AKICITA WAKAN MANI 

Spirit Warrior who walks and talks about the red road

Jaye A. La Vallee 

Heyoka Magazine: Can you please tell me how and why you became an experiential therapist?

Akicita Wakan Mani:  To John LeKay - I wish I could just write a simply story... I pray, I honor my ancestors of what you ask and what I answer. I am grateful. I certainly intend to be honest and respectful of all people and I make no reference to "all" people of any race, as being "bad" or "sick". My references are not to sensationalize violence or suffering of anyone. I am grateful for you and the countless people who have stepped up for us and in front of us, to be hurt for us and with us. Not to fight in the way I did for so long, and fight, I did. I appreciate your time and strength.  I share this with you, with a sense of balance and harmony and connection to all people. I share all this with a hope that we help others understand to get connected to our true way of living, connected in peace... in our hearts and minds.

John, I feel real strong about how and why some of us are messed-up with fundamentalism. The way in which we are separating our "spirit" from all other aspects of our life and living. I see this as why there are so many people living in disconnection with emotional, mental and social health issues. Issues that we can and must heal with Cannupa - the Scared Pipe and ceremonies, in conjunction, in unison with the relevant, appropriate psycho-social, mental-health methods. NOT THE WHOLE SCREWED-UP SYSTEM ! And this does fortunately include those sick and disturbed and distorted quasi-medicine people.

It was in 1992, that I first went to psychotherapy / psychodrama healing, to deal with how and why I felt so troubled with my life. How my disconnection affected me… disconnection from my people and our true way of living. To deal with the affects of how I was treated and how I saw other Native American "Indians" shamelessly degraded. 

I grew up and still live in what I refer to as a "War Zone"... it is throughout North America, and for me as a child, it was both in and outside my home of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

I was the first child born in the big city, in 1952. There were 3 children before me and 8 more followed. As a young child, I had begun my training as a “disturbed” warrior to fight for my own mother’s life. I survived the continuous violence and degradation that affected me and my family, my people. 
As a young child, I had life saving visions of the greatness, of the strength, and beauty of the old people. I never saw our true way modeled.  I never felt it within me or any where around me.
The images on television and newspapers and in schoolbooks were terribly inaccurate and shaming for me and for all of us as “Indians”. And it was continuous. Eventually, I hid my visions that I had as a child... the visions of Native American Warriors, who came to me in the red, yellow and golden sunset clouds and skies. And took me away in my mind. I wished.

These Spirit-Warriors of my visions used to ask me to be with them, I couldn't go because I was too small and scared.
Then as I grew, I tried to escape by learning the civilized “whiteman” system. But even there I was subjected to violence and degradation.

I began to fight back. I soon became consumed in the "fight" against racism, prejudice and violence…. Against the people, the systems, the institutions that perpetuated this genocide on us… me.  I became further disconnected and distorted and ashamed of my true tribal way I had little connection with how to live in real balance and harmony. My concept of heart and mind together was fear. 
Sure I became a professional counsellor, bodyguard, fighter, and martial arts instructor… yet this  “fight” consumed me. The shame of how I had to see my people struggle and die, enraged with shame… poisoned me. I needed and wanted help to end my own “do as you say not as I do” “falsehood and victimhood mantra”… I wanted to find an antidote to the sickness that we had, brought to us, to me, by “whiteman”.
I knew I needed to learn what was so deep inside of me and how and why so many of us are so distorted, disconnected, and live self-destructive ways. So I sought to find the reasons in the very system that perpetuated this violence on Native Americans – the psycho-social mental-health system.
I needed help that would allow me to resolve some of my own issues. I searched for healthy help. I found a place in the Blackhills of South Dakota and did the training and therapy on me. And I learned experiential psychotherapy this way. At the same time and same area, I also accepted my true Lakota tribe and at the same time, pledged in the Sundance, that I would die to walk my talk for and as a Tatonka Oyate – Buffalo People. I became an Experiential Psychotherapist because I sought my help heal myself and find my own solution to helping my people heal.

 

HM: What do you mean by "War Zone" and how did this escape into so called "civilized" white mans system lead to violence and degradation?

