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Elder

Lindy Dlamini

Lindy Dlamini

Lindy Dlamini, known by her ancestral name Gogo Masechaba, is an initiated sangoma rooted in the Swati and Ndebele/Sotho lineages

Embodying the living pulse of Africa’s spirit

Her healing practice is grounded in Ubuntu and the deep wisdom of African ancestral knowledge, guided by a profound reverence for nature and the unseen forces that sustain life.

She is devoted to reviving ritual and ceremony as sacred medicine — creating spaces of healing through storytelling, ancestral connection, and the restoration of balance within individuals and communities.

Her lineage carries the rich cultural heritage of the Swati people, whose traditions honour unity, dignity, and harmony with the Earth. It also interweaves with the Ndebele and Sotho peoples, reflecting the deep interconnectedness of Southern Africa’s ancestral roots and the shared wisdom of the Nguni nations — the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swati — whose languages, customs, and spiritual practices remain vibrant across generations.

Through her work, Gogo Masechaba bridges the ancient and the modern, embodying the living pulse of Africa’s spirit. It is an honour to have her with us in this gathering — a healer of deep insight and a custodian of traditions that remind us how to walk in harmony with ourselves, one another, and the natural world.

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Lindy Dlamini is currently receiving funding and support through the WTA to initiate local projects.

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by Atula Tech

Lydia Kruiper

Lydia Kruiper

Lydia Kruiper is a revered San elder, traditional women’s healer, and cultural activist of the Ubijie Tribe in the Southern Kalahari. Born within what is now the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, she was raised in the ancestral lands of her people, learning directly from her grandparents the ancient ways of harmony with nature.

Humanity’s oldest living lineages

From an early age, she devoted herself to the sacred art of women’s healing — gathering roots and plants from the wild to restore spiritual and physical wellbeing in her community.

Together with fellow elder Anna Bojane (née Kruiper), Lydia has carried forward the deep lineage of San women’s healing, guiding young mothers in childbirth and nurturing the health of families through nature’s remedies.

Their work preserves traditions passed down through countless generations, ensuring that the knowledge of the San people continues to live and breathe in Witdraai and beyond.

As a San elder, Lydia represents one of humanity’s oldest living lineages — the original custodians of the land we now call the Cradle of Humankind. It is a profound honour to have her present with us, carrying the wisdom of her ancestors and embodying the spirit of the San people whom we seek to honour through this gathering.

Her deep obedience to spirit and ancestral guidance has earned her great respect, especially for leading the |Nu’ais Korana in reclaiming ancestral lands.

Support Lydia Kruiper

Support the World Tribal Alliance  Elders.

Lydia Kruiper is currently receiving funding and support through the WTA to initiate local projects.

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by Atula Tech

Ánde Somby

Ánde Somby

Hailing from the heart of Sápmi, Ánde Somby is a guardian of the Arctic’s ancient wisdom and a voice for the Sámi people.

A call from the North

He was raised in the traditional Sámi village of Sirbmá, Norway, where his family sustained themselves through reindeer herding, hunter-gathering, and arctic farming, embedding in him a deep, lived understanding of the ancestral connection between his people and the land. As a native Sámi speaker and a traditional yoiker, Ánde carries the cultural essence of his people.

 

His yoiks are not mere songs, but spiritual expressions of life itself, echoing the voices of the ancestors and the spirit of the land.

This traditional upbringing is the foundation of his lifelong activism, which began with the historic Alta demonstrations and continues to this day as he advocates for indigenous rights. Bridging ancestral wisdom with modern leadership, Ánde holds a Ph.D. in Law from UIT The Arctic University of Norway (1999), where he now serves as an associate professor.

His distinguished legal career has seen him practice as both a judge and an attorney, using his expertise to protect and empower his community. Ánde Somby’s presence at the World Tribal Alliance is a call from the North.

He embodies the resilience and wisdom of the Sámi, sharing a message of balance learned from a life lived in harmony with the cycles of nature, and offering a path to reconnect with the sacred bonds that unite all of humanity.

Supporting Ánde Somby

Cultural essence

Building a path to reconnect with the sacred bonds that unite all of humanity

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Mamo Lorenzo Seuny Izquierdo Arroyo

Mamo Lorenzo Seuny Izquierdo Arroyo

Born in 1975 in U’müke, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, Mamo Lorenzo is one of the most respected spiritual leaders of the Arhuaco people.

