Welcome.  My name is Gretchen Swank; I was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, of Pennsylvania Dutch descent.  Braucherei was in my maternal and paternal lineages, and I am very proud of my heritage and the culture I am descended from.

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In 2010, after learning Braucherei was practiced within my bloodline, I spent the following ten years reading, researching, asking questions of people, sending emails to scholars who wrote on the topic... basically doing everything I could possibly do to find someone to teach me Braucherei.  The name Powwow became the affectionate term for the practice of Braucherei especially among the Christian practitioners. The two terms are commonly used interchangeably throughout the centuries to describe the folk healing practice of our ancestors who emigrated from the German-speaking, Palatinate region of Europe which eventually became Germany, Switzerland, and parts of France and Austria (specifically the Southwest region of Tyrol).  Tried as I may, my searches for a teacher came up empty-handed every time. I thought the art of my ancestors may be dead, as nobody I encountered was willing to talk about it or pass it on.

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Then, in October 2021, I was doing yet another late-night search via Facebook on Pennsylvania Dutch Powwow, when I saw a post on a Pennsylvania Dutch site advertising an online Powwow class beginning in 2022 with Robert Phoenix.  I was very familiar with Rob, as his website was one of my main sources of information on Braucherei since I began my endeavors to learn ten years earlier.  I immediately registered and Rob reached out to me and let me know that I would not only learn about the art of Powwow, I would also be able to become a practicing Powwow if I chose to do so.  

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Upon completion of the course, I got my start as a Powwower in the Phoenix Line of Cumberland County, and I later became autonomous and sought to expand my studies in Braucherei after meeting Robert L. Schreiwer, the founder of Urglaawe, which is a Pennsylvania Dutch term meaning "the Original Faith."  After learning the deeper history of Braucherei and its pre-Christian roots in the Palatinate region, I began an apprenticeship with the Braucherei and Hexerei Guild of Urglaawe in July 2023. 

 

I currently continue my studies of the Pennsylvania Dutch language through the Berks County History Center, and I am looking forward to ways to advance our culture forward to ensure we thrive in the future.

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Currently, I reside in Altoona, Pennsylvania with my son, where I also run a Wilderness Survival School. I practice holistic health by way of Ayurveda, energy work, yoga, and herbalism.

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