August 8, 2025 • 16 mins
Enjoy Part 2 of "What Is The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path" with Janneke Koole. DTMMS.TV Episode 2.
Learn more about DTMMS: https://dtmms.org/
Janneke Koole, one of the highly regarded and credentialed teachers as well as author of, "Journeys into the Mirror: A Journal for Woman" & "Jenny & the Big Old Tree."
Key moments in this interview:
00:00 Start of Part 2 of "What Is The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path" with Janneke Koole
00:45 What does apprenticeship mean in the The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path
03:51 Where in the world are the different lodges for The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path
04:30 What is the Earth Lodge
05:26 DTMMS Reviews of the Arizona Red Lodge Longhouse
06:06 What is the difference between DTMMS (Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society) and The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path?
07:40 What is the difference between the study groups, earth lodges and different offering of The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path
11:29 What does it mean to be a Hereditary Lineage Leader?
12:31 DTMMS Review of the Arizona Red Lodge Longhouse
13:09 What are the suggested first actions you should take?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This podcast is produced by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine
Society. Copyright DTMMS. All rights
reserved. Materials may not be used
without written permission. The Sweet Medicine Sundance Path
is a mystery school that offers shamanic knowledge and practices
for anyone seeking personal growth, spiritual awakening, and
(00:21):
evolution through interconnectedness.
Today, the wheels and keys, the teachings, practices, and
ceremonies are available at workshops, events, and
ceremonial gatherings in variouscountries around the planet.
Let's continue our conversation with Yanica.
Cool, a Sweet Medicine Sundance leader and teacher.
(00:44):
I've thought I've introduced myself as an apprentice.
I know that you are an apprentice to this path.
What? What is an apprenticeship on
this path? I mean, I know that in other
mystery schools apprenticeship is very usual, but sometimes
they can be a little bit different.
So I just wondered if you could tell us a little bit about
(01:05):
apprenticeship on this path? Yeah, there's definitely many
different ways of apprenticing, but for, for us, the, the, the
simple answer to what is an apprentice is that it is someone
who has acknowledged and knows that they are a seeker, that
(01:27):
they desire to know themselves, life, spirit and to grow.
And so when, when a spirit becomes seeker, A seeker and an
individual knows that they will begin looking, they will look
until they find some way. Our apprenticeship is actually
(01:49):
with great spirit. And once that spiritual
connection is made, then one looks for a path.
And apprentice is Apprenticeshipis one way to go, but not
everyone needs to be an apprentice in order to be able
(02:10):
to take part in ceremonies or tolearn the wheels and keys.
That's true, definitely true. And we have many, many options.
You know, we have, we have smallgroups that gather in local
areas that allow the, that allows individual to gather with
(02:32):
those who are also interested inthe path.
We have what is called the EarthLodge in in Germany and Italy
and Australia and soon in America here where where the
it's an intergenerational familycamp basically that meets once a
year for a whole week and anyoneis welcome and the children get
(02:56):
to learn and play. The teens get to do rites of
hostage and where all people at Earth Lodge are welcome to take
their rights of hostage. Their next step in their
maturational everyday life experience.
And and then the other is placeswhere there are groups that meet
(03:18):
for sweet medicine study, will often have invitations for
monthly purification lodges, drum circles.
There's an aspect of the organization called Friends of
the Deer Tribe that does online Zoom offerings of the teachings.
Many many ways to come and meet special workshops, lots of
(03:44):
places to come so. The sweet medicine Sundance path
has actually spread across the planet.
There's, it's in quite pretty much every continent now, as far
as I know. And there are, yes, the Earth
lodges. There are the Red Lodge programs
(04:06):
and then there are lodges and study groups in many, many
places and all of these are listed on the Deer Tribe
website. Coming up next, more about the
Sweet Medicine Sundance Path with Yanna Kakul.
(04:40):
As human beings, we find ourselves walking upon the earth
with the opportunity to live, experience, grow and evolve, and
every stage of our life brings gifts and challenges.
