21st Annual Kateri Peace Conference - 2019

Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17, 2019

For over 20 years the Kateri Tekakwitha Peace conference has met on the site of an historic Mohawk Village, a village that had to be abandoned, a life left behind, when the forces of disintegration swept over it.

Slowly, year after year, as we have revisited this sacred site, the wisdom of the land has seeped into our souls guiding us as we have worked to confront war and militarism, forces born out of greed, fear and a disconnect from nature and community, forces which  have become enormously destructive to the land we live on.

Facing the painful existential threat of climate collapse and then cultivating a garden of resilience requires a deep wisdom born of cultures more deeply connected to the land. We will begin by assessing where we now stand with clear and insightful evaluations of the climate as it is evolving and  look for sustainable ways forward to a place of resilience in the face of changes sure to come.

The three sisters, corn, beans and squash, offer a sustainable and mutually nurturing model of agriculture developed by the Haudenosaunee. They also provide a fruitful metaphor for the cooperation, connectedness and community which  will  help us trough the difficult days ahead.

These will be the guiding values which we hope will allow us to find our way to a new balance in a path which cultivates resilience and sustainability.

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE 

NATURE CALLS US TO CONSCIOUSNESS:
A Day of Deep Listening and Reflection
Friday, August 16, 2019

Structured in conjunction with the 2019 KATERI Peace Conference’s focus on the Climate Crisis.

Annually, the KATERI PEACE CONFERENCE has been held within walking distance of Caughnawaga, a long ago abandoned Mohawk Village,  whose residents must have experienced incredible upheaval as their way of life was threatened by extinction in the face of   European migration and usurpation of their homeland.

One can imagine that the very woods surrounding the annual site of the Kateri Peace Conference resounded with the speeches of many bringing words of considered council as the Mohawk people who lived here then tried to make sense of and build a future in the face of such daunting forces. "What are we to do?"

9:15 -9:45 REGISTRATION

9:45- 10:00 WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS, OVERVIEW

10:00-10:30 BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO the MOHAWK PEOPLE, the VILLAGE OF CAUGHNAWAGA and the devastation of contact

10:30-11:00  THE THANKSGIVING ADDRESS and what it teaches  us about the first peoples’ view of life and their relationship to nature (Terri Delahanty, Many Feathers)

11:00-11:15 MUSICAL INTERLUDE (Eric Marczak -Native flute)

11:15-11:55 THE END OF ICE AND THE BEGINNING OF A VISION QUEST (Dahr Jamail)

11:55- 12:05 Musical Interlude

12:05 - 12:45 Simple Community Lunch (Provided)

12:45-2:00   A READING TO FEED CONSCIOUSNESS, HEART, RESISTANCE, RESILIENCE: from GHOST FISHING and WRITING TO FEED CONSCIOUSNESS, HEART, RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE - A mini writing workshop for the sixth extinction. (Melissa Tuckey)

2:00-4:00 A SILENT PILGRIMAGE WALK to Caughnawaga with reflections guided by the THANKSGIVING ADDRESS and the Haudenosaunee CALL TO CONSCIOUSNESS, Time for personal reflection, writing, etc. (With Terri Delahanty, Dahr Jamail, Melissa Tuckey and accompanied on flute by Eric Marczak)

4:00 Departures 

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE

DEFYING EXTINCTION:
Nurturing a Garden of Resilience in the Face of Climate Crisis

9:00-9:30 REGISTRATION

9:30-10:00 WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS (John and Maureen)

10:00- 10:15 INTERLUDE:  Poetry: Melissa Tuckey, Traditional flute: Eric Marczak

10-15-10:55 DAHR JAMAIL: The Climate Crisis is Upon Us: How, Then, Shall We Live?
Award-winning War journalist turned climate crisis reporter Dahr Jamail, reads from his new book The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption and discusses living on a planet that has been irrevocably changed.

11:00-11:40 PATRICIA HYNES: WHAT I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE STATE OF THE PLANET

11:40-11:50 INTERLUDE:  Poetry: Melissa Tuckey, Traditional flute: Eric Marczak

11:50-12:45 Simple Community Lunch (Provided)

12:45-1:45 WORKSHOPS: NURTURING GARDENS OF RESILIENCE

WORKSHOP #1: WRITING AS A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS (Melissa Tuckey and Karen Malpede)

WORKSHOP #2: ACTION AS A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS: the Extinction Rebellion, the Climate Reality Project,  Action for Legislative Change  (Meghan Marohn, Mark Dunlea)

WORKSHOP #3: DEEPENING SPIRIT AS A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS (Dahr Jamail and Terri Delahanty)

1:45-2:25 MARK DUNLEA: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE POLITICAL WILL TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

2:25-3:25 QUESTIONS AND REACTIONS: WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW, KEEP, ELIMINATE, CULTIVATE FOR THE ROAD AHEAD?  (Dahr, Patricia, Mark, Terri, Melissa, Meghan, Karen)

THANK YOUS AND CONCLUSIONS (John and Maureen)

Clean up

WE ARE HOPING:

That all will join together in a celebration of community at the beautiful Great Sacandaga Lake lakeside Lanzi’s Restaurant.
(Click here details at Dinner at Lanzi's)

Music, presentations, solidarity!

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE

In celebration of the 2019 KATERI PEACE CONFERENCE affirmation of connection, collaboration and community, we are inviting you to come together after Friday’s reflections and Saturday’s thought provoking conversations to join our speakers and one another for a relaxed lakeside dinner at “Lanzi’s on the Lake”.

Lanzi’s is said to have the best waterfront view on the 26 mile long beautiful Great Sacandaga Lake. ( a lake formed by a collaboration between man and Nature!)

There is a lovely lawn to stroll. Our banquet room offers stunning views.

With music provided by SheriBauer, Tarik Shah, Terri Roben and others the evening will sing!

And it will also inspire with a stirring talk by activist/playwright Karen Malpede with a special performance by her husband and collaborator, Obie winning actor, George Bartenieff from Karen’s play: EXTREME WHETHER which celebrates the magnificence of the planet we call home.

With the beautiful setting and our special guests, this closing conference event promises an evening guaranteed to create a relaxing as well as sustaining midsummer memory.

Come join Dahr Jamail and our other guests in helping us celebrate the community and connection which will sustain us!

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE

There are a number of options for participating in the 21st Annual Kateri Tekakwitha Interfaith Peace Conference.  

No one will be turned away for financial reasons. Please contact John Amidon (jajaja1234@aol.com or call at 518.312.6442) for any questions about registration and attending or use our Contact Us page.

All Conference: Friday Retreat, Saturday conference, Plus evening dinner at Lanzi’s: $75

Friday Day of Reflection Only: $ 35

Saturday Conference Only: $35

Friday Day of Reflection and Saturday Conference Together, no dinner: $50

Dinner at Lanzi's only $40

PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT PAGE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Please Make Checks to: Veterans For Peace
On the memo line  please write Kateri Peace Conference

John Amidon
25 Melrose Avenue
Albany, NY 12203

Please include your name, address, phone number and email.

Thank you!

We wish to express our deep appreciation to the National St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and the Franciscan Friars of Fonda for hosting the Annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peace Conference! Their continued support and hospitality allows us to come together in a peaceful and beautiful setting enhancing our reflections on peace. We are grateful.

We also wish to thank the following organizatons for their generous and continuing support.