This year is the 11th annual Language of the Land Native American youth camp was held July 15-18, 2025. This camp is an opportunity for local Native American youth to reconnect to the land and revitalize their kinship with the Black Hills of South Dakota. The participants had opportunities for various nature connection activities, including awareness games, plant medicine, fire making, swimming, hiking, sharing stories, and gratitude. There was the added cultural elements of tipi living and a "pow-wow" group drum. 

This is the third year for the children to get a special treat to spend time on a boat and have fun in the water and tubbing. This activity is more recreational and is one of the highlights of the children's summer. 

There is no fee for the Native American participants for the camp. Helpers Mentoring Society is dedicated to providing nature/cultural immersion and educational opportunities for Native American youth. We are grateful to the many people around the world ...

Vermilion Articulated is a movie made to share the understanding of the challenges we face and to give people hope in how to navigate and heal the Disconnection Sickness. Together we can restore humanity's relationship to oneself, to the Earth, and to one another - for the sake of all life now and for the future.

Currently fundraising for the completion of this film through Indiegogo. To contribute please visit this link: 

Vermilion Articulated

Helpers Mentoring Society and Bison People Land team are in the process of creating a documentary film about healing the greatest disease of our age – the Disconnection Sickness.

Over the last years I've been getting clear guidance that a movie needs to be created that explains the disconnection sickness, how we can collectively heal, and how more people can join.  

We're in a critical moment, as human beings, as we transition through time of disconnection into the opportunity for a new way of life. The Vermilion Articulated movie is a way to spread understanding so people can realize the choices we face in this time and how to embrace the healing process. Together we can restore humanity's relationship to oneself, to the Earth, and to one another - for the sake of all life now and for the future.

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Sacred Fires will once again be laid upon the earth worldwide in support of life. In this webinar recording, we will offer ways to engage with this process for yourself and be a part of this growing community of people who tend to life through ceremony. Tending to the stuck energies of humanity and nature with the transformational element of fire can support the healthy flow of life. Tending to creation in this way is part of humanity responsibility to care for life, now and into the future. Penny Jerram and Helpers Mentoring Society founder, Salvatore Gencarelle presented this teaching. 

Spring has finally arrived at the top of the Black Hills here in South Dakota. The late winter snows have now shifted into mostly rain, still with a few snow flurries. The longer days and powerful sun have warmed the earth enough for the fresh green grasses to carpet the land. The bison have delighted in switching from hay bales to the fresh green shoots. 

As part of our management practice, we rotationally graze the bison on different parts of the land. This grazing method is part of a holistic approach to support the needs of the bison in concert with the ecosystem. When done correctly the bison always have enough to eat and the plants/grasses are not overgrazed. This not only makes the bison healthier, but it's also been found to increase the diversity and abundance of both plants, insects, and animals in the ecosystem. It is also a great way to sequester CO2 down into the roots of the plants. 

We have divided the property into 6 separate areas (paddocks) which the bison visit...

Accessing a connection is the first step. Living in connectivity is the goal. With the changing seasons we have the opportunity to embrace the movement of life in connection with the natural world. Seasonal shifts are potent ways to realign ourselves with the Earth's natural rhythms with the aim of having healthy connection in every moment. This can be a challenge within the toxicity of the modern context. Within this video, we offer supportive ways to live in connection every day within the modern reality we face. It is also an opportunity to share insights from the recent quarterly Ceremonies around the Equinox that support connectivity. Hosted by Salvatore Gencarelle.

Renewing the connection to life is more important than ever right now. With the human world continuing to enact forms of disconnected behavior, we must find ways to purify ourselves from this negativity and return to life's fullness. Regular purification in a world dulled by the toxicity of unprocessed grief is essential in staying upright in how we live. Within that purification, we can find the connection that guides us towards a new way of being. In this free webinar for the Wheel of Life Quarterly Ceremony of the March Equinox, we offer practices to support purification back toward life. Hosted by Salvatore Gencarelle and the Helpers Mentoring Society Team.

Our bison herd is enjoying a milder winter this year. Local temperatures, while still freezing, are above average. There have been only a handful of days below the negative mark, as compared to the previous years. 

2025 has already been a year of organizational development and expansion of the vision of Bison People Land. In January, application to become a 501c3 (not-for-profit) organization has been submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. This tax designation will allow us to receive tax deductible contributions from our donners, as well as open up new grant and funding possibilities. 

We are in the process of expanding our current nature educational programs as well as developing new opportunities for people to connect to the land, the bison and their "authentic" selves. The plans include both web-based and in-person education. We are also making preparations to expand the herd and video document this endeavor during the summer of 2025. 

Just last weekend so...

An introduction to Helpers Mentoring Society. The video is of Salvatore Gencarelle presenting about the roots, founding and development of Helpers Mentoring Society.

The Solstices and Equinoxes have been times of connection, ceremony, and intention-setting for thousands of years. The Wheel of Life Quarterly ceremonies have always aimed to provide a coordinated way to unite our collective intentions for healing and wellness.  We align these intentions and ceremonial events to the cycles of nature, life, and each other to unlock greater avenues of support from the creational forces.