Connecting with Your Maternal Lineage

The Great Remembering: Ancestral Connection Ceremony Series

In this ceremony, we gather to honor the deep connection we share with our maternal ancestors. Rooted in the ancient traditions of the Taino people, Akutu Irka Mateo offers us an opportunity to reconnect with the strength, wisdom, and resilience of the women who came before us.

Guided by rhythm and chant, we invoke Atabey, the Taino Mother Earth, to help us acknowledge and experience the sacred bond between mother and child. Through prayer and offerings, we will reflect on the power and influence of our maternal lineages, grounding ourselves in the love and wisdom that flows through us.

This ceremony is open to anyone seeking to connect with their maternal roots and deepen their sense of spiritual identity, regardless of where they are on their journey. It is a space of healing, respect, and action, helping us move forward in harmony with our ancestors and the lands we walk upon.

We welcome your participation in as many of the events in this series as you can. To support this, we have provided discounted series passes to be found at the bottom of this page. Learn more here.

The intention behind this ceremony series and collaboration:

Reclaiming Our Natural Spiritual Power as Humans & Honoring the Lineages That Shape Us

In a post-modern world that has long sought to sever our connection to the unseen, we are gathering to remember—to reclaim the spiritual birthright that resides within us all. Through a series of three ceremonies and two rhythm circles, we will reconnect with the wisdom of our ancestors, honor the lands that hold us, and step into a new way of relating—with love, reverence, and deep remembrance.

This is an invitation to:

• Establish and restore confidence in yourself as a spiritual being. 
• Restore a lineage of knowing—to listen, heal, and honor those who walked before us so that we may move forward with clarity, courage, and integrity.

🌿 Meet Irka Mateo – Your Guide on This Sacred Journey

Introducing Irka Mateo, a radiant Taino elder from the Dominican Republic, celebrated elder, medicine woman, and master ceremonialist. For over 35 years, she has captivated audiences as an award-winning singer-songwriter and recording artist, becoming a pioneer of the Dominican alternative music movement. Her wisdom, artistry, and vibrant spirit will inspire and uplift you and connect you with your lineage. This year, she has been nominated Taino woman of the year for her pioneering work uplifting her peoples traditions for decades.

And, meet Kiley and Christy Hartigan, your hosts.

We are a mother – daughter duo of professionally certified life and relationship coaches. We created JourneyOn LLC 4 years ago and we specialize in two key areas. First, coaching women to transform their mother-daughter relationship out of old patterns and into a new sacred chapter.  Second, bridging modern and indigenous wisdom by hosting wisdom keepers from indigenous traditions from Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and now this year from the Dominican Republic. Last year for example, we had the privilege of hosting Nana Mimi from Lago Atitlán for three weeks and ten ceremonies, who generously shared her Mayan tradition with our community through cacao, fire, tobacco, and Mayan abdominal womb massage.

This year, we’re carrying this momentum forward with humility and gratitude.

The seeds of this collaboration with Akutu Irka were planted in 2024 when we met at a conscious gathering in the rolling hills of Nebraska, where we had the privilege of experiencing her lead an ancestral connection ceremony. As we lay side by side in the ceremonial space, my mom and I simultaneously turned our heads and locked eyes. Without a word spoken, we exchanged a knowing nod, recognizing the need to connect further with Akutu Irka. United by a shared mission to bridge indigenous and modern wisdom and a passion for evolving the maternal lineage, our collaboration blossomed naturally. Thus began a series of conversations to explore what we could create together. Read below to see what we’ve created!

For more information about the larger ceremony series, including integration opportunities, event logistics, please see the Event Series Page.

Ticket Tier Breakdown:

All Tickets are on sale till May 1st.

Work-Trade Ticket:

• $30
• For each event, we have the need for four support team members. This includes someone to manage parking, someone to manage checking participants in, someone to help us set up and clean up, etc. In exchange for a more-than half-off ticket, you agree to arrive 1 hr before the event begins and stay for at least 20 minutes after the event ends. We will assign roles day-of, however it makes the most sense.
• There are only four of these tickets sold for each event.

Tier 1: Planting the Seed

• $70
• Cover hard costs so the event breaks even.

Tier 2: Watering the Seed

• $80
• Additional contribution to Akutu Irka. 

Tier 3: Helping it Grow

• $95
• Additional contribution to our Soil Fund so we can cover the future travel expenses for hosting indigenous elders here in Boulder. For example, we were able to pay for Irka’s travel expenses and ship her ceremonial materials using last years Soil Fund. By purchasing this ticket, you are supporting us in covering the travel expenses upfront for the wisdom keeper we are privileged to host next.

Tier 4: Nourish the Soil

• $133
• An additional contribution into our Soil Fund to contribute towards the hosts preparation costs to make all of this possible. Uncountable hours were spent for months behind the scene so that you can read this webpage right now. Purchasing this ticket tier allows us to have enough profit to continue hosting these events in the future.

For more information about the larger ceremony series, including integration opportunities, discounted series passes, event logistics, and more, please see the Event Series Page.