Writes of Passage: Journeys of Service
A Creative Writing & Storytelling Experience
Mil-Tree is excited to launch Writes of Passage: Journeys of Service, a dynamic creative writing and storytelling program for veterans, service members, and civilians. Sponsored by the California Arts Council’s Community Impact Grant, this unique program brings people together to explore stories of service, place, and lived experience—then transform them into powerful written and spoken narratives.
Writes of Passage is an immersive journey that blends a retreat, hands-on workshops, live performances, and a companion podcast. Participants will develop their own stories through writing, spoken word, and audio, gaining practical skills in creative writing, performance, and podcast production—while connecting with an inspiring community of fellow storytellers.
The program runs February through June—sign up now!
Space is limited to 12 participants.
February Retreat
The journey starts with a Veterans' Retreat in Joshua Tree.
Friday, February 20 through Sunday, February 22, 2026
Friday, February 20 | 3–8pm
Take part in a guided walk and story-sharing experience with Serrano and Cahuilla elder Kim Marcus, grounding our work in land, history, and lived knowledge.
Saturday, February 21 | 12–7pm
Sunday, February 22 | 10am–3pm
A weekend retreat with culture bearers Miguel and Delores Mondragon, featuring storytelling, reflection, and creative exploration.
Retreat Highlights
Stories:
Discussion:
Piece it Together:
Group Reflection:
Discover tales & traditions rooted in culture
Share our stories
Combine all expressions into a shared mosaic
How do we build a new community together
Meet the Facilitators
Miguel Rivera
Started playing music professionally as a Percussionist in 1973. Member of the core group of teachers at “The great Mother Conference” since 2010. In 2001, in collaboration with Robert Bly, translated and published the first English collection of the poetry of Humberto Ak’abal “Poems I brought down from the Mountain”; second Humberto Ak’abal anthology “In the courtyard of the moon” published by Tia Chucha Press in 2021. He has been a board member of “Shade Tree” a mentoring group in Los Angeles since its inception in 1996, introducing at risk youth to traditional Earth based ceremonies. Miguel is also the Co-Founder and Director of “Western Gate Roots and Wings Foundation”, and was a Board of Directors of “Soldier’s Heart”, an organization dedicated to working with Veterans. He is also a Board of Advisors of “Wolf Connection”, collaborator and panelist with the Institute of Integrated Health and Wellbeing: IIHW; USC and Children’s Hospital, L.A., member of the "Guild of Future Architects”, and an award-winning Supervising Sound Editor for Films and Television since 1984 to the present.
Miguel currently works with at risk youth, Armed Forces veterans, people in recovery, formerly incarcerated individuals as well as those in the “normal” segments of the population in a variety of settings, one of the intentions being to reduce the level of fragmentation prevalent in the current culture; not only in this country but worldwide.
Delores "Lola" Mondragón
Delores “Lola” Mondragón is a Chicana and enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is also a U.S. Navy veteran and member of the Chickasaw Warrior Society. She met her husband while serving and became a military spouse for 19 years, until he retired. They are both disabled veterans.
Lola is also a mother, grandmother, and ceremonial practitioner, especially as a drum keeper of a veteran women and Two-Spirit medicine drum. She is the organizer of the Veteran Women’s Indigenous Healing Circle (VWIHC), since 2015, and is a doctoral student at UC Santa Barbara in Religious Studies, where she studies Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions.
Kim Marcus
Kim Marcus is a Serrano and Cahuilla Indian elder that is enrolled on the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. He teaches Native American Language part time, is a ceremonial leader, and practices harvesting and cooking native plants.
He is married, has three beautiful children, four grandchildren and a retired school teacher and counselor. is a Serrano and Cahuilla Indian elder that is enrolled on the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation. He teaches Native American Language part time, is a ceremonial leader, and practices harvesting and cooking native plants.
The journey continues with workshops, rehearsals, and a live public storytelling performance by artists and community members.
Writing Workshops (March)
Saturday, March 1, 8, 15 & 22
Creative writing workshops lead by Renee Pickup and Gabriel Hart, designed to help you shape raw experience into compelling stories.
Storytelling & Coaching (April)
Storytelling workshop with Christian Camargo, followed by individual coaching sessions with Cheryl Montelle to refine performance and delivery. Dates and more information to follow.
Public Performance (May)
A live public storytelling performance. Details coming soon!
Podcast Production (June)
Record podcast interviews with Dawn Davis, sharing your story in audio form alongside fellow participants.
Whether you are new to creative writing or already telling stories, Writes of Passage offers a supportive, engaging space to explore your voice, honor experiences of service, and share stories that matter.
Join us—we can't wait to hear your story!