HONORING OUR ANCESTORS 101
Honoring Our Ancestors 101: A 5-Week Journey of Empowerment through Art, Culture, and Community
Join visionary artist and cultural educator Queen Leia Lewis for a transformative, intergenerational learning experience that bridges the past and present to honor our ancestors and empower our lives today. This foundational course is designed for artists, creatives, history enthusiasts, truth seekers, and anyone seeking a deeper connection to their heritage. Over five weeks, you will be guided through an intentional process of reflection, cultural exploration, and artistic expression to cultivate a renewed sense of purpose, identity, and belonging.
I. Course Overview
This 5-week journey offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the lives and legacies of your personal family ancestors and our shared collective ancestors. Through the powerful mediums of art, culture, and community, you will be invited to:
- Art & Expression: Uncover your creative potential through visual arts, expressive arts, and the sacred arts, including breathwork, meditation, and prayer. By engaging with different modalities, you will experience the power of creative flow and learn how art can become a tool for healing and storytelling.
- Cultural Exploration: Dive into your family’s lineage, tracing the roots of your heritage to uncover the beliefs, traditions, and untold stories that have shaped your identity. Together, we will identify and honor the threads of resilience, creativity, and wisdom that run through your family tree. Whether you’re remembering forgotten stories, healing generational wounds, or creating new narratives, this is your time to reclaim your ancestral connections.
- Community Connection: Engage in heart-centered dialogue and collaborative learning with fellow participants, building a supportive network that honors diversity and fosters growth. As we share, connect, and celebrate together, you will feel the strength of communal wisdom and the joy of collective upliftment.
II. Course Details
- Dates: Saturdays — October 26, November 2, November 9, November 16, and November 23
- Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Times may vary on some weeks; updates will be provided in advance)
- Location: Shreveport, LA (Public location; details shared upon registration)
- Format: Live, in-person gatherings. Each session builds on the previous week’s themes, allowing for deepening reflection and learning.
III. Who Should Attend?
This course is for you if you are:
- An artist or creative seeking to infuse your work with deeper meaning
- A history enthusiast looking to explore ancestral narratives
- A truth seeker desiring to connect with your roots and spirituality
- An individual longing for a deeper connection to your family and cultural lineage
Note! This course is intergenerational and families with children are welcome.
IV. Your Investment
I believe in making this experience accessible to as many people as possible.
Please review the sliding scale with recommendations.
Choose according to your circumstances and what agrees with you.
SELECT YOUR PAYMENT
$33 - college student, graduate student, young adult age 18 to 25
$55 - individual person, elder age 65 plus
$99 - individual person, partners/couple, families with children
$220 - standard payment in full
Every amount appreciates the value of this course and supports associated expenses.
Fees cover all five sessions and helps provide a gratuity for the instructor.
Participants are responsible for obtaining a required book/workbook, along with a few materials (estimated cost of $40 to $60). A detailed materials list will be provided after registration.
V. Key Takeaways
- A deeper connection to your family lineage and ancestral roots
- New creative tools for self-expression and storytelling
- Insights into healing generational patterns and honoring your heritage
- A community of like-minded individuals supporting your growth
- Renewed inspiration and clarity to create new stories and legacies for the future
Honoring Our Ancestors 101 "meets you where you are" and offers a space to honor, heal, and uplift the stories that have shaped us, while inviting us to live intentionally with passion and purpose.
VI. About the Facilitator
Iya Oriade Queen Leia Lewis is a visionary teaching artist, cultural architect, and educator from Shreveport, Louisiana. With over 30 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector, entrepreneurship, and community building, she channels ancestral wisdom, divine feminine vision, and a deep commitment to wholistic healing and human development into her life's work. Guided by principles of good character, Queen Leia has designed and led transformative programs for empowering women, as well as enriching schools, youth organizations, and community groups through the arts, academic achievement, and advocating for social justice.
As a spiritual wise woman, seeker of truth and lifelong learner, Queen Leia carries forward sacred teachings of the Lucumi tradition, Ifa', and Jesus the Christ -- while also integrating her knowledge and practice of reiki, breathwork, meditation, akashic reading, and other healing methods. An avid world traveler, she has journeyed to ten countries (and counting). She celebrates the importance of expanding one's cultural horizons and embracing local and global diversity as opportunities for personal growth and collective expansion. With her passion for cultivating enriching, soulful art and experiences --- including art making, programs, courses, retreats, and coaching ---- Iya Oriade Queen Leia believes that honoring the divine through self-care, stillness, study, service, and stewardship is the essence of LOVE.
NO PERSON WILL BE TURNED AWAY DUE TO THEIR ABILITY TO PAY/NOT PAY.
Volunteer and resource exchange opportunities are available. Simply reach out.