Akicita Wakan Mani: When I speak of this War Zone, I refer to life today, for all Native Americans. Now, as well as in my childhood… I see, for sure, that some violations have gotten “better”… I am saying some racially charged human violations have “gotten better” in that, the perpetrators actions, have become more subtle – more civilized, less direct.  Less, outward violation. I am also speaking of how we, as Native Americans, have taken on lateral violence and to a new level. We are now, perpetrating our own kind at an overwhelming and alarming rate. And we have adopted to the prejudiced, racist system… it within some of our leadership and is seen in the proliferation of gangs and “gangsterism” into our communities.

Once peaceful, remote Northern Canadian Reservations, now overrun with gang activity.

This city where I live is hub of Native American gangs in the country of Canada. We have gangs of messed up Native Americans, who misrepresent and misuse so-called sacred ways of our original “warriors” and violate our own kind.
 

I had a well-known penitentiary system medicine person, tell me of how he knew of a murder, that took place in a prison, by Native Americans “pretending” to do a ceremony… banging a drum and singing… and singing another song cause the victim was not dead yet!
It is more than sad or alarming. Though these are not true ceremonies, yet they are our people. And they need help… but who dares to help these ones? It is dangerous.

I pray for all who lose their lives and those who take them.

This War Zone is strongest on some Reservations, where people live next door to their historical and generational victims and their enemies or perpetrators.

So tough that psycho-social healers just drop in for the day or during the week cause it is too stressful!
Again, I say, NOT ALL Native American people violate… yet all Native Americans are affected! We are bound together by more than blood.

I share about the ultra violence then, and the ultra violence all around us, now. We are extraordinarily susceptible to violence because we have not become acclimatized to dealing with repressed emotions and we have bought into the HOOD – VICTIM _ HOOD!

This is result of colonialism and of religious fundamentalism… we bought in and now it is too hard or difficult for us to disclaim some of our own fallacies about who and how we are…  for too many of us misuse our difficulties in dealing with unresolved, pent-up emotions and we remain as captured beings, holding tightly onto the victim-hood. And we perpetrate violence amongst one and other too easily.
Physical and sexual violence then, was shared amongst all races towards us. Now it us, mostly from Native American to Native American!  The colonialists, the originators, our captors, our teachers, our protectors, our keepers, of our lateral violence now just sit back and say “See, they are messed-up (savages) and they need lots of mental health help - psychological help!”   I remember my own personal beginnings, of seeing and feeling the ultra violence in my own home for sure. It affected me. And I remember the violence that spilled into the streets from neighborhood houses. I saw far too many bloody, ugly and terrifying incidents, right out on the streets. Including all too often, incidents of deeply disturbed sexual nature – from sexual assaults, rapes and predator pedophiles “cruising” through our back lanes and streets or breaking into homes… my home.

 

I witnessed many incidents of groups of “Other races” cruising in their vehicles, in areas where it was predominantly Native American and jumping out and beating an “Indian, sometimes… to death! Or raping an Indian!

Even as an adult I became a bodyguard, I witnessed death threats and stopped attacks on people who had spoken out about physical and sexual abuse in Indian Residential Boarding schools… by our people!

It wasn’t only bad things happening, yet it isn’t the good, nice things that are killing us, or tearing us apart and making us hurt one and other today – Is it!

I worked as a psychotherapist on Reservations, I saw some who had to stay inside their own homes all day for months, because of fear – real and imagined – of being attacked. I witnessed many times where parents of children fighting with officials, who confronted their children who were caught “whitehanded” in the act of breaking school or reservation rules or committing a crime. Kids getting rid of teachers and parents supporting them.

The murder rate amongst native Americans is rising. Territories that once were peaceful, low in crime rate, are now heavily populated with criminal gang activity. Who’s to blame? Who us going to end it?

There is much reluctance for fear of an expected threat of violence to anyone speaking out, openly, specifically, in their communities about this reality of our own lateral violence. We have bought into victimization… AND I AM CERTAINLY NOT MINIMIZING MAINSTREAM SOCIETY’S CRIMES AGAINST US.

