Author Topic: Paul C. Tohlakai FRAUD ALERT  (Read 11907 times)

Offline indianer

  • Posts: 4
Paul C. Tohlakai FRAUD ALERT
« on: January 19, 2009, 07:30:55 pm »
www.gonavajotrails.com

fraud name  is    paul c. tohlakai

sells   sweatlodge  cermonys  to germans  who  visit  him on  navaho  lands.


the best part his this    guess   who trained    tocansina kalagin  how to be the great

shaman  it  was   paul   tohlakai   

paul  travels   to europe  train the shamans      then   runs  a bussiness   on the
navaho   reservations  and sales  sweatlodges there
where  he  meets  new people  to teach be shamans

so what he does his germans go to the rez and  he then comes europe train them
be  shamans
and teachs them the sweatlodge  right on the reservation

« Last Edit: March 27, 2009, 02:58:43 pm by frederica »

Offline stitchyus

  • Posts: 2
Re:Paul Tohlakai
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2009, 10:07:14 am »
I did not get any reply to my message regarding Paul Tohlakai , I ask you to reply to me . He is a man of good reputation and I do not want his name  taken through the dirt here ! So pleas come forward and mail me !!

my email is stitchyus@yahoo.com
« Last Edit: March 27, 2009, 02:50:33 pm by frederica »

Offline Adept

  • Posts: 66
Re:Paul Tohlakai
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2009, 03:07:07 pm »
I did not get any reply to my message regarding Paul Tohlakai , I ask you to reply to me . He is a man of good reputation and I do not want his name  taken through the dirt here ! So pleas come forward and mail me !!

my email is stitchyus@yahoo.com

In my opinion Paul Tohlakai sell locally definitely "Red Spirit" ceremonies from Navajo´s ...
Well now, before you post more further nonsense - because of establish as final and absolute talk about innocence of Paul Tohlakai - read the adjacent travelogues:

"The sweat lodge and the pipe-ceremony will always remain in my memory vividly. It was a very special experience there and I often think of the sky full of stars underneath of which I slept after the ceremony! Collecting wood for Sundance and Topgay being talked to in Navajo language because the facial features of Sikkimesse/Tibetans and Navajos are so similar were also fun and memorable experience we had at Pinon ...is that what the place is called?"

Paul is a gifted story teller and a sensitive cultural historian, allowing the teachings of The People to find their way into your heart-and life- in a "roundabout" way. The Native Way is not to preach but to guide, to provide an opportunity to open your heart in your own way, at your own time. Paul's singing, his ceremony, and his connection to nature coax those who are with him to "awaken" to their own unique Earthwalk while also strengthening their communal bond, the bond that helps us live upon Her with us, in whatever form, from two-legged, to four-legged, to the winged ones and others. His vision is one of a Sacred Hoop that harmoniously includes all people, no matter their ancestry, ethnicity, or cultural heritage. His efforts to preserve the ancient ways while not eschewing modern realities and technologies are admirable, and urgently needed. If your desire is to experience a deep and respectful appreciation of the landscapes of the American Southwest and an authentic introduction to the people who have been the spiritual preservers of its most sacred places and traditions, then I heartily recommend Paul Crane Tohlakai as your guide."
http://www.gonavajotrails.com/testimonials.html

---------snip--------------

Meiner Meinung nach verkauft dieser Paul Tohlakai sehr wohl Zeremonien vom "Indianischen Geist" der Navajo
Ich schlage vor, dazu nachfolgende Reiseberichte und deren Zeremonien zu lesen bevor hier weiterer Unsinn - von wegen einer Unschuld - gepostet wird:

"Die Schwitzhütte und die Pfeifen-Zeremonie wird immer lebhaft in meiner Erinnerung bleiben. Es war eine sehr spezielle Erfahrung und ich denke noch oft an den Sternenhimmel unter welchem ich nach der Zeremonie schlief! Das Sammeln von Holz für den Sonnentanz und das Sprechen in Navajo über die ähnlichen Gesichtsmerkmale zwischen Sikkimesse/Tibetans und Navajos hat sehr viel Spass gemacht und wird eine unvergessliche Erfahrung bleiben, welche wir in Pinon hatten ...hieß, der Ort so?"

