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Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge

Gaiwagweniyo Longdance 2024
an Experiential Journey into Oneness

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Event Info

NYAH WEH SGE:NO…WE TRUST YOU ARE WELL…

We invite you to join us for our 8th annual "Gaiwagweniyo" Longdance in the United Kingdom. The gathering will be at Earth Spirit, in the beautiful, mystical region of Somerset, beginning on Friday August 30th and concluding Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024.

This dance is an experiential journey, through the Ancient Teachings of the Onönowa"ga:", of the Hodinöhsöni" People, as disseminated by Wolf Clan Grandmother, Twylah Hurd Nitsch.

The Gaiwagweniyo is a Community Longdance; a living entity with a life of its own, flowing and expanding in response to the prayers and needs of the Community. The structure and purpose of the teaching is to provide deeper understanding of the workings of the Gaiwagwenio and the power of its message. Bob and Lee Nitsch provide the Leadership, Guidance and Sacredness to support your journey through this intimate and powerful experience.

Be a part of this Sacred Journey.

If you have felt the quickening of your spirit, a longing deep within your heart and soul, you have been called by Creator to attend this gathering. Listen to the calling...an opportunity has presented itself in answer to your innermost prayers.

It"s time to pause; to check-in with your heart and find out what this calling is about.

Ponder your intention for participating; discover whether you feel called to be a Dancer, Energizing and Activating the Wisdom Wheel of Truth or a Supporter, Harmonizing and Facilitating this Unique Transformative Experience.

Open Your Heart
Sing Your Song
… Dance Your Dreams Alive...

Testimonials

The Longdance is…a sacred space created by, held by, maintained by and dismantled by… the participants… and directed and held by Bob, Lee and Great Spirit. I received insights and revelations some joyful, some reassuring and some deeply painful. It's all part of the journey. Be prepared for long days and nights, being outdoors in all weathers, delicious organic foods, good company and camaraderie and magic unfolding. This deep work reverberates for weeks, months, and years ahead.

Kind regards, Ann x

The Longdance is a unique chance to enter the spiritual practices of the Iroquois Nation. The insights gained whilst hard to put into words are profound and helped make the passing of my father an evolution of spirit rather than a pure loss. Bob and Lee are wise, kind, and joyful but also willing to 'bring the thunder' if you need it too! If you are interested in becoming a more mature, truthful and balanced person who seeks contact with ancient spiritual traditions, the land, and a community of like-mind people it is a great experience.

Ben

I attended my first Dance in Utah, March 2002 and that experience, as a supporter, remains a vibrant and rich memory. I learned about the Seneca Wolf Clan, their traditions, and above all so much about myself. Since then, I have attended each Dance I could. I have Danced 8 times and supported a total of 3. Every Dance, as Dancer or Supporter, has added to my ability to deepen my connection with Spirit, with my inner guidance, with family, friends (old & new), the Wolf Clan community and my teachers, Bob & Lee Nitsch. The challenges of the Dance increase my joy, peace, understanding and all the combined experiences have enabled me to create a fulfilled, harmonious life I love living. I am profoundly grateful for these enriching opportunities.

Love, Light & Blessings, Carrie

I have participated in the Longdance as a dancer 5 times, and as once as a supporter. It is always a very powerful opportunity to open to more of myself and to the discovery of my place on this earth and in the universe. It is a rare chance to learn within an authentic, living, spiritual lineage, that has passed down knowledge by word of mouth for many thousands of years. Bob and Lee create and hold a safe space with immaculate attention, allowing me to really open up and release what I no longer need to carry, and to realign myself with my highest intention. I am always so grateful to spend these days within this dance-space, with its challenges, surprises, deep insights, laughter and tears. The dance is a learning in how to live with integrity, and in gratitude for all of life.

With love and gratitude, Clare

The biggest benefit to myself from five years+ attendance at Longdance has been the ‘devastating’ and ‘relentless’ Heart opening Gratitude that the Dance heals us with. It is a magical environment that Bob and Lee (Great Spirit and Elemental Forces) conspire to create where inexplicable and awesome things can occur and we find qualities in ourselves that have been prior neglected, or not even suspected! I have experienced very vividly the sentience of all beings - of Fire and of Wood and various creatures… and of Great Spirit’s involvement in our process. We are pushed into activities our fragile ‘ego’ might baulk at and find we are having enormous nourishment and fun from it. A lovely thing is that we experience a way of being together that is a model for a joyous thriving World-community on this planet…We are either started on a Spiritual path or we are propelled further along one...

