Original Medicine 4-Part Series with Amelia Butler - Saturday, April 11, 2026

Original Medicine 4-Part Series

Wairua & Dreams in Te Ao Māori

with Amelia Butler

Saturday, April 11, 2026 

10:00 - 11:30 am PT

Online via Zoom

About the Session

An introduction to wairua (spirit) and the role of dreams in Māori understandings of ancestral connection. Grounded in tikanga Māori (Māori customs & protocol), this session offers meaningful insight into cultural beliefs, values, and respectful ways of engaging with tūpuna (ancestors) beyond Western frameworks.

About Original Medicine 4-Part Series

Original Medicine 4-Part Series is a platform for Indigenous elders, teachers, and healers from all four corners of the world to come and share their wisdom. This series seeks to illuminate the often overlooked and unheard voices of Indigenous people. These sessions offer a psycho-spiritual and cross-cultural approach that may include teachings from the Buddha-Dharma, Indigenous Wisdom, and other contemplative and earth-based traditions. We work with each Season as a teacher, featuring a different guest speaker every Season, so that we may be in an intentional practice of connecting ourselves with the natural world.

In Indigenous societies, there are long-standing practices of honoring the sacred, cultivating stillness, embracing silences, and forming a relationship to deep listening; these practices open our hearts to the mysteries of life. They are the messengers that guide us back to the wisdom of our precious hearts. Join our sessions to explore these ancient ways of being with ourselves and the earth. 

We invite you to join any of our sessions to explore the possibilities that lay within, allowing authenticity to emerge as Original Medicine. Prior participation in previous Original Medicine 4-Part Sessions or Original Medicine Yearlong Program is not required to attend.

Reciprocity Contribution

We gratefully welcome donations of any amount that feels meaningful to you. Your support is appreciated, and everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to contribute. 

Setting the Container

We request participants attend the whole program and arrive on time to respect the container of the session and our guest teacher. 

At Braided Wisdom, we strive to cultivate an online space that supports connection, presence, and collective care. While we invite participants to have their cameras on to help nurture a sense of community, we wholeheartedly honor that there are many reasons someone may choose otherwise. We encourage you to meet yourself where you are, and if any needs arise around this, you’re warmly invited to reach out to us at info@braidedwisdom.org.

About Amelia Butler

Amelia Butler (Learn Māori Abroad Founder & Kaiako/Teacher) is of Ngātiwai, Ngāti Awa and Ngāpuhi descent. She attended Kōhanga Reo (Māori language preschool) at a young age and grew up in Auckland. Amelia studied Māori by correspondence at secondary school and led her school’s kapa haka group. She went on to major in Māori language, culture and performance in her Bachelor of Arts degree and Māori Land Law in her Bachelor of law degree at the University of Auckland. Amelia moved to Turtle Island (US) in 2009 and is currently based on the lands of the Chickasaw Nation in Memphis, TN. She has shared Māori language, dance & culture with various organization in the US including Yale, UCLA, University of Hawaii, University of Washington, San Fransisco City College, University of Indiana, Pacific Island Ethnic Arts Museum, Warner Bros Studios, Sony, Bullet Proof Coffee, Kiwis in LA, Tourism NZ, Penguin Random House, YMCA and more. Amelia has also been featured in several publications including Newshub, Whakaata Māori/Māori TV, Te Ao Māori News, Radio NZ, Aio The Podcast and KEXP Radio. Amelia is currently in her third year of the Masters of Indigenous Studies program at the University of Auckland. She also founded and leads her LA-based kapa haka (traditional Māori performance) group , Ngāti Ānahera. To watch Amelia's TEDx talk click here.

Zoom Link

An email with the Zoom Link will be sent to you the day before at 1:37 pm PT, the morning of at 8:00 am PT, and five minutes prior to the program. Please search for info@braidedwisdom.org and check your spam folder if you do not see our email with the Zoom Link.

This program registration is for Original Medicine 4-Part Series: Wairua & Dreams in Te Ao Māori with Amelia Butler on Saturday, April 11, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am PT.

If you have any questions, please email info@braidedwisdom.org.