I have written much on my web site www.spirit-warrior.ca  about crimes against us and crimes against our selves and solutions to this.

Even in my capacity, in the “privileged circle” of government, as personal security and assistant to the National Chief of this country – Canada - I was subjected to subtle, veiled threats. I was attacked personally by being talked about as or  “referred” to as someone, who was training “Indian” gang members! It is an example of how insidious we learned to be.

I understand emotionally, why and how we learned this way of violence and violation and I believe we can and must change this… It will take our Sacred Power to give us energy to help us do what is necessary.  This is our true war then and it still is… today.

Violence is growing in our communities and while we are getting more of our people educated and integrated into mainstream society, we are losing a significant portion of our people to ignorance of the education system, the justice system, the psycho-social mental-health system.

I see that, it is especially the psychological system’s distortion of how and why we as Native American Indians, must be allowed the time, space and support to deal with our inexperience in having emotions. And we must walk our talk of having special connectedness to spirit… creation.

I say we call upon all our spirit ways and deal with our feelings, emotions and our beliefs and reclaim our true ways – non- violently… cease and desist of all violence and violation of one and other and other nations. There are more specifics to this War Zone and it includes our own personal and systemic violence.

HM: What is the predudism like in Canada regarding the indigenous people and with the whites, mix bloods and other races etc? 

Akicita Wakan Mani: As I think about discrimination, prejudice and racism here, throughout Indian Country of North America, South America, and the Caribbean, where I have travelled and lived… I see how we practice it pretty strong, amongst our selves. While, I have personally experienced discrimination, racism and prejudice just about everywhere I’ve been as a professional athlete and protection service specialist, I see is so much stronger here in Canada, on the plains. Seems some people have stopped watching those old Hollywood movies about the noble savage and we aren’t so mystical anymore. And there are more “New Age” spiritual-orgasmic Shaman men and women cropping up, or is out, all over this planet… especially here in North America.
Back here on Turtle Island, North America, it gets pretty crazy, with the usual, White against the “Indian”, Black against the “Indian”, Latino against the “Indian”, Immigrant against the “Indian”, Asian against the “Indian” and so on… is not the biggest outright problem. It is the more bizarre discrimination, prejudice and racism between us, where, it is the light skinned “Indian” against the dark skinned “Indian”, the Treaty Registered “Indian” or First Nation “Indian” against the Metis fighting for government dollars or recognition for rights and liberties as so on and so on.

 

I first experienced racism within my family of origin, where we practised the brand of learned racism that society taught us. It was done real well. It was so painful as a child.

Racism was rampant throughout all institutions, including church, school, and stores.
And I believe it is even more difficult when there is turmoil at home… poor emotional modeling, poor emotional capacity of the very people, that we need to keep our hearts, our minds, our bodies safe, our relating safe… As in The Circle Of Life Medicine Way.

Look at this, when there is neglect or abuse going on at home. This is the disconnection, right! This is what I keep referring to, as the crux of our susceptibility to racism and prejudice and victimhood.  

Native Americans experience a unique situation as far as racism and prejudice is concerned, because we are a minority in a land where we once roamed free.  We got locked in on reservations, mostly the worst land in that particular territory. And we were made to suffer in oppressed emotional states. And many of learned to take it out on one and other, as did many other people abused and misused. This is as I stated before, the lateral violence.

 

 

 

I have experienced discrimination, prejudice, and racism outright and extremely covert… from being beaten, spit on… to being forgotten in a promised viewing for a new employment position. 

I have been marginalized in work as an experiential psychotherapist, where I was kicked off a reservation because the children of a chief came forward with fresh wounds / cuts from being hit with a wire… and the “grand thief” theft of reservation money was exposed by me.
I was also locked out of the oldest Native American Treatment Center in Canada, where I was the head therapist. Pedahbun Lodge, in Toronto, Canada, in 2000, because I guess, I was “too” successful in seeing people empowered through the Spirit-Warrior Way, and more because I would not co-operate with hiding or covering up of the sexual exploitation of vulnerable clients and staff by the administration and the board leadership.  I was locked out.

