TONY CERVANTES
Chief Executive Officer & Board President
Chief Executive Officer & Board President
Tony H. Cervantes (Chichimeca) has been working for over 45 years to protect and restore Indigenous relational constructs supportive of people, families, clans, Tribes, communities and Nations and the sacred relationship with the unseen world and all of Creation. Tony is retired from the State of California. After retirement he worked for Sierra Native Alliance and Shingle Springs Rancheria. He is trained in all White Bison, Positive Indian Parenting, Fatherhood/Motherhood is Sacred, Anger Manager and GONA curricula resulting in Cultural Revitalization, Leadership Development, Indigenous best practices, Wellbriety Community Development, Indigenous Addictions/Mental Health prevention/treatment and the Grieving Cycle. Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Systems, the Medicine Wheel and the behavioral components of addictions inform work focused on emotional, mental, physical, behavioral, social, volitional and economic wellness change.He currently lives with his partner Sara in Northern California’s mountains, has seven adult children and eight grandchildren. Tony enjoys being in nature and living sustainably, locally, organically, seasonally through perma-culture farming and wild harvesting medicine, cultural materials and food, road & mountain biking, kayaking, hiking & backpacking, hot springs, rivers and Indigenous ceremony. He and Sara currently provide workshops and farm 2.5 acres using perma-culture practices. They also provide consultant services, including with the California Conservation Corps Back County Crew Orientation training week. He deeply believes that living locally is key to bringing us closer to our original ancestors, tonantzin, ehecatl, atl and xieutecuhtli. "I remember drinking water directly from streams, rivers, creeks and seeing thousands of monarch butterflies in all stages of development at one place. What have we done?"
SCOT WOODLAND
Board Member & Former Instructor
Board Member & Former Instructor
Following a lifetime of epic adventures in human and wilderness cultures, Scot Woodland brings his passion for life and exploration to the 4EEE team. His extensive background in naturalist studies, animal and human tracking, wilderness living skills, disaster preparedness, organic agriculture, and masonry combine with a love for connecting with people and environment through storytelling, music, and inquiry. Tracking is one of his major skill sets that he loves to share with students. For him, tracking is all about cultivating awareness - employing the arts of observation, intuition and questioning to reveal the great mystery of nature in all its forms. Scot trained in tracking through many organizations, including: the Tracker School, Universal Tracking services, and Fernando Moriera’s Professional Tracking program. He is a certified level 3 tracker with the Cyber tracker program, and has been a leader on Nevada County’s Search and Rescue tracking team. Currently, Scot teaches youth and families through 4EEE's Fox Walker program.
JUAN VILLARREAL
Current Board Member & Original Founding Member
Current Board Member & Original Founding Member
Juan, Southern Lipan Apache, connected with Rick in 2007 through the Tracker School. Passionate about keeping the old skills alive, Juan brings a unique indigenous view-point to every educational experience.
Whether he's helping lead 4EEE programs or teaching classes through his own organization, Juan serves as a gentle guide, helping people create sacred relationships with the land and life, as a care-taker and healer.
Whether he's helping lead 4EEE programs or teaching classes through his own organization, Juan serves as a gentle guide, helping people create sacred relationships with the land and life, as a care-taker and healer.
DON RYBERG
Pata Panaka Land Steward & Indigenous Council
Pata Panaka Land Steward & Indigenous Council
Don Ryberg is Chairman of Tsi-Akim Maidu for 23 years.
Don Ryberg represents the Siakumne California Indigenous Tribe and has a voice in how the land is stewarded and the preservation of his cultural ways. Only a half of a percent of his people; Siakumne survived the "Gold Rush" of this foothill region. Don now works daily on the land at Pata Panaka as part of his ancient responsibility as a steward of the land. Don is supportive in a working partnership with 4EEE, where youth can be in a "Native Village" site and learn directly from the land.
Don Ryberg represents the Siakumne California Indigenous Tribe and has a voice in how the land is stewarded and the preservation of his cultural ways. Only a half of a percent of his people; Siakumne survived the "Gold Rush" of this foothill region. Don now works daily on the land at Pata Panaka as part of his ancient responsibility as a steward of the land. Don is supportive in a working partnership with 4EEE, where youth can be in a "Native Village" site and learn directly from the land.