Modern medicine woman to speak at UT as part of Native American Heritage Month

---

Deborah “Eagle Cloud” Ayres will give the keynote address for The University of Toledo’s Native American Heritage Month celebration.

Her talk is titled “Indigenous Healing for Modern Times” and will take place Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. in Thompson Student Union Room 3018.

Ayres is an expert in Native American spirituality and runs a healing practice in Sylvania, Ohio. She also is the president of the Avalon Foundation, which offers emotional support for children with rare diseases and their families.

“We are thrilled to host Deborah ‘Eagle Cloud’ Ayres, who will share her experience as a medicine woman,” said Dr. Michele Soliz, associate vice president for student success and inclusion in the UT Division of Student Affairs.

Ayres said it is important to have a designated time to remember and celebrate Native Americans and it is an honor to give the keynote address.

“During the November moon, many of us tend to deepen our gratitude and take note of our blessings — it’s incredibly powerful medicine. It’s a beautiful time of year to renew ourselves in these Native American traditions, which hold such reverence for the simplicity and sacredness of life,” she said.

During her address, she will talk about the value of indigenous healing practices and their benefits for individuals as well as society as a whole.

“My hope is that individuals will deepen their appreciation and reverence for our Native American healing traditions while raising their own spiritual awareness,” Ayres said. “My mission is to build bridges of understanding toward mindfulness and peace in today’s world by practicing and teaching the ways of living sacred.”

For more information on her free, public talk, contact the UT Office of Multicultural Student Success at 419.530.2261 or omss@utoledo.edu.