Twin Eagles Wilderness School eNewsletter

Twin Eagles Wilderness School
eNewsletter - September 2011

Bunchberry

Welcome to our September eNewsletter! Below, you'll find our full listing of Autumn and year long programs. This is our heartfelt and passionate invitation to you and your family to step into deeper connection with Nature, with Authentic Community, and with Who You Really Are. Each step we take on this journey brings us closer to restoring a holistic culture for ourselves and for future generations.

This summer has been truly abundant here at Twin Eagles. We brought 125 youth and 23 staff into deep connection with nature over seven weeks of camp - our biggest summer camp season yet! As well, we have very successfully completed a recent fund raising campaign to support Twin Eagles co-Directors Tim Corcoran & Jeannine Tidwell to participate in a Leadership Mentoring Program being offered by Jon & Nicole Young of the 8 Shields Institute. Good things are coming our way!

Entering into our seventh full year of Twin Eagles, we offer you the blessing of the quiet mind. Take some time to go outside and breathe in the beauty of the Earth with all of your senses; revel in the peace and serenity that washes over you - you'll be glad you did.

Feature Article

A Stepping Stone to Vision
by Jeannine Tidwell & Daniel Kirchhof

This summer we sat in the company of budding visionaries. As we sat in a circle together one night around a bright fire and a silvery web of stars, a group of teens came together to share the intimate truth of who they are and what they believe in. This is a group of teens who live most of their everyday lives in a modern context. Imagine high school, video games, schedules, iPods, peer pressure - and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are some of the truths they shared:

"Whenever I am faced with a risk, I can either back away from it or go for it. I find the risks are always worth taking."

"Everything I do in life, I want to do in a positive way."

"At the end of the day it's my attitude which decides if things are positive or negative."

"I will always wake up with passions to follow."

"No matter what, I will always be loved."

Stepping Stones

Powerful statements of truth like these don't just happen. The way in which these teens came to their truth was through being mentored in an authentic and loving nature based culture. This was day five of the week long Twin Eagles Overnight Camp for Teens. They were immersed in deep nature connection. They were invited and challenged to feel the textures of life, both sensorially and emotionally. A safe container was cultivated for their opening up to themselves and each other in new and surprising ways through our week together.

Their normal every day experiences are not steeped with looking within and asking, "Who am I and what am I about?" Most teens in this modern context are all about the surface stuff that points away from who we are within. Earth-based cultures around the world had regular practices of looking far within to their core. Thus, we have an ancestral muscle of looking within as a practice and a way of being. Maybe our world is so unpredictable and off kilter because we've strayed from this practice. Naming our truth and having other people do so around us wakes us up to what's really important in life. And the bonus is, that naming our truth is a stepping stone to our vision. By exercising the muscle of truth naming over and over again, we gain clarity and inner confidence in our calling and vision.

When we think about leaving this planet to the future generations, we know we're going to pass off the torch to a younger generation who have a sturdiness and resiliency to them and are growing in alignment with their purpose.

So, we ask you, when was the last time you touched into your truth and what are you standing for? And are you taking risks to stand for it?

Youth Programs Update

We are so excited to be offering a variety of programs for Inland Northwest area youth this school year. Twin Eagles Youth Programs are a great match for you and your children/teens if:

-You and your child(ren) value nature and the Earth and desire a deeper connection to it.

-You believe that "It takes a village to raise a child", that is, you yearn for a web of strong mentoring relationships around your child(ren) that can holistically and collectively raise them into their fullest self.

-You yearn for the following qualities in your child AND in the mentors/teachers who guide them:
-Resiliency, Responsibility, Adaptability, Integrity, Self-Sufficient, Hard Working, Helpful, Healthy, Happy, Compassionate, Fully Alive, Strong Sense of Self & Purpose in Life, Loving, Peaceful, Grateful

-You support Green/Sustainable/Regenerative activities, that is, you value the Earth's resources and wish to make the very best use of them, and wish to live in a manner that takes care of this planet and make it a better place for Future Generations.

-You want your child to be part of a program with smaller group sizes, one that facilitates real world challenges and believes children are capable of much more than the modern world asks of them.

