The “International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers” is a group of women from all over the world who have come together to pray, work, and protect our planet, and its inhabitants. A Vatican police officer declared the Grandmothers “idolatrous” and said that their prayers were a contradiction to the church’s teachings. Another response to an article from the Daily Courier says, “So let me get this straight. People will not only spend their time listening to this, but they’ll also spend their money? Will wonders ever cease?” How could such negative and destructive opinions be formed about these elderly women? The Grandmothers came together with a mutual belief that the way we treat the earth and each other needs to change.

A part of their mission states, “We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth, the contamination of our air, waters and soil, the atrocities of war, the global scourge of poverty, the threat of nuclear weapons and waste, the prevailing culture of materialism, the epidemics which threaten the health of the Earth’s peoples, the exploitation of indigenous medicines, and with the destruction of indigenous ways of life.”

Not only do the Grandmothers invest their time, knowledge and money in to 27 other organizations, but they also take on their own challenges. One of their projects took place in Rome when the council went to ask Pope Benedict to overturn an old church doctrine that caused a genocidal assault of millions of indigenous people. In their attempt to see Pope Benedict XVI they were delayed by a very unaccommodating Vatican police officer. What the Vatican police officer failed to notice was that mass genocide is also a contradiction of the church’s teachings.

Just like most Grandma’s the council has our best interest at heart. Breathing air in Cairo can be compared to smoking 20 cigarettes a day, 80 percent of the world’s forests are gone, and 40 percent of our waterways are undrinkable. In the United States alone, 25 percent of all deaths can be attributed to drug abuse, and thousands of people die every day because of war.

The Grandmothers strive to bring education and peace. They are willing to dedicate their lives to healing our home, when we have not shown it the same respect. The Grandmothers contribute to these specific groups because of the growth they offer to areas such as caretaking of youth, honoring of elders, preserving ways of prayer, preserving cultural heritage, caring for the earth, safeguarding traditional medicines, and healing generational trauma. These goals should in no way be mistaken as danger to our world.

Regardless of numerous international wars and disagreements, these women have come from every corner of the world. The Grandmothers stand for more than just caring and nurturing; they are an example of unification. Despite their differences in traditions, values, cultures and religions the women work together as a team. They use their diversity to expand their knowledge and grow. The Grandmothers’ efforts should not be perceived as a threat because they are not doing anything to harm us. Financial contributions and support to these women should not be mocked, but encouraged.

The Grandmothers may approach healing and helping in an unfamiliar way, but the point is that they are still healing and helping. Phyllis Theroux said, “We should all have one person who knows how to bless us despite the evidence; Grandmother was that person to me.” While the rest of us are fighting with each other, our grandmas are becoming companions in attempt to save us from ourselves.

cheykoop@mesastate.edu