All our Red Wind members are 100% volunteers in our organization dedicated to creating a better world for the Maya & all indigenous.
We especially believe that Social Justice Action is of extraordinary importance & relevance today but we also deeply know that
it cannot happen without expressing a higher spirituality
by inspiring a deeper respect & consciousness of
Mother Earth & her spirits to the world.
The Chiapas Council
Ohki Forest
Of Canadian Mohawk descent, Ohki Forest is a visionary, teacher & ceremonial leader who has lived in Chiapas, Mexico since 1986 where she holds two Medicine Centers as well as one in New Mexico, USA dedicated to the revival of indigenous spirituality. She founded Red Wind Councils in Chiapas which also supports Maya social justice projects. Founded over 35 years ago to encourage the relief of extreme poverty through self-sustainable projects & the recovery of Maya ancestral weavings with the Visions of the Earth craft project (CLICK HERE). Her projects have brought the possibility of survival for thousands of Maya artisans & their families.
Trained & initiated by Canadian, Mongolian & Maya shamans, she has taught a unified practice of Native Council ways & Spiritual Warriorship & led students from the U.S., Europe, Japan & Mexico into Vision Quest training for over 35 years. She is the author of DREAMING THE COUNCIL WAYS: True Native Teachings from the Red Lodge
Initiated into the Wolf Clan of the Iroquois Long House in Canada in the 80’s, Ohki’s illuminating vision is the return of Council Ways through which all people can reclaim & renew the natural dignity, balance & justice that is the true dreaming of the Earth.
Ohki has been a keynote speaker at the Esalen Institute & Bioneers in CA, Universities & Colleges throughout the USA, Tesuque Pueblo’s Indigenous Seed Sovereignty conference, the Vedanta Centre in Cohasset, MA, Beaming Bioneers in Santa Fe, NM, Unitarian Churches, Southwestern College of Santa Fe, & the NM 2012 conference: Wisdom from the Origins, with the 13 Grandmothers. She is the recipient of the prestigious Eagle Feather Award from the Society for Shamanic Practice. Ohki has taught for decades the necessity of women’s leadership for planetary balance, & her humility, practical wisdom & deep knowledge of Earth Ways have brought inspiration to thousands. Ohki sits on the Council of Spiritual Elders at the Gitche M’Qua Centre for Healing & Dying, a charitable organization in Toronto, Canada. The Council includes Ven. Dhyani Ywahoo, Cherokee & Buddhist Teacher & director of Sunray Mediation Society, & Roshi Joan Halifax, Buddhist Teacher & Founder of the Upaya Center in NM. She is also a featured speaker at the global online gathering “Shamanism for Inspired Action – From Vision to Creation” from May 20 – 24, 2024.
“As a warrioress of life & death I am, & will always be, in constant spiritual resistance against ignorance, humbly striving to bring back the great laws of Earth. “
Amalia Ixmalé
Amalia Ixmalé Forest is Ohki’s & Eliberto Molina’s (in memory of) daughter. She is an accomplished designer, artist & a 4th generation Maya healer. Amalia has followed Ohki’s Native ways since she was born. She is a most dedicated apprentice & supports the renewal of Maya spiritual traditions at Ohki’s Medicine centers in Chiapas & in NM, USA.
In 2014, Amalia began the ixmalé, Maya Textiles & Creations project by incorporating traditional Maya weavings into contemporary designs. Her vision is to offer support to Maya women & their families through the sales of these unique creations. Her name, Ixmalé, means Abundance of Corn in Maya language. She gave her name to the ixmalé Craft Design Project in order to call more abundance to Maya women weavers. (Click Here)
Amalia Ixmalé creates Medicine pouches & spiritual necklaces which contain carefully selected natural elements & sacred stones. Her art & work hold many magical healing energies & the special powers of the elemental forces of the sacred mountains of Chiapas where she lives. Her themes include: Restful Dreams, Courage & Determination, Abundance & Earth Protection, Unconditional Love, Health & Vitality, Vision & Sacred Purpose, Psychic powers, among others.