Each time we undergo a transition, we can make it with
awareness and beauty, in connection with Spirit and in
(05:00):
harmony with nature, our greatest teaching.
As human beings, we have the right to celebrate life, to seal
change and to honour the earth that continuously nourishes us.
This is what happens at the Earth Lodge.
(05:26):
I do enjoy the ceremonies and all the teachings.
I'm really looking forward to the healing that I can do inside
my own self and also. The community is amazing.
I'm. Looking forward to learning new
things, finding out about myself.
I'm looking forward to evolving.The spiritual connection to
(05:48):
Great Spirit and to all things magical.
These are the things that are most important to me right now.
Welcome back to our conversationwith Yana Kakul.
This sometimes gets a little bitconfusing with people wondering
what is DTMMS and what are the sweet medicine Sundance paths?
(06:10):
Are they two different things? What's the relationship between
them? DTM.
Ms. Deer Tribe Mati Medicine Society is the nonprofit
organization and it's like the the home of the path.
It is an organization that is mandated to preserve the
knowledge, to provide for the dissemination, to provide
(06:33):
resources and and keep growing or developing the offerings of
sweet medicine. Sweet medicine Sundance is the
spiritual path. It is has a what we call a
gateway ceremonial process, a step by step process in
spiritual development as well asprograms that are open for all.
(07:00):
It provides for personal healingand for a ways in which an
individual can chart their own course in life.
And so sweet medicine is the spiritual path, has an annual
renewal ceremony, has multiple ways for people to be involved.
(07:21):
The Deer Tribe is the organization that makes sure the
path will continue. So we have lodges all over the
globe, we have lineage programs,we have Earth's lodge, there are
study groups. Can you walk us through which
each of these different pieces are within the tribe?
(07:46):
Yeah. And one, one of the threads
within our path is very similar to how we began that we learn
best by teaching or sharing. Yeah.
So leadership is a theme in how we actually do our personal self
growth and development. And so study group lodge is
(08:08):
study group leaders. Our study groups are like little
campfires. They're local small group
gatherings in a home that allow an apprentice to already begin
to share the knowledge that theyhave learned and to create ways
in which the the impact of the the joy and the healing and the
(08:35):
learning can be shared with those who are in they invite
into their home. Often what will happen is that
group becomes more steady, more stable, and it becomes an
ongoing study center or gathering.
(08:55):
And this becomes then what we call a lodge with a lodge leader
person is usually further along in their own process and able to
then guide a student, an apprentice through their steps
inside the first gateways of ourunfolding of our spiritual path.
(09:17):
And so a lodge is more ongoing. They will have monthly
gatherings, they will have purification lodges, they will
have ceremonial week long eventsand so they're able to nourish
and support the students and apprentices along their way.
(09:40):
In addition, we would have individuals who have done
extensive training who become qualified teachers.
And these teachers can then go anywhere on the planet.
So they go where they are called, they go where they are,
where there is interest, where there's study groups who say
yeah, but we want more. And so the qualified teacher
(10:00):
will come. And those are workshops that are
done around all aspects, whetherthey are for personal healing,
whether they are for spiritual sexuality, whether they are
about being able to apply, how to be a better parent.
(10:21):
And often these, this is what creates communities in the
different arenas. And those communities will then
open the door for the wider, wider collective, wider seekers
through earth lodges, more workshops and ways to invite
people to engage in the ceremonial aspects.
(10:45):
The Deer tribe itself is responsible for maintaining the
preservation and dissemination. And so there is some lineage
programs that are that have a set curriculum that provides for
for those who are definite in their forward movement to make
(11:08):
sure that all aspects of the knowledge has been integrated.
So those we would call lineage programs.
So it's a very, it's a wide range A.
Very wide range, something for everyone.
The we also have the title of which you are one of them, the
(11:30):
hereditary lineage group, A hereditary lineage leader.