If this is true for you, then come join us for an unforgettable experience of deep nature connection and mentoring at Twin Eagles Youth Programs this year!

Twin Eagles Community School
Weekly nature program for homeschooled youth
for youth ages 6 - 13 ~ Cedar Springs, Sandpoint, Idaho
One day per week ~ Thursdays 9am - 3pm
Autumn, Winter & Spring Seasonal Blocks (9 sessions each)
$450 & up per seasonal block includes 9 weekly sessions

Come join our original weekly program for youth that explores deep nature connection and the wilderness arts through earth based mentoring. Students truly steep in a timeless experience of the natural world with teachings of the naturalist, the tracker, the wanderer, the herbalist, the ecologist, the survivalist and the scout. Now in its seventh year, Twin Eagles Community School is a tremendous opportunity for youth to experience knowledge of place and nature awareness all in a powerful atmosphere of cultural mentoring.

Autumn 2011 Block - Oct 6 (opening), Oct 13, Oct 20, Nov 3, Sat Nov 12 (Fall Harvest!), Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 8, Dec 15(closing)
Winter 2012 Block - Jan 5 (opening), Jan 12, Jan 19, Feb 2, Feb 9, Feb 16, Mar 1, Mar 8, Mar 15(closing)
Spring 2012 Block - Apr 12 (opening), Apr 19, Apr 26, May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, Thu May 31-Fri Jun 1 (closing overnight!)

Twin Eagles Monthly Youth Program - Sandpoint
Monthly nature program for Sandpoint area youth
for youth ages 6 - 13 ~ Cedar Springs, Sandpoint, Idaho
One weekend day per month ~ 9am - 3pm
October - May ~ eight sessions total
$400 & up includes eight monthly sessions

White Mountain!

Now in it's fifth year, Twin Eagles Monthly Youth Program in Sandpoint provides a regular opportunity for Sandpoint area youth to experience the teachings of the earth once a month on a weekend day. Whether it be tracking a deer through a maze of forest trails, learning the nearly lost but once so common handwork of our ancestors or exploring the amazing realm of medicinal and nutritional plants, these youth will come fully alive through earth based mentoring. Discover nature and discover your own nature!

2011/2012 Dates: Sun Oct 23 (opening), Sat Nov 12 (Fall Harvest!), Sun Dec 4, Sat Jan 7, Sat Feb 4, Sat Mar 3, Sun Apr 22, Sun May 6 (closing)

Twin Eagles Monthly Youth Program - Spokane
Monthly nature program for Spokane area youth
for youth ages 6 - 13 ~ Indian Springs, Spokane, Washington
One weekend day per month ~ 9am - 3pm
October - May ~ eight sessions total
$450 & up includes eight monthly sessions

Fire by Friction!

We are pleased to be entering into our sixth year of bringing traditional ecological knowledge down to the Spokane area on a monthly basis! Spokane area youth have a rare opportunity to slow down to nature's pace and experience themselves in a community of passionate nature based learners through activities such as fire by friction, local species interrelations, songs, animal tracking, group challenges, wild edible & medicinal plants, natural shelter building, storytelling, sensory awareness and much, much more.

2011/2012 Dates: Sun Oct 16 (opening), Sat Nov 12 (Fall Harvest in Sandpoint!), Sat Dec 10, Sat Jan 14, Sat Feb 11, Sat Mar 10, Sun Apr 15, Sun May 20 (closing)

Twin Eagles Seasonal Teen Rendezvous
Seasonal weekend program for Inland Northwest teens
for teens ages 13 & up ~ locations throughout the Inland Northwest
Weekends run Friday evening through Sunday afternoon
Autumn, Winter & Spring Sessions
$175 & up per weekend

YES!

Now in its third year, Twin Eagles Seasonal Teen Rendezvous is set to offer awesome experiences to teens throughout the Inland Northwest and beyond to sink deep roots to the earth through wilderness skills while soaring high through full-on group adventures. Teens learn leadership by working together as well as applying their sensitivities through ancient earth based skills and crafts. Twin Eagles nature based mentors will guide teens through these experiences and more, developing significant creative problem solving skills while they revel in being fully alive. This will be an awesome opportunity for teens to encounter the wild around them as we journey to destinations throughout the Inland Northwest. As well, teens have a chance to touch their own inner wildness by giving unique voice to their inner selves amongst a community of peers and mentors. This will all take place within the powerful and safe context of a "cultural basket" of teachings that will provide grounding and balance while peaking their senses and learning. Thus, we echo the blueprint of natural learning shared by our ancestors through millennia.

