Blog Posts - Native American Church of Virginia

Paleo-Indian Duo Featured Archaeology Speakers for Local Clermont Foundation Farm Day Event

10/11/2014

Paleo-Indian site guardians, Chris and René White with the Native American Church of Virginia, gave six hours of various presentations to close to 100 people during the Clermont Farm Day event Sat., Oct. 11.
     Hosted by the Clermont Foundation and Clarke County Parks and Recreation, a reported 200+ people braved the cold and wet weather to attend the one-day festival and to celebrate the county's rich farm cultural and historical heritage.
     With October being Virginia Archeology Month, Clermont Farm Foundation CEO Bob Stieg invited the couple to be the featured archaeology speakers.
     Chris and René showed hands on samples of artifacts, presented scientific data collected over five years of research and offered heritage t-shirts featuring local artist Abigail Beavin, while Native American flutist Alan Stanz, of the local Native American flute circle, performed.
     The Clermont Farm Foundation funds and manages Clermont Farm, a 360-acre research and training site in history, historic preservation, and agriculture, owned by the Department of Historic Resources of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Next Paleo Presentation
Tuesday, Oct. 14
7 -8 pm
Bears Den
Bluemont, Va.

First People: The Early Indians of Virginia

10/7/2014

Ancient History of Virginia 15,000 B.C.–Present

People lived in Virginia for about 17,000 years before European contact. The native people had no written language. They recorded their historic events through storytelling and symbolic drawings. Through patient work in the field and in the lab, archaeologists have reconstructed some of the history and lifeways of these first people by uncovering buried clues of their unwritten past.
The ancient times are divided into three periods: Paleoindian, Archaic, and Woodland. The years after the arrival of the English are referred to as "European Contact." For information about these periods, select The Book link to the right.

Note: The information here is taken from the book First People: The Early Indians of Virginia, produced by the Department of Historic Resources, and published by the University Press of Virginia. In writing the book, the authors collaborated with the leaders of the eight recognized tribes in Virginia, to produce a comprehensive look at the history of the native peoples who first inhabited the land.

Local Highlight

10/1/2014

Local article: Native American Church of Virginia Chris and Rene' White receiving Presidential and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem awards.

October is Virginia Archaeology Month

10/1/2014

Bluemont, VA -- The Native American Church of Virginia offers ways to encourage and support the identification, stewardship, and use of Virginia's significant archaeological resources for educational and cultural benefits with preservation, protection and restoration of Paleo-Indian and Native American Indian sites and culture.
Join us in October as we share evidence of an advanced, but different, intelligence left by a people more than 10,000 years ago here.
Thanks to the Clermont Foundation, Blue Ridge Mountain Civic Association, Bears Den, Friends of Bluemont and Art in the Foothills for hosting us. Currently, we are participating in two presentations and one Art Show, all open to the public:

Clermont Farm Day
Sat., Oct. 11 Presentations and Exhibits
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
801 East Main Street
Berryville, VA 22611

Bears Den
Fri., Oct. 17 Presentations
7:00 - 8:00 pm
18393 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd
Bluemont, VA 20135

International Archaeology Day

Sat., Oct. 18, 2014 is International Archaeology Day for the Archaeology Institute of America

Art in the Foothills
Oct. 24-26 Art Show
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness
18370 Bluemont Village Lane
Bluemont, VA 20135

For information about Virginia Archaeology Month can be found at the Department of Historical Resources.

Release of New T-Shirt on Oct. 11

Dennis Banks Co-Founder of the American Indian Movement Holds Sacred Ceremony at Paleo-Indian Site in Virginia

9/29/2014

Bluemont, VA – Dennis Banks, American Indian Movement (AIM) co-founder, held a sacred prayer pipe ceremony Saturday (Sept. 27) at the Paleo-Indian Site found in Bluemont VA after concluding AIM’s 2014 “Ride to Reverse Diabetes” in Washington D.C.
Dennis Banks, 78 years old, led the 18,000 mile run across America educating Americans about reversing diabetes. The “Ride to Reverse Diabetes” began on Aug. 23 from Seattle WA and San Francisco, Los Angeles & San Diego, Calif. and ended Saturday, Sept. 27 in Washington D.C. by the White House.
Following the conclusion of the “Ride to Reveres Diabetes” campaign, a small contingent visited the sacred ceremonial Paleo-Indian site in Northern Virginia. Paleo-Indian site guardians Chris (Comeswithclouds) White and René White (Feather) are custodians of the site which dates last used 10,470 years ago (see Thermoluminescence Dating)

Chris gave the AIM elders and young leaders a tour of the concentric rings, the sacred alter, standing stones and other features of advanced knowledge left behind thousands of years ago.
Following the tour, Banks led a sacred prayer pipe ceremony with the AIM group and Native American Church of Virginia to honor the sacred land and land legacy of this area’s ancestors.

