INDIGENOUS TEACHINGS SERIES
Indigenous Teachings: How to Deepen Your Sacred Practice
The Society for Shamanic Practice (SSP) is dedicated to supporting all levels of experience with skilled and authentic teachings. In alignment with this mission, we proudly present Indigenous Teachings: a new program to connect our global membership directly with the wisdom of diverse indigenous traditions from renowned teachers.
We wish to offer you, as a valued member, simple and authentic skills that you may use in your practice. Our Indigenous Teachings initiative recognizes that Shamanism is fundamentally a practical and relationship-based spiritual practice. This program brings master teachers from a variety of cultural lineages several times a year to gift you classes that focus on hands-on skills that strengthen your work in ordinary and non-ordinary reality.
Whether you are just beginning your spiritual path or seeking to deepen decades of practice, this program series will teach you tools to walk your path with integrity and depth:
- Building Your Skills: Learn tangible, practical techniques for prayer-making, offerings, and personal ceremony-making that you can integrate into daily life.
- Cultivating Confidence: Gain the self-assurance to put shamanic principles into action, empowering you to better serve yourself and your community.
- Connecting with Spirit: Develop your working relationships with your spirit guides, learning how to garner information and access healing from the invisible realms.
Why Indigenous Teachers?
For thousands of years, shamanic healing has been practiced across countless cultures as a profound way of restoring balance, insight, and spiritual well-being. By inviting teachers who maintain direct ties to traditional lineage and community practice, we honor the ancient roots of Shamanism while creating a bridge to contemporary ethical practice.
Join us to learn with respect, groundedness, and discipline, ensuring that your practice remains connected to the fundamental wisdom of the earth.
We have First Nations Canadian, Native American, Irish, Mexican, Peruvian and Swedish indigenous teachers who welcome the opportunity to share their cultural lineage with you.
The series is a two or three part one-hour presentation each time, over two or three weeks. The program will be free for members and a $20 donation for others in the community. The donations will be used to pay the presenter and for future presenters. The community members that do a donation to attend will get access to the two or three classes for that teacher series. The events are all done live on Zoom and a recording will be available afterwards.
The series will have a different indigenous teacher several times each year, usually one per quarter.
Join us for this exciting and educational new series!
This First Series was on Zoom with Ojibwa Elder Daniel Hull – Strong Heart Bear and Christina Uliberri – She Stand Tall on February 11th and 18th, 2026. The live events were recorded for future viewing.
CLICK MEMBER ACCESS OR GUEST PURCHASE BELOW TO SEE THE RECORDINGS OF BOTH CLASSES.
CLICK ON MEMBER ACCESS IF YOU ARE AN SSP MEMBER OR HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THIS SERIES.
First Quarter of 2026
FEATURING OJIBWA ELDER DANIEL HULL – STRONG HEART BEAR
FEBRUARY 11TH AND 18TH, 2026
February 11th Class Topic is: Prayer Ties – The significance, possible color representation,
their similarities to other practices, and how to construct them.
February 18th Class Topic is: Drum Teachings – More than an Instrument.
Daniel was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both of his parents were native but didn’t practice the traditional ways as they were among the many descendants of children taken from the Reservation in Upper Michigan and Wisconsin and sent to Catholic boarding schools—taught to dismiss the traditional ways and their native language.
Daniel’s young life was chaotic, growing up in a household of alcoholism and domestic violence. Bullied in school, and being given no direction, with no elders…his life was a struggle. A turning point happened in 1987 when Daniel got in an altercation and was shot three times. Rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, doctors say he died three times on the operating table. The surgery saved his life, but his body was severely ravaged. To help him recover, doctors put him in a medically induced coma for two weeks.
When Daniel awakened from the coma, the first thought that came to him was, “I don’t have to live that old life anymore.” Then he noticed someone had placed a beaded pouch at the foot of his bed. He didn’t know what it was, but later found out it was a tobacco bag left for him by his cousin who had come to visit during this time in comatic sleep.
Daniel stayed in the hospital for two months before he was well and stable enough to be released. Compelled by the tobacco bag left at his bedside, Daniel traveled to the reservation of his Grandmother to seek the guidance of his elders and his journey towards learning the traditional Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) ways began.
Over the following years Daniel continued to travel back to learn more about the sweat lodge, the pipe, and the practices of his people. His elders, some fluent in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwa language) helped Daniel finally start to learn the original language of his people. He was given the first of his two traditional names: initially, Gentle Bear, and a couple years later, Strong Heart Bear.
After several years of attending sweat lodge ceremonies and other gatherings, while Daniel was attending a pipe ceremony, his mentors gifted him with the Pipe. The message upon receiving it was,” May the burdens be with you.” A sign that he was at a level that he could carry the Medicine of the Pipe himself.
From this point on, Daniel dedicated himself to a life of service to the Creator and community, learning from many other elders along the way, most of who taught through their examples. He was given the Vision to be an advocate, a spokesperson for young people, where their voices were heard and shared with the adults of the world.
His journeys led him to being in service in many ways. Daniel led pipe ceremonies, volunteered to mentor at-risk middle and high school students. He also led sweat lodges in the prison system, drummed for Sundance and many other ceremonies. He was given a Vision for a ceremony of his own: “Nanda Bisaniiwewin Niimowin” (The Finding Peace In Your Heart) dance. A ceremony of inclusion, open to all and which has just seen its 21st year of providing just that.
Daniel moved to Tennessee 3+ years ago, and aside from Bear Healing Ceremonies, leading talking circles, sweat lodges, pipe ceremonies, and mentoring, he has volunteered to collaborate with University of the South, Sewanee, in a program the university has created called: Indigenous Engagement initiative and moving beyond Land Acknowledgement. Here along with Christina Ulibarri (She Stands Tall) co-creator and medicine holder of the sacred altar of” Wazaakone Ode” (The Divine Heart), they lead a monthly talking circle that is open to faculty, students and the surrounding community. Further working to bridge the gap between native culture and western society, presenting different perspectives to land management, ecology, and conflict resolution. They are frequently asked to do presentations at classes there as well.
Daniel continues to follow the teachings of, “We are all One” and his purpose is to bring inclusiveness back to the phrase “All My Relations.” Further emphasizing “It is essential that we, as an out-of-balance, hierarchical, masculine society, return with dignity, honor and respect a place of equality to our women, the creators of life.”
Daniel told me he starts each morning with a Prayer to the Creator, “How am I to be in Service today?”
The Indigenous Teaching Series is free to SSP Members and available for a $20 donation for Non-members (Guests)