Fired! I sued both, but lost! Again for another dis of leadership, I was marginalized, again, throughout Indian Country, as they say. My powerful connections were cut and denied me as well.
For SOME OF US! Our ability to protect our own, even when were caught “white-handed” and practice discrimination, racism, and prejudice is real strong.
With civilization comes the law, as well as, rules and those social guidelines, it drives everyone nuts, even for the racists! Discrimination, prejudice and racism is alive and well in North America. When it comes to outright ignorance between the races it is expected and known and talked about… when it comes to this shame-based, self-hating, ignited behavior amongst us as Native Americans… It isn’t spoken about too much. This part of our shame… I saw as really hidden. I saw it up close and personal, as a security specialist for Native American politics. I saw it amongst the leadership, some of these guys I grew up with and they weren’t far from their tough original life… their shame-based, poor-greedy beginnings. I saw it ugly sometime. Colonized “mixed-ups” fighting for funding.

 
I saw many situations personally in my own life. And as a psychotherapist. Wow! I had one client who belonged to a prominent Native American family, who had lighter colored skin and hair… she shared with me, how her family shamed her, when they would refer to her “mixed-blood” husband as a “black bastard” because he was naturally dark-skinned, he couldn’t speak their tribal tongue, and because he did not have a treaty number! He had a lot of strikes against him.

It was not his fault that he was disconnected from his original way. This is the legacy of colonization… this is tough to address and yet we can and we must!

This is civilizations dilemma - More and more Native Americans are being civilized in this way. It is self-hatred. It is expected that we should cover our losses and deny our own colonial discriminatory, prejudiced and racist ways. This is not the Indian way! Today, now, we need to be who we were meant to be, together, in our tribes… in harmony and balance inside, around us, and between us. This is the only way we will achieve life… and freedom.  We must be open to express our true feelings and sort them out… learn discipline… trust our selves and others… love ourselves… accept ourselves… and this is the Circle of Life Medicine Way.

I have accepted that I have medicine to share... and that I must be consciously aware, to always assist people to be free and empowered... and not to create followers. People who do not heal their troublesome core issues and depend on me... and stay stuck, unable to properly defend or take care of them selves, in or out of a close relationship. As a Martial Arts instructor, I did not do this and as a transformational guide/tracker, (psychotherapist) I will not.

HM: Why do you think so many natives in Canada end up in jail. Is there some sort of discrimination in the court and judicial system? I don't get it. What's going on exactly.

Akicita Wakan Mani: The justice system is flawed for everyone, not only Native Americans, because it punitive based. For us, pain and punishment is all too familiar, we are a resilient people…they can’t destroy us and they can’t keep us locked up. Jails and prisons are just like reservations. They are demeaning to the human being. These “reservations” are 70 – 80 % full of “Indians”!  Here in Canada, we are anywhere, from 2% - 4 % of Canada's total population, depending on if you count those converts, who recently found it monetarily rewarding to claim "Native Ancestry". Yet, we are massively over represented in these institutions! Why?  How does this happen? 
In 1999,

I spoke in Puerto Rico, in the place, where Columbus said he found us. I shared at a museum that had various Native American sacred items in its’ glass showcases, about how, I see that there is a direct correlation to the overwhelming number of our people locked away in prisons and institutions. And how each of these sacred items is a spirit locked away… that would be providing energy for guiding one of our lost brothers and sisters. I believe this.

As well I see how we are unable to resolve our predicament of being overwhelmed with emotional baggage and that we have so little experience when it comes to dealing with unresolved pent-up emotions. We use drugs and alcohol at high rates to kill our feelings; we have always been susceptible to the mood altering substance of alcohol… now it is crack and meth!    And we are facing this drug big time. One Shoshone Reservation had over 20 members of 1 family arrested for Meth distribution. This included a Grandmother and Grandfather and grandchildren!  Why?  Because there are strong opponents against anyone trying to get anyone else to deal with emotions and the resulting issues that will need to be challenged and confronted… and this brings up extremely shameful and fearful feelings in every one especially the perpetrators! No one wants to be caught or punished or hurt or shamed. So we do not allow the true expression of emotions and so our children act out as we act in… we repress one and other and we seek relief through other means. Other means, being legal or illegal mood altering substances, such as Crack Cocaine, Meth, Tylenol 3s, or any number of substances.  Tobacco is one of our biggest vices and killers. I know, I know Tobacco is a sacred herb.  For us Lakota, we did not use Tobacco.  We used the inner bark of the red willow in our pipes! Not Tobacco!
Too many of us have poor relationships with food, take in food unhealthily… so much that diabetes is epidemic in our communities… along with suicide.
We are not so good at expressing our pain-filled existence and many of us are stuck in victim-hood.

