Weaving a New Dream: What Is the World Dreaming Through You?

The meaning of dreams" Tony Skrelunas and the Red Road Journey team on World Dream Day

[Author's Note: This reflection is inspired by my participation in the World Dream Day 2025 Opening Ceremony, "Guided by Indigenous Voices." You can learn more about this powerful gathering of global dreamers here.]

I began a recent talk for World Dream Day with a question that I invite you to sit with for a moment: What is the world dreaming through you?

It’s a different question than the one we usually ask ourselves. We’re accustomed to focusing on our personal dreams—our career goals, our visions for a family, our aspirations for a better life. These individual dreams are vital; they are the fuel for our personal journeys.

But the ancient wisdom traditions, particularly those of Indigenous cultures, speak of another kind of dream. A larger, older dream. This is the dream of the land itself. It’s the original instructions for living in harmony, a cosmic blueprint that exists not just in our minds, but in the pulse of the rivers, the silence of the stones, and the stories of the elders.

This concept is at the heart of the work we do at Red Road Journey. Our journeys are not merely about documenting stories; they are acts of listening. We are listening for the echoes of this ancient dream, which continues to speak, especially in this time of great turning.

And there is no better guide for this moment than the wisdom of Arkan Lushwala and his profound book, The Time of the Black Jaguar. Arkan presents the Black Jaguar as a powerful metaphor for our era. It is a predator that hunts not physical prey, but the “prey” of fear, separation, and ignorance in the collective darkness of our world. The Time of the Black Jaguar is not a future event; it is now. It is a period of immense challenge that also holds unprecedented spiritual opportunity—a call to dream a new world into being from a place of profound connection, not fear.

So, what does it mean to be a dreamer in the Time of the Black Jaguar?

1. We Must Become Listeners of the Old Dreams

Before we can effectively dream anew, we must quiet the noise of our modern lives and listen to the dreams that have always been here. This is the work of deep reverence. When I have the honor of sitting with Native elders, I am not just collecting oral history. I am receiving vital fragments of a living, cosmic dream—a dream of reciprocity, respect, and kinship with all life. World Dream Day, in its deepest sense, is an invitation to remember that we are participants in this vast, living dreamscape, not separate from it.

2. Dreaming is an Active, Fierce Practice

In many indigenous worldviews, the dream world is as real as the waking one. What we dream, we nourish. What we nourish, grows. The Black Jaguar’s hunt is not passive; it is an active, fierce, and compassionate engagement with the world. It is the work of facing the ecological and social crises of our time and transforming them not with violence, but with spiritual clarity and courage.

This is the practical, ground-level work of reconciliation and healing. It happens every time we choose dialogue over debate, connection over alienation, and love over fear. Each of these choices is an active stitch in the tapestry of a new dream.

3. True Dreaming Requires a Sacred Sacrifice

To answer the call of the Black Jaguar requires a sacrifice: the sacrifice of the small dream of the separate self for the sake of the larger, collective Dream. It asks us to offer our unique gifts—our voice, our hands, our compassion—in service to something far greater than ourselves. This is the essence of the Red Road: a path of humility, service, and recognition that we are each a vital thread in the great weaving of the Earth.

As we move through this World Dream Day, I leave you with the question that began this reflection. Don’t just ask what your dream is. Ask the more profound, more urgent question: What is the world dreaming through me?

How can you, in your own life and community, embody the spirit of the Black Jaguar? How can you listen for the ancient dreams of the land where you live? How can you actively participate in weaving a new story of healing and connection?

The time is now. The Black Jaguar is on the move. Let us have the courage to dream together.

Let the conversation continue. Share your reflections in the comments below. What does the "Time of the Black Jaguar" mean to you? How do you listen for the world's dream?

If this conversation resonates with you, I invite you to explore the recordings and insights from the World Dream Day 2025 Summit, available here, where global voices gathered to explore these themes in depth.

About the Author

Tony Skrelunas, MBA, Phd Candidate, Entrepreneur: Igniting a Global Wisdom Renaissance-Where Ancient Earth Wisdom Meets Modern Global Impact.

Imagine unlocking solutions to humanity's greatest challenges - climate change, economic inequality, spiritual disconnect - not through technology alone, but through the timeless wisdom of Indigenous cultures. This is the frontier where Tony Skrelunas operates.

Tony is an Architect of a New Global Paradigm. With nine years as an executive and two terms leading economic development for the Navajo Nation - North America's largest and most complex Indigenous nation - He navigated the delicate balance of honoring deep tradition while driving bold innovation, creating sustainable prosperity that respects both people and planet.

But his journey gets even more compelling...as a serial entrepreneur and non-profit founder, Tony has launched multiple organizations including Red Road Journey and Tribe Awaken, creating platforms that bridge Indigenous wisdom with contemporary global challenges. His work extends to academic leadership as a trustee for Prescott College, where he helps shape the next generation of sustainable development leaders.

For 14 years prior, Tony directed nationally celebrated conservation initiatives at the Grand Canyon Trust, protecting some of America's most sacred landscapes and creating intertribal collaboration from Canada to Peru. This unique combination - entrepreneur, conservationist, and tribal economic visionary - makes Tony one of the world's most unusual and necessary voices.

Why Global Leaders Are Paying Attention:

· As a Sustainable Development Phd candidate, he's decoding ancient wisdom for sustainable living in modern times

· His frameworks are already healing the people-profit-planet divide that stalls progress worldwide

· From corporate boards to indigenous communities, organizations are applying his inspired models

· His entrepreneurial ventures demonstrate practical application of Indigenous principles

Now He's Taking This Movement Global. As a dynamic speaker, strategic advisor, and founder, Tony doesn't just present ideas - he ignites movements. He shows how:

→ Timeless community wisdom can revitalize modern communities

→ Indigenous success strategies can transform global leadership

→ Land-based knowledge can guide our technology-driven future

→ Entrepreneurial spirit can drive meaningful social change

Join Tony's drive towards the Global Awakening.