Messenger of the Gods of Earth.

Named Summumpawiun – Messenger of the Gods of Earth – at the sacred square of Maruneywiun, he has been entrusted with profound spiritual mandates
for humanity.

In 1992, he began guiding Colombia’s Indigenous nations back to their ancestral medicine paths (eysa’riunhawi), and in 2008 was charged with safeguarding the “navel” of the Earth’s matrix in Bacatá (Bogotá, Cundinamarca).

 

There he began building the Great Kunkurwa (Temple) for all peoples, without distinction of race or colour, as a place of unity for the new human generation. For 17 years, he served as Coordinator of the Elder Mamos of the Sierra Nevada, and in 2016 co-founded the Confederation of Ancestral Spiritual Authorities of the Indigenous Nations of Colombia (CAAENOCAM), becoming its President in 2017.

A pillar of the Kiva Earth Roots gathering – uniting original peoples in Mexico, Chile, Austria, and the Netherlands – he has shared his wisdom at international congresses and retreats with communities such as the Mapuche in Chile.

Today, Mamo Lorenzo travels the world as a guardian of sacred traditions, working for the unification of the peoples of the Americas and beyond.

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Preservation of an ancient culture

Guarding sacred traditions, working for
the unification of the peoples of the Americas and beyond.

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Maestro Hipolito Peralta

Maestro Hipolito Peralta

Affectionately known as the Guardian of the Andean Heart, Don Hipólito Peralta is a deeply respected Alto Paq’o, or high Andean priest-healer, of the Wankarki people from the Paruro province in the highlands of Cusco, Peru.

Guardian of the Andean Heart.

Born into a sacred lineage of healers, he was initiated from a young age by his grandfather, a legendary master Paq’o, into the ancient spiritual codes and traditions of the Andes.

Renowned for his humility and quiet strength, Maestro Hipólito is a keeper of the Pachakuti prophecy—a time of great transformation that calls upon us to return to the sacred principles of reciprocity, balance, and reverence for nature.

He carries and transmits the wisdom of the Andes through ceremonies, prayers, and despacho offerings, serving as a bridge between humanity, Pachamama, and the Apus, the mountain spirits of his homeland. To walk beside such a master is a profound honour. His very presence is a reminder of the sacred path we are all being called to remember.

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Preservation of an ancient culture

Help, Wankarki people from the Paruro province in the highlands of Cusco, Peru.

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Yanakuna Yachak Pacha Kanchay

Yanakuna Yachak Pacha Kanchay

Yanakuna Yachak Pacha Kanchay, whose ancestral name means “the sun-glint that penetrates the earth,” is a Yanakuna Yachak – a spiritual authority devoted to preserving and practicing the ancestral traditions of 
his people.

A voice for sacred knowledge.

A lifelong student of indigenous wisdom, Pacha has journeyed across Colombia, building alliances with tribal communities and exchanging sacred knowledge.

 

He serves as a speaker and Coordinator of the Great National Council of Indigenous Elders (ONIC), representing 115 tribes, and is a delegate to the United Nations, a representative of the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network, and an advocate for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.

A carrier of the sacred medicine of Yagé (Ayahuasca), Pacha’s driving purpose is to exemplify and share the knowledge of coexistence in harmony with Mother Earth’s spirit and wisdom.

Affectionately known as “the healer of the healers” 
in Colombia, he offers healing on every level – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Pacha’s transformative work inspires individuals worldwide to embrace 
the interconnectedness of all beings and find balance 
within themselves.

Through his teachings and healing practices, Pacha empowers individuals to rediscover their innate connection to nature and tap into the endless wellspring of wisdom that resides within.

Support Yanakuna Yachak Pacha Kanchay

Preservation of an ancient culture

Building alliances with tribal communities and exchanging sacred knowledge.

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by Atula Tech

Maestro Kestembetsa

Maestro Kestembetsa

Kestenbetsa is a world-renowned Shipibo-Conibo Shaman, Curandero and leader of the Peruvian Amazon.

The echo of the universe

In the Shipibo language, Kestenbetsa means “echo of the universe” – a name bestowed upon him by the Elders after attaining a high state of consciousness through dedicated work with the Amazon’s most powerful Master plants.

Beginning his shamanistic training at a young age, he was guided to go deep into the forest in complete isolation, carrying only a knife, a bow, and four arrows. Since then, he has devoted his life to healing and the transmission of sacred wisdom.

