We sort of cross posted. OMG, I know of whom you speak regarding the moon ceremonies. Please, what can you tell me about this?
He's trying to replicate some of the Cherokee Moon Festivals such as the First New Moon Festival, the Green Corn Festival, and the Great New Moon Festival, etc. As far as I know, these festivals don’t take place in Florida. Some of these festivals are each held over a few days and aren't something that could just be done in a few hours. Some involve proper food preparation, the preparation of the ceremonial grounds, religious dances, etc. Money shouldn't be paid for these services either nor should they be advertised at Powwows and on the Internet.
There are still Cherokee traditional people that actually do still observe these festivals and some observed at some of the Ceremonial Grounds in Oklahoma. There are a few full blood traditional people who have already denounced the man that we are speaking of.
The Cherokee man in question that performs these so called “moon ceremonies” for one isn't a medicine man nor is he a traditionalist. Being fluent in the Cherokee language is one good sign of this, which he is not. And I don’t mean just knowing a few words and expressions, I mean was he fluent in the language growing up, and was he raised in Traditional ways and is he known at some of the Ceremonial Grounds in Oklahoma as a Medicine Man or Traditionalist.
He’s not. And even if he was a Traditionalist, it still wouldn’t be right what he’s doing. Ceremonial people don’t advertise their services on the internet. They don’t put maps on the internet showing where their so called Moon Ceremonies take place and how to get there. He’s done this.
He might be Cherokee, but in my book he’s no better then all the fakes and Plastic Medicine Men out there. Indians like him are part of the problem. He’s taken advantage of a lot of people who don’t know any better and he’s using his status as a Cherokee to legitimize himself and his so called “Moon Ceremonies”. He knows what he’s doing is wrong. There’s no doubt about it. He’s also disgraced his family name and is part of the reason why he hasn’t been publically denounced.
And speaking of Florida, he’s not the only Indian that makes money from catering to the Wannabees and selling out their heritage. A man from the Winnebago Tribe was out there a few years ago teaching people how to sweat and wrote a fairly accurate book that he was selling on the internet. There’s also a woman Sun Dancer from Pine Ridge who comes out to Florida from time to time to teach the Wannabees how to build a Sweat Lodge and Sweat in her “Sweat Lodge 101 Classes”.
In my book these people are no better then all the fakes. Probably even worse. Their all exploiters in my book. Anybody that sells out their heritage for a buck doesn’t deserve an ounce of respect.
