About Max Dashu

Max Dashu

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document women's history from an international perspective. She built a collection of 15,000 slides and 30,000 digital images, and has created 150 slideshows on female cultural heritages across human history. For titles and descriptions, see the online catalog. (Read evaluations of her dynamic presentations here; scroll down to see where Dashu has presented in the past.) Dashu's work bridges the gap between academia and grassroots education. It foregrounds indigenous women passed over by standard histories and highlights female spheres of power retained even in some patriarchal societies. Dashu is internationally known for her expertise on ancient female iconography in world archaeology; female spheres of power and matricultures; patriarchies and allied systems of domination; medicine women, female shamans, witches, and witch hunts. Her work is followed by over 165,000 people on Facebook and remains in the top 1% on Academia.edu.

Live Visual Presentations

For 46 years, Max Dashu has presented hundreds of slide talks at universities, community centers, feminist bookstores, schools, libraries, prisons, galleries, festivals and conferences around North America and in Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Australia, and Austria. She has keynoted at conferences (Feminism in London, 2015; Women's Voices for a Change at Skidmore, 2013; Association for Women and Mythology, 2010; Pagan Studies at Claremont University, 2008, and the Domestic Violence Conference at Rutgers, 2005, among others). She has presented at the Women’s Centers of Northwestern University, Stanford, Princeton, University of California at Berkeley and many others, as well as at Trinity College - Dublin, the Museo de San Miguel de Allende, the Frauenmuseum (Wiesbaden), the State Library of Queensland, Australia, and at la Casa Internazionale delle Donne in Rome, Italy.

Publications

Dashu is author of Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Culture, 700-1100 (2016) and Pythias, Melissae and Pharmakides: Women in Hellenic Culture (forthcoming, 2019), both from Veleda Press. These books are part of a 15 volume series Secret History of the Witches. Dashu has also produced two videos: Woman Shaman: The Ancients (2013) and Women's Power in Global Perspective (2008). Her essays Xi Wangmu and Female Divinities of South America were published in Goddesses in World Mythology (Praeger, 2010). She also wrote two essays, African Priestesses and Female Shamans in East Asia, for the Encyclopedia of Women in World Religion (ABC-Clio, 2018). She has created a poster series on women’s heritages, exploring cultural patterns: breastpots, vulva petroglyphs, and sheela-na-gigs. The Female Icons poster has been shared across multiple sites and social media platforms. Dashu's art has been featured in many publications from Judy Grahn’s She Who (1976) to the Indian journal Manushi (1983) to the covers of Wisdom Literature (SCM Core Texts, 2006) and Foremothers of the Women's Spirituality Movement: Elders and Visionaries (2015).