I have seen through my own behaviors and feelings - my own life, my own family and through countless cases in my work, both as a Martial Arts Instructor, Personal Bodyguard and Psychotherapist, that is, NOT ONLY NATIVE AMERICAN NATIVES, that, when anyone who has trouble expressing their true pent-up feelings of anger or shame over being abused by family, or another race of people or an oppressive system through outright violence or neglect… that will they have a strong susceptibility to drug or alcohol induced life and a distorted, destructive, expression of their feelings and thoughts around being mistreated.  While only some of us, are truly disconnected people, this disconnection from our true tribal ways, is a disconnection from our emotions or our hearts… I see for some of us, it is because we are not able to efficiently and effectively express our truth of our emotions and thus live congruent with the present system which keeps on being sick… and we (again some of us) keep on hiding our shame or pain about being Native American. So part of our medicine is locked away and this coincides with so many of disproportionately locked up in prisons... the system is sick and we are dis-eased within it. We are locked in a corrupt system.

HM: Do you recall what were these Native American sacred items in glass showcases in the Puerto Rican museum? 

Akicita Wakan Mani: These items were medicine pouches, staffs, hatchets, knives, rabbit-bone breastplate and I remember seeing a pipe... I felt sad. To me, these "items" are sacred, they are spirit guides or angels, that when carried and honored by one or a group of our people, would empower them to deal with their troubles in life and maintain a conscious contact with Wakan Tanka. These items would be, never mind  - would be... they are a tool of strengthening connection to creation.

HM: When did you become a pipe carrier and do you use this in your healing practice?

 Akicita Wakan Mani: I was given Cannupa - the sacred pipe, when I attended a Sundance at Rosebud, South Dakota, in 1992. This was also the same year, that, I first went to the deep emotional experiential psychotherapy, which was also located at Paha Sapa – the Blackhills of South Dakota. My healing was here. And as I was taught, you must have the Sacred Pipe to Sundance. And that this pipe must be carried, in a fully conscientious, responsible and healthy and well way.  I was presented with Cannupa as soon as I got there.

I went along to the Sundance with an Ojibway Medicine man, fearful, and thinking that I would just watch and learn what this ceremony was all about. I certainly did not want to take part or do it!

 

As a pipe carrier and Sundancer, I pray for practical strength to help people to deal with difficult living issues. I help them see the focus of praying for strength, for them, to freedom to deal with their issues of loss, abuse, or disconnection or whatever afflicts them.
I do not do ceremony with most of the people I work with, I usually pray before hand or after. For sure, I pray for my own ability to keep walking my talk. 
I am aware that our ceremony is not just an act or ritual… or a sick way of being a Guru and making little disciples and offering little spiritual orgasms. Or creating sick dependency.
I do not believe in “bad” medicine. I see The Sacred Pipe and our ceremonies, as our opening to the Universe and that this must be done in the way that our healthy medicine people and our ancestors have talked and shown me.
I do not do ceremony to “miraculously take away” their dysfunctional living issues. I have seen such huge miracles, as well as the every day miracles of seeing this world and life. I mean to convey strongly, that I do not do ceremony as a “emotional by-pass” surgery event! I believe that most of us, we need to do the full process expression of healing.

 

Most of these people refuse to accept responsibility of their deep personal problems and their confusion with the fundamentalist system.
I have seen that for some of these “dis-connected whiteones”, they picked our way because they think of us as a sub-culture and they can hide amongst us… covering or denying their dis-ease, confusion and their disconnection with in a “Hollywood version of our ways.

