We respect your message of stopping new age fraud.
With respect to anyone passing judgement about Tis Mal, or his work, they are just that. Judgments. Opinions from people whom are not familiar with him or his work. Perhaps when one sets-upon spectacle from afar, things can become easy to judge and yet hard to identify.
He was a registered member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He was not a "New-Ager", or a fraud. He was traditional in his practice of doctoring, and never accepted money for it. He made money by holding classes, lectures, consulting with herbal companies, and selling his works of art. Some of which are in State, and National museums. He was/is well known and respected for his work and activism.
With regard to Tis Mal’s herbal remedies; he saw people treating herbal medicine as a novelty or fad, and this concerned him. For the safety of people, and of wild plants. He saw an urgent need to promote the message of safe, accurate, and respectful conservation-centered practices. These are the most important components of his work in educating people about herbal medicine. He did not like seeing people going and using them all Willie-Nillie. To forego this, is to disregard the entire premise of his work as to the use of herbs as medicine. Anyone that does not know this, would cause one think that person is not entirely familiar, if at all familiar, with this area of his work. Tis Mal was very clear and passionate in his message about this. People can be foolish sometimes in their attempts to alleviate discomfort or heal themselves of illness, in any regard. Anyone doing so by using herbal remedy, would be subject to their own will and perhaps ignorance, and entirely aberrant to his message or recommendations.
Are we to assume that the publication of herbal remedies is acceptable to some folks, so long as they are not authored by a Native person?
…Maybe somehow we are miss-interpreting that.
As I stated previously, he took serious issue with hokey and/or false representation, and took action if he became aware of any such foolishness. But he is no longer with us, and no-one can control everyone, or everything that someone, somewhere may ever do. As much as we dis-approve, it is not within our scope of control.
The bigger and more important institutions such as the museum’s, where some of his works are, would be of greater concern. To our knowledge, they have always presented tasteful and accurate representations.
As for inquisition about royalties from Tis Mal’s work. I am not sure that is anyone’s concern.
If the suggestion is that someone should have time or energy to dedicate toward seeking-out any, and every store or website that may market his works, so as to assure that it is NEVER done in any manner of "New-Age-ey" style or otherwise, I am inclined to think that would prove to be an exhausting feat, to say the least.
His work speaks for itself. I have said my peace. Thank you for your concern.
With respects,
-Angelica
