An Unforgettable Machik Weekend
The 19th annual Machik Weekend was truly unforgettable—a space of connection, exploration and deep reflection that brought Tibet's future alive through three days of dynamic conversation and civic engagement.
Our first Machik Weekend in Minnesota brought forth stories, insights and experiences that were heartening and often surprising. Drawing on the powerful theme of intergenerational healing (མི་བརྒྱུད་གསོ་སྐྱོང་།), we grew together in a space of understanding, growth and discovery.
This year we also introduced Machik "Point of View" talks--short form lectures for sharing thought-provoking insights and new concepts for reflecting on the condition of Tibet. POV topics this year explored Tibetan joy, empathy, reframing narratives and social media.
Our first Machik Weekend in Minnesota brought forth stories, insights and experiences that were heartening and often surprising. Drawing on the powerful theme of intergenerational healing (མི་བརྒྱུད་གསོ་སྐྱོང་།), we grew together in a space of understanding, growth and discovery.
This year we also introduced Machik "Point of View" talks--short form lectures for sharing thought-provoking insights and new concepts for reflecting on the condition of Tibet. POV topics this year explored Tibetan joy, empathy, reframing narratives and social media.
This year's theme of Intergenerational Healing brought together experts on healing and medicine, featuring a deeply engaging keynote by Dr. Tenzin Namdul, Assistant Professor of medical anthropology at the University of Minnesota. We were also thrilled to feature civic leaders in Tibetan language education, such as Ngawang Dolker, Director of the extraordinary and pioneering Ocean of Wisdom School based in Minneapolis MN. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking work of Tibetan language education champions of Minnesota! A hightlight of this year's concurrent workshops included a session on Tibetan Butter Sculpture, an instant hit led by the Gyuto monks of Minneapolis.
Pempa Tsering at the 19th Machik Weekend, Minneapolis Institute of Art.
We were truly moved by the Tibetan elders of Minnesota who enthusiastically participated in our Minnesota Machik Weekend--as performers, as speakers, as workshop facilitators and as thoughtful interlocutors. A special tribute to Ama Tashi, in her 80s, who performed both Friday and Saturday nights, showing us all what a Tibetan step dance should look like. She was joined by the those of all ages who partook in the gyalshey, gorshey and Tashi Sholpa.
We were truly moved by the Tibetan elders of Minnesota who enthusiastically participated in our Minnesota Machik Weekend--as performers, as speakers, as workshop facilitators and as thoughtful interlocutors. A special tribute to Ama Tashi, in her 80s, who performed both Friday and Saturday nights, showing us all what a Tibetan step dance should look like. She was joined by the those of all ages who partook in the gyalshey, gorshey and Tashi Sholpa.
This year our Saturday evening Machik Spirit Night was back and featured an array of performances that lit up the night. In addition to traditional dance, music to poetry in three dialects of Tibetan, Machik Spirit Night also featured the electrifying return of MELONG, the jubilant Tibetan rock band straight out of Minneapolis. The night ended with a magical performance by RYTHA, aka Tenzin Rabgye from Dharamsala, whose soulful music brought a riveted audience to their feet.
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Day 3 of Machik Weekend featured an engaging POV talk on generational change by Tenzin Dawa Samphel, and an in-depth roundtable conversation with Tenzin Rabgye (RYTHA) on his creativity, drive and captivating breakout musical work.
Sunday afternoon closed with a heartfelt open forum reflecting on personal transformations, collective aspirations and deep renewals of commitment to Tibet's future.
For participants: we welcome written reflections, of any length! Please send to [email protected] or submit through the Machik Weekend feedback form.
To every volunteer and every supporter -- incredible folks like Unyong Kim who drove 34 hours roundtrip to support the event -- thank you to each and everyone of you for stepping up to make Machik Weekend in Minnesota the unforgettable event that it was.
To carry on with the mission of Machik, we urgently need your support. Your contribution today will enable us to keep pushing forward for our ongoing work in global civic engagement for Tibet's future.
We're looking forward welcoming everyone to the 20th Annual Machik Weekend in 2026 (stay tuned for details!). For now, we are filled with gratitude for the shared experience of Machik Weekend Minnesota.
In gratitude and spirit
Machik Team
For participants: we welcome written reflections, of any length! Please send to [email protected] or submit through the Machik Weekend feedback form.
To every volunteer and every supporter -- incredible folks like Unyong Kim who drove 34 hours roundtrip to support the event -- thank you to each and everyone of you for stepping up to make Machik Weekend in Minnesota the unforgettable event that it was.
To carry on with the mission of Machik, we urgently need your support. Your contribution today will enable us to keep pushing forward for our ongoing work in global civic engagement for Tibet's future.
We're looking forward welcoming everyone to the 20th Annual Machik Weekend in 2026 (stay tuned for details!). For now, we are filled with gratitude for the shared experience of Machik Weekend Minnesota.
In gratitude and spirit
Machik Team
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