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Ancient
Voices
A
Museum to honor the least known people in North America,
the Original Tribal Women |
Biography of
Gloria Hazell
Gloria Hazell
is English but lived in America for over 20 years, she had also commuted
between both countries for a few months at a time for a number of years.
She is no longer able to do so though due to finances and personal committments.
She has been a Pipe holder for over 15 years under the tutelage
of Spirit, various Medicine men and Chuck who she has known and
partnered in business and life for many years. (As
well as being a Pipe holder himself for many years Chuck has also
been a pipe maker and quarrier of the genuine sacred red stone
Catlinite for over 50 years in Pipestone Minnesota, where he and
Gloria have a home, although they live separately for much
of the year, she in England, he in Minnesota, USA. For a number
of months each year they come together and work and play in the
spiritual realm. It can be a lonely life but they speak to each
other every day, much to the delight of the telephone companies,
and email and message each other a number of times a day as well.
)
Gloria is
not Native American but has learned from various people on different
reservations across America. She has been Chuck Derby's business
partner since 1994, and his emotional partner since 1998. During her time
with Chuck she met various Medicine men and spiritual elders and
is proud to count as her friends many Sundancers and Medicine
men such as Chris Leith, Harry Charger and Galen Drapeau Senior.
She also counts AIM leaders Clyde Bellacourt and Dennis Banks
and the Keeper of the White Buffalo Pipe, Arvol Looking Horse
among her long time acquaintences.
Gloria had the
advantage of attending the Pipestone Sundance since it's first
year, and pledged at that time to assist with their work and to
support the dancers for at least 8 years which she did before
she returned to England. She says that she learned more at those
Sundances than she did in all the years travelling around the
country visiting the Reservations. She now attends the Pipestone
Sundance whenever she can.
During her years
as Chuck's partner she has travelled with him to political meetings
in the Minnesota/South Dakota/Nebraska areas, and so knows quite
a bit about how the politics in Indian Country sit. She has worked
on various Native American committees, the latest being the 'Dakota
Commemorative March'.
Gloria has worked
with Spirit for as long as she can remember, when she was a child
her mother taught her the 'Old Ways' of her part of England which
she still adheres to today. She is at present in the process of
working with Jan Harper and others in England to get a 'Spiritual Elders of Albion' group formed.
Recently she was invited to be the 'Official Bard of the Wight Druids' (IOW), which she has accepted.
As well as being
a Pipe holder, Gloria has also held the position of fire-keeper
for Inipi ceremonies, has helped on security at Sundances, and
has presented programs on Native American cultures both in America
and Europe for over 20 years.
Gloria
started an educational program in the mid 1980's in New Jersey
where she taught at schools and gave private presentations on
the cultural aspects of the Native American tribes. When she moved
to Minnesota in the 1990's and met Chuck she invited him to join
her in these presentations and changed the name to 'Beads and
Buckskins'. At present Gloria and Chuck are preparing a new program especially for
schools presenting cultural values and how they relate to todays world. Anyone who wishes to have the program
presented in their area please contact Gloria at the following email: ancient_tracks@yahoo.com tell her where you are located and
she will make arrangements with you. (You may need a translator
if you live in an area where English isn't spoken a lot. If you
are in the Netherlands Gloria will make sure that their friends Mariska and Nico
come along to translate.)
(2017)She has 4 children
and 12 grandchildren and one Great grandson. When in England she used to live
in a house with her mother (89), her daughter (40) and her
grand-daughter (18). She laughs as she says, "Four generations
of women living under the same roof, all learning from one another,
it's quite an experience."
An update: Gloria's Mum has alzheimers and needs a full time carer so she will be taking care of her mother full time from now on.
This website will continue to grow, but travel out of England will be out of the question for a while. Updates will be added from time to time. Gloria's Mum passed in 2008.
Gloria is also
known as 'Dragonfly' a name given to her by Cherokee Herbalist
and an Ojibwa visionary. and also 'Iron Woman' a name given to
her by her Pre-Celtic ancestors.
Gloria states,
"My lifestyle adheres
to the Spiritual path, what Spirit wants, I try my best to fulfill."
Gloria story telling during one of her talks at a high school
in Minnesota, USA
Gloria and Chuck presenting
the B & B program in 1996
Chuck and Gloria presenting a B&B program,
October 2006 at a school in the Isle of Wight, UK.
Sadly Chuck passed away from Pancreatic cancer in 2010. The Center has since closed down and Gloria has gone back to live in England with her family.
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