Ganma is an aboriginal metaphor for “the mixing of two streams”

Morning Program

The whole camp meets for exercise and meditation. Instructors lead the group through a series of movements incorporating elements of tai chi, yoga, and martial arts. Blue Thunder or a special guest leads a morning meditation.

Mid Day Activities

We will have swimming, canoeing, and tubing.

The Art Ranch Evening Activities

At The Art Ranch, we encourage inclusiveness and intimacy. Our evenings consist of: camp fire shares, stories told by the elders, musical jams and sing-a-longs, short story/poetry readings, movies under the stars, and star gazing. In addition, our hand picked college counselors and counselors in training create fun games and evening activities. Because we encourage space and alone time, the evenings are an opportunity for this as well.

The Art Ranch’s Ganma Festival Weekend

The final weekend of the session is the Ganma Festival. Ganma, the coming together of different streams, is when people gather to share knowledge and ideas. This sharing creates a deeper knowing and unity.

Group 3 students of Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Circus Arts, Native Indian Culture and Sustainable Living come together during the session to create a group piece called The The Ganma Project. At the evening event at The Art Ranch local families are invited to attend a barbeque feast and watch a performance of The The Ganma Project. Special Guest Speakers along with various exhibits of the students’ work are also part of the festivities. Following The Ganma Performance there will be music, singing and dancing into the night.

Closing Ceremonies with Group and Individual Projects

The last day of our Ganma Festival Weekend is dedicated to our staff and campers. We watch all the performances and have an outdoor barbeque feast followed by an intimate closing ceremony under the stars that is full of surprises.

One third of the children are from American Indian reservations and two thirds from diverse backgrounds from around the globe.

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

The Arts
Music, Theatre/Dance Story, Visual Arts/Sculpture, Circus Arts, Creative Writing/Poetry and Photography

American Indian Culture
Herbal Studies, Story Telling, Horseback Riding, Tracking, Moccasin Making, Drum Making, Pottery, Traditional Dance, Basket Weaving, Beading, Horno Oven Building, Cooking, Canoe Building, Skill Games, and Sweat Lodge
* All American Indian arts and practices are specific to the traditional ways of the American Indian culture that are being represented in the different areas we are in.

Other Indigenous Studies
Elders from around the world will come to share their practices and crafts along with imparting their deep knowledge and messages.

Sustainable Living Component
Hands-on Solar Energy Program
Hands-on Structural/Architecture Program
Hands-on Permaculture Program
The Art Ranch holds the vision to have Organic Farming on its permanent site; Ohlone Black Bear Village, Northern California.

Other Special Activities

Tipis - Tipis are Crow and Lakota style, ranging from 16’ to 24’ and sleep 5 to 10 campers and one counselor. The students bring their own sleeping bags and pillows from home.

Tented Lodging - Tented Lodging for Teachers and Staff are 10’ x 14’. Each tent has a 2’ blow up air mattress, side table, chair, lamp, and place for clothes. Tents are decorated with donated furniture, rugs, etc. Teachers will send their own pillows and sheets ahead of time and blankets will be provided on site. (Similar accommodations are used for the adults in adult and family sessions.)

Kitchen Tent - Kitchen Truck is well equipped with stoves, refrigerators, sinks and workspaces. The Kitchen truck will be tented. There is also an out door grill for barbequing. Tented or out door dining will be available depending on the weather.

Food -Nutritious, Flavorful Menus are created by Food Consultant/Nutritionist Debbra Gill. Using organic vegetables, fruits and meats from local markets, Debbra creates delicious meals that teach good nutritional habits. We are also very mindful about sugar intake so delicious “no sugar” or “low sugar” desserts are offered. Green Smoothies from “Green for Life,” by Victoria Boutenko are a staple.

Kitchen staff – Kitchen chef and staff are hired locally.

Shower Tents - Shower Tents are gender appropriate, with dressing room facilities.

Laundry Service - Laundry Service provides towels and laundering services for our staff and camper’s clothes.

Hospital - Hospital is made aware of our location and session dates. Some of our staff members are certified EMTs.

Transportation - Transportation to the site is provided upon arrival at local airports, as well as return service on departure day.

The following tribes will be participating in the symposium:

The Art Component has been developed by professional working artists who have combined their unique skills, knowledge of their craft, and real life experiences to create their courses. In collaboration with The Arts program, the American Indian Component is taught by American Indian teachers. These teachers impart their history, values, and intimate knowledge about the earth through their art, story telling and ceremonial ritual. As the students enrich their self awareness through creative exploration, the American Indian component helps them extend that awareness to the earth and other living things, while embracing community and aspiring to leadership.

Hand-in-hand with the Art Component and the the American Indian Component, we offer a Sustainable Living Component that educates young people about the environment and specific renewable energy strategies through hands-on workshops taught by energy professionals. These workshops are designed to encourage young people to embrace healthy energy alternatives and introduce them to the many aspects of sustainable living. Also this component will be a platform whereby the students can use their imaginations, and their deep connection to the earth to experiment, create, and develop new ways of living on the planet. (A think tank of sorts.)

The collaboration of these three elements will create a learning experience that promotes creativity, leadership, respect for the earth, and preserves cultural traditions through cooperation, peer-to-peer teaching and the elder-student relationship.