     Attending the sacred ceremony were: Dennis Banks, his daughter Darla Banks, nephew Adrian Sayers, granddaughter Mariah Lindsay, Leonard Seabolt, Mark Winslow, Bryan Halfday, Helen Wolfe, Kenneth Reid, Maria Pasho, Curt and Sheila Hansen, Diana Mullis and site guardians Chris & René White.
     Banks gave thanks to the thousands of people who supported the campaign and blessed him and his team of champions with hospitality, gas cards, food, shelter and friendship at various routes across America during the month-long campaign. Around the sacred fire, Banks also compassionately shared real stories about people whom he met across America who feel “hopeless,” many in wheel chairs and with no feet or legs.
     Banks said he dedicates the rest of his life to help reduce the suffering from diabetes while he balances that with his dedication ad love to his family, especially his grandchildren (grandchildren Mariah (below), daughter Darla (right)).

“I have never seen anyone more authentic about saving lives and concerned for his family than Dennis Banks,” said René Lumbee Indian and president of the Native American Church of Virginia.
“While we are not members of AIM, like Dennis, we are called to help reduce the suffering in the world," she added. "We offered to help Dennis and he accepted. We don’t know all the next steps, but we know our steps will include praying and looking to non-profits, educators and others for help.”

Chris and René are involved in charitable work helping veterans, senior citizens, artists and many others. They are members of Oklevueha Native American Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and they are also officers with the Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem for the United States and Priory of Indigenous Peoples Worldwide. Together they volunteer to connect people and resources, transforming suffering to healing.
Following the sacred prayer pipe ceremony, Chris and René hosted the 15-member group for feast and fellowship.

The couple operates the Native American Church at their Sanctuary on the Trail, in the remote Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain. Their church’s vision is to “help leaders first,” “acknowledge the Indigenous of the Americas for their global contributions,” and “reduce suffering in the world.”
Before leaving the D.C. area, Banks was scheduled to visit members of Congress and present them with a national diabetes policy. He decided to delay his meeting as he studies his research findings and develops a clear way ahead.

Commentary About the Diabetes Pandemic

      “I see a garden growing in the desert. What was once dry and desolate, will abound with health, vitality and spiritual renewal. I see this as an opportunity for Native Peoples to unite at a family level, community level, tribal level, national level and global level, to return to their roots in the use of earth-based plant medicines and natural foods to lead the world in natural healing, which includes and is not restricted to diabetes.
      I see an opportunity for Native people to take ownership of self-health, which is also a responsibility to your people and to support each other towards the goal of healthy living. Living by example is their responsibility to their loved ones and unborn children. People take care of themselves not just for themselves, but their relations.
     This is a wake-up call. A call to action, starting with yourself, your family, your community and your people. This is in the area of health, and only the start of total healing. Behold a new nation.”

– Chris (Comeswithclouds) White
Cherokee Descendent and Elder/Roadman
Oklevueha Native American Church of Virginia

The “Ride to Reverse Diabetes” is a cross-country motorcycle run to:

Canvas the roads across America and collect information on the affects of type 1 & 2 diabetes on indigenous people
Bring awareness of and conduct research into diabetes worldwide
Formulate a national policy that the U.S congress will enact and support
Convince the American public to join this war and halt and reverse this epidemic through forums, community actions, fitness programs and National events.

Thank You in Advance
Thank you in advance for your generous contribution. In contributing you are helping advance and partnering with the ideal. Your contribution makes it possible for us help others who are suffering, because we believe suffering in the world is impossible to ignore.

Contribute / donate

Special Thanks
Special shout out to David and Mary Ann Nalls of Nalls Farmers Market for donating 52 pounds of local Virginia grown apples for the AIM team to enjoy and share as they return home in all four directions.

Virginia Paleo-Site Guardians Visit Griffith Observatory in LA

9/16/2014

Bluemont VA - This week, Northern Virginia Paleo-Indian site guardians flew to California, not knowing they would end up at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
     During the couple’s already scheduled trip to receive volunteer awards in Riverside CA, PBS Religions & Ethics Newsweekly aired an interview of them, along with an interview of a Dr. Ed Krupp.
     It turns out that Dr. Krupp is the director and curator of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, less than an hour away from the ceremony.
     “Astronomer Krupp is considered an expert in ‘Archaeo-astronomy,’” according to Lucky Severson with PBS R&E.
     So the couple drove out to the Griffith Observatory in hopes to introduce themselves to Dr. Krupp.

