Introduction
Tata Erick Gonzalez, also known by his Tolteca-Azteca names of OmeAkaEhekatl and the tribal name Gaada (“supernatural light”), given by his adopted Haida nation, is a lineage-holder and Daykeeper of the Cakchikel Maya of Guatemala. Tata Erick was ceremonially initiated as a Mayan Aj Q’ij (“staff of light”) in 1994 and has trained in the ceremonial way for 32 years with indigenous healers and medicine people from North, Central, and South America. Tata Erick’s Mayan elders in Guatemala have given him the responsibility of a representative of his traditional Mayan communities to connect with other peoples and lands.
With the help of his supporters and collaborating with others, he has worked to organize and sponsor the following in the last decade:
August 1998: XII International Congress of Traditional and Indigenous Medicine at the New Mexico University.
December 1998 and December 1999: Two healing fire ceremonies in Chimayo, New Mexico, bringing together people from different nations, cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, and races in prayer for world unity, harmony, peace, cooperation for each other, and to work together for a better future in our world.
February and November of 1999: International gatherings in Guatemala that fulfilled the prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor (the unification of the indigenous peoples of North and South America)
October 2001: Sponsored an elder and youth, both spiritual leaders, to travel from Guatemala through five states in the U.S. leading ceremonies, workshops, and giving presentations at universities, high schools, and grade schools.
March 2002: Pilgrimage with participants to sacred sites in Guatemala, ceremonies with the Mayan people, spiritual teachings from Mayan elders, and visits to sustainable projects and communities of the Mayan people to create alliances between the indigenous people of Guatemala and the rest of the world
April 2002: Brought a delegation from the United States and Canada to participate in the First Waqxaqui’ B’atz’ International Council, where they also visited sacred sites in Guatemala and Honduras.
June 2002: Indigenous delegation from Guatemala, the United States, and Canada to Norway and Sweden. The delegation gave talks and workshops about their cultures to the general public; met with Saami indigenous peoples; visited museums and burial grounds to speak about indigenous rights; met with leaders of the Parliament and different ambassadors for a roundtable dialogue about culture, ecology, and peace; led indigenous ceremonies; visited a school; and promoted unity and world healing between all people.
October 2002: Pilgrimage to sacred sites and ceremonies in Peru, where alliances were created between the Mayan people, the Quero, Aymara, other Quechua speaking nations & various nations of the rainforest.
May 2003: Pilgrimage from United States to Guatemala to visit sacred sites, including the site of the land that was purchased in September 2002 to create the Patziapa healing/teaching/ceremonial center.
2003-2007: Invited by Laana xaaynangaay llgihldii, Communities Living Better (part of the Nystle Society/Aboriginal Healing Foundation) in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia) to bring Mayan teachings, healings, and ceremonies to the Haida people. This work has been helping many of the Haida to reconnect to their own ceremonial ways and heal the deep wounds of residential schools and loss of their culture.
October 2005: Council for Peaceful Alliances Between Sovereign Nations and Organizations with delegates representing the Haida, Oromo, Maori, Penobscot, Mohawk, Apache/Navajo, Cherokee, Viking, and North America came together at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala for ceremonies and council around the sacred fire.
July 2006: Mayan New Year ceremonies initiating the land base in Northern California with participants from Kenya, South Africa, Haida Gwaii, Guatemala, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and California.
November 2007: CISEI “Spirit of the Water” Forum: international gathering held at Tiosh Abaj in Guatemala. Over 150 indigenous Medicine People, scientists, academics, and others from Guatemala, Mexico, South America, the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa gathered for five days in ceremony and forums to discuss the importance of Water at this time.