Today, we’d like to introduce you to Maria Yracébûrû.
Hi Maria, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I was raised in traditional Native American spirituality by my grandfather, Juan Ten Bears Yracébûrû. He taught me the ways of nature, spirit, and Earth. By the time I was ten years old, I had been a storyteller and rock runner for Sweat Lodge. After some traumatic events, I moved to town and started living a more “contemporary, mainstream lifestyle,” only going to ceremonies during the summer. But I continued my training as a diiyin – HolyOne and da’igoti – Tracker.
Through high school, I became politically active and involved with the pre-American Indian Movement and the Alcatraz Island takeover. When I moved to college, a cousin told me, “I was becoming the enemy.” My grandfather had always taught me that we couldn’t be political and spiritual at the same time. So, I removed myself from politics and entered the spiritual, counseling, and running healing ceremonies of many types.
By the time I had my children, I was completely involved in the traditional spiritual life… only in contemporary mainstream America… out here teaching all of you and helping people reconnect to the Spirit of our Mother Earth. My family founded Yraceburu EarthWisdom as a not-for-profit spiritual organization – church – in 2001, and I’m still going strong helping others, now at 70 years old. I have fulfilled my destiny and achieved everything on my bucket list. Now, I just enjoy living and doing what I do, loving the world back to health.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been accusations of fraud… moments of death and murders, drug abuse, and physical abuse… growing up Native and part white has been a dance between who’s upset the most… the white side of my family or the Native.
I have always found that staying true to who I am, my commitment to do my work on behalf of esonkñhsendehí, changing Mother Earth, and living by the teachings I have received from my Grandfather and other Elders have been the road to stability. No matter what has been going on around me… I knew what to do and when.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started out as an EarthLife Counselor. Tracking the energetic alignments of those I would meet with and seeing the best ways to help them release past traumas, receive the gift, and move into a more solid, empowered style of life and self-image.
I was taught there was nothing to fear in life except physical violence and that all other fears were psychological… not real, based on someone else’s agenda for my life. As I said, I stay pretty much true to myself. I don’t make decisions based on what others want me to be or do.
This evolved into teaching the ways of the Medicine Wheel and the Ceremonies that Re-turn Life.
I also do nature programs to help people understand they don’t have to be afraid of nature. Nature’s not afraid of us if we approach it as an equal in the equation. I have relationships with squirrels, owls, hawks, and our horses, and we all stop and take time to nurture that relationship. It equally translates into human relationship dynamics. I practice an ancient form of eco-psychology in everything I do.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Always! I think twice and act once. So I take what some would consider risks, but I rarely am frivolous with my time… utilizing all resources available to make my decisions on what to do. Takes about 45 seconds to know.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yraceburu.org
