Greetings and Salutations!

[Jaibyrd]

First of all, I want to say a big Thank You for this wonderful site and all the thought-provoking information!

A bit about me, I go by the name Jai'byrd online, you can call me Jai for short. I'm a high school science teacher at an alternative school in North Carolina and before that I was a zookeeper. I do martial arts (Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan Karate), enjoy reading, drawing, making jewelry and building websites. I'm really into Ancient Egypt and Sci-Fi (fiction, not the Pyramids were built by aliens nonsense). From what I've learned from reading around on this site, I'm a PODAI, as my Grandmother who is majorly into genealogy (she even found my Grandfather's - her husband - family as he was adopted) found the following:

Capt. Lucas Schermerhorn (your 7th gr. grdfa. of RW), (Grandma Bea's side), married Wyntje Fitzgerald.  Wyntje's father, John Fitzgerald's mother was a full blooded Mahican (Mohican), of the Algonquian stock.  They were the Hudson River (NY State) Indians who befriended old Henry (Hudson) when he wandered up the Hudson River.  The Mohawks of Iroquoian stock nearly wiped them out with a lot of other tribes way back.  Between this and fighting for us over the years, there are few left and they live over in Stockbridge, MA.  I gave your Mom a book on them.  
 
Also on Grandma Bea's side (the Quay's) there is supposed to be another connection but I have never been able to really track them, Canadian border area.  
 
Also in the Quay's early line was Schenectady's famous "Ostock" line.  Mohawk.  Not our direct line though.  Nonetheless, one of "us."  

Of course it really doesn't mean anything in the long run I suppose, but it's interesting as there's so much neat history in my family line I never knew about until Grandma started her research - like we're distant relatives of President Martin Van Buren, the Scottish Clan MacKay, founders of the Dutch East India Trading Company, and a descendent of Katrina Van Tassel (or at least the person who inspired the character of Katrina Van Tassel) from Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

I hope I'm not coming off as egotistical here   , it's just that I find it all rather fascinating and I like to share... a lot.

But anyway, I came to this site because I guess I'm just another dopey nuager as I had an odd dream a month back that really stuck in my head and inspired me to look up "shamans" on the internet. I was looking around for "training" I admit and what struck me the most and made me go "whoa" was the prices. I saw $800 and $1000 for healing sessions alone and I was just shocked. As a teacher, I don't make that much and I kind a baulk at amounts that high for anything. For instance I actually never paid for any of my Reiki training or any other training as I like bartering my abilities (normally building websites for people), but that much money, it was, well, like I said, just shocking. So the next day a thought hit me, how do I know these folks aren't scammers? Is there some kind of list out there where I can check? So I googled "Shaman Frauds" and the first link was this website and I started to read around.

Wow, boy was it a rude - but wonderful - awakening. This site really made me think and reconsider many, many things. I (still) feel ashamed that I was even looking or considering partaking of such nonsense. And currently I am still reevaluating many, many of my beliefs due to this site - which honestly is a good thing in my opinion. I am so thankful to have found this site before I did something dumb. I really love all the information on here and I hope to possibly help support this site in any way I can - if you'll have me.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  

[Edit - Now I feel really dumb! I stuck this topic in the wrong place! So sorry!]

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

Welcome!  I hope that you will continue to read and possibly even participate here.  As you understand, there is only so much that can be learned on the internet, but the fact that you have learned about the many scams is very good.  Keep coming back!
Ric

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

For whatever it's worth, I don't think you or anyone should feel 'ashamed' for seeking 'shaman' or even considering it. People sometimes have needs, and what is wrong isn't that they seek or consider someone, what is wrong is the people who take advantage of another person's need and vulnerability.  People will always seek .. and there is nothing to be ashamed of for that. 

I am glad you the good sense to be cautious. 

[Superdog]

Welcome to the board.

You can get rid of those negative feelings you have about all this.....you're blessed with common sense and the fact that the exhorbitant pricing for things you can learn for free raised an alarm with you means you have your head on straight.

Dopey or nuager wouldn't be the terms I would use to describe you as you're not so easily fooled.

Superdog

[Defend the Sacred]

Fàilte, Kinsman. :-)

I also have MacKay ancestry. I'm more involved in the MacEwan (NicEoghainn) side of the faimly, but since that line is not as well represented at the Games and such, I often sign in with Clan MacAoidh. I have a great aunt who was a genealogist, and we seem to have a few with that inclination every generation. Look back far enough and everyone is related. :-)

[Unegv Waya]

Jai, you have learned much and well.  You are part of the reason this site is here - to teach those willing to learn what the truth is about all the things that get sold as being Native American but are not.  As others have said, stick around and participate some.

nvwatohiyadv

[tank]

in response 2 jai'bryd is that with refernce 2 the Jay, you have a lot of interests that many of my friends share. the consideration is of all things being equal and understanding origins of tao, shinto, and the consept of where you draw the line of charging for spiritual practices, without restriction to nation.