A Letter to the Indigenous Women Gathered in Panama

February 14. 2025

Dear Respected and Honored Sister Mariana and all the Great Indigenous women gathered at the Second Intercultural Gathering of Indigenous Women of Panama,

We are deeply grateful for your unwavering dedication and tireless work. Your gathering is crucial in unifying our Indigenous peoples and our Human Family, grounded in our shared spiritual understanding and Mother Earth's nurturing, life-giving love. The world needs the sacred wisdom, leadership, and strength you possess as Indigenous women.

The time has come for Indigenous women of the Americas and beyond to rise and lead the way. Your voice, wisdom, and love are our people's guiding lights. I have been truly blessed to witness firsthand the extraordinary spirit and contributions of the Indigenous women of Panama, and I hold the most profound respect and appreciation for all you have accomplished. I am confident that you will continue to lead and inspire us all.

Thank you for your very kind invitation to join you. While I would love to be with you in person, my absence from the Americas prevents me from attending this sacred gathering. However, I am filled with joy, encouragement, and anticipation, knowing that three beloved sisters—Sister Adriana, Sister Carmen, and Sister Nan Mima —will be there with you. They represent the Union of the Condor, Hummingbird, Quetzal, Eagle, CONEDEPOA, Four Worlds, and other interwoven Indigenous movements from Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, the USA, and beyond.

With open hearts, we warmly invite you to join this growing movement of unity, strengthening the sacred foundation of our Indigenous peoples and fulfilling the long-promised role of Indigenous women in guiding the world forward.

Through our shared vision, we will uplift and lead with the wisdom, values, and spiritual strength our Human Family and Mother Earth need today.

With Warm and Loving Greetings,

Brother Phil

Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr.

Member of the Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations

Four Worlds and the Union of the Condor, Hummingbird, Quetzal, and Eagle

Three smiling women pose close together for a selfie under a striped ceiling; the woman in the middle wears a denim jacket with a fleece collar over a pink shirt.

A gray-haired man in a striped shirt and four women pose beside a van; one woman wears a red flower crown and traditional dress, another holds a yellow rose.

Flyer for the II Cumbre Ferial Intercultural de Mujeres de los Pueblos Indígenas de Panamá, hosted by the Coordinadora de Mujeres Ngäbe Buglé y Campesina in Hato Chami, February 14–17, 2025.

A large group of Indigenous women in brightly colored traditional dresses walks along a rural road in green hills, past a thatched-roof house.