Mary
Elizabeth Thunder is the founder of Thunder Ranch and the Blue Star Church, a
spiritual university in Texas. Her life changed when she had a heart attack in
1981 and had an afterlife experience. Until that time Mary, who is part Cheyenne,
part Irish and adopted Lakota had been an administrator, working as secretary
to the Board of Public Safety for the City of Indianapolis, and serving as a liaison
with the Human Rights Board and an assistant to the Mayor. But after this life-changing
experience she left her job to become a drug counselor at an Indian center, and
then at the suggestion
of spiritual elders, began traveling, living in her van as a Spiritual Teacher.
In 1989 she and her husband settled at Thunder Horse Ranch and dedicated it as
a spiritual university. This nonprofit organization is open to people of all cultures
and faiths and is dedicated to preserving and teaching cultural and spiritual
traditions of indigenous peoples through ancient indigenous American ceremonies.
Since then thousands have learned how to make their lives better, overcoming addictions
and abuse, and learning how to live in peace and in service to others. At the
first Wolf Song, a gathering of indigenous elders from all around the world held
in 1991, the Elders named Mary Thunder a Peace Elder. The fact that she was born
on "D Day" when Europe was liberated during World War II, made her certain
that her life calling was to help lead people to peace. She became active in each
of the subsequent Wolf Song gatherings, hosting the second and sixth at Thunder
Horse Ranch. Mary Thunder continues to teach about the power women have to help
bring peace in their lives and in the world, and about the interconnection of
all peoples and all faiths. She was
nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel
Peace Prize project.
