We are thirteen indigenous grandmothers. . . . We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth, the atrocities of war, the global scourge of poverty, the prevailing culture of materialism, the epidemics that threaten the health of the Earth’s peoples, and with the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, believe that our ancestral ways of prayer, peacemaking, and healing are vitally needed today. . . . We believe that the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. In some Native American societies, tribal leaders consulted a council of grandmothers before making any major decisions that would affect the whole community. What if we consulted our wise women elders about the problems facing our global community today? This book presents the insights and guidance of thirteen indigenous grandmothers from five continents, many of whom are living legends among their own peoples. The Grandmothers offer wisdom on such timely issues as nurturing our families; cultivating physical and mental health; and confronting violence, war, and poverty. Also included are the reflections of Western women elders, including Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, Helena Norberg-Hodge, and Carol Moseley Brown.

For those people who are in the process of "no longer playing small" this book is medicine for the soul. It contains the wisdom I wish I would have known and spoken throughout my life. It is the second chance for my grandmothers (and all women) to have their voices heard. I invite you to join my grandmothers. Sit down with a cup of tea and a scone, and delve into the wisdom that comes from beyond the beyond. If you enjoy the book, I would love it if you would consider leaving a short review on Amazon where you found it.

In Grandmother's Wisdom you'll find all the recipes, tips and good old common sense that grandmothers have learned and put into use throughout their lives.

For first-timers, veterans, or those hoping to join the ranks real’ soon, here is a collection of more than 250 memorable quotations that capture the ups and downs and all points in between of what it means to be a grandmother and the inherent wisdom, power, and grandchildren-spoiling privileges that come with it. Heartwarming musings, advice, opinions, and observations are drawn from famous grandmothers around the world and those who know them all too well. Illustrated with full-color photos throughout, The Little Red Book of Grandmother’s Wisdom is the perfect gift for the beloved bubbe, nonna, or “queen mum” in your life. “You have to stay in shape. My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven today and we don’t know where the hell she is.” —Ellen DeGeneres “Just like his grandmother, [Barack] just keeps getting up and moving forward . . . with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.” —Michelle Obama “I would say my grandmother would be like my personal god.” —Jamie Foxx

Grandmothers' Wisdom is a vibrant tribute to the lives of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, an unprecedented global alliance of elders who came together in 2004 to protect our planet in crisis and envision a future for the next seven generations. With a foreword by Vandana Shiva and tributes to the grandmothers who have passed on, this special work is a living portrayal of the grandmothers' upbringing, their encounters with the violence of colonialism and forced assimilation, their awakening to fierce activism, and the ceremonial practices they carry forward from their lineages with tenacity, grace, and devotion. The thirteen remarkable women portrayed in Grandmothers' Wisdom are keepers of traditional medicine and Indigenous spirituality, preserving ancient wisdom traditions and traditional ecological knowledge that have served our planet earth for millennia. Their stories come from the Amazon rainforest, the Central American highlands, the Sierra Madre of Oaxaca, the plains, deserts and canyons of North America, the Himalayan mountains of Tibet and Nepal, and the forests of Central Africa. The award-winning photography depicts the grandmothers making offerings to all of creation and stewarding earth-based medicines through their practices of divination, energetic cleansing, gathering herbs, and performing initiations with plant medicines. The grandmothers have gathered each year for two decades to pray together in their homelands, promoting deep peace and interconnection through Indigenous ancestral knowledge, cultural preservation, and a reverence for the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. In a time when contemporary life has left many young people bereft in the rifts between us, these spiritual activists constitute an intercontinental union across differences in culture, language, and ceremonial practice. They are icons for future generations, representing a worldview that honors the richness of our differences as we unite to protect our shared home on planet earth.

Women's Voices: The Wisdom of the Grandmothers, by Susan Stark Christianson, set out to find answers to important life questions. It is based on the indigenous teaching that says, "There won't be peace on earth until the voices of the grandmothers are heard." The author and the women who traveled with her on a North to South journey from Siberia to Patagonia set out to ask grandmothers to share what they learned from their life experiences that was important for younger women. They wanted to learn why the voices of grandmothers are important for peace. The women Interviewed range in age from 44 to 102. They are black, white, brown, yellow and every mix in between. They are Russian, Iranian, English, Chinese, Chumash, and more. Each shared what she had learned along her own life journey. The book provides inspiration, hope, healing and wisdom that will help those who read it on their own journey through life.It also illustrates why elder women need to be a greater part of the dialogue to solve our world's problems today. Ask your grandmother and listen to her stories! A documentary film, "The Wisdom of the Grandmothers" grew out of this project and was aired on PBS and FNX stations across the country. The film is now available for viewing for free on both YouTube and www.thewisdomofthegrandmothers.com

Adriana Trigiani's two remarkable grandmothers, Lucia and Viola, lived through the 20th century from beginning to end as working women who juggled careers and motherhood. From the factory line to the family table, the two of them - the very definition of modern women - cut a path for their granddaughter by demonstrating courage and skill in their fearless approach to life, love and overcoming obstacles. Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today: how we hold on to the values that make life rich and beautiful, how we can take risks and reap the rewards, how to stand resilient in the face of tragedy. 'Be bold; 'be direct'; 'be different'!

Have you ever been in the presence of older persons who were speaking on a subject, but it sounded like they didn’t know what they were talking about? Well, I have! When you’re young, it’s baffling! As you grow older, their conversation makes more sense. Over the years, I listened to my grandmothers and to other older persons, and I picked up on the meaning of their conversations. “Gramma Said . . .” is a compilation of sayings mostly by my grandmother, Mrs. Marie Virl Page Blackwell McGill. I started writing them down because my sister, Deborah, and I always quoted her in our conversations. There are also some statements from my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Eleanor Minerva Moore White; my dad, Mr. Thurman White Sr.; my mother, Mrs. Rosa Vermell Blackwell White; my maternal great-grandmother, Mrs. Laura Anna Willis Page; and as well as other people in whose presence I have been from time to time. This book will delight the readers and bring back precious memories of their elders.

Agnes Baker Pilgrim, known to most as Grandma Aggie, is in her nineties and is the oldest living member of the Takelma Tribe, one of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. A descendant of both spiritual and political tribal leaders, Grandma Aggie travels tirelessly around the world to keep traditions alive, to help those in need, and to be a voice for the voiceless, helping everyone to remember to preserve our Earth for animals and each other in a spiritual environment. Considered an excellent speaker, she has mesmerized her audience wherever she appears, and now her wit, wisdom, memories, advice, stories and spirituality have been captured for all to hear. Honored as a “Living Cultural Legend” by the Oregon Council of the Arts, Grandma Aggie here speaks about her childhood memories, about her tribe and her life as a child growing up in an area that often didn’t allow Indians and dogs into many public places, as well as about such contemporary issues as bullying, teen suicide, drugs and alcohol, Pope Francis, President Obama, water conservation, climate change, and much more. This is an amazing recording of one of the oldest and most important voices of the First Nation and of the world. Her stories and advice will mesmerize and captivate you, as well as provide a blueprint for how all the inhabitants of the earth can live together in harmony, spirituality, and peace.