Support Team & Teachers of WOIW

LEAD TEACHER AND FOUNDER Owner of Omaroti Well of Indigenous Wisdom School, Olatokunboh Obasi has been working in the wellness field for over 15 years. She is a yoga and dance instructor, clinical herbalist, nutritionist and birth doula. Committed to community holistic health, social justice, and education, she works heavily in community service and African Traditional Medicine. She inherits Ifa from her father's lineage and is an Iyanifa and is an Elder Tekina (a Taino word meaning holder of community service) in her adapted home of Boriken. Presently, she coordinates Herbalists without Borders International on the island providing devotional service to people in need. She is also a board member of the American Herbalist Guild coordinating the Indigenous People's Committee. A guest presenter and teacher of many conferences she’s originally from Africa, her travels around the world are extensive as she integrates traditional knowledge of herbs, with her western education. She received her Master’s of Science from Maryland University of Integrative Health. Olatokunboh is multilingual, loves cooking, gardening and creating art. She is a mother of 3 young adults and she continues to learn from her children through challenge and tribulation as she shares her journey of life with them and the human family. Description of Experience Olatokunboh (Ola) works with clients clinically in private sessions to provide wellness and holistic health through herbal medicines. Her experience covers all dis-ease states including diabetes, pain management, adjunct cancer support, chronic and acute digestive concerns and reproductive health support for both men and women. Her practice of herbalism is primarily but not limited to the Ayurvedic tradition. Medical history and tests, assessments of iris, pulse and tongue, and custom-made herbal formulations are amongst holistic modalities that she uses to clinically approach guiding clients to wellness! Teaching Technique Olatokunboh is the primary teacher for WOIW. She teaches the majority of the classes in indigenous style; teaching her students how to create practice, how to unlearn and learn critical thinking, how to learn from the earth library and learn how to rely on self study. While this style is not for everyone, it has shown a life changing impact on those who have achieved from the course. Olatokunboh believes in mentorship and lasting relationships with her students. Part of being teacher is being leader and a relative in the field of herbal medicine. She cares for all her students deeply.

ELDER INDIGENOUS TEACHER

Bio: Kukuya (Margarita Nogueras Vidal) Elder and Ceremonial Leader (Tekina) in the Indigenous Taino Tradition of Borike. practitioner, guardian and teacher of Traditional Indigenous Spirituality. Storyteller of Taino Indigenous Cosmology. Participant and co-founder of Jornada Indigena Taina, and Tribu Yuke de Borike, Inc. creating a healing and learning environment for the community.

Theme’s:

All themes presented are directly associated with Taino Indigenous Ancestral Wisdom and universal

truths.Meaning and significance of Duality: in our planetary Evolution, awakening to this universal truth, becoming a conscious participant of this universal reality as we learn to apply this wisdom throughout our earth walk (Journey). The Ancient wisdom of copulation, the union of polarities, as a means of creating and manifesting what is desired.

How to connect with Spirit: Becoming aware of the “Sacred” in our lives by conscious alignment. How. to connect to your Inner voice through breath and coherence.
Ancestral Planetary Communication: Re-learning the ancient language of the Earth. Connecting to hear the ancestral voice within. Understanding the message.
The natural wisdom of life-death and Rebirth: How to observe and become aware of this process

during our journey.

How to be conscious participants of this process. What our role can be in this in this

evolutionary journey that leads all into rebirth?

The 4 Elements plus 1: Origin of the Creators, formation of the elements / custodians and

guardians in Universal cosmology, as it is told in Taino Indigenous Teachings.

What is our relationship with the Elements and how to consciously connect with them.

