Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo, Spiritual Director of Sunray and Chief of the Green Mountain Band of the Aniyunwiwa (Cherokee) interviewed by Paul Gustafson
PG: Dhyani, what inspired you to establish the Peace Village?
Dhyani: The Peace Village was basically established through the direction of my grandparents. They had a vision that at a certain time my generation would leave the city, New York City, where many had come during the Second World War, and we would again return to the high mountain places. Part of our family responsibility is to make prayers in high mountain places. In particular, the Appalachian mountains are those for which we have a certain responsibility. By doing ceremonies and prayers in these places we can help to heal the whole planet. This is what my grandparents believed, and I also believe this is based on fact and particular results.
My grandparents said, "Go to Vermont to an old campsite, an old ceremonial site where every seven years indigenous people of many nations would come." Sometimes they said those who would gather at this place were our distant cousins who shared the same grandfather language as the Cherokee, the Algonquin language. Sometimes when they spoke of it they gave the impression that even beings from other dimensions would come. So, with their instruction we came to Vermont. In fact, the first time I was invited to give teaching in Vermont actually took place right on Lincoln Gap. After we had been here about five years, archaeologists discovered ancient campsites, which were transitional sites not living sites. This campsite supports my grandparents view of this area being a place where medicine people of many traditions would meet in a seven year cycle. What brings us to Vermont is the spiritual duty to make prayers and ceremony in the quiet mountain places that will alleviate suffering. These ceremonies also keep the winds stable, and the earth’s spinning stable, because we always think we are interconnected with the earth. We came to Vermont so that my generation might come back to remembering their traditional way of living; so that we could preserve our culture and maintain some of the ceremonies.