A Partial List of Suppressed Histories Presentations

Sept 21-22 2019 Witches and Pagans; Healers. Woman Shaman East West Books, Menlo Park CA
Sept 7-8 2019 Healers and The Faerie Faith, Earth Regenerative Institute, Portland OR
Jul 13 2019, Snake Woman, Caddo Mounds State Historial Park, Nacadoches, Texas
May 4, 2019 Healers Curanderas and Medicine Women, Mercury Cafe, Denver CO
Mar 8, 2019 Keynote with Vandana Shiva, Feminism 2 Bookfair, Casa Internazionale delle Donna, Rome
Mar 17 2019 Deasofia: Sagezza della Dea, Femminismo e Dea conference, Rome
Mar 5 2019 Streghe e Pagane Seao Risa Scuola Ostetrica, Florence
Mar 3, Donne liberatrici e ribelli dalle Amazzoni ai nostri giorni. Associazione Armonie, Bologna
Feb 21-24 2019 Woman Shaman Intensive, Women's Theaological Institute, Austin, Texas
Nov 2018 Xi Wangmu: Shaman and Cosmic Weaver. ASA TCM Kongress, Solothurn, Switzerland
Nov 2018 Sakraler Tanz und Frauenrituale, Stadt-Bibliotek of St.Gallen, Switzerland
Nov 2018 The Distaff and Women's Power, KOFRA Centre, Munich, Germany
Nov 2018 Persecutory Cultures, Fraenzentrum, Berlin
Nov 2018 Exploring Irish Indigenous Wisdom in a Global Context (with Dr. Mary Condren) Dublin, Ireland
Nov 2018 Witch Hunts, The Feminist Library in London
Oct 2018 The Suppressed Histories Archives: 49 Years. Berkeley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship CA
Sept 2018 Healers; the Cosmic Weaver. Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium, Laytonville CA
May 2018 Matricultures, Institute for Earth Regenerative Studies, Portland OR
Apr 2018 Sacred Dance; Woman Shaman, WOW Cafe, New York City
Mar 2018 Women's Power. Sisters in Solidarity, City Auditorium, Richmond CA
Mar 2018 Snake Women, Association for Women and Mythology, Las Vegas NV
Jan 2018 Women's Power in Global Perspective, University of Hawai'i, Hilo
Jan 2018 Women Before/After Islam: the Textual Evidence. Qalbu Maryam Mosque, Berkeley CA
Nov 2017 Amazons and Women Warriors, The Feminist Library, London, England
Nov 2017 The Cosmic Weaver, San Francisco Public Library, CA
October 2017 Women in Ancient Arabia, at Qalbu Maryam Women's Mosque, Starr King, Berkeley CA
Sept 2017 Woman Shaman, Naropa University, Boulder CO
Aug 2017 The Wu; Xi Wangmu, at the Immortal Sisters Taoist Women's conference, Phoenicia NY
Aug 2017 Canaanite and Hebrew Goddesses, Sophia’s Portico Ft Wayne IN
Jul 2017 Sacred Stones; Witches and Pagans, Green Spirit Festival, Barneveld WI
May 2017 Witches and Pagans book talk and reading, San Francisco Public Library, CA
May 2017 Witch Hunts, Simon Fraser University - Downtown, Vancouver BC, Canada
May 2017 Witches and Pagans Multnomah Meeting House, Portland OR
Mar 2017 Dangerous Women exhibit at Sisters in Solidarity, LaVonya DeJean School, Richmond CA
Jan 2017 Woman Shaman and Deasophy; Soul Seed Gathering, San Marcos, Guatemala
Fall 2016 Witches and Pagans, in Chicago, Minneapolis, Irvine CA, Grand Rapids MI, Ann Arbor MI, Toledo OH, the Dells WI, Elgin IL, Irvine CA, Guerneville CA
April, 2016 The Distaff: Fates, Witches, and Women's Power Assn for Women and Mythology, Boston
Mar, 2016 Women's Power in Global Perspective, Dayton University OH
Feb. 2016 Seidstaffs of the Völur, Pantheacon Conference, San Jose CA
Nov. 2015 Medicine for Women's Spirits, Annual Lydia Ruyle Lecture, University of Northern Colorado Oct 2015 Keynote at Feminism in London: Women's Power, Women's Oppression, Women's History
Oct 2015 Witches and Pagans; Witch Hunts, Vrouenbron, Brasschaat, Belgium
Oct 2015 Women's Power and Rebel Shamans, Associazione Armonie, Bologna, Italy
Oct 2015 Female Icons, Ancestral Mothers, Matriarkhiv / Kantonsbibliotek, St Gallen, Switzerland
Oct 2015 Female Rebels and Mavericks, Frauenmuseum, Wiesbaden, Germany
July 2015 The Hebrew Goddess, Kohenet Institute Retreat, Nevada City, CA
Mar 2015 Rebel Shamans: Women Confront Empire, Eugene, Oregon
May 2015 Diosas de Mexico, San Jose State University, California
March 2015 Treasures from the Suppressed Histories Archives, The Kolo, Olympia, WA
March 2015 Women's Power in Global Perspective Mt Hood College, Oregon
Nov 2014 Global Patterns of Colonization / Indigenous Resistance, State Library of Queensland, AU
Nov 2014 Witch Hunts, Grange Library, Brisbane, Australia
Nov 2014 Rebel Shamans, Thornbury Community Hall, Melbourne, Australia
Nov 2014 Conversations with Max Dashu, Northcote Community Hall, Melbourne
Oct 2014 Legacies of the Priestess, GAIA Conference, Sydney, Australia
