The encounter is designed to mirror the intimate learning environments found in many Indigenous communities. Participants will be placed into small cohorts according to the backgrounds, such as a cohort for therapists, another one for researchers or community organizers, etc., creating space for meaningful conversations and hands-on workshops with one Elder at a time. Elders will join each group accompanied by a translator and a Bridger.

These groups offer the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with each Elder. If you’re not able to attend the full schedule of the conference, rest assured that recordings will be provided to conference participants for most of the open session talks and the opening speech of the Elders in the cohorts. However, no recordings will be made of the sections in which participants engage with the Elders.

If the price for the all-inclusive conference ticket is too much for you, you can apply for a scholarship emailing hello@sunflowersutras.org, and letting us know how much you would be able to afford, or you can purchase a donation-based Open Session Ticket, which includes all open sessions + the Friday open ceremony.

Please keep in mind that this conference is entirely volunteer-ran and that most of the proceeds will be given to the Indigenous Elders and their communities. While we’ve aimed to keep prices as low as possible to make this accessible to people of all economic backgrounds, we invite everyone to pay whatever they can afford, knowing that their contribution will make a direct impact in the lives of the Indigenous Elders you’ll meet and their families. If you are able to pay for a Benefactor ticket, know that your gesture will allow someone who can’t afford the standard rate to join you in this experience.