At the core of the organization are our annual events that are both educational and experiential opportunities designed to bring together representatives from indigenous communities from around the world to discuss topics such as conflict resolution, land rights, traditional medicine and teachings as well as the sharing of ceremony. The center piece is The Gathering, a collective of healers and elders from the four corners that brings their healing traditions, teachings and ceremonies into an open forum for all to participate.

From this, we have created cross-cultural programs that facilitate a direct exchange of ideas and solutions by linking indigenous leaders with the global community.

Partnership for Assessing and Implementing Indigenous Community Needs (PAIICN)

JTTH developed the Partnership for Assessing and Implementing Indigenous Community Needs (PAIICN) in collaboration with Hope for Africa, Amazon Promise, US Doctors for Africa, the Indigenous Land Rights Fund, and Association for the Human Rights of the Incarcerated (ADHUC). This program was recently accepted into a The Sixth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies (www.ICNRD6.org) being held at the end of October, 2006 in Doha, Qatar. This unique collaboration between organizations brings together the collective expertise of each partner resulting in dynamic solutions to deal with challenges facing indigenous communities around the world.

JTTH will develop PAIICN groups tailored to provide the greatest support for each individual situation facing an indigenous community. JTTH will begin each project by conducting a Indigenous Community Needs Assessment (ICNA) which will involve speaking directly with the communities, as well as organizations on the ground already attempting to provide assistance. JTTH will also interface with all levels of government, but will establish programs designed to be self-sustaining without the need for government support or intervention.

Further, this program is designed to be run very efficiently and cost effectively. PAIICN groups will focus on finding the most practical solutions to the problems facing a community; building a clinic or school, purchase of vehicles, or water purification systems. JTTH intends to keep annual operational costs to less than $100,000, which will be used first and foremost to provide salaries for project directors, education, healthcare, and clean water.

Current PAIICN Projects in Development

In the spring of 2005, JTTH was approached by two West African based non - profit organizations to assist in addressing the critical and time sensitive needs of the BaAka (sometimes referred to as pygmy) people of Cameroon and the Central African Republic. We were then contacted by a representative of the Fulnio Indians of Northeastern Brazil and most recently by a community of Khoisan or Bushmen of South Africa who have suffered through a long land rights struggle in which they emerged victorious, only to be left with the overwhelming devastation of the culture from AIDS, alcoholism, despair and general lack of interest by their own government.

Like most indigenous tribes across the globe, the BaAka, Fulnio and Khoisan people are among the most vulnerable communities facing disproportionately high rates of morbidity, mortality, poverty, lack of political representation, and on-going cultural disintegration.

JTTH has recently been introduced to Binh Rybacki, a native Vietnamese woman living in the US who is working with about 5,000 orphans across Vietnam, as well as working on the elimination of the sexual slavery trade in her home country. Binh has endured death threats and other forms of persecution for her work against the sex trafficking. A documentary is being planned around her work and the many success stories of the children she has saved. JTTH is in discussions with Binh and the filmmakers to determine how JTTH may be able to support Binh's efforts, as well as support the production of the documentary.

Ancestral Child Video Series -This would be a series of videos for children from infancy through toddler and possibly beyond. The idea is to film children of indigenous tribes/cultures around the world in their homelands, focusing on the environment, the earth, the lives of the children, music, and the indigenous animals in their area. From the viewer's/consumer's point of view, they will be an educational and beautiful look at our earth and the different cultures that inhabit it. As the series grows with the children, the lessons of preservation, conservation and environmental protection can be taught through imagery and some gentle teaching. The series would be a beautiful, fun, musical and visually stimulating look at our planet.

Tribal Elder Storyteller Series -The content of these videos would be tribal/cultural elders telling the sacred stories that have been passed down by mouth for hundreds of years. We would film the elders telling the stories to children and have animators create the stories visually with the narrative taking us between live and animated footage. The purpose of this project would be twofold; to preserve the lost art of storytelling that is dying in many of these cultures and to present these stories as parables for children to enhance their worldview and perspective. The larger view of this is to create television properties for both and find a network partner to have a block of programming aimed at enhancing children's view of the earth and the way other children live, not just the ones that are constantly being shown on television. This would lead to product deals for native dolls, and characters of the stories, as well as books, etc.