August 2014 Neolithic Female Icons, California Institute for Integral Studies, San Francisco
August 2014 Woman Shaman: the Ancients, Spirit House, Ft Bragg CA
May 2013 Priestesses in World Cultures, The Goddess Studio, Escondido CA
Nov 2013 Australian lecture tour: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbor, Maitland, Sydney, Melbourne
June 2013 Keynote: Medicine for Women's Spirits Women's Voices for Change, Saratoga Springs NY Dec 2012 Woman Shaman and Rebel Shamans Akademie Hagia, Bavaria
Dec 2012 Grandmother Stones of Megalithic Europe, Bibliothek Vadiana, St Gallen, Switzerland
Dec 2012 Goddesses Around the World Frauenmuseum, Wiesbaden, Germany
Dec 2012 Suppressed Histories of Women Womanspirit Ireland, Dublin
Dec 2012 Joint Lecture with Mary Condren, Theological Club, Trinity College, Dublin
Dec 2013 The Ancient Roots of Faughart and Brigit Dundalk Institute of Technology Ireland
Nov 2012 Treasures for Women from the Suppressed Histories Archives, Trinity College, Dublin
Nov 2012 Testimony of the Image: Women in the Global Cultural Record. National Women's Studies Association conference, Oakland CA
May 2012 Ancestral Women and Shamans Association for Women and Mythology, San Francisco
Mar 2012 Global Women's Movements (with Mamakoatl) La Peña, Berkeley CA
Nov 2011 Sacred Women in the Americas, Faith & Feminism Mujerista Conference, San Francisco
Apr 2011 Ancient Treasures of African Women, Castlebraid Arts Center, Brooklyn
Mar 2011 Woman Shaman Class presentation, San Jose State University, CA
Mar 2011 Rebel Shamans: Women Confront Empire, Berkeley City College, CA
July 2010 Restoring Women to Cultural Memory, Redwood Gardens, Berkeley CA
Jun 2010 Treasures of African Women, African Diaspora Ons Suriname Center, Amsterdam
Jun 2010 Tesori Sconosciuti delle Donne, Casa Internazionale dell Donne, Rome, Italy
Jun 2010 Tesori Sconosciuti delle Donne, Associazione Armonie, Bologna, Italy
May 2010 Rebel Shamans, Matriaval Spiritual Politics Conference, Hambacher Schloss, Germany
Apr 2010 Conference Keynote: Grandmother Stones, Association for Women in Mythology, Bangor PA
Mar 2010 Vision for the Long Count: 40 Years of the Suppressed Histories Archives, Berkeley CA
Mar 2010 Female Rebels and Mavericks, University of Dayton, Ohio
Mar 2010 Woman Shaman, California State University – San Jose
Nov 2009 Patriarchal Violence, for Mamakoatl's Rosas en el Mar (16 Days Toward the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls), San Francisco
2009 Suppressed Histories: Iran The Iranian Student Alliance in America, UC-Berkeley
2009 Female Seers, Prophetesses, Medicine Women Exhibit and talk, Dimond Library, Oakland CA
2009 Rebel Shamans: Indigenous Women Confront Empire, Berkeley Unitarian-Universalist Church
2009 Witch Hunts Media Education Foundation, Northampton MA
2009 The Goddess Veiled Sagrada Bookstore, Oakland CA
2009 Female Icons, Ancestral Mothers, in Sebastopol CA
2009 Suppressed Histories: Afghanistan Redwood Gardens, Berkeley CA
2009 Woman Shaman Northern California Women Herbalists Symposium, Laytonville CA
2009 Canaanite and Hebrew Goddesses, ITP Women's Spirituality Program, Palo Alta CA
2009 Sacra Vulva, California Institute for Integral Studies, San Francisco
2008 Keynote: Chaos and the Restoration of Pagan Wisdom. Pagan Studies Conference, Claremont Graduate University, Pomona CA
2008 Rebel Shamans: Indigenous Women Confront Empire. Pantheacon, San Jose CA
2008 Video Premiere: Women's Power in Global Perspective, Redwood Gardens, Berkeley CA
2008 Goddess Cosmologies. Center for the Divine Feminine, Palo Alto CA
2008 Female Rebels and Mavericks. M.I.T. Student Support Services, Cambridge MA
2008 Taming the Female Body. Andover Unitarian Church, MA
2008 Chinese Deasophy. The Women's Well, West Concord MA
2008 Rebel Shamans. Media Education Foundation, Northampton MA
2007 Woman Shaman Queenswood Centre, Victoria, B.C.
2007 Woman Shaman Alliance for Arts and Culture, Vancouver B.C.
2007 Rebel Shamans: Women Confront Empire. Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, San Antonio TX
2007 Women Healers, Daughtry Center, Austin TX
2007 Woman Shaman SheShamans Conference, Calistoga CA
2007 Mother-Right and Gender Justice, Landmark College, Putney VT
2007 Suppressed Histories: Arabia at UU Church, Springfield MA
2007 Suppressed Histories: the Philippines, at New College of California, San Francisco
2006 Female Shamans as Indigenous Liberators, National Women's Assn Conference, Oakland CA
