1. ancestral wisdom bridge foundation
presents. . .
indigenous african
spirit technologies
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

2. Malidoma - a bridge
between the west
and the indigenous
world of africa
Malidoma Patrice Somé, PhD, is an author, teacher,
diviner and Elder from the Dagara tribe in West Africa
who is in great demand across the world. Most
importantly, he is a bridge between two worlds, the
West and the indigenous world of the Dagara, his
native home. He was sent by his elders to the West to
share the ancient wisdom and practices which have
supported his people for thousands of years. Learn
more about Malidoma at www.malidoma.com
The Ancestral Wisdom Bridge Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is dedicated to the ongoing offering
of ritual training, teaching and intense experiential healing that comes from the the tradition of the Dagara people
of West Africa as taught by Malidoma Somé. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

3. the east coast village
Cherry plain, ny
The Ancestral Wisdom Bridge
Foundation maintains a camp &
training center, the East Coast Village
(the Village as it is lovingly called),
about 40 minutes from Albany, NY.
We are an inclusive and diverse
community that honors our
connection to the Ancestors and
Nature. We are dedicated to
empowering people through the
practices of indigenous African spirit
technologies as brought to the West by
Dagara Elder, Malidoma Somé.

4. about the dagara people
The Dagaaba people (also Dagara) are an ethnic
group in the West African nations of Ghana and
Burkina Faso. From well before the appearance of
Europeans, the Dagara lived in small scale
agricultural communities under a system of councils
of elders until the institution of chieftaincy in the
nineteenth century. Almost all of the Dagara still
follow their traditional religion, and a growing
number are Muslims and Christians who weave their
traditional religion into these practices. Most of the
Dagara’s culture, language and traditions are being
lost as modernity creeps into their villages and the
elders transition to the Other Word, taking
with them generations of traditional wisdom.
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

5. the wisdom tradition of the dagara
Everyone is born with a gift and purpose to deliver to the world. A
name is given to identifies one’s purpose.
Humans are spirit in physical form, each of us chose to incarnate to
be of service to humanity.
Ritual, healing and community are inseparable, they are vitally
linked.
The natural world is intelligent. Plants, animals, lakes, rivers, rocks -
are alive with energy and vibration.
The spirits of the natural world and Ancestors are part of the healing
matrix. They are allies in restoring balance in the human world.
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

6. the medicine wheel of the dagara
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

7. the elements of the medicine wheel
Fire, the first element of the Dagara medicine wheel, is seen as a most
potent connection to the spirit world. It puts us back on our spiritual
track by consuming that which stands between us and our purpose.
Water, the second element, brings cleansing, reconciliation,
purification, and peacemaking.
Earth, the third element, is the mother who is inviting us to come
home to community and the earth, our true home.
Mineral, the fourth element, invites us to remember, through ritual,
who we are and why we are here.
Nature, the fifth element, asks us to open to transformation in order
to realize our true and authentic selves.
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

8. programs for
community groups
Initiated elders in the Dagara tradition
will guide your group through an
exploration of the Dagara medicine wheel
and the indigenous wisdom of Africa.
Your group will learn to provide for
others while experiencing each element
and its healing properties. Our aim is to
foster transformation for individuals,
their families and communities.
Contact us about hosting a ritual at your church, group or community center. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

9. programs for youth
Building on the knowledge that we all
come to this world with a gift and
purpose, young people (preferably
13-17) will be guided to actively explore
their gift and purpose through exposure
to the Dagara cosmology. They will
explore the traditions and culture of
Africa - music, art, stories - to encourage
mutual respect and understanding of
cultures around the world.
Programs for youth can be hosted at schools, youth centers or at the Village. Contact us to arrange a program
for your youth group or class. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