There are two goals of these projects:

(1) The proceeds/profits made through the properties would go to the tribes/communities to help with education and medical supplies for their children, and to help preserve the individual cultures; and

(2) To educate the children of the westernized world in the lives of children of other cultures and start them thinking at an early age about the environment by showing them how beautiful yet fragile the earth is and the common threads that hold us a global community together as opposed to the differences.

Traditional Medicine Center (Peru) --This center would be coordinated with traditional medicine from all over South America and would be the first of its kind. The center would be based in Lima and serve over 1 million people who live under the poverty line. No one would be turned away for lack of money or health insurance. This would also be a meeting place for the medicine people to come together to discuss techniques, share ceremonies and exchange ideas on an local, regional, national and international level. This center could also serve as a place to archive and assist in preserving their traditional knowledge. South America is widely acknowledged as being one of the main sources of medicinal plant material through its indigenous peoples with something like 22,000 species currently known. This center could be a container for this knowledge and opportunity to protect the people who carry the wisdom. The making and selling of traditional medicines directly by the healers with no middle man could help support the running of the center in a very short time. A training center could be created with traditional and ceremonial programs for the people, opportunities for non indigenous or those outside of Peru to learn and to hold international medicine/shaman workshops and teachings. The knowledge could be shared all under cultural protection of resource knowledge. The idea is to create a center that could be replicated in other parts of the world where traditional medicine is strong but in danger of being lost for any number of reasons.

Montessori Schoool for Khomani San Children (South Africa) -- This would be a school for about 40 -60 remote dweller Khomani children residing in the Kalahari. The San or Bushmen are considered to be the oldest living tribe on the planet, dating back somewhere between 30,000 and 70,000 years. Their culture is in danger of disappearing because of a number of issues including land rights, AIDS and alcoholism but this school would incorporate traditional studies as well as teachings around the very unique Bushmen culture.

Completion of Xaus Lodge (South Africa) -- Tis is an important component and sister piece to the school project as this lodge is on traditional Bushmen land that was awarded to them in 1999 after a long legal struggle over the land rights. This lodge will be an eco-tourism lodge that will be run by local Bushmen, also employing Bushmen to run the facility. There will be traditional crafts, tracking and game viewing along with the opportunity to explore the tremendously rich culture of the San and Mier communities. The South African Gathering was called specifically by these local tribes to bring healing to the community, and the land on which they reside.

Bushmen Regional Conference -- This would be regionally organized conference specifically to discuss the myriad issues and challenges that the 10,000 or so Bushmen who are still living some semblance of a traditional life -- hunting and gathering -- are facing. There are a number of organizations who are individually working to assist the Bushmen, however there has been no cohesive and coordinated action or campaign. The conference would be most likely in Namibia where there are several areas that Bushmen are still keeping their ancient traditions alive (estimated by some to be up to 70,000 years old) and showing tremendous promise that it can not only allow the Bushmen to preserve their culture, but is also sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Yosemite Tribal Gathering -- This Gathering has been called by the local tribe living in Yosemite, their ancestral home. They have asked for a Gathering to be organized with Journey to the Heart, so they are able to share their wisdom and messages. They feel they have been silent for too long.

JTTH Youth Development and Conference -- Going forward, JTTH functions where appropriate, will create forums for the youth to participate. These will be multi-level and targeted to their concerns about the planet but will also include a cross-generational component to encourage the sharing of wisdom.

Conference on Addiction and the Application of Ancient Healing Methodologies -- JTTH will be partnering with Spirit Recovery to begin a series of conferences employing traditional and nontraditional methods and modalities in the treating of addictions. Many of the indigenous tribes around the world have had to deal with various forms of addiction born out of their circumstances and general despair. Spirit Recovery uses traditional and non-traditional methods to treat clients from all walks of life. The coming together of the two entities will provide a new paradigm of treatment.