2006 Female Shamans, Indigenous Liberators. Global Justice Conference S. Miguel de Allende, Mexico
2006 Women's Power, Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
2006 Suppressed Histories: Japan, at Ancient Ways, Oakland CA
2005 Keynote: Violence Against Women in History and Law. Conference on Domestic Violence: Transformation Theory for Practice, Rutgers Univerisity, New Brunswick NJ
2005 Female Rebels and Mavericks, at M.I.T, Cambridge MA
2005 Mother Right and Gender Justice, 2nd World Congress on Matriarchal Studies, San Marcos, TX 2005 Women's Power, for Sigma Theta Psi Multicultural Sorority, Stanford University, CA
2005 The Canaanite and Hebrew Goddess, at Belladonna, Berkeley CA
2005 Taming the Female Body, Change Makers for Women, Oakland CA
2004 Icons of the Matrix, Female Mysteries of the Substratum Conference, Rila, Bulgaria
2004 Women's Power, at M.I.T. Student Services, Cambridge Massachusetts
2004 Women's Power, at Queens College - CUNY, New York NY
2004 Suppressed Histories: Asia Minor, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco
2004 Goddess Cosmologies, Isis Ancient Cultures and Religion Society, Los Angeles
2004 Priestesses, Unitarian-Universalist Church, Andover, MA
2003 Female Rebels and Mavericks, at University of Connecticut, Storrs CT
2003 Female Rebels and Mavericks, U-Mass Amherst Ma
2003 Women's Power in Global Perspective, Washington State University, Bellingham WA
2003 The Goddess Veiled, University of Oregon, Eugene OR
2002 Women Elders, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT
2002 Women's Power, Princeton University Women's Center NJ
2002 Witches and Pagans, New College of San Francisco, CA
2001 Racism, History and Lies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA
2001 Women's Rites and Symbols, John F. Kennedy University, Orinda CA
2000 Drummers: The Women, Pantheacon Conference, San Francisco CA
2000 Series for Archaeomythology course, New College, San Francisco CA
2000 Racism: History and Lies, University of Creation Spirituality, Oakland CA
1999 Suppressed Histories Series, Museo de San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1998 Women's History Month Keynote: Women in Power, California State University at Chico CA
1998 The Fates, Goddess 2000 Conference, La Honda CA
1997 Woman Shaman, California State University at Sacramento CA
1996 Racism: History and Lies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA
1996 Women in Power, Stanford University Women's Center, Palo Alto CA
1994 Racism: History and Lies, University of California at Fresno CA
1989 Witch Hunts, Lewis and Clarke College, Portland OR
1988 Women of Power, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
1987 Slide lecture series, Women's Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison WI
1987 Slide lecture series, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
1986 Women of Power, Everywoman's Center, U- Massachusetts at Amherst MA
1986 From Women's Hands, University of Nebraska at Lincoln NE
1986 Three slide lectures for the Women's Center at Princeton University, Princeton NJ
1986-93 Series of six slide lectures, annually, Northwestern University Women's Center, Evanston IL
1985 Suppressed Histories Series, Anchorage Fine Arts Museum, Anchorage AL
1985 Slide lecture series, Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
1984 Slide lecture series, San Francisco Women's Building, San Francisco CA
1984 From Women's Hands, Santa Rita Women's Prison, Pleasanton CA
1984 Series of four lectures, Center for the Study of Women, UC-Berkeley CA
1983 Indian Women Artists, Artista Indígena exhibit, Canessa Gallery, San Francisco CA
1982 Suppressed Histories: Sahara and Sudan, National Women's Studies Association Conferemce
1980 Women in Power, University of Washington, Seattle
1979 Suppressed Histories Slide Series, La Pena Cultural Center, Berkeley CA
1977 Women in Mexico, Elmwood Women's Facility, Milpitas CA
1976 Women of Power, Mountain-Moving Cafe, Portland OR
1975 Women of Power, Full Moon Coffeehouse, San Francisco
1974 Women's History Series, Bishop's Coffeehouse, Oakland CA
1974 Matriarchives, A Woman's Place Bookstore, Oakland CA

Teresa Urrea, healer
Known as la Santa de Cabora, she became a healer and prophet of liberation for Indigenous people in northwestern Mexico. From the visual talk Rebel Shamans: Women Confront Empire.
Nok head from Nigeria
The superb ceramic sculptures of Nok are forerunners of a highly developed ceramic tradition in the West Africa Sahel region.