 31st. 

Now that the season of emergence has arrived, travel is ramping up. In the latter part of April, I am heading to New York City to attend the UN Indigenous forum followed by a return to the Daintree in Queensland to reconnect with the Aborigines of the region and support them in rematriating the rainforest in early May.

Circa the summer Solstice in June,  members of the Tiospaye (community) and I will be returning to Texas to attend our annual Sundance Ceremony. 

This year, the weeklong intensive in September (21-26), which occurs during the Autumnal Equinox, will be devoted to communing with and learning from our Elemental Elders – Water, Air, Earth and Fire. Please contact the Institute for further information, to accompany me on any of the aforementioned travel and to register for the intensives.

Being the auspicious year of the Fire Horse, we are currently accepting students for the various Moon Cycle options in the Indigenous Lifeways Program, so if compelled to invite and embrace profound movement, change and lasting transformation in your life, contact us directly by email, phone or text for inquiries and to initiate. We welcome you to embark on the adventure of learning, discovery and liberation.

Prayers for Peace within Ourselves, in the World as well as for Coco’s Journey,
Phillip
 
Place Moccasins On Your Prayers….
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Phillip Scott – Reflections on the Red Road Ancestral Voice 1st Quarter Newsletter 2026

New Calendar Year Salutations Relations,
Trusting you and your loved ones are being Blessed with Dreams, guidance and insight in this Winter season.
Currently immersed in the season of Dreaming, introspection, reflection, incubation and hibernation, I encourage you to align with the rhythms and cycles of Nature by refraining from making new year resolutions and instead to wait until the energies amplify in the Spring – or at least until early February when the Earth and our relations in the Natural world begin to stir from their Winter dormancy in the Northern hemisphere. Early February into the Spring Equinox is the window to make resolutions for the energies of emergence and manifestation begin to blossom.
In the Asian calendar, 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse – an auspicious gateway for swift and profound movement, change and transformation. If seeking to transcend fear, fully embrace change and favorably shapeshift your life and circumstances, I invite you to commence studies in the Indigenous Lifeways program.
A link to the various Moon Cycle options is available here:
Reflecting upon the final quarter of last year, it was extremely potent and profound:
During our annual October Hanbleceya (Traditional Vision Quest) in the Sierra mountains, the Wakinyan Oyate (Thunderbeing Nation) Blessed us with their life granting waters for three continuous days. Kudos to the Ceremonial Fire keepers for ensuring the flames were not extinguished as well as gratitude for the Sacrifice of the Questers and selfless service of the supporters.
Immediately afterward, I traveled to the gorgeous volcano rimmed Sacred Lake Atitlán in Guatemala (the photo I snapped is included) to collaborate with Mayan and Ashaninka Medicine people in the resurrection of the Sacred masculine. Continuously immersed in Ceremonies, Teachings and Transmissions from our three Traditions for nearly ten days as well as being nurtured and supported by the local Mayan community, the male participants received powerful, life altering healing and Medicine. Deep appreciation to Nana Marina Cruz and her beautiful Mayan community for the invitation and honour to share in this important and critical work. Prayers the Ceremonial Fire, which they tend day and night, continues to burn brightly.
November found me in New York City as well as upstate where I was invited to gather and share with Medicine people from many Nations, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Golden Drum as well as to conduct special Ceremonies for their community. Being warmly received and well taken care of, I am grateful to Maestro Manual Rufino and his cohesive, faithful community for their tireless and constant service – here’s to another 15+ years!
As for this calendar year, the itinerary is already shaping up – in the first half I am heading to the Philippines and Oaxaca, Mexico (both for the first time), returning to the White Mountain Apache Rez to support the Sunrise Ceremony (a young girl’s rite of passage into womanhood) and Queensland Australia to assist in the rematriation of the Daintree, the oldest rainforest on the planet, as well as to New York City to attend the UN World Indigenous forum.
In this first quarter, we will be offering three intensives at the Institute: the Indigenous Journey (which serves as a prerequisite for advanced work) and Death as an Ally, both in late January/early February and Sound Healing in late February/early March. Feel free to reach our for specifics and to register.
Additionally, the 9 Moon Men’s Hoop as well as the 9 Moon Awakened Leadership Course will both resume in April.
The second half of the year, there is a possibility of conducting Ceremonies, sharing Teachings and performing healings in China as well as Canada, Poland and France. If interested in sponsoring me to travel to your area or requiring a healing session (a list of our services and offerings is accessible on the link above), I am honoured to be of service to you and your communities.
Finally, conducted in a Traditional manner, considerable preparations are required to undertake a Hanbleceya, so if compelled and called to seek Vision in the year of Fire Horse and interested in either supporting or Questing with us in October, it is time to commit and commence purifying – we welcome you to reach out for specifics to participate in a respectful way regarding that High Ceremony.
Prayers for a magical and tranformative journey in 2026,
Phillip