EPISODE 4: All Our Relations with Jenny Šâwnohk, Red Stone Snake Woman

I'm honored to join the very special Jenny Šâwnohk, Red Stone Snake Woman, who is an Indigenous (Cree) Healer, psychotherapist, and truth and reconciliation specialist.  She wears many hats, including that as a motivational speaker, consultant, mom of three boys. Today, you're in for an incredible gift. This is the type of episode that you'd want to listen to multiple times because it is so rich with medicine.  It's a true privilege to be with Jenny in this powerful dialogue.  Jenny shares, right off the top, that if we don't begin listening to snake medicine, we will destroy ourselves.  She explains how snake medicine intertwines with the Indigenous 8th fire prophecy—which is about reconciling our relationship to the land & each other. This means pulling away from the western, eurocentric collective consciousness that's damaged the Earth ... and instead invites us to gather on the path with indigenous people, because they have the original instructions on how to live with respect & honor. Jenny also poignantly shares about the following: The damage done to Indigenous people when pulled from the land Residential schools & the shame that was taught there—and how reconnecting to the land is part of the medicine to heal  Snake medicine, the sacred hoop, and being Children of Mother Earth  What snake represent with the sacred hoop How we must mend the sacred hoop with all the trauma that's been done (specifically to indigenous people)  Medicine Wheel 7 Grandfather teachings of humility, honesty, respect, courage, wisdom, truth, love  Her role as Redstone Snake Woman  The importance of being loving, compassionate, and supportive of one another & all our relations  Snake as a transformative healer  How snake teaches us to evolve  Shedding skins We also talk about the importance of rooting to your ancestral ways that knew how to connect to the land, to snake, to drum, etc. All cultures, globally, pre-Christian, had these land-based views.  Jenny encourages us to get uncomfortable and confront racism, white privilege, etc. to help mend the sacred hoop … and how we're all responsible for this healing.  We talk about snake as protectors and guardians of the sacred hoop.  ...and how we must move away from treating the "land as a resource, instead of the source of life." Despite the trauma, damage, and harm that's been done, Jenny offers us hope, from within her deeply rooted indigenous views.  ...And that our hearts and intentions are profoundly needed because our Mother's heartbeat is erratic.  This is an incredibly rich, deeply medicinal conversation filled with much grace and reverence.  My prayer is that as many people as possible listen in so we can heal together in reconciliation, love, and remembrance.  Such gratitude and honor to Red Stone Snake Woman.    Connect With Rebecca: Golden Snake Temple  Website   Instagram  FREE MINI EBOOK: Meet the Snake Priestess Discover the Snake Goddess & her history, how you can reclaim this medicine, and what the Snake Priestess offers you personally and collectively.   Learn More About Jenny: Healer, Speaker, Mentor Jenny Sawanohk, Mihko-Asiniy-Kinepik-Iswew, is a proud member of Moose Cree First Nation, the Mosoniy-Illilew. She was born and raised in Moosonee, Ontario, and the beautiful James Bay Lowlands and OMushkegowuk territory. She is honoured to reside on the unceded and ancestral territory of our Algonquin kin, the traditional land and water stewards of the Ottawa area, where she owns and operates the Misiwe Ni Relations Healing Lodge. This is where she also operates her private practice, Red Stone Snake Woman, as an Indigenous healer/psychotherapist. Jenny has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and is a Master of Social Work graduate. She has extensive work experience in Child Welfare and Children's Mental Health and is very passionate about Indigenous Social Work. She has created the first of its kind programming for Indigenous youth-in-care that aims to ensure they receive culturally sensitive and competent identity-based healing opportunities. Jenny believes it is paramount that youth have access to the land, culture, elders, traditional healers and ceremonies. Birthed from this Calling, Jenny developed workshops that educate the professionals servicing Indigenous youth and their families. She provides this training on many different platforms throughout the province. It is through this work that Jenny became a Truth and Reconciliation Specialist, educator, advocate, and motivational speaker. Jenny has sat in the circles of many Elders and Knowledge Keepers. She has dedicated her life to studying traditional Medicine Work with Indigenous Healers. She is passionate about reconnecting to Ancestral Wisdom and Indigenous Ways of Knowing, the Medicine and Teachings from the Land, our beautiful Mother Earth, and with bringing back the Original Instructions to all Humanity. ​ Jenny is a Feather Keeper and heArtist, and with Bird Medicine and in honouring the Winged Relations, she creates Spiritual Tools that help people heal and step into their soul purpose and calling. Through all of these roles, Jenny inspires people to see their light, understand their gifts, to reclaim their power and take their place within the Sacred Hoop and Eternal Web of Life. Connect With Jenny: https://www.redstonesnakewoman.ca https://www.instagram.com/redstonesnakewoman/