Short Summary
Hello! I'm Jyoti Ma, a grandmother, a wisdom keeper, and a convener and weaver of people and relationships. My non-profit organization, The Fountain, works at the intersection of Sacred Territories, Sacred Cultures, and Sacred Economics. Our mission is to cultivate a restored global economy of reciprocity, inspired by nature and principles of Original Cultures, and in service to the sacred. We work to protect and restore sacred sites around the world and return them to the care of the Original Nations who are the rightful stewards.
Imagine a world where generosity and giving to others were more valued than accumulating wealth and profit. Imagine a world where all of life, especially the more-than-human world, was equally valued. This is not a fantasy, it is how Original Nations have lived in balance and harmony with the earth since the dawn of time...guided by Original Principles.
Our ecosystem of partners saw a need for businesses and organizations to be informed by these Original Principles, such as Generosity, Gratitude, Harmony, Reciprocity, and Care for the Earth and all of Life. And so we are developing a training program for organizations to align with Original Principles as a true North Star at all levels (vision, mission, values, goals, culture, and more). We are raising funds to develop this training, and we're calling it the “Original Principles Alignment Protocol.”
Imagine if business led the way to a restorative and regenerative future. It might not be such a crazy idea. We already have a list of organizations that want to take the training program once we have it developed!
Lastly, our team includes many beloved Original Nations elders who provide spiritual and practical guidance for our efforts. There are two in particular who are co-leading this project and campaign: Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook, of the Oglala Lakota Tetuwan band of the Oceti Sakowin (Sioux), and Mindahi Bastida of the Otomi-Toltec peoples of Mexico. We are also very closely allied with the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations. The Mamos of Columbia have consulted and given direction for the development of the Fountain since it began.
What We Need & What You Get
We need to do this the right way, and in a good way. We are raising $60,000 to fund a working group for 4 months, to develop the Original Principles Alignment Protocol training. We will bring our team of Original Nations elders and organizational partners to the table. But we need to hire organizational development experts, experienced designers, facilitators, and curriculum developers. Together we will collaborate and co-create a world-class transformational training program.
The perks we offer you in this campaign include: learning about and experiencing the Original Principles; personal access to myself and Mindahi Bastida, The Fountain's Director of Sacred Territories; and opportunities to get involved as a co-creator, in the working group or in the pilot test cohort with your organization.
But what we are really offering more than anything, is an invitation to be in community with us. We want to get to know you and cultivate a community that is inspired by this vision and wants to lean in to do the good work with us. That's why we're crowdfunding -- because it raises up a true community of support -- which is equally if not more valuable than the funds raised!
If we don't reach our goal, we will continue our fundraising via donors and philanthropists until we meet our goal. We're determined to get this project fully funded one way or the other.
Lastly, remember that your donation is Tax Deductible, as we are a non-profit organization!
The Impact
This project has the potential to transform hearts and minds and truly shift the conversation in businesses and organizations. Coming into contact with this ancient wisdom, and seeing through the eyes of indigenous, or original peoples, is truly life changing. As individuals, businesses, and organizations embody these Original Principles as core values, they will cause less harm and do more good. We envision a certification that integrates ancestral wisdom and goes beyond B-corp in the longer term!
The Fountain has a large network of organizations working in land protection and restoration of sacred territories. We also have a track record of convening these organizations and weaving the relationships into a living, collaborative ecosystem of partners. This is something that none of us can do alone. We are taking collaboration to the next level in order to truly move the needle on issues like climate change, loss of forests and biodiversity, and the devastating impact extraction has on original peoples and their communities.
Risks & Challenges
It's a big vision. But it's not just about us, it's about ALL of us -- every living thing on this planet! The greatest risk is that transformation of our society and economy doesn't happen. The worst outcome is that we don't turn the ship, don't move the needle and don't tackle climate change, and halt extractive, destructive activities. We ALL need to transform, both businesses and consumers, in order to make this happen.
We are seeing a longing in businesses and organizations for this ancient wisdom, a longing for connection and belonging, and a longing to live and work from a more heart-centered place. We believe this is not only possible, it is inevitable. Successful businesses and organizations will need this new North Star to navigate the rough waters of this time in human history. We have a growing waiting list of businesses and organizations that are waiting to be transformed by this training, so we know the "market pull" is there. And, we don't have any time to waste.
Our Team
We have an incredible team at The Fountain working behind the scenes to make this vision a reality. Our wise elders are the Co-Leads, cultural advisors and spiritual advisors for this campaign: Jyoti Ma, Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook, and Mindahi Bastida.
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Jyoti (Jeneane Prevatt, PhD), Spiritual Elder & Founder
Jyoti Ma is the Vision Keeper of the Center for Sacred Studies and co-founded Kayumari. She helped to convene the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers and Unity Concert. She founded The Fountain in order to restore an economic model based on reciprocity and collaboration guided by Nature and the Sacred. She is a delegate of the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations. Through her work, economic, social, and environmental solutions have developed, creatively addressing the global challenges of our times.
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Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook
Loretta, a Lakota Elder, is committed to ensuring the world is a better place for her grandchildren. She is a keeper of her culture and the female Sundance Leader for the Afraid of Bear/American Horse Sundance. Fluent in Lakota, Loretta serves as cultural specialist for The Fountain, and is the only representative who speaks both languages perfectly on the board of the Paha Sapa Unity Alliance Black Hills Reparation, another organization with which she is affiliated.
Loretta carries an enormous mission: gathering and presenting to the Obama White House a consensus for the return of the stewardship of the Black Hills to the peoples of The Great Sioux Nation. Loretta holds that consensus: “The Black Hills are not for sale. We want all of the unceded lands in the Black Hills returned to the nine tribes of The Great Sioux Nation.” She also sits on a number of international boards including the Running Strong Foundation, The Sacred Healing Circle and the Black Hills Unity Alliance.
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Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Muñoz
Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Muñoz is the Sacred Sites Ceremonialist for the Center for Sacred Studies and the Director of the Original Nations Program of the Fountain and until July 2020 has been the Director of the Original Caretakers Program, Center for Earth Ethics, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (2017- ) and General Coordinator of the Otomi-Toltec Regional Council in Mexico, a caretaker of the philosophy and traditions of the Otomi-Toltec peoples, and has been an Otomi-Toltec Ritual Ceremony Officer since 1988. Born in Tultepec, Lerma, Mexico, he holds a Doctorate of Rural Development from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico. He has written on the relationship between the State and Indigenous Peoples, intercultural education, collective intellectual property rights, and associated traditional knowledge, among other topics.
Mindahi holds a doctorate in Rural Development from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM, 2010), University Medal of Merit; M.A. Political Science, Carleton University, Canada, 1996, Pass with Distinction; Bachelor: Tourism, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Mexico (UAEMEX, 1991).
Other Ways You Can Help
This crowdfunding campaign isn't just about raising money. We are very intentionally raising a community, and if our vision resonates with you -- you belong here! Here are some non-monetary ways we could really use your help:
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Become a Champion for our campaign. Engaging with our posts will boost our visibility. We are beyond grateful for your Likes, Comments, and Shares! We've created a Telegram group and a Google group to keep our Champions in the loop with our social media posting - please click HERE to join us! We'll host weekly Champion calls during the 6 weeks of the campaign to connect, experience the Original Principles and keep the campaign momentum strong.
- We always have a need for volunteers with a wide range of skills. If you feel inspired to offer your gifts, please let us know how you'd like to help at originalprinciples.earth@gmail.com.
- Please also use the Indiegogo share tools!
- Thank you for reading to the end of this page <3