Autumn 2011 Session - Nov 18 - 20 - Cedar Springs, Sandpoint, Idaho
Winter 2012 Session - Dates & Location TBA
Spring 2012 Session - Dates & Location TBA

Forest Children
Monthly nature preschool for Spokane area toddlers
for youth ages 3 - 6 ~ Indian Springs, Spokane, Washington
One Friday per month ~ 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
October - May ~ eight sessions total
$225 & up includes eight monthly sessions

Children immersed in nature mentoring during their earliest years experience a foundation like none other. At this age, deep nature connection and lasting mentoring relationships draw out a common language and understanding for play and learning through full sensory awareness. Also deeply rooted in the child is a depth perception for the cycles of nature, stewardship of the earth and life itself.

Through Forest Children we inspire some of the most important of human attributes in the young ones: awe and wonder. We encourage children to learn about the fundamental elements of life through 100% direct experience with nature. Examples of activities include gathering seasonal foraged foods, crafting toys and other learning items from objects found in nature, connecting with the lives of animals through games, creative movement and tracking, developing relationships with trees and plants through learning safely about fire, wood and much, much more! This is a fully outdoor nature awareness program so in times of inclement weather we will retreat to our tipi on the land for warmth and activities such as storytelling, music and native crafts.

2011/2012 Dates: Fri Oct 14 (opening), Sat Nov 12 (Fall Harvest in Sandpoint!), Fri Dec 9, Fri Jan 13, Fri Feb 10, Fri Mar 9, Sun Apr 15, Fri May 18 (closing)

Adult Programs Update

A Celebration of Indigenous Women's Wisdom
Afternoon Gathering led by Grandmother Margaret Behan
Gardenia Center, 400 Church St., Sandpoint, Idaho
Saturday, October 1 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
$10 admission for this gathering at the door

Please join us for a gathering of Inland Northwest Tribal Women Elders hosted by Grandmother Margaret Behan. A public sharing of Indigenous Wisdom through stories and teachings.

Film Screening: For the Next 7 Generations
Panida Theater, 300 N. 1st Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho
Saturday, October 1 7:00 PM
$10 admission for this film, charged at the door

Introduction by Grandmother Margaret Behan with discussion following.

In 2004, thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers from all four corners, moved by their concern for our planet, came together at a historic gathering where they decided to form an alliance. This is their story. Four years in-the-making and shot on location across several continents, including a private meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, For the Next 7 Generations follows what happens when these wise women unite. They share with us their visions of healing and a call for change. This film documents their unparalleled journey and timely perspectives on a timeless wisdom.

Grandmother Margaret Behan, Red-Spider Woman, Arapaho/Cheyenne of Montana is an accomplished and published author, poet, playwright and traditional powwow dance leader. She has presented workshops and retreats on trauma and substance abuse around the country. Margaret is currently taking an active role in teaching Cheyenne Culture. She is president of the Cheyenne Elders Council.

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is a dedicated group of Indigenous Women Elders from around the world who represent an alliance of prayer, education and healing for Mother Earth and all her inhabitants. They travel globally to share ancestral teachings and promote projects to protect our diverse cultures, lands, medicines, languages and ceremonial ways. Visit their website at www.grandmotherscouncil.org

This event hosted by:
Twin Eagles Wilderness School
Spiritgrace Healing Arts
Inland Northwest Women's Council

For more info: Jeannine Tidwell (208) 265-3685 or jeannine@twineagles.org

Creating Sacred Space
A weekend workshop with Barry Moses
for Adults ~ Location TBA
Friday October 28 6pm - Sunday October 30 3pm
$175 & up per person - discount for returning participants
ENROLL EARLY - LIMITED ENROLLMENT

Join us for this special opportunity to connect with Barry Moses from the Spokane Tribe as we enter into the sublime teachings of very real, practical, local, earth based spirituality. Creating Sacred Space will explore ways of creating a deeper connection with nature and spirit, will explore ways of creating more meaningful relationships within families and communities, and will explore personal and community rituals that strengthen a sense of the Sacred in all we do.