Kestenbetsa has founded several healing centres and now shares Shipibo ceremonies and teachings across the globe. In Peru, he continues to serve his community and was instrumental in establishing the country’s first Shipibo-led tribal government.

In 1982, he co-founded AMETRA (Aplicación de Medicina Tradicional), pioneering the integration of traditional plant medicine into sustainable healthcare for the Shipibo-Conibo people.

He is a director of the Bena Shinan Center, executive director of the IDIMA Institute for Amazonian Medicine, and a consultant to the International Association for the Study of the Peruvian Selva.

Widely honoured for his contributions to cultural preservation, Kestenbetsa is known for his humility, warmth, and deep respect for each individual’s unique path to healing.

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Study of the Peruvian Selva

Maestro Kestembetsa, pioneering the integration of traditional plant medicine into sustainable healthcare for the Shipibo-Conibo people.

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by Atula Tech

Verola Spider

Verola Spider

A 5th generation Lakota wisdom keeper and storyteller, Verola was given the Lakota name “Waunsila Winyan” by her Elders, meaning “Gracious and merciful woman”.

Preserving the traditions, language, and artistry of her ancestors.

With Lakota as her first language, Verola has walked a lifelong path of devotion – preserving the traditions, language, and artistry of her ancestors, while guiding new generations to carry that flame with pride.

As a Lakota lineage holder and protector, Verola carries the precious wisdom, songs and prayers of her ancestors that cannot be found in books.

She teaches traditional arts, sewing, beading and quill work and is known for her deep dedication to the traditional Lakota way of life. As a senior elder, Verola holds space for her tribe’s Sun Dance initiates with her prayers, songs and mediations.

Support Verola Spider

Preservation of an ancient culture

As a Lakota lineage holder and protector, Verola carries the precious wisdom, songs and prayers of her ancestors that cannot be found in books.

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Puna Kalama Dawson

Puna Kalama Dawson

Keikilaniwahinealiiopuna lives on Kauai, Hawaii. As record keeper of Hawaiian culture and history, she is an internationally honoured elder of the Hawaiian islands.

A purveyor of Indigenous wisdom & humanity’s relationship with Earth.

Auntie Puna’s family-roots take her far back
in time. Her direct ancestors are found in the royal family of the time of the Hawaiian kingdom, as well as in the lineages of the hula masters (Kahula), the lua masters (Kalua) and the seers (Kahuna).

Auntie Puna believes in building bridges between the ancient and the modern, passionately serving her collective human family.

She is the Co-founder of Kaiāulu, an NGO created to leverage Indigenous wisdom to harmonize humanity’s relationship with Earth. Travelling in the footprints of her ancestors to Asia, Europe and around the world, Auntie Puna is relentless in her mission to strengthen cultural bridges and to support world peace.

Support Awhitia Mihaere

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Awhitia Mihaere is currently receiving funding and support through the WTA to initiate local projects.

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Awhitia Mihaere

Awhitia Mihaere

Awhitia Mihaere is a world renowned Tohunga and healer descended from the Ngāti Kahungunu, Maniapoto, Rangitāne, and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki iwi of Aotearoa.

Awhitia Mihaere, traditional Māori medicine.

She comes from a lineage of Tohunga deeply rooted in rongoā Māori – traditional Māori medicine – and ancestral healing practices.

Guided by a sacred calling, Awhitia’s life work is to first heal Papatuānuku, the Earth Mother, who has long borne the sacrifices of humanity. Her healing extends into Māori communities across the country, particularly among those of her own tribal lines, where she supports spiritual and physical restoration.

 

An unwavering advocate for the rights of 
her people, Awhitia stands for the protection and rightful recognition of ancestral medicinal and spiritual practices. She ensures that rites 
of passage are preserved and accessible for future generations.

From their first meeting on the powerful Buddha Purnima full moon, Awhitia and Mohanji connected deeply, recognising an ancient bond and a powerful joint connection to Mahavatar Babaji.

Awhitia’s healing journey and voice are featured in several documentaries, including her most recent works ‘Mauri and Eternal Song’, which capture the essence of her connection to spirit, whenua, and the ongoing revitalisation of Māori healing.

Support Awhitia Mihaere

Support the World Tribal Alliance  Elders.

Awhitia Mihaere is currently receiving funding and support through the WTA to initiate local projects.

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