Having the Courage to Ask Forbidden Questions
     Chris (Comeswithclouds) White said, "It is not about knowing all the answers right now. We pray for the courage to ask the forbidden questions, then seek the answers."
     "With the best questions, then we can develop a better plan and assemble a team of experts to help find answers that lead us to a truer understanding of the beginnings of humanity," he added. "If we don't understand the beginning and don't know the end, how can we have confidence in the direction we are going?"
     “As we develop a long-term strategy for the Paleo-Indian site we need the questions,” said Chris.
     Chris discovered the Paleo site in 2010 and has been investigating it with experts for five years.
     “We are hoping to begin a conversation with Dr. Krupp about what types of questions we should be asking. We need questions before we can find the answers.”
     The couple's airline flights to California were free, courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines gifted the couple four round-trip airline tickets because they gave up their 2013 flights to a family in need.

Dr. Krupp Griffith Observatory Curator
     Dr. Krupp has served as the Griffith Observatory director since 1974 and has visited over two thousand ancient and prehistoric sites worldwide, according to PBS R&E.
     Dr. Krupp is responsible for helping develop a long-term strategy for the renovation and renewal of the Griffith Observatory.
     Speaking about the Paleo-Indian site in Virginia, Dr. Krupp said to PBS R&E, “Am I surprised that some kind of structured monument is that old in North America? I would say, ‘yeah, I am,’ because I don’t know anything else that is that old.”
     Dr. Krupp ended the PBS R&E interview by saying, “We’re actually beholden to all of these ancestors, all around the planet. They are the people that helped make our world the way it is for us today, whether we’re in China, North America, Europe or whatever.”
     "I don’t think you’re ever going to have a confident sense of certainty about the prehistoric past, and prehistoric monuments for the obvious

Dr. Ed Krupp being interviewed by PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly Lucky Severson. CLICK HERE for TV Programming.

reason, we don’t have the owner’s manual," he added.
Chris and René welcome Dr. Krupp and other professionals to see the site in Virginia. The couple is seeking professionals who can help them find questions and answers to help with preservation, protection and restoration.

The Griffith Observatory
     “The Griffith Observatory is perched atop a prominent hilltop in Griffith Park in Mt. Hollywood above Los Angeles,” said René White (Feather), who accompanied her husband to the Observatory.
     “We saw soaring hawks and wild coyotes. It was my first time seeing the Hollywood sign. The views of Los Angeles are magnificent and you can see all the way to Santa Monica from the Griffith Observatory."
     “In front of the Observatory is a day clock. Much different from the day clock my husband found in Virginia. I enjoy taking photos of him as he studies and discovers,” she added.
    The Griffith Observatory is one of the most famous and visited landmarks in southern California, according to the Observatory’s web site. “Tens of millions have come to walk the inside of the building, view the live planetarium shows, or simply gaze out towards the coast and the heavens.”

Related Sites

     "There is something to be learned about a people who lived here before, that can help us now. Studying what they left behind, can shed light on a culture and way of life that is now extinct. What is there to learn from this sacred site?
     If this unique site goes unprotected or gets destroyed, we will never know the importance of its meaning. Any view into the past, is a learning and educational tool for the future.
     Therefore, the rarity of this site deserves serious attention. Doors need to be opened, and questions need to be explored. Keys to the site’s secrets are yet to be revealed.
     We are seeking people knowledgeable in pre-history preservation and restoration. We also welcome those who wish to honor and respect our vision.
     Opportunity has risen to preserve this sacred site, now and for our children and future generations. We appreciate your partnership and contributions towards uncovering the possibilities of this find."
       -- said Chris.

President Obama Honors Bluemont VA Couple with Lifetime of Service Awards

9/14/2014

Riverside, Calif. – President Obama honored Chris (Comeswithclouds) White and René White (Feather) with the prestigious national President’s Call to Service Award in recognition of their sustained service of over 4,000 volunteer hours each.

“In my Inaugural Address, I stated that we need a new era of responsibility – a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our Nation, and the world,” said President Barrack Obama in letters of congratulation to Chris and René.

On behalf of President Obama, the Supreme Grand Chancellor – Chevalier Massimo J Ellul GCLJ GCMLJ– Grand Priory of Malta and Grand Priory of the United States Secretary General Dame Dr. Karen Cantrell DLJ DMLJ, with the Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem presented the couple with presidential letters, certificates and lapel pins during a black-tie gala hosted in Riverside CA on Sept. 13. Secretary General Cantrell, and other members of the Order, nominated Chris and René for the award.

