This document summarizes the activities of the Turtle Women Rising organization in supporting various Native American community events in 2014. It discusses TWR sponsoring contests at the Two Spirit Pow-Wow in San Francisco, honoring women veterans at a university gathering, participating in a ceremony with indigenous grandmothers, and plans to attend a Native American women's drum retreat. It also announces a fundraiser to support an organization helping military sexual assault survivors and shares TWR's vision of bringing together drums worldwide to help heal the Earth.

1. TWO SPIRIT POW - WOW
SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA 2014
For the second year in a row, TWR supported the
Bay Area American Indian Two- Spirit (BAAITS) Pow
Wow in February by sponsoring the hand drum
contest as well as cosponsoring the women’s
fancy shawl dance. WR is a proud supporter of
this wonderful gathering honoring two spirits and
their historic place in community as we gather to
remember the importance of acknowledging all
for their gifts. It is an honor to sit with ITTS
Drummers on this day. The BAAITS Drum is a part of
our TWR drum collective and have always
supported us as TWR singers/drummers whenever
we travel with the drum in Northern California.
TURTLE WOMEN RISING.COM
PO BOX 537 MERCED PO CA 95341
(209) 617-0276 Fax (209) 626-1613
TWR LEADERS
Deborah J. Guerrero MSW
TWR Elder/Drum Keeper
Co-Founder
Zamora (Michelle Zamora)
TWR Head Drummer
Eli PaintedCrow
TWR Co-Founder
Luz C. Valverde
Drum Keeper

2. WOMEN VET HONORING FEB 2014
University of Stanislaus Women Vets gathering Feb 2014
This month TWR shared in the honoring of Veteran women at the University of Stanislaus. Our beautiful drum
Lunar de Fuerza (Beauty Mark of Strength) touched many hearts that day as veteran’s men and PO box 537
Merced ca 95341 209 617-0276
Women sat with us to feel her healing medicine. Sharing many tears on this day, the spirits of these vets felt
the love and prayers that we shared through songs and the teachings of the drum. Thanking BAITTS Drummers
who came from the Bay to support this endeavor. Thanking those who organized this gathering for all the
energy and hearts to bring us together. Many Blessings
GRANDMOTHERS GATHERING
http://grandmotherscouncil.org/
What a great blessing it has been to continue to work with the International Council of the 13 Indigenous
Grandmothers! This year TWR went to join the Grandmothers at the Montezuma well in Arizona for a beautiful
water ceremony to pray for our water. It is an honor to accept their invitation from these wise grandmothers.
Much needed healing and cleansing offerings made in the desert there at this sacred space. We are
humbled that the Grandmothers remember us and our first TWR drum, Kiya’s Heartbeat, and asked us to
journey with them to support the prayer work. Thank you to those who helped us get a few TWR folks and the
drum itself to the ceremony, including the grandmothers and Renee Lozier-Rojas and sons Joey Jansen,
Charles Williams, his fiancé Olivia Sandoval for driving Kiya’s from up in WA State.
Native American Women’s drum Retreat

3. This year it is Turtle Women Rising’s intention to attend the Native American Women’s Drum Summit and
retreat for our second year in a row, in Sacramento California from Jun 27-29. For more information, please
contact Barbara Warren, from the sponsoring drum at otsigya@yahoo.com if you would like to sit with TWR at
this retreat please contact our Drum Leader Zamora on Facebook and let her know you are interested in
attending as a Turtle Women Rising participant. Women and children attend this retreat so if you have little
ones please contact Barbara for information.
As you may remember, our trip last year to Alturas, CA for the summit was an amazing experience. Along with
BAAITS drummers, TWR was thrilled to sit with Irma, Meshonn and Maggie from THE MANKILLERS, who sat with
each of our drums and gifting us a wonderful Flying Eagle Song that we learned together.
Do not miss this year’s gathering if you can join us and please consider making a tax-deductible donation to
help us take our drum to attend this amazing retreat and share with other Native women drum keepers and
singers about the healing ways of the heartbeat. These have been amazing moments for us, and we have
been able to make deeper connections toward a stronger TWR drum community and to building our vision of
a million drums for peace- gathering the near future hopefully by 2016.
Help support our Women Veterans
http://servicewomen.org
Fund Raising for to help S.W.A.N.- from TWR Cofounder, Eli PaintedCrow
On another note, TWR is planning to have a fundraiser to help our sisters at The (SWAN) Service Women
Action Network to help them continue the work of changing the laws for sexual assault in military. As one of
the co-founder of this organization, it is important to me to help them as much as possible. The goal is five
thousand dollars. Our raffles include a trip to the Bahamas hotel accommodations in Florida and a two-day
sail on cruise ship to and from the Bahamas. A 32-inch flat screen, matching purse and handmade jewelry
and tablets with keyboards. Please visit our site in the later part of March for pictures of prizes and purchasing
tickets. Tickets will sell for $50.00 each or three for $100.00 or you can purchase six tickets for $200.00. We will
run the raffle until we reach or goal of 6 thousand dollars five to go to S.W.A.N and 1 thousand for TWR. On
December 31, 2014 whichever comes first. We will notify you by mail and we will have a public event to name
the winners. You need not be present to win.
The Vision for 2016
TWR continues to hold the vision of a million drums around the world in an effort to raise a vibration to awaken
those who have not yet heard our mothers cry for help in healing her. We invite you to consider helping us
come together to raise her vibration. She is calling out to us for without her future generations will suffer
greatly. We will be posting in the near future to ask drums from all over the world to drum in solidarity with us
to awaken those who cannot hear her. Thank You for your support and prayers as we move forward in this
great endeavor, which will require us all to come together for our future generations. To connect to Turtle
Women Rising and follow our work please go to our Turtle Women rising page on face book or get
emails by subscribing to: Turtlewomen rising@yahoogroups .com