With my heart, I say, that there are some people of other races who come amongst us and truly live and walk with us.  And there are the disturbed, “sick-ones” amongst us, of our own kind, who prey upon, molest, and injure others in the name of the sacred ways. They need to be confronted and will be.

Ceremony is for strengthening our connection to one and other… ceremony creates easily usable, relevant ability and strength to be present and fully functional to deal with life… healthy and well.

HM: On the subject of Columbus, What are your thoughts on why there isn't a Holocaust museum or memorials of massacre in the US like there is on other Holocausts?

Akicita Wakan Mani.: I feel sad about people who acknowledge atrocities against their people or others and then become hardened and vengeful. Some do it for looking-good, PR reasons, not humanity. Some violated people, becoming so super-prolific in being prepared to defend against another atrocity, that they kill in the name of their religion or sense of relationship with “God”.
I see that for the people of this North America or the all people of the world, to truly acknowledge, that we Native North American Tribal People, have been subjected to a “Holocaust” or mass systemic murder… that it would mean… that individual people – not the system or a system, would have to look each look into themselves.  Each and every one of US would have to ask ourselves,
”Will I or can I admit that it did happen? And If can… How and why did that happen? What part do I play in this today? What can I do to see another, all other, human beings free? ” Or “If I will not or cannot – why?”

 

American Holocaust

HM: What is the situation with white medicine men in Canada, and is there a problem with medicine being abused?

Akicita Wakan Mani.: There are messed-up “white people” in Canada and throughout North America, who will pass themselves off as a Medicine person. Some will do it so boldly and unashamedly and be ignorantly supported by supposedly responsible healthy psycho-social mental-health officials or leadership. Most of these troubled people will do anything to pass themselves off as a medicine man or woman. And I have seen how government officials are more comfortable with these quasi medicine people because they tend to be more compliant and entertaining…  to the detriment of our struggle to be accepted and not just tolerated in the way Creator meant us to be.

While I have personally experienced too many disgusting cases of disturbed medicine people of our sacred ways… I will share this. I pray for balance.

One clearly “white” person passed himself as a “medicine man”, he was hired to work with juvenile youth in the provincial institution here in Manitoba.

He was hired by the government and worked for the government! They were clearly comfortable with him working with vulnerable children and youth at risk. 
He was their resident elder!

He professed to be a healer / medicine man.  This guy spoke of bizarre connections to a spirit world(s) and he spoke vaguely of mixed-up method of healing.  He even sang with a drum. Singing his own renditions of “healing” songs.  When I heard him sing, I was embarrassed because he was mixing ways.

 

He sang, what I mockingly call, “Heya-heya-heya Hollywood” sings. Singing and banging his drum to entertain the other white people who hired him. And who themselves wanted to appear as honoring Native American life with what they passed of as culturally appropriate and sensitive “medicine” for troubled youth. And they were honoring Native American staff and social service providers who worked at and within this youth center by having an elder medicine man. Yet clearly, anyone in their right mind, could see that he disturbed.

I was deeply concerned. I had worked at this institution some thirty years prior, when I was twenty-two years old and I knew that they were ignorant about caring for us “Indians”… I attempted to speak to his being there and my concerns… that this man was a ”fake” and not well mentally or emotionally. I was heard and ignored. I did what I did and was gain labeled a trouble maker.

Within 3 months, he was confronted – accused with sexual molesting a couple of the young girls there. Native girls. He denied it and to save I spoke to the situation and was met with extreme denial and defensiveness by the officials at this center, and by some leaders within our own Native American community!!!

There are a few still a few openly, active wannabe white medicine people around. They are usually protected by bureaucrats or government… some, even by Native Americans, who may or not be in collusion with them.

I believe that most, if not all of these phony medicine people are just plain predatorial and are mentally and or emotionally unbalanced! Some will offer entertainment and even access or connection to money, to financial funding and in some cases to drugs, alcohol, sex or whatever is needed to buy a disturbed connection. There is guy, I refer to here, is still around, no longer working with youth, at least not in the open. Sadly, he continues to be selling medicine. I was surprised to hear from a Native American spiritual leader her that he was using this man as his medicine man!!

