Elders Council
Elderhood at Thriving Roots
All over the world, for years beyond counting, diverse peoples have understood that healthy connection among generations is essential to the integrity and strength of the community as a whole.
A group of people involved with Thriving Roots came together in the spring of 2021 to explore what Elderhood could be in this community.
The Thriving Roots Elders Council was inaugurated In June 2024. At this ceremony four of us made our commitment to hold the space of Elders.
We have studied and embodied many of the foundational models and methods of the 8 Shields movement. These provide us with guidance in our role as Elders for this community. As individuals, we have engaged with various Thriving Roots Wilderness School youth programs, offering our experience and sharing in the journeys of participants.
Are you called?
We are born expecting a village that includes elders, aunties and uncles, older and younger children, all in a delicious mix of experience and relationship, giving and receiving support, telling and listening to stories.
Restoring the village is the work of cultural repair, in Thriving Roots and beyond. An essential element is the presence of elders.
Do you feel called to explore elderhood with us? Contact Wes: wes.thrivingroots@gmail.com
We work toward something that is out of sight of our own time, understanding that we must do this work with other people, younger and older, so we overlap, so there is depth, so we and they don’t forget.
In our personal lives, our meetings, and our interactions with the community, we do our best to emulate Elders who have carried and passed on the lineage we hold. In particular, we hold the 8 Shields Peace Principles as foundational to healthy interactions among people:
The Peace Principle: I come from a peaceful place. I hold the peace. I do not bring unresolved grief.
The Good Message: When I speak to another human being, I use my finest words. I first honour the other person; then give my message.
The Unity Principle: We offer our good messages to one another, back and forth, until we agree on what is to be done.
You can find a detailed history and honouring of the lineage of the Peace Principles here.
We honour and respect the teachings of the WSANEC people who lived on the unceded Coast Salish Territory that the Thriving Roots community knows as Cedar Song Centre for Wild Belonging, and we invite their teachings into the Elderhood space we hold.
Elders Fire
Join our Elders for their fireside gatherings from 7pm-9pm on the second Saturday of the month. Dates for the coming term are:
September 12, 2026
October 10, 2026
November 14, 2026
We gather at community members' Dave & Teresa's beautiful property in Metchosin - 3871 Duke Road. All are welcome!
This is a time when Elders of the Thriving Roots community hold space for the generations to come together at the fire, to co-create the healthy connections that so many long for.