Love Mike S XX

The first Longdance which I attended was in 2022. I didn’t really know what to expect, and admit that I felt a little apprehensive. I’d booked myself into a cowshed for my stay at the site. My kids found this hilarious. The cowshed however turned out to be a rather nice and cozy renovated room with its own “on suite”. There was a group of about 20 of us, from many different countries, of different ages, and from different back grounds. We all got along fine. Over the course of the Longdance we listened to each other’s life stories which was often fascinating… Each morning we would get up before Sunrise and stand in a circle and welcome in the new day. This was excellent. When we got together it was like the whole of nature stopped and looked at us to see what we were doing. It tuned into us, and we tuned into it. It felt great to be a little closer to the “All That Is”, that Universal mind, and to say thank you. So, a very good start to the day. It also gave us a sense of community, of one-mind. There was a drum, that was the “heart beat”, and went 24 hours a day whilst we were there. There was a rota so that everyone had a chance to be a part of keeping that “heartbeat” drum going. I found myself drumming in the middle of the night under the stars, in the beautiful surroundings of the Glastonbury countryside. There was also a fire that burned 24 hours a day as well, so that had to be tuned into and tended. The building of the dance floor was done in a mindful and coordinated way. The Longdance itself was not a dance as most people in the UK would imagine as a dance. It was a mediation. That made more sense to me. The time at the Longdance was one of mindfulness. To tuning in, both to yourself, the environment, and your links with all things. Developing a greater appreciation of what consciousness (on many levels), means to each of us, and how that interaction can be used to provide answers and inspiration in our daily lives. And much more than that. Over the course of the Longdance everybody attending was given a role, something to do to contribute to the experience, and keep things working. Roles changed so that you had new and interesting tasks that took you outside of your normal comfort zone, and that were at times challenging, but by so being provided growth and the opportunity to develop new skills and insights. A word of warning though. The Longdance is not for wimps. You had to step up and play your part in the process. From drumming, to building the stone circle, committing to dance until all dancers completed, to deconstructing the circle, and more. Enjoyable though, and the insights gained stayed with me for a long time after. Overall, I think it was the sense of community that really hit home with me. I wasn’t expecting that.

Phil

The Longdance is a very personal experience and I can only speak of my experience. I have danced and supported, and both experiences have had great value in developing my spiritual path, but the overwhelming experience that literally stopped me speechless was that Great Mystery/ God/ Great Spirit/ the angels and Archangels are a lot closer than I ever thought possible. The Wise Ones and Ancestors are just waiting to be called upon to help, and in the middle of the night out by the Wheel of Truth the stars really do shine brighter and Spirit talks very loudly and clearly. It’s quite a magical experience, that can build great connections with the Light Beings. It’s a great space to stop and listen and get to know yourself better.

Warm Wishes, Sue xx

The experience of wonderful energies and excellent teachings. The ‘heart beat’ drum keeping momentum over the 5 days is truly remarkable. The connection with ‘the stones’, ‘the circle’ and all it has to offer is absolutely amazing. These teachings carry you forward to help you to fulfil your life in so many ways and allows you to make changes along the way. Enjoying the inspiration of positivity and forward looking for your future.

With grateful thanks, Wendy

I have been very fortunate to be able to attend the Longdance under the guidance and stewardship of respected Elders Bob and Lee. I have found each aspect of the journey truly transformational and life enhancing. The knowledge and wisdom shared has enabled me to view my life choices, steps, and entire way of being, with compassion, clarity and a degree of understanding not experienced elsewhere. The process is not always easy and can be challenging, yet it remains for the greater good of myself and of others and I have found it to be truly beneficial. I have no hesitation in saying if you feel called to the Longdance then do so with an open mind and open heart, knowing you are held safely to do the work you need to do to help yourself, and by extension to help others.

With much love and gratitude for all that you are and all that you do,

William
tree

Who are we?

Outside my window, in this glorious moment of now, in the land of our ancestors, "The Fire Keepers of the League", my eyes are mesmerized and my heart is full. There before me standing in glorious golden splendor is a Hard Maple Tree. Every remaining leaf, on this crisp Fall morning is radiating light and love from the inside out and the outside in. Soon, it will be time to rest and recuperate.
But in this moment with the backdrop of blue-blue sky, soft wispy-white clouds, bright warm sun and the crispness in the air, there is rejoicing and basking in resplendence.

It is within this in moment of beauty and reflection that I too reflect on the past 26 years of our time together.

For Bob and I, it is difficult to speak, put down into words, or even attempt a description of who we are and what we have accomplished through our Life Teachings.

In the Seneca tradition a person earns the respect of the people by their deeds; their way of being in the world. Their contribution to community; to the health and well-being of others. Every thought, word, action and feeling demonstrated in every moment, is dedicated for the good of all and to support all life. Not only in the now but for the next seven generations into the future; for those yet unborn.