With her special healing gift, Amalia offers powerful Crystal Healings for balance & spiritual restoration at the Red Wind Medicine Centers of Chiapas & NM, USA. She uses a variety of sacred crystals to clear & support our physical, emotional, spiritual bodies. Amalia also provides Maya Facials for relaxation & rejuvenation & offers a choice of Maya chocolate, clay or Avocado masks.
“As a child & now a young woman active in the unfolding of Red Wind Councils & Ohki’s spiritual teachings, I have come to realize that my legacy of ancient indigenous wisdom is one of the strongest roots ever. I am fortunate to have grown up among the Maya people, supporting their amazing collective efforts for dignity & justice. I’ve received education, healing, inspiration, physical & spiritual support from the Maya, Red Wind Councils & Ohki all my life. Through my ixmalé project & service with Red Wind, I’m able to give back to Maya women some of the abundance & blessings they’ve shared with me & the world.”
The U.S. Council
Patricia Worth
Patricia is a registered nurse in the forefront of maternal-child healthcare & human rights work for 45 Years. Based on her extensive clinical experience, she writes & teaches on combining holistic alternative & allopathic approaches to well-being. A Founding Member & staff writer for Nurses for the Rights of the Child, Patricia received NOCIRC’s Human Rights Award in 1998. Patty, as an apprentice of Ohki Forest for 3 decades now, has supported the spiritual medicine work of Ohki & the social justice efforts of the indigenous Maya. She travels regularly to Chiapas to work directly with the Maya people of Red Wind. She is privileged to serve as a design & marketing consultant for the Maya Crafts projects & for the past 20 years hosts Ohki & her daughter’s teaching visits at the Red Wind Medicine Center of Santa Fe, NM. She helps promote the ixmalé Maya Craft Project in the USA & the exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces of the Maya artisans.
“The vision of Red Wind Councils is to educate people about the Maya in resistance to sustain their claims for human rights & quest for a dignified way of life. Applying the timeless wisdom of Council ways, Red Wind gives those who are more privileged real, strategic pathways to join in rebalancing some of the grave injustices the Maya suffer daily. Red Wind Councils provides an opportunity for people of all countries to learn from & directly support the Maya people in their spiritual renewal. The work of Ohki Forest & Red Wind Councils offers all of us tremendous hope for healing one of the great wounds of the Americas.”
Mary Jo Fernandez
For more than 30 years Mary Jo has provided administrative services to both for-profit & not-for-profit organizations in a variety of industries. She holds a Master’s degree in Socially Responsible Business & Sustainable Communities from Goddard College & has been a small business consultant (www.wildgeeseconsulting.com) for 30 years. Mary Jo has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations & was a member of the corporation of the Vedanta Centre & Ananda Ashram for 12 years. She is the Treasurer of, & a consultant to RWC for the past 25 years, & has been a close & serious apprentice of Ohki Forest & her Native teachings for 25 years.
Mary Jo travels regularly to Chiapas since 2000 to collaborate with the Maya Red Wind sustainable projects & the ixmalé Maya Craft Project with the Maya indigenous women. She also works to promote, sponsor & find venues in the USA to help continue the growth of vital & most needed Red Wind projects that help the people support their autonomy. She hosts, with Patricia Worth, Ohki’s Medicine Center in New Mexico on a full time basis & hosts Ohki & her daughter, Amalia, in their U.S. visits. She helps promote the ixmalé Craft Projects in the USA & the one-of-a-kind pieces of the Maya artisans.
“The Maya people are the poorest of the poor in Mexico where they have been marginalized & persecuted for centuries. Through my many visits to Chiapas & work in the past three decades with Red Wind Councils, I’ve seen first hand the devastating effects of extreme poverty & globalization on these spiritual & amazing people. I have also seen the incredible things that the Maya can accomplish, creating so much positive change with just a little steady financial support from us. I saw an alternative school being built by one community where children of all ages would be the first members of their families to become literate. Donations from donors helped support the basic needs of the teacher at that alternative indigenous school while he received his training. The people there receive Red Wind funds with so much gratitude; actually making our names a prayer in their hearts. I pray that many more of you join us to bring the gift of hope to more Maya families in Chiapas.”
