NAFPS Forum

Most important is that James Arthur Ray was a murderer, con artist, grifter. And the fact that his survivors continue the grift.

Yet it is also worthy of note how ridiculous his grift is, for example:

QuoteSince that time, I've traveled to Egypt numerous times to study, explore, and learn. I've been ushered solo into the Great Pyramid, with full-on access to all 3 chambers for 3 hours, on more than one occasion.

I've been gifted the ability to meditate solo between the paws of the Great Sphinx (something that never happens. It's actually unheard of).

I've spent two weeks in the Sinai Desert with the nomadic Bedouins following the path of the Israelites, culminating in spending the night alone in Moses' cave where he received the Ten Commandments on the top of Mount Sinai.

And I've ultimately been initiated into 2 mystery schools in the ancient tradition of Hermetics and Alchemy.

It's been a long journey; and I promise you it's transformed—actually transmuted—my entire life!

https://harmonicwealthglobal.com/the-hermetics-experience/

Testing 123

This is a test post.

In 1910 one of his direct ancestors was described as a "citizen" in a news article.

The Indian Citizenship Act did not pass until 1924.

I encourage him to get professional genealogy done, with a specialist in New Mexican and related genealogy/history.

"Ph.D from Columbia Pacific University"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Trent_Jacobs

"Columbia Pacific University (CPU) was a distance learning school in California. It was founded in 1978 and closed by California court order in 2000"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Pacific_University

"As an Irish man" - from his ancestor surnames it is an easy guess he does have Irish heritage. But he's neglecting all the German and French.

He was born in 1946, Missouri.

"His great grandmother was adopted by a white family in Missouri after escaping from the Trail of Tears, according to family history and an old photo, but he had no exposure to that culture while growing up."

He had four great grandmothers, he does not name which one.

This is one of the best, most well researched family lines I've seen on ancestry.com. I easily found photos and records of all four great grandmothers. These are white folks.

Of course there can be adoptions but not in this case from Trail of Tears.

Trail of Tears 1830 - 1850. His great grandmothers were born in 1879, 1879, 1862, 1876.

When in New Mexico they were listed in records as "white" instead of "Indian".

Some ancestors are from Mexico, such as a Gallegos born 1855 in Cacalchen, Yucatan, Mexico.

I don't see anything indicating "Navajo heritage".

(Here are The Navajo Nation enrollment rules: https://novri.navajo-nsn.gov/Services/New-Enrollment )

He claims: "grandparents lived on the Taos Pueblo". I see Taos County in their records, but not Taos Pueblo (different enumeration districts).

Back to milehighsalute original post here -

"NOBODY here seems to know him. i am talking about nobody in the indian community. i never seen the guy before at any native events, and that includes powwows, round dances, art shows, concession/vendor style fundraisers, elders dinners, or even dropping by the indian center."

"but is he selling "indianess"? marketing himself as a product of our native community without being an active part of it?"

I'd say, yes, he is selling "indianess".

Possibility that he has distant heritage but not as how he represents it.

His paternal side is French and German.

Charles Frantz Joseph DesMoineaux
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149416059/charles_frantz_joseph-desmoineaux

He does not claim paternal heritage.
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Maternal side is his claim "Leon's Navajo heritage comes from his mother, who was born in Taos in 1911". His mother was born in 1911.

Matilda Phyllis "Tillie" DesMoineaux (birth surname Hidalgo)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149416346/matilda_phyllis-desmoineaux

' 'Tillie', 98, she is preceded in death by her beloved husband Charles. Survived by her children: Charlene (Joe) Andrew, Charles (Lana) DesMoineaux, Leon (Kim) DesMoineaux"

https://www.denverpost.com/obituaries/matilda-p-desmoineaux-co/

Her father Lauriano "Lawrence" Hidalgo https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130579242/lauriano-hidalgo

I found the family in 1950 federal census, Denver. Matilda born in NM. They listed white, everyone in the neighborhood white. This census happened in April, a few months before Leon born.

He was born Oct 1950. Leon J Desmoineaux.

"Littlebird is more familiar with his maternal side of the family. His grandparents lived on the Taos Pueblo, and eventually became so disgusted with discrimination against Native Americans, they packed up their wagon and moved to Denver.

"The hatred was still really high," Littlebird said. "You didn't tell anyone you were Native American, or they'd try to send you back to the reservation."

His mother – now 93 and living in Denver – tried to keep Littlebird from returning to his Native American origins, remembering how her mother would tell her the white people thought they were dirty and uncouth.

But Littlebird would have nothing of it, and today is still trying to get reinstated into his tribe in New Mexico. "If I own it, and it's my ancestry, I want to know it," he said.

Littlebird's full name is Leon Charles Jeantette des Moineaux, the last of which means chickadee, or little bird."

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/music-compassion-shape-littlebird/