What is that? So, you know where the path our
path was given to us shared by Thunder strikes and when there
came a certain point when his leadership required more than
(11:54):
one person to to actualize and implement and so on.
And so there are six of us who at at around that in varying
times, but basically now have been stable for the last 1520
more years that we have dedicated that it is our life's
(12:15):
mission to make sure that this path continues for the next
generations. So that's why it's called
hereditary lineage leaders. That's our dedication stay.
Tuned for more with Janika Cool on the Sweet Medicine Sundance
Path. Healing for me is is a lifelong
(12:35):
process and inside of this particular program, there are
many very what would I call pragmatic and also magical
approaches to create healing inside of oneself.
It's critical that each one of us, as a human being, find what
(12:55):
is going to feed us, what is going to support us in our own
healing and growing. Welcome back to our conversation
with Yana Kakul. So someone's watching this video
for the first time and they've come across our conversation.
(13:17):
What would you say to them if they interest was piqued?
Well, if they have listened so far and they get to this point,
I would probably suggest that they go out into nature, that
they take themselves, their children, or by themselves and
(13:38):
find a place where the, where they can be safe to just walk
and be. And that they can begin to just
listen to the earth, to feel theearth under their feet, to smell
the air as it changes, 'cause you know, when you spend time in
(13:59):
nature, you become more natural.And it is in our naturalness
that Spirit welcomes us the easiest.
When we're busy, Spirit might bestill welcoming us, and in fact
is, but we don't necessarily recognize it.
And so to just spend time in nature, to listen to the wind,
(14:21):
to be able to observe the stars and to and Sister Moon as she
goes through her phases, any andalways to really be calmly
present in nature, to allow the the stresses and the
overwhelming inundation of, of impulses and news to be just
(14:50):
quiet for a little while. I would, I would say that that
is the most important invitationthat we can put out because from
there spirit will guide and fromthere the individual will find
their way because we put out a request to spirit.
Spirit always provides. Thank you, Yanika, I've really
(15:17):
enjoyed doing this interview with you and look forward to
having further conversations with you and with other leaders.
Thank you very much for joining us.
For more information about DTMMSand the Sweet Medicine Sundance
Path, go to ourwebsite@dtmms.org.
(15:41):
You'll see a calendar of events and our international offerings.
You can also e-mail DTMMS at DTMms.org to answer any questions.
You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon
Music podcasts, and iHeartRadio.Thank you for tuning in to
(16:02):
DTMMSTV. If you liked what you heard then
thumbs up and share please.
This podcast is produced by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine
Society. Copyright DTMMS. All rights
reserved. Materials may not be used
without written permission. The Sweet Medicine Sundance Path
is a mystery school that offers shamanic knowledge and practices
for anyone seeking personal growth, spiritual awakening, and
(00:21):
evolution through interconnectedness.
Today, the wheels and keys, the teachings, practices, and
ceremonies are available at workshops, events, and
ceremonial gatherings in variouscountries around the planet.
Let's continue our conversation with Yanica.
Cool, a Sweet Medicine Sundance leader and teacher.
(00:44):
I've thought I've introduced myself as an apprentice.
I know that you are an apprentice to this path.
What? What is an apprenticeship on
this path? I mean, I know that in other
mystery schools apprenticeship is very usual, but sometimes
they can be a little bit different.
So I just wondered if you could tell us a little bit about
(01:05):
apprenticeship on this path? Yeah, there's definitely many
different ways of apprenticing, but for, for us, the, the, the
simple answer to what is an apprentice is that it is someone
who has acknowledged and knows that they are a seeker, that
(01:27):
they desire to know themselves, life, spirit and to grow.
And so when, when a spirit becomes seeker, A seeker and an
individual knows that they will begin looking, they will look
until they find some way. Our apprenticeship is actually
(01:49):
with great spirit. And once that spiritual
connection is made, then one looks for a path.
And apprentice is Apprenticeshipis one way to go, but not
everyone needs to be an apprentice in order to be able
(02:10):
to take part in ceremonies or tolearn the wheels and keys.
