wisdom of the First Nations
A 13-Month Journey of Stories, Songs & Ceremony
With Grandmother Nancy
Embrace Ancestral Wisdom.
Learn the Sacred Stories and Ceremonies of the Anishinaabe and Lakota Nations.
Join Grandmother Nancy on a 13-month journey into the ancient traditions, teachings, and oral stories of her Anishinaabe and Lakota lineage. Wisdom of the First Nations offers rarely shared insight into Indigenous worldviews, dispelling modern misconceptions and offering a path of remembrance, healing, and reconnection.
Together, we’ll honor the old ways and explore how First Nations wisdom can guide us home—to ourselves, to our communities, and to the Earth.
The series began on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025, but you can join at any time. All sessions are recorded, so you can arrive just as you are, whenever you're ready.
Foundational Teachings
-
✺
Module 1: Doctrine of Discovery and The Papal Bull of 1493
Understanding the historical roots of colonialism and its impact on First Nations people, culture, and land. Discover how this history shapes Indigenous life and the significance of reclaiming First Nations teachings.
January 22, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 2: The 4 Sacred Herbs and Daily Smudging Practices
Explore the importance of the 4 Sacred Herbs—cedar, sage, sweetgrass, and tobacco. Grandmother Nancy shares the spiritual and physical benefits of smudging, offering guidance on making it a daily practice for grounding and clarity.
February 19, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 3: The Importance of Ceremonies
Learn the significance of various ceremonies, each an expression of reverence and connection to nature, ancestors, and the divine. Discover why ceremony is essential to a life lived in balance and harmony.
March 19, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 4: Rights of Passage and Vision Quests
Journey into the rites of passage that mark significant life transitions in Anishinaabe and Lakota culture. Grandmother Nancy will guide you through the meaning and purpose of vision quests, helping you connect with your own soul’s mission on Earth.
April 23, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 5: Balancing the Masculine and Feminine Within
Embrace the balance between masculine and feminine energies as a path to inner harmony, and learn how these energies coexist in Anishinaabe and Lakota teachings.
May 21, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 6: A Night of Story & Song – So You Think You Know About the Powwow
Celebrate the stories, songs, and symbols of the powwow, and explore the meanings behind the big drum, regalia, and traditional dance.June 18, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
What’s Ahead: The Final 6 Sessions
-
✺
Module 7: The Sweat Lodge
Learn the purpose, protocol, and spiritual medicine of the sweat lodge as a ceremony of purification, rebirth, and renewal.
July 16, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 8: The 7 Grandfather Teachings & The 7 Fires Prophecy
Discover the sacred teachings of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth—and how the 7 Fires Prophecy offers guidance for these times.
August 20, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 9: Animal Teachers & Bird Messengers
Explore the wisdom of our animal and bird relatives, and how their behaviors and presence reflect deeper messages for our healing.
September 17, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 10: The Medicine Wheel
Understand the Medicine Wheel as a map of balance and wholeness—honoring the four directions, elements, life stages, and seasons.
October 15, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 11: What Is the Sundance?
Receive teachings on the sacred Sundance ceremony, its purpose and preparation, and why it is revered as a living prayer—not a performance.
November 12, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
-
✺
Module 12: Closing Ceremony – What Have We Left Unsaid?
Gather in reflection and gratitude to honor what’s been received, released, and remembered in community, ceremony, and story.
December 17, 2025 | 6:30pm EST
Why Join This Journey?
Wisdom of the First Nations is more than a course—it’s a transformational journey, guided by an elder who holds the stories of her ancestors. For those seeking an authentic connection to Indigenous spirituality, this course offers rare access to teachings rooted in respect, tradition, and love.
Monthly Subscription
$35/Month for 13 Months
-
Commit to the year journey with Grandmother Nancy and save a total of $195!
-
Worried about not being able to make all the classes live? Each session will be recorded and shared with subscribers!
-
Free 1:1 virtual reiki session with Inner Pttrn’s Founder + exclusive thank-you gift.