Mit dem Native-Weg betet man nicht einen Führer an, sondern sorgt für die Möglichkeiten sein Herz für seinen eigenen Weg zu öffnen. Pauls Gesang, seine Zeremonien und seine Verbindung zur Natur bringt einen dazu als einzigartiger Erdenbewohner aufzuwachen, die Bindung zu anderen zu verstärken. Diese Bindung hilft uns respektvoll auf und mit der Erde und all ihren Geschöpfen zusammen zu leben. In seiner Vision gibt es einen Heiligen Kreis von Menschen, unabhängig von Herkunft, Abstammung, Ethik und kulturellem Hintergrund. Sein Bestreben, den alten Weg zu bewahren und gleichzeitig die moderne Wirklichkeit und Technologie mit einzubeziehen ist bewundernswert und dringend notwendig. Wenn es Ihr Wunsch ist, so eine tiefe Erfahrung zu machen und Sie Verständnis für die südwestamerikanische Landschaft haben und für die authentische Vorstellung ihrer Menschen über das Bewahren der Spiritualität und der heiligen Plätze und Traditionen, dann sei Ihnen Paul Crane Tohlakai wärmstes als Tour-guide empfohlen."
http://www.gonavajotrails.com/testimonials_german.html

Offline Ingeborg

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Re:Paul Tohlakai
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2009, 03:18:23 pm »
Stitchyus, nobody wuld have paid attention to William Jervis' rants in the very first place. But since you emphasize Tohlakai being a good person, I did some research additionally to a few ads I came across earlier.


This is a site mentioning Tohlakai as one of their regular guides:

http://www.spiritjourneys.com/guides.php

Quote
Paul Tohlakai is a gifted story teller and a sensitive cultural historian, allowing the teachings of The People (Dine') to find their way into your heart and life in a "roundabout" way. The Native Way is not to preach but to guide, to provide an opportunity to open your heart in your own way, at your own time. Paul's singing, his ceremony, and his connection to nature coax those who are with him to "awaken" to their own unique Earthwalk. His vision is one of a Sacred Hoop that harmoniously includes all people, no matter their ancestry, ethnicity, or cultural heritage. His efforts to preserve the ancient ways while not eschewing modern realities and technologies are admirable, and urgently needed.


http://www.logos.tsukuba.ac.jp/~sen-mind/200505tohlakai.files/frame.htm

The site seems to be maintained by a Contemporary Dine Sun Dance Movement



www.crestoneeagle.com/20anniversary/1992-1993.pdf

Quote
[…] that it contains a short sidebar article about a man named Paul Tohlakai a Dine (Navaho) man and his wife Caroline, moving to Crestone.
Now this is all a much longer story, but suffice it to say I knew this Indian (he’s the one who followed the bird some years earlier). We had met in an Inipi (sweat lodge) ceremony in Massachusetts (of course). I would visit his family’s ancestral land with my own father, be adopted by his mother and complete a commitment as a Sundance supporter on that land, but that all came later. I had some vague recollection of hearing he was moving to some little town in Colorado at the time of seeing this article. I really didn’t think much of it at the time, although it seemed a little strange, like a story or a song that I couldn’t quite remember. [...]

Oh yes, a Dine in an inipi in Massachussetts....



http://www.sacredpeaksconference.com/2005/particip.html

Quote
Sacred Mountains Foundation
Paul Tohlakai, Founder

Paul was born naturally in a remote area of the Navajo Nation and spent his early years on the Navajo Reservation until he was processed by the government into the BIA boarding school system. He received subsequent formal education in non-Native foster homes and graduated from Prescott High School in Arizona. He received recognitions for his athletic and academic pursuits and received scholarships to major universities. Upon completing one year of college, he began what would be his lifelong passion of traveling, learning and educating himself. He is self-taught in most of his professions. Like his nomadic Dineh forebears, he now leads a more sedentary and pastoral way of life learning appropriate technology for a sustainable future. With this mission, he founded and serves as director of the grassroots organization Sacred Mountains Foundation Inc., based in Pinon, Arizona.