The President’s Call to Service Award is intended to help demonstrate Chris and René’s commitment and example to inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

“These are the duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit than giving our all to a difficult task. Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America to step closer to its great promise,” said President Obama in the personalized letters.

____________________

The couples' community and charity affiliations:

Medicare Cafe'
Shenandoah Area on Aging Clarke County Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services Virginia Division for the Aging
Lumbee Warriors Association
VFW Post 9760
Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem
American Legion Berryville VA
American Legion Women's Aux VA
Wounded Warriors Assistance

Disabled Military Veterans Assistance
Rose Hill Assisted Living
Winsome Retreat
Emmaus Church
Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire & Rescue
Clarke County Community Services Activities Council
Clarke County Historical Association, Art at the Mill

Clarke County Fair
Clarke County Library
Barns of Rose Hill Community Center
Snickersville Gap Academy
Friends of Bluemont
Art in the Foothills
Clermont Farm Days
Virginia Lovers Gourd Society
Art in Nature Art Guild
Art in Nature™
Native American Church of Virginia

“Our Nation faces the most challenges economic crisis in a lifetime. We will only renew America if we all work together. Individuals, the private sector, and government must combine efforts to make real and lasting change so that each person has the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential,” the President went on to say.

“While government can open more opportunities for us to serve our communities, it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. Thank you for your dedication to service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great Nation,” the President added.

During the gala event in California, Chris and Rene’ also received the Officer of Merit of the Companionate of Merit from the Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. The HOSLJ is a non-profit, non-government organization (NGO) and chivalric organization pursuing humanitarian and philanthropic activities around the world.

Others recognized with the
Companionate of Merit Award include:

Naomi Judd
Salif Keita
Sister Helen Prejean
Peter Ash
Thomas Park Clement
Consook Kim
Michael Green
Keith Mitchell
Shawne Duperon
Dan McGrath
Jill Virginia Mancino
Lee Benton
Dr. Joseph Nasralla
Dr. Joy Watson
Dr. Tom Watson
Dr. Eliezer Ben-Joseph
Christopher Chambers

Special Mention:
Christopher Buck
Dan McGrath

Related Article: "Good Works"

PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly: On the Stonehenge-era Stone Circles Here

9/12/2014

Coming up this weekend (Sept. 12-14) on R&E: A Stonehenge-era stone circle discovered in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley may be the oldest such site found in North America and has great spiritual meaning for its discoverer. Watch the story now:

Video on the Spiritual and Historical Significance of the Paleo-Indian Site Here

9/9/2014

Bluemont, VA -- Chris (Comeswithclouds) White produced this video to “raise consciousness and public opinion of the indigenous.”
“These people had faith and believed in two laws,” he says in the video commentary speaking of Indigenous Peoples. “They lived in knowledge of a spiritual reality. The indigenous are a witness two walking in love and faith. Living a sustainable lifestyle for thousands of years.”
For more about the progress to preserve, protect and restore the Paleo-Indian site and the Native American Church of Virginia please visit www.SanctuaryontheTrail.org.

Interview with Paleo-Indian Site Guardians Airs on PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly Sept. 12-14

9/8/2014

PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly will be airing an interview with us over this weekend (September 12th - 14th).
     It features Chris and Rene' White and the Paleo-Indian site in Clarke County, VA and compares our site with stone circles around the world, particularly Stonehenge.
     The producer is David Tereshchuk. The commentator who interviewed us is Lucky Severson.
    We are not sure when exactly during the weekend your local PBS station would be scheduling it, if indeed it does carry it. Most PBS local stations carry the broadcast but not every single one.
     It will also be available online of course, at www.pbs.org/religion from Friday September 12th.

Images of the filming in July with David, Lucky, Tony and Mark with PBS Ethics and Newsweekly.

Native American Church of Virginia the Sanctuary on the Trail™
Our Vision     To Reduce Suffering in the World
Our Mission    Helping Leaders First
       and Acknowledge Indigenous Contributions to the World

Web Hosting by iPage Sanctuary on the Trail™ P.O. Box 123 Bluemont VA 20135 www.SanctuaryontheTrail.org
[email protected] www.HarvestGathering.org www.NativeFoodTrail.org www.NewTribeRising.org

Fair Use Notice This website may contain copyright material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. If we make such material available, it is in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economics, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposed. Our non-profit’s transformative mission is to provide new decolonized content to help educate the general public and help reduce suffering. Our information can be awareness provoking using factual content.