That's true, definitely true. And we have many, many options.
You know, we have, we have smallgroups that gather in local
areas that allow the, that allows individual to gather with
(02:32):
those who are also interested inthe path.
We have what is called the EarthLodge in in Germany and Italy
and Australia and soon in America here where where the
it's an intergenerational familycamp basically that meets once a
year for a whole week and anyoneis welcome and the children get
(02:56):
to learn and play. The teens get to do rites of
hostage and where all people at Earth Lodge are welcome to take
their rights of hostage. Their next step in their
maturational everyday life experience.
And and then the other is placeswhere there are groups that meet
(03:18):
for sweet medicine study, will often have invitations for
monthly purification lodges, drum circles.
There's an aspect of the organization called Friends of
the Deer Tribe that does online Zoom offerings of the teachings.
Many many ways to come and meet special workshops, lots of
(03:44):
places to come so. The sweet medicine Sundance path
has actually spread across the planet.
There's, it's in quite pretty much every continent now, as far
as I know. And there are, yes, the Earth
lodges. There are the Red Lodge programs
(04:06):
and then there are lodges and study groups in many, many
places and all of these are listed on the Deer Tribe
website. Coming up next, more about the
Sweet Medicine Sundance Path with Yanna Kakul.
(04:40):
As human beings, we find ourselves walking upon the earth
with the opportunity to live, experience, grow and evolve, and
every stage of our life brings gifts and challenges.
Each time we undergo a transition, we can make it with
awareness and beauty, in connection with Spirit and in
(05:00):
harmony with nature, our greatest teaching.
As human beings, we have the right to celebrate life, to seal
change and to honour the earth that continuously nourishes us.
This is what happens at the Earth Lodge.
(05:26):
I do enjoy the ceremonies and all the teachings.
I'm really looking forward to the healing that I can do inside
my own self and also. The community is amazing.
I'm. Looking forward to learning new
things, finding out about myself.
I'm looking forward to evolving.The spiritual connection to
(05:48):
Great Spirit and to all things magical.
These are the things that are most important to me right now.
Welcome back to our conversationwith Yana Kakul.
This sometimes gets a little bitconfusing with people wondering
what is DTMMS and what are the sweet medicine Sundance paths?
(06:10):
Are they two different things? What's the relationship between
them? DTM.
Ms. Deer Tribe Mati Medicine Society is the nonprofit
organization and it's like the the home of the path.
It is an organization that is mandated to preserve the
knowledge, to provide for the dissemination, to provide
(06:33):
resources and and keep growing or developing the offerings of
sweet medicine. Sweet medicine Sundance is the
spiritual path. It is has a what we call a
gateway ceremonial process, a step by step process in
spiritual development as well asprograms that are open for all.
(07:00):
It provides for personal healingand for a ways in which an
individual can chart their own course in life.
And so sweet medicine is the spiritual path, has an annual
renewal ceremony, has multiple ways for people to be involved.
(07:21):
The Deer Tribe is the organization that makes sure the
path will continue. So we have lodges all over the
globe, we have lineage programs,we have Earth's lodge, there are
study groups. Can you walk us through which
each of these different pieces are within the tribe?
(07:46):
Yeah. And one, one of the threads
within our path is very similar to how we began that we learn
best by teaching or sharing. Yeah.
So leadership is a theme in how we actually do our personal self
growth and development. And so study group lodge is
(08:08):
study group leaders. Our study groups are like little
campfires. They're local small group
gatherings in a home that allow an apprentice to already begin
to share the knowledge that theyhave learned and to create ways
in which the the impact of the the joy and the healing and the
(08:35):
learning can be shared with those who are in they invite
into their home. Often what will happen is that
group becomes more steady, more stable, and it becomes an
ongoing study center or gathering.