10. special programs for families
families (and groups) are encouraged to host an ancestor
party to reconnect and heal the wounds of their bloodlines
Family members will have opportunities to explore their own
ancestral histories, starting with known Ancestors (grand parents,
great-grand parents, etc.).
They will explore the concept of ancestral trauma - problems we face
as individuals in this life may be a reflection of, and an attempt to
heal, some Ancestral trauma or wound that goes back many multiple
generations.
They will learn about the creation of an Ancestor shrine, how to use
the shrine, and how to talk with their Ancestors, all of which is about
building a relationship with those who’ve gone before.
Contact us about hosting an ancestor party for your next family gathering. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

11. women’s gatherings
Women are very special here at the
Village.
The feminine divine is embodied in
Mother Earth (Tenbalu) and is an integral
part of Dagara cosmology.
We are dedicated to providing
opportunities for women from all walks
of life to awaken, honor and nurture the
Tenbalu [feminine earth] energies.
Women’s gatherings not only offer a rich,
ritual exploration into the physical,
emotional, spiritual and cultural rites of
passage that a woman will experience in
her lifetime, women also gather together
annually to share stories, songs and ritual
View our calendar of events for current gatherings.
to create transformation and to feel
nurtured in the process.
www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

12. apprenticeship & training programs
for those who see the need to
preserve indigenous wisdom. . .
Apprenticeships aim to develop trained
spiritual professionals with the ability to
extend the indigenous Dagara
technologies into the modern world for
the benefit of themselves and community.
Apprentices are prepared to play the
roles of diviner, medicine men/women
and leaders of ritual.
View our calendar of events for current training programs. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

13. what people say...
❝ I came to the Village because I needed to do ritual. I
found my family here--it was not only that I was seen, as
I had been in a Drama Therapy group--but that the
invisible parts of life were attended to as well. Here in
the Village, people took care of what could not be seen as
well as what could be, I got my otherworldly needs met
for the first time. The fact that I had medicine was
recognized, and in the "enlightened witnessing" of my
medicine gifts I was able to give birth to them. I felt
valuable again, and I felt sane. - - Joshua
Read more stories online. Join us and find your own story at the Village. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

14. what people say...
❝ The Dagara medicine has awakened in me the need for
initiation in my life and the lives of others wanting to
live more fully and more connected. This cosmology has
taught me how to receive support from Ancestors, the
elements, wedèmé and Spirit in order to face the
adversity that is always brought towards a medicine
person. Malidoma taught me how important it is to set
my GPS for home and begin to move in that direction,
regardless of how far away, how impossible it might seem
and whether or not the people recognize me when I get
there. Ashé. - -Sharon
Read more stories online. Join us and find your own story at the Village. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

15. what people say...
❝ The medicine has returned my power to me,
reminded me that I can, by my own work and
creativity, positively influence my life and the
lives of those around me. And, by bringing me
back to the village and to my Ancestors, and by
(re)-introducing me to the Kontombilí and the
other spirits, it has given me a huge group of
supporting friends whom I can trust to have my
back, and guide me along my path. - - Ian
Read more stories online. Join us and find your own story at the Village. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

16. what people say...
❝
Because of all the work they (the Council of Elders)
are doing at night while I am sleeping, when I wake
up some mornings I have difficulty getting out of
bed. All I want to do is sleep all day. Not!!! Not
allowed. But the results have been remarkable!
For the first time in over fifteen years, I am able to
walk around the grocery stores like Wal-Mart
pushing a carriage rather than riding in a motorized
cart. It is so freeing. I'm getting stronger, much
stronger, for the first time in years. - -Sosivu
Read more stories online. Join us and find your own story at the Village. www.eastcoastvillage.org 518.658.0122

17. come experience ritual,
healing & community

click to read
the calendar
online

18. we welcome you to
our community !
Visiting the Village
The East Coast Village Center is a short ride in from nearby
Vermont, Massachusetts and New York City.
By Air: Albany International [ALB]
By Rail: Amtrak to Albany-Rensselaer, NY [ALB] 
By Bus: Megabus, Greyhound/Trailways to Albany, NY click to
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