Now expanded to be offered as an annual gathering, this workshop will gracefully embrace new participants alongside taking returning participants deeper on the inner tracking journey. New content will be covered to fully engage both new and returning participants.

Barry Moses was raised between worlds, in the cities of Spokane and Seattle, Washington, as well as the Spokane Indian Reservation. He is an educator with a keen interest in spirituality, indigenous cultures, dream work, and personal insight. As a "cultural specialist" he has a very rare and powerful gift of bridging the modern with the native. His tribal name is "Sulustu", which literally translates from the Spokane Salish language as, "Where the Worlds Come Together".

Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference
Exploring Pathways to a Positive Future
Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, Washington
Friday November 4 - Sunday November 6

“Permaculture is about designing sustainable human settlements through ecology and design. It is a philosophy and an approach to land use which weaves together micro climates, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water management and human needs into intricately connected productive communities."
-Bill Mollison, founder of Permaculture

Join us at the first annual Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference! This event will bring together people from the permaculture and related fields in the Inland Northwest exchange information and increase collaboration. A great opportunity for people new or very familiar with Permaculture, this conference will feature 30 - 50 presenters, dozens of workshops, field trips, a trade show, panels, round table discussions, and hundreds of people working for a positive future. Tim Corcoran from Twin Eagles will be offering two workshops - first, Deep Nature Connection Mentoring, Permaculture & Cultural Restoration, and second, Introduction to Bow & Drill Primitive Firemaking. Hope to see you there!

For more info and to register: http://inlandnorthwestpermaculture.com

Upcoming Adult Programs
coming up in 2012
for adults and occasionally for interested teens (15 or older)
Locations throughout the Inland Northwest

In addition to the above offerings, we are very excited to let you know about other tentative adult programs slated for 2012:

-Two day Willow Style Basketry Workshop with Tim Corcoran
-Weekend Braintanning Workshop with Dan Corcoran
-Daylong Animal Tracking Workshop with Tim Corcoran
-Weekend Drum Making Workshop with Jeannine Tidwell
-Weekend Peacemaking Workshop with Paul Raphael
-Daylong Medicinal Plants Workshop with Jeannine Tidwell

Rumor has it that meetings are currently underway in the top-secret back room offices of Twin Eagles Wilderness School to offer some BIG new programs starting in Autumn 2012. Think week-long workshops and year-round immersion programs for adults!!!

Registration Details

Unless otherwise noted, Pre-registration is required for all programs. Registration deadline is two weeks prior to start of program. All programs have limited enrollment.

To register, or for more information:
Call (208) 265-3685 or email tim@twineagles.org

Natural Mystery Contest

This month, we are excited to offer you an opportunity to deepen your awareness of and connection to the natural world AND win a copy of From Boys to Men of Heart, by Dr. Randall Eaton!

Here is our natural mystery:

September 2011 Natural Mystery

What is this a picture of? Hint: This was found near the Grouse Creek in Bonner County, Idaho. Please be as specific as possible, and make sure to tell us how you determined your answer. In order to win, you will need to correctly name the species.

Please email your responses to tim@twineagles.org by October 15 for your chance to win! The winner will be randomly selected from a pool of people who give the correct answer. Good luck!

Answer to our Previous Natural Mystery

March 2011 Natural Mystery

Congratulations to Alanna Shaw of Sandpoint, Idaho, who, amongst several others, correctly guessed that this is a close up picture of a Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). As Alanna pointed out, notice the characteristic many large yellowish spots and few small red spots with blue halos. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Thanks for reading - We wish you health and happiness during this beautiful season!

Tim Corcoran, co-Director & co-Founder
Twin Eagles Wilderness School
433 Cedar Springs, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
(208)265-3685
www.twineagles.org

~Rekindling Relationships with Nature, Community, Family and Self through
Nature Awareness, Cultural Mentoring and Wilderness Skills~

P.S. - Please help support this critical work by forwarding this email on to other potentially interested families and individuals - Thanks!

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