JL: What are the signs that people can look out for to know whether someone is a phony medicine man or not?  And if they discover one what can they do about it?

When looking into the eyes of an “adopted son of an Iwahnahbee Indian” medicine man and you see only - wild blue yonder, then you know that he is too far off into La-La-Land to help you… So run away fast!  Just kidding. 
When it comes to medicine people, it is not always easy to see if they are true or not, or well or not. It takes you to look, listen and feel. Know your boundaries and know our true medicine People are intelligent, caring, just, kind, and morale… and they do not lie, sexualize, or rip off.   When seeking a medicine person, it is somewhat the same if you were looking for a therapist… you ask around from other people that you know.  Ask questions.

Ask questions about their “walking the talk” and about who and how they learned from. You keep reference to what others say as well.  Pay attention to their mannerisms. Note how they take to questions you ask and how they react. Are they kind? Are they considerate? Are they able to understand and speak about your fears, worries, trust concerns, etc?  Do you feel comfortable? What does your “gut” say? Just note their eyes… the windows to the true heart.

Be aware that if you go to see a medicine person, you have normal human rights. Know that you can ask if they still “drink or drug” or be aware that if they are predatorial sexually and they “come onto you” sexual. Be respectful and honorable.
Phony medicine people are all around and when it comes to exposing them be aware that not all other people will agree with you, so don’t take it to heart. Just move on and talk about.

Let other people know if you’ve had a bad experience with a phony medicine person, so they won’t do the same.

Messed-up people like the Jim Bakers, Jimmy Swaggerts and Gurudevs are amongst too and they aren’t all men or male.

Just keep in mind that some people may act like they are “crazy” and try to pass themselves off as metaphysical angels or medicine people.  Be aware and keep your sense about you. Most of these phoneys have knowingly, taken on a “bastardized form” of Native American teachings, medicine ways, where they mix their own watered down form of doing ceremony because they do not have the “strength” to do what our ancestors did. Just be aware of “New Age – Wilderness” type teaching training that is seems like Native American, but is more cult and fundamentalism training to entice you to stay sick with them.

There are many true and beautiful Native American medicine people out there. Some medicine people are helpers, some are healers… all will be able to help with life. Some will help you with practical emotional life outside of the ceremony, while others will do specific healing for disease or some physical conditions. Others will treat you with plants and herb medicines.
So look into their eyes and see their hearts… note your sense of truth and share with a trusted other to keep your self safe.

 JL: What are your thoughts on the way Hollywood depicts Native Americans?  Do you sense any kind of racism, the way they some times have white people play the Indians with make up?   They also do this with the Chinese like David Caradine playing Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu series. Instead of Bruce Lee who really wanted this part? 

Akicita Wakan Mani:   “Dances With Wolves” by Kevin Custer, oops Costner, is a nice “leather and feather” movie, a romantic movie, depicting more realities of Native American struggle. Our people played us. Great! Yet, again this is an example of where a white person has to play the lead character. This is done because it will make more money, having a well-known celebrity in front.
Also, I intentionally mix-up Costner with Custer, because Kevin Costner came to the Paha Sapa – Blackhills and made a big bunch of money with this good movie. Then he made more much money, after making friends of the people, including a Medicine man, like the late Sundance Chief Sydney Keith, my teacher… he spoke to me about Costner. He was hurt and angry and then, he and his brother ended up opening a big ole casino in the area and killing the little reservation gaming spots. Not that any of them do good cause they don’t!

Movies are made by people, whether they are white or any other race… and I think we are some of what is depicted in movies. Yet, as was said a long, long time ago… you cannot truly tell or know about us unless you live with us in our true way.  Some Native Americans are home, some of us are returning slowly there… movies are really telling us the history of the people making them.

Racism is complex and simple. It is self hatred…and it is ignorance of ones beginnings, of self… and it is a conscious quest to confuse the issue. To say I know, that you are, less than me and I will control you, hurt you, misrepresent you, or shun you… till you believe it or die!

What is more fearful to see? A “white-man” pretending to be Bruce Lee, jumping all around your head kicking and HeeeYaaaaaaing! Or seeing the real true Bruce Lee looking you in the eyes, smashing, spinning all around you, doing his thing?