So, to describe who and what we are for self-aggrandizement would be considered arrogant and self-serving.

It is not important to us to blow our own horns. Our satisfaction comes when we have followed through on our instructions, to the letter, for the Creator of All and Everything. A Leap of Faith is required in order to put these instructions into play. For guidance from Creator is seen from Creator"s perspective and not our own. We must proceed from the heart, in faith, not knowing at the time if they will be well received.

These are Heart Teachings; shared from our hearts to yours. The recognition we see in your eyes and the opening of your hearts, bears witness, that we have successfully delivered the message Creator intended you to have.

When we would return home after 6-9 weeks on the road teaching, Bob"s mother, Twylah, would sit us down and ask us just two questions.

  1. Did you kick-but? (Wake them up; get them moving)
  2. Did you fry Brains? (Stretch their consciousness; catalyze soul growth)
Only when we could answer yes, to both questions, was our work successfully completed, for the moment.

Our reward would be revealed with a squeal of Joy, clapping of hands, a thrust of fists in the air and Twylah would exclaim, "Oh Goodie, Goodie!"

Over the years we have been challenged many, many times. But always within that challenge was a remarkable answer, growth, resolution and support.

Each challenge, as difficult as they seemed at the time, turned out to be a blessing of Grace from the Creator, preparing us for an even more challenging lesson just around the corner. So, an "Attitude of Gratitude" was easily achieved by living within the Grace of the Creator.

Both Bob and I are persons of many talents and abilities. Some similar and some are different. They complement each other. Our combined talents amount to more than either one of us could achieve in one life. And as we have witnessed many times over the years, all those talents and abilities were necessary for the success of our combined Mission in Life.

For us these teachings are Sacred.

Do not look to us for patterns in our Teachings. You will not find us there. We come in answer to the prayers of the people. This does not come from arrogance but rather in keeping with our Soul Commitment; our Reason for Being. When we are true to our Mission in Life, we abide in the Grace of our Creator. The teachings, although true to our traditional ways, come as living witness to support the soul growth of others. In lifting up others in our community we lift us all.

In this Moment, Lee Nitsch




I did it! I did it as Lee said and poured my heart out to Creator. WOW! I Felt heard, understood, and loved.... I also cried for a while. When I had told everything about what was bothering me…I felt a strange feeling in my body… At first it hurt a little…but soon it disappeared. And then a completely different feeling came through my body…It felt like a warm shower, but of love and security. And a new feeling of freedom...!!

RS

I think I should thank you for creating something so real and warm and powerful. I enjoyed it from the first beat of the drum to the last hug. Words cannot express my deepest feelings!!...It's warm to meet your family and to be part of it for a while. Even when I got up this morning after a deep night's sleep, everything seemed to greet me cheerfully and I started humming softly, the crow song, my day, almost still in a veil of the weekend…it was as if the colors really had their color, the smells their scent and I am in the middle of it with all those lovely people and relatives around me and can enjoy it!

So, THANK YOU!!! And your family, E

Dear Grandfather and Grandmother, Bob and Lee, I am so grateful I met you...And so sad that we didn't say goodbye...The day before you left you shared your teaching, we sat together with a group on the straw bales, and Lee told us the story of the hippopotamus; the ways of Great Spirit can always be trusted although you don't even understand it yourself yet....You taught us the way to sit at the fire with Great Spirit and offer your doubt, negative thought...You are so special…I can't tell what it is, but I feel very connected to you, a kind of familiar bond, Yes, my 3 year old son said you look like his grandfather (my father)…then I saw the picture of Grandmother Twylah on the web, I was looking at it for more than half an hour. What a woman, what a love she carries.... I feel big love for her…It is this universal love, I think, this big Grandfather/mother feeling you spread around, that makes me feel so connected, with a great respect to you.

MC

I never felt so much love, understanding and humble energy in one evening. There was wisdom in all your stories, in all your songs. There was wisdom in you being there. Thank you…Something has been touched inside of me. It felt like coming home. This evening was all that matters. We are here on earth to bring joy, laughter, love and honour to Father Heaven, Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon and Grandfather Sun and to all those who live. We are responsible for each other, for all life forms. What I learned from you that life is not complicated at all. In fact, life is so simple, straightforward, easy. In us drumming, singing and laughing together, it all found its way to my heart…Bob and Lee, I want to say thank you for your beautiful smiles, for the tender and laughing love I saw in your eyes that shine - in special little seconds - for Grandmother Twylah. But also, they shined towards all of us. I thank you for the work you do for the Seneca heritage. And something inside of me wants to learn the Seneca-way.

PDL

Let the Magic Begin...