Debbie Guerrero
“Uncle Debbie” (There’s a story to her name) is an enrolled Tlingit Tribal member through Juneau Alaska and is also Filipino on her paternal side. On her maternal side she is a descendant of Cowlitz Tribal Chief Ellias Quantanna, and descendant of Snoqualamie Tribal Chief Patkanim, she also has Snohomish, and French Canadian First Nations lineage, as well as Irish and German. Her Tlingit name is GunSeek which means Last of the Royal Princesses. She has worked as an Indian Child Welfare Social Worker since 2000 for three separate Tribal Communities. Her Spiritual path on the Red Road of Life--Wellbriety began in 1996, as she was introduced to sweat lodge ceremonies. She learned how to drum and sing as her spiritual path led her to be asked to pour water in sweat lodges at the Washington Women’s Correctional Center in Purdy and did so for 3 1/2 years. This is her life path, and ceremony is her medicine; She maintains a continuous sweat lodge schedule, and attends sweats each week. She has been a social justice, and political activist in her Native community for many years. She comes from a large family of Veterans, and has traveled, and participated in healing gatherings with Veterans, under the direction and expertise of Navy Veteran Lola Mondragon, since 2015; to help Veteran Women process and deal with PTSD, and Military Sexual Trauma. She has been an honored drum keeper for Kiya’s Heartbeat (Grandmother’s Heartbeat), a sacred drum that came into her life in 2006.
In 2007 she and another Native Woman Veteran began to share a ‘vision’ to take a million drums to Washington DC in a Stand for Peace. Out of this collaboration, Turtle Women Rising (TWR) was birthed. It was a magical time to host these gatherings through drumming and praying non-stop for 24 hours a day for 4 days. TWR hosted these life changing gatherings in 2008, and a second in 2010 across the street from the Washington Monument. Invaluable support came from the Veteran’s for Peace volunteers who donated food and a way to acknowledge and “Welcome Home all Veterans”. The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers were invited by TWR and 8 graced all as they offered their wisdom, guidance, unique ceremonies, and prayers to promote PEACE in the world. She met and began working with an Indigenous Survivor of human
trafficking, and founder of the non-profit Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative to serve survivors of sexual exploitation. She is humbled, and willing to be a support and compassionate help to anyone, from all walks of life. She is a devoted mother, sister, cousin, aunt/”uncle”, friend, and loving Grandmother, who walks her life knowing that Every Woman/Sister is her Mirror, and she is theirs.
“Every Day is a Beautiful Day” is her life philosophy.