Year In Full
$420
-
Pay the year in full and save a total of $230
-
Worried about not being able to make all the classes live? Each session will be recorded and shared with subscribers!
-
BONUS: Free 1:1 virtual reiki session with Inner Pttrn’s Founder + exclusive thank-you gift.
Final 7 Month Journey
$222
-
Commit to the rest of the series (June–January).
Includes live sessions + replays of final 7 only.
Perfect if you’re joining us mid-year.
-
All classes are recorded! If you drop into a class you’ll receive access to the recording post the session.
What’s Included
-
✺
Virtual Monthly Modules -
One module released each month with live sessions and Q&A time with Grandmother Nancy.
-
✺
Exclusive Community Access -
Connect with other course participants, fostering a supportive environment for learning and spiritual growth.
-
✺
Member or Drop-In Options -
Commit to your journey with a membership option or attend individual sessions that speak to your unique interests.
Our guide:
-
Grandmother Nancy is of Algonquin and French heritage and has followed the Red Road since childhood. Seeking out elders willing to teach, her first two mentors were Lakota, one an author, one a medicine man. An Ojibwa medicine woman, then a Mi’kmaq grandmother later adopted her. Community elders gave her permission to pour lodges since 1991. She served as a facilitator for a Native Women’s Circle in federal prison for 17 years.
A Sundancer and a Sacred Pipe carrier, she is acknowledged as an elder and a grandmother in her communities in Canada, where she was given instruction to bring out and share certain teachings. Grandmother Nancy is a well-known storyteller, sharing legends from many different Nations in schools, health facilities and the pow wow circuit. She was a staff member of the Joined Nations of Connecticut, a youth organization for those of Native heritage. She has given talks in Calgary, Canada, St. Croix USV, and at various centers in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. She also owned and operated an equestrian business until retirement, and now incorporates Horse Medicine in some of her lectures about Native culture.
Monthly Subscription
$35/Month for 13 Months
-
Commit to the year journey with Grandmother Nancy and save a total of $195!
-
Worried about not being able to make all the classes live? Each session will be recorded and shared with subscribers!
-
Free 1:1 virtual reiki session with Inner Pttrn’s Founder + exclusive thank-you gift.
Year In Full
$420
-
Pay the year in full and save a total of $230
-
Worried about not being able to make all the classes live? Each session will be recorded and shared with subscribers!
-
BONUS: Free 1:1 virtual reiki session with Inner Pttrn’s Founder + exclusive thank-you gift.
Final 7 Month Journey
$222
-
Commit to the rest of the series (June–January).
Includes live sessions + replays of final 7 only.
Perfect if you’re joining us mid-year.
-
All classes are recorded! If you drop into a class you’ll receive access to the recording post the session.
✺ Frequently Asked Questions ✺
-
This course is for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of First Nations wisdom, history, and ceremonies. Whether you’re new to Indigenous teachings or already familiar with some practices, this journey offers a rare, in-depth look at Anishinaabe and Lakota traditions as shared by Grandmother Nancy.
-
No prior knowledge is required! Each module begins with foundational insights, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Grandmother Nancy will guide you through each topic, from historical context to the deeper spiritual meanings behind the ceremonies and practices.
-
The course is organized into monthly virtual modules, each with a specific focus. Every month, you’ll receive access to new teachings, live sessions with Grandmother Nancy, and opportunities for Q&A. You’ll also have access to recorded sessions if you can’t attend live.
All classes are virtual.
-
With the monthly subscription, you’ll receive access to each monthly module, live interactive sessions with Grandmother Nancy, and our private community of participants. If you choose to pay for the year in full, you’ll save $60.
-
Yes, we offer a drop-in option for individual modules if you’re interested in a specific topic. Each module is available separately, and you can sign up for the ones that most resonate with you.
-
Yes. Grandmother Nancy is a respected elder and knowledge keeper of Anishinaabe and Lakota traditions. She offers this course with a deep commitment to authenticity, cultural respect, and the accurate transmission of her heritage.