(08:55):
And this becomes then what we call a lodge with a lodge leader
person is usually further along in their own process and able to
then guide a student, an apprentice through their steps
inside the first gateways of ourunfolding of our spiritual path.
(09:17):
And so a lodge is more ongoing. They will have monthly
gatherings, they will have purification lodges, they will
have ceremonial week long eventsand so they're able to nourish
and support the students and apprentices along their way.
(09:40):
In addition, we would have individuals who have done
extensive training who become qualified teachers.
And these teachers can then go anywhere on the planet.
So they go where they are called, they go where they are,
where there is interest, where there's study groups who say
yeah, but we want more. And so the qualified teacher
(10:00):
will come. And those are workshops that are
done around all aspects, whetherthey are for personal healing,
whether they are for spiritual sexuality, whether they are
about being able to apply, how to be a better parent.
(10:21):
And often these, this is what creates communities in the
different arenas. And those communities will then
open the door for the wider, wider collective, wider seekers
through earth lodges, more workshops and ways to invite
people to engage in the ceremonial aspects.
(10:45):
The Deer tribe itself is responsible for maintaining the
preservation and dissemination. And so there is some lineage
programs that are that have a set curriculum that provides for
for those who are definite in their forward movement to make
(11:08):
sure that all aspects of the knowledge has been integrated.
So those we would call lineage programs.
So it's a very, it's a wide range A.
Very wide range, something for everyone.
The we also have the title of which you are one of them, the
(11:30):
hereditary lineage group, A hereditary lineage leader.
What is that? So, you know where the path our
path was given to us shared by Thunder strikes and when there
came a certain point when his leadership required more than
(11:54):
one person to to actualize and implement and so on.
And so there are six of us who at at around that in varying
times, but basically now have been stable for the last 1520
more years that we have dedicated that it is our life's
(12:15):
mission to make sure that this path continues for the next
generations. So that's why it's called
hereditary lineage leaders. That's our dedication stay.
Tuned for more with Janika Cool on the Sweet Medicine Sundance
Path. Healing for me is is a lifelong
(12:35):
process and inside of this particular program, there are
many very what would I call pragmatic and also magical
approaches to create healing inside of oneself.
It's critical that each one of us, as a human being, find what
(12:55):
is going to feed us, what is going to support us in our own
healing and growing. Welcome back to our conversation
with Yana Kakul. So someone's watching this video
for the first time and they've come across our conversation.
(13:17):
What would you say to them if they interest was piqued?
Well, if they have listened so far and they get to this point,
I would probably suggest that they go out into nature, that
they take themselves, their children, or by themselves and
(13:38):
find a place where the, where they can be safe to just walk
and be. And that they can begin to just
listen to the earth, to feel theearth under their feet, to smell
the air as it changes, 'cause you know, when you spend time in
(13:59):
nature, you become more natural.And it is in our naturalness
that Spirit welcomes us the easiest.
When we're busy, Spirit might bestill welcoming us, and in fact
is, but we don't necessarily recognize it.
And so to just spend time in nature, to listen to the wind,
(14:21):
to be able to observe the stars and to and Sister Moon as she
goes through her phases, any andalways to really be calmly
present in nature, to allow the the stresses and the
overwhelming inundation of, of impulses and news to be just
(14:50):
quiet for a little while. I would, I would say that that
is the most important invitationthat we can put out because from
there spirit will guide and fromthere the individual will find
their way because we put out a request to spirit.
Spirit always provides. Thank you, Yanika, I've really
(15:17):
enjoyed doing this interview with you and look forward to
having further conversations with you and with other leaders.
Thank you very much for joining us.
For more information about DTMMSand the Sweet Medicine Sundance
Path, go to ourwebsite@dtmms.org.
(15:41):
You'll see a calendar of events and our international offerings.
You can also e-mail DTMMS at DTMms.org to answer any questions.
You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon
Music podcasts, and iHeartRadio.Thank you for tuning in to
(16:02):
DTMMSTV. If you liked what you heard then
thumbs up and share please.
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