“May the rivers of wealth be undammed and flow freely over the earth.
May the gifts move through increased hands until all people experience the abundance of life.”
Marion Weber, Flow Fund Foundation founder

FLOW FUND FOUNDATION SUMMARY

The seeds of the Grandmothers’ Corn Garden were planted by the Flow Fund Circle. The Flow Fund gave $300,000 to the Grandmothers Council, to flow to organizations of their choice.

The Flow Fund project areas help us to take care of our children; our elders; our ways of prayer; our cultural heritage; and our traditional medicines; and to heal generational trauma.

Projects Supported

$300,000 was given to the Grandmothers Council to flow to organizations of their choice in seven project areas:

Caretaking the Youth

• Tibetan Children’s Village

An integrated educational community for destitute Tibetan children, Dharamsala, India. Grandmothers sponsored 5 refugee children for 10 years.             

• Brave Heart Society

Preservation of Dakota/Lakota/Nakota culture for the coming generations. Grandmothers supported youth initiations, Young Men’s Society, Grandmother Circles, sacred site preservation.

• Death to Meth

Drug abuse prevention program for youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Grandmothers supported the 2008 concert for delivering the message through music.

• Micinski-Micunski (My Son, My Daughter)

Project to reduce the number of tribal children in tribal, state or federal corrections facilities. Grandmothers supported their efforts in intervention and prevention for troubled youth.

• Youth Ambassador Fund  

Grandmothers supported the travel fund for the Grandmother Council Youth Ambassadors to travel with the Grandmothers to their Council Gatherings.

Honoring the Elders

• Tibetan Elders Project (Tibetan Welfare Office) 

Grandmothers sponsored the purchase of a van for the Jampling Old People’s Home, Dharamsala, India

• Young Spotted Elk Grandmothers Group

Teaching grandmothers on the Northern Cheyenne reservation to raise the next generation with more traditional values. Grandmothers supported with seed money for this new project

Preserving Ways of Prayer

• Tibetan Nuns Project (Tibetan Women’s Association)

Grandmothers supported sponsorship fees for 3 Tibetan nuns in Dharamsala, India (Dolmaling and Shungseb Nunneries)               

• Lodging for Bwiti Women Initiates

Grandmothers supported the renovation of the women’s initiation house at the Oyenano Temple in the outskirts of Libreville, Africa which lodges 500 women each summer for their initiations.

• Wild Horse Sanctuary Sun Dance

Grandmothers supported funds for the upkeep of the Black Hills ceremonial Sundance grounds

• Sundance Drum

Grandmothers supported funds for the purchase of a new Sundance Drum for the Wild Horse Sanctuary Sundance in the Black Hills, South Dakota.

• Shree Urgyerguri Chyoling Gumba (Nepalese Monastery)

Grandmothers supported the completion of the temple construction in the Panauti municipality of Nepal which was stalled for four years due to lack of funds.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

• Mazatec Women’s Weaving Cooperative

Grandmothers supported the women’s weaving collective in Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico

• Nadash Dance House

Grandmothers contributed to the improvement of the electrical system and plumbing of the Tribal dance house for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, Oregon.

• Siletz Tribe Culture Camp

Three-day summer culture camp for 300 youth and 100-175 adults. Grandmothers supported the purchase of supplies for the creation of cradle boards, dance costumes, moccasins and other crafts for the 2010 event.

Caretaking the Earth

• Slim Buttes Agricultural Development

Community-based gardening services. Grandmothers supported the planting of 500 organic gardens on Pine Ridge Reservation.   

• Owe Aku (Research on Uranium Mining)

Researches the health effects of water contamination due to uranium mining on Pine Ridge Reservation. Grandmothers supported their continued efforts.

• Tantanka Oyate (Buffalo Nations Project)

Grandmothers contributed to the efforts of saving the sacred Buffalo, and stopping the slaughter of the Yellowstone buffalo herd in Montana.                  

• Aligning for Responsible Mining

Grandmothers supported their efforts to promote the International Mining Precautionary Principle and citizen action to oppose Abusive Mining in the Black Hills.

• He Sa Pa Alliance (Black Hills Working Group for Reclaiming the Black Hills)     

Grandmothers supported their efforts to reclaim their sacred Black Hills                                       

• The Indigenous Peoples’ World Forum on Water and Peace

Grandmothers supported this group of people and organizations working for the goal of protection of water and peaceful coexistence. This body has been created to monitor water rights and to bring Indigenous Peoples’ voices to the dialogue about the future direction of water issues.

• Nepal-India Water Project

Grandmothers supported this rural water development initiative providing reserve tanks and digging wells for remote villages to replenish water where pre- existing water sources are drying out. People must walk miles just to get a pot of unpurified water for the family. In other villages, school children risk illness due to water contamination.

Safeguarding Traditional Medicines

• Santa Casa de Saude Brazilian Rainforest Healing Center

The Grandmothers supported reconstruction and renovation of the healing center which serves the jungle community in the Brazilian rainforest.

• Centro Medicina da Floresta (Center of Medicines of the Forest)

The Grandmothers supported the ongoing efforts of the Center to cultivate and harvest Brazilian rainforest medicinal plants and make medicines.

• Institute of Natural and Traditional Medicine (INTK)

Teaches and strengthens the Natural and Traditional Ways to build cooperation, friendships and trust. Grandmothers supported the INTK Seed Bank. They also supported 1000 pounds of food to be delivered to Hopi land.

Healing Generational Trauma

• Turtle Women Rising  - Drumming for Peace, 2008

The Grandmothers supported Turtle Women Rising to bring the drum, symbolizing the heartbeat of the nation, to Washington DC. For four days and nights they drummed for peace by the Washington Monument, calling on healing for veterans and raising the feminine energies of unity. 

• Ex- Political Prisoners Association (Gu-Chu Sum Movement of Tibet)

School for former Tibetan political prisoners and their families- Grandmothers supported the purchase of twenty computers bought for the school.