I first want to greet you from my heart and thank you for taking time to read this
message. My name is Salvatore Gencarelle. Through this letter I’m reaching out to
community leaders and people from all walks of life that are called to integrate the
ancient wisdom of indigenous ceremonial practices into their modern lives.
I’ve been in preparation to help people in this way for the past 23 years. At fifteen
years old I began to walk the path of a ceremony facilitator. During that time I was
mentored by a Lakota Medicine Family, the Chipps, which includes Grandma Chipps,
Godfrey Chipps, from the same lineage of Gilbert Walking Bull. I worked as a
“Helper” for a Lakota Yuwipi healer. I was completely immersed in traditional
medicine and healing practices. Through these traditions I learned the healing power
of the earth and became a translator for the ceremonies; a bridge linking the ancient
ways of life to the present. I recently wrote about my mentoring experience in the
book, A Man Among the Helpers. For more info check out
www.manamongthehelpers.com and www.salvatoregencarelle.com
Now, due to the dramatic changes with the Earth and the unstable path that our
modern society has taken, I’ve been called to help others to learn these powerful
ceremonies to reclaim balance.
I’ve created an 8 month long intensive called The Leadership Initiation Program
(L.I.P.). My goal with the Leadership Initiation Program is to provide select people
genuine mentoring from an indigenous trained person. This mentoring is about how
ceremonial processes help to regenerate healthy culture. The Program will expose the
participants to various ceremonies, philosophies, ceremonial tools (gifts), and
methods. This exposure and understanding will be in-depth. What took me years to
learn will be presented within 8 months.
As part of the L.I.P. we would have monthly meetings to provide the "hands on"
training. This would include preforming actual ceremonies such as sweat lodges,
sacred fires, vision quests, thanksgiving ceremonies.....
The outcome for each participant will vary widely, mainly due to the person’s
desire to move along the ceremonial path, their personal goals, and their willingness
to see the world in a new light. This process is not to be taken lightly and all
participants will require a high level of commitment. As a facilitator for people on this
path I can only provide the opportunities for a person to spiritually develop with
authentic mentoring and ceremony, but I cannot force a person to grow. With that
being said there are a number of goals and outcomes I am looking forward to
participants achieving, including:

A deeper understanding of ceremony, what the purpose of ceremony is and
how it affects individuals, communities, and the natural world.

Proper conduct in and around ceremony.

Understanding the difference between is spirituality and organized religions.

An understanding of the 4 original earth elements and how they are used in
ceremony.

An understanding of the female and male roles around ceremony. The
complementary power behind female and male.

How to build and tend Sacred Fires with in their communities.

How to construct a drum. How to respectfully use a drum. How to sing sacred
Lakota songs. How to find their own sacred songs.

An opportunity to deeply connect with themselves through a rite of passage.
This may be either an overnight with a sacred fire or (if people are ready) an
overnight Vision Quest.

An opportunity to participate or sponsor a 4 Chair or Wiping of Tear Ceremony
for those in grief.

Learning some basic ceremonial herbalism and to participate in a medicine
giving ceremony.

Learning how to conduct a Thanksgiving Ceremony.

A basic understanding of the 4 universal sacred gift to human beings, the
Canupa. (aka peace pipe), the drum (and songs), the Inipi (sweat lodge), and
Vision Quest.

Learning how to prepare sacred food used in ceremony, what types of food, and
why. The food item that everyone will learn about is called Wasna. Other foods
include corn, beans, squash, and many others.

How to tend Inipi fires, build a sweat lodge and care for this structure.

How to gather materials for use in ceremony both from nature and human
sources.

How to care for these sacred items and use them correctly.

How to be a “Helper” for a facilitator of any of the ceremonies practiced
throughout the 8 months.
It is my hope and goal to make all the participants competent participants of these
ceremonies, and to learn the how to become Helpers (aka ceremonial facilitators) with
in their communities. As a Helper they will start utilizing these sacred gifts with
integrity, in accordance with the teachings presented during the program. How the
person proceeds on the ceremonial path will determine their level of responsibility and
permission to utilize these gifts.
My sincere hope is that the participants will be able to conduct Inipi ceremonies
independently by the end of the 8 months, but that is yet to be determined.
The format for the Leadership Initiation Program will include the following:
 One monthly personal mentoring call with Salvatore Gencarelle
 One monthly group mentoring call with Jon Young, Salvatore Gencarelle, and
a Woman Elder/Leader
 One monthly weekend ceremonial gathering (Saturday-Sunday) in the Santa
Cruz/Bonny Doon area
 Access to the weekly Village Talk calls (Monday’s Nature Connection and
Thursday Culture Mentoring)
 Assignments of deep nature and deep spiritual connective practices between
calls
There are some key elements that will help people to decide whether or not this
program is right for them.
 The Leadership Initiation Program is for those people that are willing and able
to be in service to the Earth, Spirit, and fellow humans in full awareness and
competency.
 This program is for people who have a strong desire to learn how spirituality,
deep nature connection, and ceremony all tie together to create a healthy and
regenerative culture.
 The program is for those people that are on a path of spirituality and service
who want to take their understanding and competency to the next level.
 The program is for people that are looking for clear spiritual and ceremonial
mentorship.
 This program is for people called to become leaders in how to integrate healthy
ceremonial practices back into their live and communities.
 The program is for those who are called to walk the path of Vision.
How will that person’s life be improved through their involvement in this
program?
The Leadership Initiation program is a unique offering that will provide the
participants with a better understand ceremony, spirituality, healthy cultural,
and nature connection. We will come to intimately understand our internal
balance (personal) and how this directly relates to external balance
(community, natural environment). The program will help a person understand
their personal purpose and gifts in life and also give them the tools to support
them on their path. The participant will be empowered to utilize the sacred
tools and ceremonies to enhance and enable healthy connections within
themselves, their family, their communities, and all of creation.
Set Dates for the current L.I.P.
Weekend ceremonies in Santa Cruz CA (2nd or 3rd weekend of each month):
May 12-13
June 16-17
July 21-22
August 11-12
September 15-16
October 13-14
November 3-4
December 15-16
Group Calls 5pm PST (1st or 2nd Wednesday of each month):
May 9
June 6
July 11
August 8
September 5
October 3
November 7
December 19 ( 3rd Wednesday)
For more information at please feel free to contact Salvatore Gencarelle
sal@8shields.org
In Health and Happiness,
Salvatore Gencarelle
sal@manamongthehelpers.com
sal@8shields.org
480-695-3602