Henry Niese

[chiefytiger]

as far as i know this is a late entry ,but I must say i never heard of Henry Niese,But as for him doing the Lakota teachings ,Anything is possible and most ppls who arent Lakota are doing it, So where ever he got his so called teachings than it's his word and he not here to defend himself ,has anyone tried to contact this Henry feller ...

[kangi]

I know Henry Niese personally, and have since October 2001.

He is an honorable man, a teacher, and a respected elder.

He has never charged a cent for any ceremony.


Toksa.

[Cetan]

Are you Kangiwinyan from MO?

[kangi]

Kangicante from MD.

[Epiphany]

Henry Ernst Niese was born 1924 New Jersey to Benedictus Emil Niese and Ruth Halstead. His father and paternal grandfather were sugar and coal industrialists, with bios in the book "Prominent Families of New Jersey"

http://books.google.com/books?id=qG_5K_s3a-gC&pg=PA443&dq=niese+%22new+jersey%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NQkDUqXSI4-oqwHLpID4DA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=niese%20%22new%20jersey%22&f=false

His mother was "one of the first American women to train and practice as a radiologist"

http://abitofhistory.net/html/rhw/body_files/n_body.htm#nieseruth

Henry taped an oral history interview he did with his mother http://www.worldcat.org/title/oral-history-interview-with-ruth-halstead-niese-28-april-1979/oclc/79391460

Both parents from New Jersey.

One of his grandparents was born in Germany, one England, two New York.

Looking over the already extensive genealogy work that has been done on these families - haven't seen any mention or hint of possible NDN heritage.

For 10 years Henry Niese has been the religious volunteer for Native American groups in the Maryland penitentiary system. "Most of the guys are mixed blood like me", says Henry. "Like Chief Eagle Feather said, one drop is enough".

http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/indian.html

So he is claiming distant heritage. My guess is this would be very distant, not how he or even his great grandparents were raised.

He and his parents in 1940 census https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4RS-71V

Henry Niese Studio http://www.henryniese.com/bio.htm

Medicine Man to lead Earth Day Service 1993 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PN0lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fv0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5527,1289132&dq=henry+niese+artist+indian&hl=en He is identified as a traditional Cherokee medicine man

Another Earth Day, led by "Henry Niese, a Cherokee practicing the Lakota Ceremony" 1995 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=alczAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rP0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5789,999269&dq=henry-niese+cherokee&hl=en

[Epiphany]

More on Niese here (about his health and growing up short in size) http://www.perthes.org.uk/2007/11/henry-niese/ Mention is made of his grandmother from England, also of his brother Beano (Benedictus).

Unlike many of the frauds we research here, Niese's art claims check out.  The Smithsonian does have a painting of his:

The Bed Quilt
1956 Henry Niese, born Jersey City, NJ 1924 oil on canvas 61 3/4 x 46 in. (157.0 x 116.8 cm) Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ben Niese 1981.104 Not on view

http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/results/index.cfm?rows=10&q=&page=1&start=0&fq=name:%22Niese%2C%20Henry%22

He did get a Pulitzer traveling scholarship in art, 1954, value of $1,500.

Uploaded here is a clip from a book on Morristown, NJ - depicts the estate known as Hill Terrace of his paternal grandfather Henry E Niese, who was born in Germany.

http://books.google.com/books?id=t88vrKPxLPgC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=%22henry+e+niese%22&source=bl&ots=9Y3lbOVXMF&sig=LlP3xfoMEGVfN_m7E5n6cAmNqoY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2AYDUs-9HIjGqQHYoIHADw&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=%22henry%20e%20niese%22&f=false

[drendon]

To all this Henry is a dear friend of my family and have been to his sundance, where my dad danced. He is not a sham nor does he charge for ceremony. People sound dumb when they say something and follow it with (i think)  if you dont know for sure dont say it.  Hes been helping people on the red road for over 20 years.

[earthw7]

That's nice

But he is not Native and does not have that right

[Oglala Lakota82]

I know this mans name Hank Niese he is known as. My Uncle said Hank Niese was a scam artist along with Ed Mcgaa. Niese does a lot of name dropping to his followers. It was both Niese and Mcgaa who tried to push reporters on Fools Crow. Oldman Fools Crow knew what they were up to. I will help expose this fraud also.

[Oglala Lakota82]

Henry has participated in sixteen Sun Dances on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, dancing four days, piercing, and giving flesh in all. In the 1990 Sundance he made one of the most difficult sacrifices, known as the Four Winds Pierce. He has been guest fellow at Yale University, teaching a seminar contrasting Native American and European beliefs, "Problems of Perception in Two Cultures". He is of Cherokee heritage.

He welcomes the chance to teach others what he has learned.
Henry "Wild Goose" Niese (AKA) Little Big Hearted Man

Ok here is the problem with this, first the man is bragging on his sundancing feats, second he is of Cherokee ancestry and he is practicing Lakota Spirituality. It is people like this man here who have no identity within their own people so they look for any kind of acceptance. Sometimes that acceptance is found through ignorance; Niese forgets the pain my Lakota elders went through to keep our language and spirituality alive. Like all Non-Indians he is a fool; I can make money doing this very thing to; but what can be gained from it other than the fact his ego has outgrown his teachings. Hank Niese is like all th other New Age nuts; read Black Elk Speaks and you to can become an instant Medicine Man. The book Black Elk Speaks has been nothing but trouble for us Lakotas, and to br honest none of that book is actually the words of Black Elk. Neihardt arranged it to appeal to the reader; in reality Black Elk's grandson on purpose misinterpreted Oldman Black Elks words; out of suspicion. What these New Age Crazies are reading is not the real Black Elk it is the words of Niehardt.