Michael R Smith

[davidjohndrew]

Michael R Smith, aka Crazy Bear aka Mato Witko... Comanche Irish pipe-carrier, marine, terrible painter but also a 'sundancer' of the Native American tradition:

http://crazybearcreations.com/bio.shtml

Participated in a very strange pagan/wiccan dedication for one Sgt Stewart:

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle/dedicationmain.htm

"Next, Mato Witko, of Comanche and Irish heritage, and a pipecarrier and Sundancer in the Lakota tradition, blessed the plaque, and Roberta and her family with prayers and smudging. This was followed by prayers in Jewish and Christian traditions.

I felt particularly honored to participate in the interfaith portion of the ceremony by reading a traditional Jewish prayer of remembrance, typically said at the unveiling of a headstone. The prayer was one of remembrance and expressed the hopes and prayers that all religions have in common regardless of belief, the desire for peace in the world. ":

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_article.html?a=usfl&id=11386

[Barnaby_McEwan]

http://crazybearcreations.com/bio.shtml

Is that a mullet?

The only thing I can see that's strange about the dedication for Sgt. Stewart is the credulity of the celebrants in allowing this guy to participate as a 'Native American', as if that has something to do with Wicca. Well, it looks strange to me, but such credulity is normal in the neopagan milieu.

Whatever any of us might think about neopaganism, it was Sgt. Stewart's faith and I think it should be recognised on his memorial. As far as Native vets killed in action are concerned, only Native American Church members' beliefs (and those Native members of religions anyone can join) are honoured in the same way.

http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

[earthw7]

Ok now i am mad
do you know that this name is part of my family.
i hate it when white folk take a name that is native with
no rights to it.

[Barnaby_McEwan]

Have I said something out of turn? If I have I'm sorry and I'll do what I can to put it right. Or do you mean that this man is abusing the name Mato Witko?

[debbieredbear]

I would be surprised at a "Commanche " having a Lakota name. I suspect that earth is angry about the use of Mato Witko. If he is Commanche, why does he use a Lakota name? My BS radar is on full alert.

[Leonard]

no kidding - I was wondering about the use of that name also.

Leonard.

[earthw7]

I was typing to fast to finish the post and
accidently posted it.

My grandma sister was Mary Crazy Bear
Crazy Bear fought in the Little Big Horn
I just buried my uncle Crazy Bear.

I wonder if these people understand that the
names they choice really belong to people.

Of course names are the same in different tribes
just like ol Sitting Bull at his time in life there
was seven other named Sitting Bull
one a hidesta
one cherokee
One Mandan
one Arikara
one Oglala
one Omaha
one chippewa

[frederica]

I think Debbie is right, plus he mixes and I  not sure why he is doing that. Names are usually given by special people or certain relatives. Wonder where he obtained his? I see he recommends some Japanese procedures also mostly used by nuagers. And no it not a mullet, it is a single braid, he has pulled over his shoulder for all to see that he has one.

[Leonard]

I have a suggestion (and please forgive my attempt at humor if this fails) to ask this guy to change his name to Wasicun (possibly 'wasicu') Witko and drop all the rest of the 'stuff' and get a real job. (with all my apology to the 'naming' ritual and traditions).

Leonard.

<edit> ... and no, not 'going' for 'words' - 'going' for the ' conceptual meaning' behind the word and concepts that I do not understand - perhaps you may help me to 'understand' something about this topic  (?).

<edit2> ... maybe nothing, just a 'gut feeling'. This is what I was trying to 'get at' with the 'wasicun' remark; to handle this one carefully. The other's were a clear case of 'fraud'. Just research this one carefully is all that I am suggesting.

[Barnaby_McEwan]

I was typing to fast to finish the post and accidently posted it.

I've done that before.

[Laurel]

I wish the Wiccan/Neopagan community would stop tolerating this kind of horseshit.  Getting the pentacle on this guy's tombstone was a victory for religious freedom.  People lobbied long and hard for it.  There was no reason to cheapen it with...well, the same stuff a lot of them yell blue murder about early Christians doing to pagan religions.

I left the neopagan community over this kind of thing.  Sick of yelling myself hoarse at people, including otherwise reasonable "elders," whose attitude was We and the Native Americans are all "nature people," nobody owns spirituality, Black Elk's vision, one 32/nd Cherokee!  Why are you so negative?  Rule of three!  OMGs you are so meeeeean!

Laurel

http://crazybearcreations.com/bio.shtml

Is that a mullet?

The only thing I can see that's strange about the dedication for Sgt. Stewart is the credulity of the celebrants in allowing this guy to participate as a 'Native American', as if that has something to do with Wicca. Well, it looks strange to me, but such credulity is normal in the neopagan milieu.

Whatever any of us might think about neopaganism, it was Sgt. Stewart's faith and I think it should be recognised on his memorial. As far as Native vets killed in action are concerned, only Native American Church members' beliefs (and those Native members of religions anyone can join) are honoured in the same way.

http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

[davidjohndrew]

It appears to me that this whole event was organized toward publicity (being the first pentacle placed on a soldiers grave). In that sense I perceive a certain 'exploitative-intention' from the many varied groups claiming to represent this soldiers faith. It becomes like a 'minority spirituality' overload and I searched in vain for some information about the individual soldier, but I think that he was only in the small-print.

And this is not the end of it at all; any and every soldier who now claims Paganism as a spiritual path may get a stupid pentacle stuck on her/his gravestone (in the event of the unfortunate happening) regardless of his/her actual affiliation.

[Cetan]

This guy showed up at my family's Sundance, invited by Pat Blackhawk who has since crossed over. It gets me mad that he puts pictures of our scred hocoka on t-shirts, mugs and other paraphenalia. He claims the proceeds go to help Pat's family but I find it hard to believe that his family would approve.  We were always tolerant of people showing up, but in my opinion too tolerant and this is an example of why the Proclamation of Protection of Ceremonies was needed.