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		16th Annual Minnesota Men's Conference Sept. 19th-24th, 2000 with Robert Bly Martín Prechtel Miguel Rivera Doug von Koss Tom Verner
	Feasting the Mother Bear Inside every man, often forgotten or unseen, is some diverse thing, that is useful for the village, the world and himself. What can men of all ages, colors, cultures do to make this new era a feast of hope and possibility for the living planet and its peoples. For millennia both men and women have suffered hardship to cause the survival of their families. After centuries of being sent to endless wars, cheated out of their homelands by industry and politics, enslaved and indentured, the humdrum-work-a-day technological existence of the "modern" 20th century seemed like a relief at the time. However, in a world gone mad with greed, the legacy and price of this "relief" has left most men feeling robbed of their natural worth and spiritual usefulness. Come together now and through ancient myths, our own stories, poetry, ritual, grief, ecstasy and our love for the Divine Female, let us work to find our personal and collective gifts. Like carriers of sacred seeds we should begin to cultivate our usefulness without losing our natural love of life and play.   Conference History The Minnesota Men’s Conference was started by Robert Bly in 1984. This was shortly after the interview between Keith Thompson and Robert Bly called “What do Men Really Want?” This first conference, as well as all the ones following have included the telling of old stories, the gifts of poetry, making music together and opening our hearts to grief, which sometimes appears when men who trust each other gather together for a few days. This conference has been blessed with many fine teachers such as Etheridge Knight, James Hillman, Michael Meade, and Terry Dobson in the 1980’s. Aaron Kipnis, John Lee and Robert Moore joined us in the 1990’s. In 1993 with the addition of Malidoma Somé, Miguel Rivera, Onaje Benjamin and Martín Prechtel, the conference moved towards a richer diversity of thought and a deeper connection to our ancestors. In the last few years we have begun to ask that men who have been given the honey of the old stories and soul teaching give some of this sweetness back to younger men. So again we are inviting 30 young men between the ages of 13 and 20 to attend this years conference. We are asking all the men to reach back toward young men-both the fathered and the fatherless—and to work out rituals and ways of communication in order to offer to the younger men what the culture as whole does not.	Teachers Robert Bly will teach sometimes in the mornings and read from his forthcoming group of poems "The Night Giordano Bruno Called to the Stars". Robert Bly received this year the McKnight Distinquished Artist Award. http://www.mcknight.org/releases/da-500.htm Martín Prechtel will head the conference this year, telling an ancient story, reading from his new book, "Long Life, Honey in the Heart, " as well as lead a new type of village ritual for men, drawing from his experiences as ritualist and initiator of men among the Tzutujil Maya of Guatemala. Miguel Rivera, a musician and drummer, is a man who is in love with the language of sound. A regular teacher at this conference since 1993 it is always an honor to have Miguel teach drumming, read poetry, and assist Martín in leading rituals and reaching out to new particpants. Doug von Koss returns again this year to lead early morning chanting circles explore the sung and spoken Languages of the Heart from many world cultures and spiritual traditions. Dr. Tom Verner PhD, professor of psychology, literature, and poetry is a special guest this year. Though famous for his work with youth and well known for his work with dreams, magic and poetry, his life is a powerful example of hope and imagination for all men.
	Conference Site This years conference will be held once again at Camp Miller, a beautiful YMCA camp on 100+ acres of woods, fields and waterfront, on Sturgeon Lake 100 miles north of the Twin Cities. The cabins, dining room and main meeting lodge are a combination of rustic and modern. The camp staff are superb, the food is excellent and the sauna is always hot!	Scholarship Fund The Minnesota Men’s Conference is supported entirely by participant fees and individual donations to the scholarship fund. Help reach out to a young man by sponsoring him to this year’s conference. Please send a check or money order for $10, $25, $50, even a full scholarship
	16th Minnesota Men’s Conference Sept. 19 - 24, 2000 Camp Miller Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota Please bookmark this page and return for updated program materials and information!	.