Nancy Aleo
Nancy is an award-winning artist & Professor at one of the leading art colleges in New England. She is President of the Board of Trustees of an arts museum in MA & is involved with Boston arts councils. Nancy believes art is an essential component of a healthy society & has the power to heal. She holds an MFA in ceramics & for the past 30 years has focused on mixed-media painting & drawing. Nancy exhibits her artwork nationally & internationally. She has been traveling & studying in various parts of Mexico, including Red Wind Councils in Chiapas, & for two decades co-leading student groups to Oaxaca & Puebla. Nancy is keenly aware of the systemic poverty & lack of dignity suffered by all the indigenous groups of Mexico. She has extensively studied with Ohki Forest for over 2 decades & is a dedicated member of Red Wind’s projects.
“As an American, I have great access to top quality healthcare facilities & institutions of education. In contrast, it is an injustice that even basic healthcare & education are simply not available to the indigenous Maya of Chiapas. In my view, Red Wind Councils’ varied programs & support offer real, practical solutions for transforming lives for the Maya we serve, & creating a more just, balanced environment.”
Michael Roussos
Michael has spent his professional life in the field of human services & comes from a family that dedicated themselves to social justice work. He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor & helps persons with disabilities develop individualized plans for employment & assists them in achieving their career & life goals. His specialty is working with teenagers transitioning from high school into college & careers, & he finds tremendous joy watching his clients grow into adulthood with opportunities & possibilities. Michael is a strong believer in social justice which is why he became a supporter of Red Wind Councils. He also serves on the board of Southeastern Massachusetts Home Health Aides, a nonprofit that provides home services for the elderly. He has studied with Ohki & supported Red Wind Council’s projects with great importance for the past 20 years.
“My professional work is congruent with my experiences of Red Wind Councils, & that is one of many reasons that I am honored to be a part of this important work with the Maya. I believe strongly in Red Wind’s model of working directly on the ground with the Maya people to provide the tools to empower them to fulfill their own goals & dreams for their communities, their families, & for generations yet to be born. The dedication & strong efforts that so many Maya people are willing to make to create a better future for their children makes me want to do what I can to assist. The Maya people are tremendously inspiring, & Red Wind’s vital mission is really making a difference, bringing more balance & justice into the world.”
The Honorary Council
John Woods
John Woods works as an investor & financial advisor. John has expressed his support of RWC through personal & family foundation donations, assisting with operating expenses & initiating a permanent endowment for Red Wind. John also is a facilitator for the Transformational Breath technique that helps people re-connect with their life force. He lives in Ashland, OR & Los Cabos, Mexico. He has been a continuing support of Red Wind’s projects since 1995.
“I was introduced to the Red Wind organization & Ohki’s teachings over 30 years ago while traveling in Chiapas. I have always felt a strong calling in my heart to these Red Wind ways. I am honored to help support, in an ongoing way, the spread of Red Wind knowledge & light. I have seen first hand how their projects bring relief to the indigenous in many remote communities.”
Rúna Bouius
Rúna Bouius is an Icelandic entrepreneur, a conscious leadership catalyst, speaker & mentor. Her company, Rúna Bouius (www.runa.la) focuses on the new era of leadership where the feminine principles are valued & re-instated & where the cultivation of becoming a conscious leader is at the forefront. A former business leader in the cosmetic industry in Iceland for 20 years, Rúna has immersed herself in an intense process of mentorship & training in various disciplines such as wisdom traditions, energy cultivating practices, & direct teachings from Nature. In 2011 she co-founded the Conscious Leader Network. She lives in Los Angeles.
“I have been an inspired supporter of the Red Wind Vision & Ohki’s teachings for many decades. I have visited Chiapas several times to witness first hand the positive effect of the various projects supported by Red Wind Councils. In meeting with the indigenous Maya people, listening to their stories & learning about their lives, I have been deeply touched by their gratitude & humility in the midst of their struggles for a dignified existence.”