Paul holds a vision for his Dineh people and works toward it tirelessly. He has served as coordinator of the Youth Peace Journey in Crestone. His work is of such vital significance to his people that it has also involved him with global communities. Sacred Mountains Foundation Inc. recently received grants from the Seventh Generation Fund and is focusing now on start-up construction for a building in Pinon. His other activities in coming months include conducting his community Sundance, attending a gathering of Dineh Elders in New Mexico, lecturing at a Japanese university, and planning for a Pinon community cultural museum as a board member.

Paul's varied life's work has included supervisory capacity in housing, railroad, commercial construction, carpentry, welding, BIA-Tribal social services, substance abuse program counseling, medical social work, ranching, fishing, forest service, firefighting, iron work, horse training and logging. He is Founder-Director of Sacred Mountains Foundation, Sundance Ceremonial Leader, Spiritual Advisor, lecturer of Native American Philosophy, Northern traditional dancer, proud father and grandfather, a good husband and a good son of Louise Whitewater Begaye. All these experiences have contributed to his ability to relate to others and share his experiences in a down-to-Earth manner. He has lectured at universities and at schools in the U.S. regarding Navajo ways of thought and the significance of the Sundance to Navajo people. Paul is also a drum maker and tour guide, operating under Tohlakai Drums and Navajo Trails.
Web site: www.sacredmountainsfoundation.org

This ad also sounds very nuagey:

http://www.prnewsnow.com/Public_Release/Native_American/Navajo_Traditional_Wisdom_Comes_to_Berkshires_2287.html

Quote
Navajo Traditional Wisdom Comes to Berkshire


December 1, 2004 -- Traditional Navajo (Dineh?) Elder and Spiritual Advisor, paul tohlakai , will share his powerful ancestral wisdom for living in today?s changing times on Friday, December 17th at 7:30pm at the Friends Meeting House located at 280 State Road in Great Barrington, MA. His teachings highlight the Dineh? Four Living Principles of ?Indigenous Mind,? viewed as integral for being connected to humanity and the natural world. Preserving Native oral history, paul tohlakai explains that, ?by returning to the natural way, we can recover our innate sense of knowing, of feeling connected, of being aware of our part in this great change happening.

Tohlakai states that, ?In our present age of technology, many experience a disconnection from the natural rhythms of life and are caught up in the superficiality of the times. Yet this is also an age of evolution and light ? with great potential for enlightenment. Everyone has the natural ability and potential to refine our minds, bodies, and awareness.? In his lecture he will deliver the very simple methods of his ancestors for obtaining this awareness, easily adapted for today.

 paul tohlakai , Dineh? (Navajo) teacher of Native American cosmology and lifeways, is sponsored by local Berkshire residents Melissa Kushi and Chris Lindstrom, co-founders of the non-profit Our Sacred Future Foundation. Kushi and Lindstrom, dedicated to renewing the wisdom and essence of traditional Native foods, agriculture, and healthy sustainable living, are pioneering projects dedicated to alternative education, earth-friendly micro-enterprise, micro-credit, and micro-currency projects. By combining today's eco-technologies with traditional wisdom, Kushi and Lindstrom are committed to creating not only cultural preservation, but innovative sustainable models for all humanity. For more information or to reserve a seat, call 413-644-9050. Suggested donation for the event is $10.00, and is open to the general public.



In previous years, Tohlakai also used to work with a German travel organizer:

www.begegnungs-reisen.de

For 2009, his name is not mentioned there any longer.
However, there are some more interesting ads in German language:


http://indianerkalender.de/event/index.asp?datum=01.06.2008&katid=14

June 1 – 8, 2008 Travel to the Indians – Navajo Trails – an Indian tour company
Traveling in Arizona/USA

Quote
Dear team of Indianerkalender!
I would like to inform you about Navajo Trails who are an Indian tour company in Arizona. Navajo Trails is owned by Paul Crane Tohlakai, a Dine (Navajo), his employees are all Indians. I am working for him voluntarily and am his friend. On his website, you can find new informantion on trips. We would be grateful if you also can put up info about his website.
Paul Tohlakai is an elder and does various ceremonies, from pipe ceremony to sun dance. [emphasis mine] He earns his living with his tour company and with building drums. His websites are: www.gonavajotrails.com and www.tohlakaidrums.com . Both sites are available in English, German, and French. [….]