I was once asked in the 80’s, to go to the Philippines to do a movie, by the father of Sikaran Martial Art, strangely his name was Colonel Geronimo, really!  I was asked to play a villain Native American Martial Artist, who would be killed by the Philippine movie star… I said NO!

Watch the movie producers / makers… that is the real story.

 

HM: When I went to name the magazine Heyoka, I had a bit of a problem with it knowing how the Native language has been exploited in various ways like football teams calling themselves the Atlanta "Braves," Cleveland "Indians," Washington "Redskins," and Kansas City "Chiefs. There was even a Crazy Horse malt beer.

What are your thoughts on this and what is the distinction between being exploitive and doing this in a respectful manor?

Akicita Wakan Mani It has been my experience that non-native people are truly uncomfortable with us. Because they do not know us, nor do they understand us… some want to, some don’t. Some care and respect and honor themselves as they interact with us… some think of us a sub-culture to be tattooed on their skin, but not taken into their home – their hearts.
I think it is fear of a us Native Americans, as a race of people, who are so resilient and tenacious, wounded, but cannot be destroyed! 
It is shame and fear, I think because to some we represent them or a vulnerable part of them. I see that many have an affinity to us through suffering untruth and oppression, un-expression of true self. Deep huh! It is what needs to come out of us all… truth.

Some are trying to hide their true fear, in a display, where they step forward and say they – only – just - honoring us by using our tribal names, sacred words, or use slang words, that were once used to murder, rape, torture, and to degrade us and to further deny us, just human existence.   I see specific comments as unjust and racist.  I see that we must be willing to truly honor why and how these names came to be… for they are representative of someone and something in our history… as a people and as human kind.  It is up to me to be connected by the heart and mind to what the names and words mean.
This is responsibility, this is to I see of people who use these names and words.
 

 

To use the name Heyoka for your magazine is good John LeKay. You honor Heyoka. I have asked practically about what is in your heart, to you John, and what is in your mind, and I, in my limited wisdom, see that you honor life. I don’t profess to speak for all Native Americans; I just speak from my heart and mind.  You print what people have in their hearts and minds.
Heyoka showed me that they would and could do just about anything… the Heyoka do truly, powerful things, scary and sacred things, yet they were responsible and true to the people. They do not do things wrong and then claim ignorance, as some quasi-spiritual person does, because they do not know how to or don’t have the strength to do ceremony in a healthy and well way.

 

I think the Psychological can learn from us about connection of all human beings to all things in life and in the Universe.  Even if they do not believe in Wakan Tanka – The Great Mystery or God or Creation… from the stand point that, we once all belonged to closely knit tribes… we can find the essence of this more true connection and we as Native North American Tribal People have this still.  We have and are healing our real in-to-me-see / intimacy from colonial induced psychology shame and blame.

I believe in the Circle Of Life Medicine and I believe we must use some of the very methods that infected us to heal us… as antidote we can do this. Not changing the sacred ceremonies – honoring them.

 In the Spirit-Warrior Way, I am forever evolving conscientiously, I live to walk this Red Road and to keep in mind that, I have to learn to relate always, with all things in this life. I will never lose this ever..78589

Within the Circle Of Life Medicine Way, we accept that our spirit never left us, we accept our self as whole being again – our spirit – because it was never to be separated, as the European came and made so we would take this distortion on.

This is fundamentalism, that I speak of… it is the core of our disconnection to our true self. We study this, examine it, test, it, know it and then we must throw it out and away.

The once tribal based, now lost and destructive, searching European, came here looking for their connection to their tribe, their heart home…  they thought by owning more that they’d find freedom from self-persecution. They thought by starting anew somewhere else that they’d find new better ways to live life. They did not.

In coming here amongst us they systematically destroyed our connection to creators, Wakan Tanka, then affected us with a falseness of Creation and Creator of life… and induced this concept upon us; that our spirit is separate, to be compartmentalized in the way they see it… THEIR way of controlling us.  They tell, as they say, life is

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www.spirit-warrior.ca 

See letter on NAFPS