ELDER TEACHER Paul Bergner is Director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. He has published the Medical Herbalism Journal since 1989, and has mentored students in teaching clinics for medical herbalism and clinical nutrition, training more than 400 clinical herbalists since 1996. He has taught nutrition at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of academic study. He has authored seven books on topics of medical herbalism, Chinese medicine, ethnobotany and folk medicine, nutrition, and naturopathic medicine. Paul is also an accomplished naturalist, tracker, and explorer of the deep ecology of the plant world. He teaches classes and guides wilderness retreats in nature awareness and Visioning. He feels most truly at home off trail in the wilderness with his family taking lessons from the wild places. Examples of Teaching Styles The Spiritual Heart in traditional medicine A Spiritual Heart is described in all traditional medical systems, it is the center of awareness and consciousness. It is multidimensional, it has both generosity and love as well as a boundary and self-protection, and when centered and balanced has access to a deep well of universal wisdom. An Eleventh Century Arabic treatise on heart disease makes no mention of heart attacks, heart failure, or even heart palpitations, but describes the chief symptoms of heart disease as “rancor and the desire for revenge.” It is the center of our psychology. Disturbance of the spiritual heart through trauma is a chief symptom of many individuals in the modern world, and is often the cause of inappropriate prescriptions for psychotropic drugs. We will practice awareness exercises in order to enhance the ability to see a plant on its own terms. We will identify inner obstacles to clear seeing and connection, especially identification of the “Conquistador Mind” which wants only to grasp and take and use things. We will learn practical skills for centering and awareness to set aside the grasping self and the agenda. We will learn to see the plant in its ecology. Psycho spiritual Clinical Skills for the Healer Knowledge of Self, and navigating ones own psychological complexity is as important a clinical skill as materia medica, therapeutics, or interview skills. These skills are essential and can determine the success or failure of one's work as a healer.

ASSISTANT TEACHER

Fumiha Tanaka was born and raised in Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Her experience growing up as a minority away from her ancestral home has allowed her to understand what it feels like to long for home and connection with our ancestors, and brought her to work with trauma and empowerment of herself and others on different levels. She is a practitioner of Clinical Herbalism, Flower Essence, Conscious Breathwork, Usui Reiki and Earth Evolution Reiki, IET (Integrated Energy Therapy), and Medical Intuition, and for which she utilizes healing modalities from different indigenous traditions and weaves them into her work with plants. www.Fumihatanaka.com @fumiha_earthskyoneheart

MAESTRA DIVINA Silvia Margarita Sánchez Gomezjurad. Nace 19 diciembre 1960. Estudios en Naturopatía, Herbolaria Andina, Ayurveda, Cosmética Natural, Farmacia Vegetal. Trabajo con plantas medicinales desde 1995. Trabajo en Comunidades Campesinas del Azuay, Cañar e Imbabura, Ecuador. Lo temas que podría compartir: - Plantas Mágicas Andinas: Usos en Medicina Tradicional - Enfermedades por Mal Aire, Ojeado, Mal Viento. Plantas utilizadas y tradiciones. - Plantas Cálidas vs Plantas Frescas: Tratamiento de enfermedades - El Maíz como medicina - La Farmacia en la cocina - Importancia de los Baños Herbales A ver cuáles te interesaría. ¡Muchas gracias!

WOIW STUDENT ASSISTANT & STUDENT CLINICAL HERBALIST

Shannon is an herbalist graduate of the Well of Indigenous Wisdom School, Chapter Coordinator of HWB Pittsburgh and Soul Fire Farm alumni. Her background in culinary arts led to the discovery of, and journey into, natural healing modalities in 2018.

As Olatokunboh's assistant she is honored to assist on your personal journey into healing, herbalism and Indigenous Wisdom. Shannon will be available to speak on the WOIW experience, answer questions regarding the school, application process or any other general inquiries. Please email her at admin@wellofindigenouswisdom.com

STUDENT GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AND ASSIGNMENT MENTOR, STUDENT CLINICAL HERBALIST

Alexandria is a practicing mental health clinician, birth and postpartum doula, herbalist and intuitive movement practitioner. She has her master's degree in clinical community psychology and has worked in community mental health in Pittsburgh, PA for the last five years.

She was a part of the first online cohort of the Well of Indigenous Wisdom School and completed this phase of her study in 2022. Alexandria hopes to offer support and encouragement to other students through their journey with the WOIW school by creating a space where they can bring their academic questions, share resources and encourage one another to continue forward in their learning.

She is the owner of Get Rooted Earth Wellness and can be contacted here at getrooted.earthwellness@gmail.com for student clinical consultations.