Below further tour info, there's the following addition:

Quote
Information in German language: Yvonne Fabian, BorromäerInnenstr. […] Wipperfürth, Germany, tel: […], yvonne.fabian@....com.
Suggested text for Tohlakaidrums: Drums are being done in a traditional way by Paul Crane Tohlakai, fullblood Dine (Navajo), elder and ceremony leader. Further info at www.tohlaikaidrums.com or Paul Tohlakai […]
I would be very grateful if you put us up at your site. Thank you very much and regards, Yvonne Fabian


Ms Fabian quite incidentially meanwhile has taken up running the site of William Jervis who poses as a Cherokee and sells Lakota ceremonies.

So Jervis seems to be miffed at Tohlakai and spreads a little muck. Perhaps Jervis does not take well the competition for Ms Fabian's efforts at running websites, or perhaps it is a case of thieves falling out. I can get ads for Tohlakai over the last few years, but that's it. So Jervis' claim Tohlakai was TM's teacher must be seen as BS.



There is another entry in a German language forum by an anonymous guest:

http://www.forumromanum.de/member/forum/entry_ubb.user_288051.2.1103698885.1103698885.1.urlaub_indianern-indianer_nordamerikas.html

Quote
Holidays with the Indians
date: May 6, 2008, 15:27 o'clock

At the path of the sleeping rainbow
The trip to Arizona is fixed....
Navajo medicine woman „Louise Benally“ will perform special shamanic healings with tour participants! Our contacts make possible special experience usually only available for natives! With Paul Tholakai [sic] you will experience an Indian sweatlodge done in the Navajo way. Let yourself be touched by the Spirit of the Stone-People-Lodge (that's what the Indians call the sweatlodge). This trip for a small group will take you to the spiritual mountain and canyon world of the Navaho and will get you in closest contact with culture and spirituality of the Navajo. Come along with us. There are a few tickets available. As the group will be small, this will guarantee an unforgettable experience.
Kind regards, Kurt and Christina Fenkart
http://www.schamanismus-akademie.com/

Although it sounds as if the Fenkarts were taking credit for having such excellent contacts, the text originally was published by www.begegnungsreisen, if memory serves right.



Offline Adept

  • Posts: 66
Re: Paul C. Tohlakai FRAUD ALERT
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2009, 11:17:13 pm »
NAVAJO CROSS-CULTURAL TOUR: ex 1.850,- €
This eight day trip for a group with the Navaho leader Paul Tohlakai to introduce you on this journey the spiritual mountain and canyon world of the Navaho and will get you in closest contact with culture and spirituality of the Navajo. You spend time with Navaho families, become acquainted with themselves the communities of the Dineh (Navaho) and to take part in honorary projects. And you are introduced to the culture of the Navajo, listen to Navaho stories, sing songs of the Dineh and drums. Beyond that you discover the historicalpregnant Canyon de Chelly, are astonished at the monoliths in the Monument Valley and participate in a sweatlodge ceremony.
Dates 2009: 19th -27th May / 25th June - 3th July
http://www.indianerreisen.com/html/arizona-reisen.html

---------------------snip----------------------

NAVAJO CROSS-CULTURAL TOUR: ab 1.850,- €
Diese 8-tägige Gruppenreise mit dem Navajo-Führer Paul Tohlakai führt Sie in das ursprüngliche indianische Leben ein und ermutigt zu kulturellen Erfahrungen.  Sie verbringen Zeit mit indianischen Familien, lernen die Gemeinschaften der Dineh (Navajo) kennen und beteiligen sich an ehrenamtlichen Projekten. Sie werden in die Kultur der Navajo eingeführt, lauschen indianischen Geschichten, singen Lieder der Dineh und trommeln. Darüber hinaus entdecken Sie den geschichtsträchtigen Canyon de Chelly, staunen über die Monolithen im Monument Valley und nehmen an einer Schwitzhüttenzeremonie teil.
Termine 2009: 19. - 27. Mai / 25. Juni - 3. Juli
http://www.indianerreisen.com/html/arizona-reisen.html