By Kailee Dunn

In 2004, an ancient prophecy came true when 13 elderly women met in Phoenicia, New York, to later become the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.

On May 7, the women’s studies department brought one of the 13 grandmothers to speak to EWU students.

Her name is Grandmother Margaret Behan and she represents the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes. She said her tribal name was Red Spiderwoman, which can be translated as “relentless” in Cheyenne and “balance in the world” in Arapahoe.

Behan resides with her tribe in Montana, but travels across the country telling others how the grandmothers’ council came to be and revisiting her painful past.

She grew up around people in medicine and those who would heal others. She uses what she learned to try and heal others today.

“I remember seeing magical things happen … miracles,” Behan said.

Behan touched on the difficult points in her life when she dealt with an alcoholic spouse and struggled with alcoholism herself.

“I found myself getting back on track, cleaning up, mopping up,” said Behan.

After recovering, Behan was invited to New York for a convention. She was seated at a table with 12 other women.

“We all had concerns about homes, about our Earth,” said Behan.

She explained that in the moment of sitting together she began to cry because she knew the prophecy had become true.

“The story is at one time before or during the ice age these 13 grandmothers came together to talk about the new time. They would teach about the Earth, the moon, and the life a woman gives. In the new millennium, the [grandmothers] would come back,” Behan said.

There were signs that all led to them being the 13 grandmothers, according to Behan. One of the grandmothers was given a bundle of 13 rocks and 13 feathers as a child and knew that when meeting the others, she was to distribute them to each grandmother.

Behan recalls that each of the 13 women had their own story. As a child, Behan’s grandfather was creating a fire and was told by her grandmother to put 13 marks on the ground around the fire. “It’s your love that’s going to help light the way,” said Behan’s grandmother to her.

Today, Behan said the grandmothers often gather at each other’s homes to try and fulfill their mission. The mission being, “world peace for Mother Earth and her inhabitants.”

Carol Vines, manager of the women’s studies center, said the reason they brought grandmother Behan here was due to the fact that Margaret Rogers, who is the administration manager in child-family outreach, went to a retreat where Behan spoke.

Rogers was at the retreat with Deborah Williams, who Vines said is somewhat of an apprentice of Behan’s. Williams said she admires how genuine grandmother Behan is and how she really tries to connect with others.

“She’s not afraid to get a little teary when she’s talking about these stories. She really feels it. She really has a message to carry to people and she makes herself so available to people. Every time I witness her in action, that’s probably my favorite thing,” Williams said.

The 12 other grandmothers include women from all across the nation and a few from different countries and continents.

For a full list of the grandmothers and more information about their council, visit http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org.