Watching out for the false shamans

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

[color=#cc3300]susan bates recently reported in the american indian journal a story about a self-proclaimed northern cheyenne "shaman", nathan cagle, a.k.a. "windwalker," who was arrested and convicted in yolo county california superior court on eight felony counts, including grand theft, theft by false pretenses, extortion, stalking, and embezzlement.

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according to the bates report, "cagle conducted $300 sweat lodge ceremonies and $600 'vision quests' for new agers and wannabees who were only too glad to spend the money for an "authentic" native american sacred ceremony. he also offered traditional native experiences to girl scouts and advertised rites of passage programs and pipe ceremonies."

bates says, "cool indian stuff" became popular as pseudo-indian groups sprang up in the late 1970's talking about the environment and practicing altered versions of american indian ceremonies.

"...these ceremonies are sacred, given to us by creator...it is important not to bastardize these traditions so that their true meaning can be passed down to generations yet to be born. anyone can lead a sweat, but only a trained cherokee can do a cherokee ceremony and only a trained cheyenne can lead a cheyenne ceremony...," said bates.

we share this view with bates and the american indian journal, however, the problem as we see it, is not only the outsiders who are using our ceremonies improperly, but the bigger problem is our own people who are using sacred rites to enrich themselves. they have gone the way of the materialistic yonega man. the problem is not just outsiders anymore, it's us.

news reports are coming in from all over the country about american indians who are offering sacred ceremonies for money.

[color=#cc3300]fakers control

a faker has three primary objectives when establishing a relationship with an individual or a group.

first, the faker wants to control the situation by convincing the prey of his/her legitimacy. the faker will go to great lengths to impress you with their background, knowledge, and "indian-ness". the fake will often use unsuspecting common acquaintances and drop names of well-known and respected people to further their quest for legitimacy.

a faker will quickly determine your personal needs and capitalize on this by dangling an emotional or spiritual carrot that will somehow satisfy that need. by controlling the carrot, the faker controls you. the fake is a master of emotions and uses this tool to open your pocket book through your heart.the process of usurping your trust does not happen overnight. the experienced fake is patient and allows time to soften your defenses. often, the faker works on several individuals and groups unknown to each other so comparing notes is more difficult.

second, the faker wants you to feed their ego and sense of grandeur. fakes like to give themselves respected titles (impossible to verify) and assume positions within small groups to feed insecurities. they probably want this more than money. but, money is still the primary goal if only as icing on the cake.

third, the faker may start by asking for small gifts or favors, then as you appear to be getting closer to the carrot, the ante goes up and larger gifts and more money are required. often, the faker will create elaborate fundraising schemes, ostensibly for the 'needy', from which he will rake his profit.

some american indian fakes are not so sly or patient. reminiscent of the flim-flam con men, they promote sweat lodge ceremonies, sun dances, pipe ceremonies, rites of passage and other sacred ceremonies for a price, ranging anywhere from $100 to $1,000. they are here today and gone tomorrow.

a real spiritual elder does not take - but gives. love for all god's creation is quietly evident. a medicine man places others first and seeks to bring peace and harmony to all things. dealing with the heartaches of others comes naturally and easily without judgment or pity. payment for their services in money or gifts is not important to them. payment was already rendered by the spirit long before the person in need sought help.

the entire article may be found here:

http://www.manataka.org/page23.html