A few years back, my now wife (we weren’t married at the time) was approached by some dude (Not the infamous Ray) in Sedona about doing a sweat lodge. This guy appeared to be a "full blooded" Native, and his features were very similar to my Lakota friends' features out in Wounded Knee, SD. He was all Canadian Tuxedoed up (Denim jacket, denim pants, brown boots and had his black hair tied back into one very long braid.
My wife said that she picked up a weird vibe from him right off the bat, but things really became clear when she saw him EXCLUSIVELY approaching other women who were fit and attractive according to the general shallow media standards) and encouraging them to pay for a sweat lodge ceremony later on that night with him. Once he was busy trying to recruit some other passers by, my wife took the opportunity to ghost on him before he could talk to her again. She showed me his business card (which had a full color face shot of him) and I was amused. We got a few laughs out of such a hokey sales pitch on such an important cultural ceremony.
Later on, we were shopping in the supermarket in Sedona and my wife was walking ahead of me as we were changing aisles. All of a sudden, she ducked back real quick and said "That guy is there!" I joked with her a bit, along the lines of "Awww, you're in for it now!" and hung back a few paces as she went ahead again. I watched from a short distance as his face showed that he recognized her and his pace quickened as he walked towards her. He was about ten feet away when he saw me (by then) walking up behind her to join her, his eyes met mine (my face was in a kind of in a “you’re so full of shit” half-smirk) and his face changed to an expression of concern and he just spun and bolted away FAST! He actually left the store. We got a giggle out of that, as we could only assume that his intentions couldn’t have been all that great, judging by that reaction.
After shopping, we were pulling out of the parking lot and saw him in the next parking strip passing out business cards and “recruiting” young women all hoochied out with their silicone breasts halfway out and ½ inseamed shorts. They appeared to be enamored by his deliberate mystique. This dude’s business cards were all over the tourist traps, no hiding at all. Anyone know more about this guy and if he’s been shamed out or shut down? Arizona is pretty thick when it comes to Native population. How is this guy not rebuked and run out of there for making a mockery and selling out an honorable ceremony with commercial and predatory tactics?
P.S.- Sweat lodge guy, if you’re on here, lurking in the shadows and reading this: Whahahahahaaa to your cheap ass sleazy tactics!
