Returning to the New Warrior Training Adventure | ManKind Project’s NWTA Episode 297 April 7, 2023
Last weekend I was in Connecticut to staff the New Warrior Training Adventure weekend, a weekend-long rite of passage for men from the ManKind Project. This was the first NWTA in New England in three years, thanks to Covid.
I was supposed to staff the weekend last October, but all the NWTAs across the US were halted due to charges of cultural appropriation.
I did a show about this last October, ep 277. Cultural Appropriation | Missapropriations and The ManKind Project.
The charges of cultural appropriation were from a group of Native American elders called Spirit. I’m not going to rehash everything here.
When I discovered that all NWTAs were canceled, I was shocked, disappointed, and hurt. My NWTA was back in October 2016. There was a lot of Native American ritual and ceremony, and it was presented respectfully, honoring where they came from and giving full acknowledgment. It was stressed how much training ManKindProject (MKP) men had with the Lakota people to learn what we would be doing.
There were months of negotiation between the ManKind Project and indigenous leaders. I didn’t know when or if NWTAs would return, and I feared a watered-down weekend with no impact.
I don’t agree with all the things MKP let go of doing, but I also wasn’t part of the process and have not had any interaction with the Native Americans who were upset. I do appreciate MKP’s attempt to have integrity around the intended and unintended consequences of their training.
When the NWTAs were rescheduled, I didn’t sign up to staff. I had no idea what the changes were and if I was on board with making any, but as I had previously stepped forward, I was asked to join this staff. I decided to do so because I wanted to experience this updated version of the weekend and see if it was still as powerful and was something I could recommend. I intentionally did not promote or invite anyone to last weekend’s training.
Real Men Feel’s history with the Mankind Project goes back a long way.
The ManKind Project, with Boysen Hodgson, Episode 26, September 6, 2016
On this episode of Real Men Feel, Andy Grant and Appio Hunter, explore The ManKind Project with Director of Marketing and Communications, Boysen Hodgson. Boysen shares the mission, origins, and more regarding The ManKind Project and their New Warrior Training Adventure.
Before NWTA Video – The Adventure Begins – October 21, 2016
After NWTA Video – The Journey Continues – October 24, 2016
New Warrior Training Adventure Weekend Report, Episode 32, October 24, 2016
This week on Real Men Feel, Andy Grant shares his recent experience attending the ManKind Project’s New Warrior Training Adventure (NWTA) weekend.
Staffing My First New Warrior Training Adventure | NWTA, MKP March 6, 2017
I’ve also had many guests who’ve done the NWTA and are part of MKP. Sometimes that was part of the show, and sometimes it was something I learned afterward.
Listen here:
Back to last weekend, I staffed my first NWTA since 2017, and I did so because I wanted to fall in love with the weekend again. I wanted to find that despite any changes, regardless of my opinion about them, this is still a powerful, potent weekend that I can recommend to men.
It is.
I was flying high for days knowing there were 25 new men in the world. Men with vision, meaning, and mission. Men who have grown, healed, and reclaimed their Gold.
I wanted to staff this New Warrior Training Adventure weekend to see if it was still something I could heartily recommend to men. YES
Do it.
Links
ManKindProject — mankindproject.org
NWTAs — newwarriortrainingadventure.com
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Photo by Andy Grant
