Tim Sikyea "Wanbli Isna-la"

[Ingeborg]

I found Tim Sikyea's name on a website.
He apparently has/had a shop selling ndn arts and crafts in the German town of Nuremberg, but the site seems to be down.
At www.indianerwww.de/indian/shops.html I saw that he owns/owned the shop with his wife Gabriela and they named it "Winnetou Galerie".

When googling for his name, I soon realized that Mr Sikyea does not seem to be quite clear to which ndn nation he belongs or which may be is native language.

In Germany, he has also been in films and on TV:
http://german.imdb.com/name/nm1123349/filmotype
"Tim Sikyea, born March 1951, Fort Resolution, North West Territories, Canada"

www.zdf.de/ZDFde/Inhalt/11/0,1872,2007115,00.html
(The site belongs to the ZDF, a state owned German TV station) They report TS participated in Karl May Days and mention he is a Canadian Dene Indian and his name is Wanbli Isna-la.
A Dene with a Lakota name?

According to some websites, like http://www.alpenschamanismus.de, TS is a 'shaman'.


http://www.sabon.org/prophezeiungen/index9.html
They offer the following prophecy:
"Tim Sikyea (Yellowknife)
Many of the dreams or visions don't mean necessarily the end, they can also indicate a change. Our people say that the persons who are not spiritual are not able to adjust to these changes. They will not have the necessary physical, mental, and spiritual powers for their own change. They said that mankind will go crazy.
There will be an energy or something like that which will influence the atmosphere. One result will be that pressure on our brains will increase by 35 percent. But persons who are clean in their mind and who accept the approaching energies of the cosmos will be able to protect themselves against this human cleansing process.
Between 70 and 80 percent of mankind are not oriented spiritually, but materialist. Therefore they will not be able to stand these changes, they will go crazy. They will kill each other and destroy everything around them. It will be like in a loony bin. Most probably someone will press the famous button then."


http://www.uweb21.de
The page quotes an article from a German paper, Freilassinger Anzeiger, dated June 9, 2005

GROSSGMAIN/TRAUNSTEIN (VeS) "Earth is our true mother and she loves us unconditionally" - Dene-Lakota Indian Tim Sikyea came to the towns of Traunstein and Großgmain with this wisdom and found huge resonance with his messages. More than 200 persons heard his lecture in Traunstein, and there was a similar number the next day at the school in Großgmain. Many interested persons also sought to speak to him personally, e.g. during the inter-religious event or during two days of seminars when he taught interested persons to do a dreamcatcher.
His visit was a part of his life mission. He sees himself as a messenger of traditional Indian culture. He left his village in the Canadian Northwest at the age of 14 already, to travel the world and to pass on the knowledge of his ancestors.
Wherever Tim Sikyea is, he tries to introduce people to Indian spirituality, like e.g. in Germany. In Nuremberg, he owns a centre for Indian lifestyle, and since many years, he invites to participate in the ceremony of the "Earth Dance", a cycle of holy dances, rituals, and prayers lasting several days, held in Wittenberg. He wants to make people realize that earth gives mankind everything they need to live: food, water, fire, and material for clothing. Sikyea sees earth as a ball of energy and all human beings are part of it. Everything was spirited by the same power: "We call it the Great Mystery, you call it God."
Dene-Lakota-Indian Tim Sikyea touched many hundred persons with his visit. Sikyea's most important wish is to teach human beings that they are related to all other living creatures - and that it is possible to enter into a "living contact" with these "others". "Just like you can tell a person you honour and estimate them, you can tell this to a tree."
The world view of the Indians holds the certainty that, additionally to the visible creatures, there are also creatures of the spiritual world who are in contact with us and who accompany and lead us. During the healing ceremony at Grossgmain, Sikyea called these "helpers" with impressing chants, and he also started his lectures with a "spirit call", a call and thanks to the companions from the spiritual world....
...
Possessions never were important to the Indians. Already the concept one could own land, i.e. a part of mother earth, was entirely unknown to them before the white man arrived. In his village, Sikyea explains, the old people call money "devil's paper", because, when more and more of the younger began to earn money in town, the community broke up. Suddenly there were possessions which needed to be protected, fences were erected between houses, people isolated themselves from the others. The times of sharing, when everybody cared for everybody else and shared, were gone. Nothing of all material things can be taken with us after death, the Indian reminds us, and therefore it was important to care about the immortal, the soul. Persons aware that their soul is immortal could live cheerfully and peacefully. Tim Sikyea's appeal to his visitors: "Open your heart and your mind - then everything becomes possible." "


http://www.dgh-hypnose.de
This is the site maintained by the German society for hypnosis. There is an article about TS in their journal 'Suggestion', issue 1, 2005 which mentions:

'Tim Sikyea is a Dene Indian of the Slavi [sic] tribe... Following a spiritual initiation when a young adult, he began to employ his healing powers. Tim, whose Indian name is "The Lonely Eagle"[sic], teaches Indian natural healing knowledge in numerous workshops worldwide, explains the rituals of his ancestors and allows participation in sweatlodge experience. Tim is a 'Minister' of the 'Nastive American Indian Church'."


http://www.bodyspirit.org
They advertize an event called 'Healers' days' scheduled for Sep 29-20, 2007 and mention TS participated in the 2006 event.


http://www.esoterikforum.at
On April 1, 2006 a user (Fauchi) writes: "... I had my first sweat two years ago with Tim Sikyea..."

www.kailash-kokopelli.com/body_eventGalery.html
TS is said to be from the Dine Nation and an Earth Dance Chief.

www.gumtree.co.za/capetown/84/6615284.html
TS advertized doing a sweat near Capetown.

I also found several sites from Slovenia where TS is said to be from the Dog Rib tribe. At one Polish site, he is said to be Denee.

http://www.midnightreign.org/wp-contest/CNN-fight-over-walmart.pdf
That's a Reuters article dated Sep 11, 2004 about protests against a Walmart in Mexico. The article says: "... Tim Sikyea who came to Teotihuacan this week for an annual ceremony with indigenous people from across the continent."

[educatedindian]

The Dene were originally of the same people as Navajo and Apache, but separated over 1000 years ago. They stayed in the north, we migrated south. The Slavey are part of the Dene. It's possible one parent could be Dene and the other a Lakota from the reserves in Canada. Maybe they met in boarding school?

He's an actor in German film and TV. Do you know these works?
 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1123349/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/imdb/actor/nm1123349

Appeared in a documentary Playing Indians that seems to be about NDN performers.
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/dancer/archives/documentary/biographies.php

My guess is that he's actually Dene/Lakota, and does have some knowledge, but is clearly doing wrong by selling ceremony and workshops. The crafts shop and giving lectures could possibly not be doing wrong to me, depending on the content.

[Ingeborg]

The Dene were originally of the same people as Navajo and Apache, but separated over 1000 years ago. They stayed in the north, we migrated south. The Slavey are part of the Dene.

The Yellowknife and Dogrib are also part of the Dene nation, I think. I am a bit puzzled as to the varying affiliations named, and neither the Dene nation nor its affiliate tribes are widely known here (you know - they're not representatives of the so popular Plains cultures), so I doubt the variations were just due to misunderstandings.

He's an actor in German film and TV. Do you know these works?

Not very well. You may have heard about 'Manitou's Shoe', though, which is basically a parody of Karl May novels. 'Ice Planet' is SciFi, as far as I could see, but I never heard of the film.
The other stuff was/will be on German TV. 'Polizeiruf 110' (Call police 110) is a TV series that originated in ex-GDR, it's a whodunnit series which has been continued after 1989. Before 1989 it was produced to counter popular whodunnits on West German TV which were widely watched by a GDR audience; the intention was to provide whodunnits with a socialist morale and meant to get across that criminals lacked the proper socialist attitude and convictions.
The other 'Forsthaus Falkenau' (= Foresters Lodge Hawk Meadows) is, errrm: family TV. TS does a character by the name of 'Singing Bear'. It's a series about a ranger and his family. The sequel will be aired some time this year.

Appeared in a documentary Playing Indians that seems to be about NDN performers.

They said it was a radio docu, but I don't see which radio station or whether it has been aired already.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

While I do not know TS, I can state that both the Dogrib and Slavey people continue to live in our country, although quite a bit north and west of where I am.  I have lived in Slavey country and have many Dogrib friends, as well.  In Saskatchewan, the Dene people's Traditional territory begins just 50 miles north of us.  As well, following the Custer incident, many Sioux people came to Saskatchewan with Sitting Bull , where many continue to live. 

As to the connection between the Dene of Canada, and the Dine of the soutwestern USA, I was told a story about the southern migration, while I lived in Yukon Territory.

In short, it spoke of the "Year of two winters", around 1700 years ago when volcanic eruptions in what is now Alaska covered much of the land with volcanic ash.  Evidence of this can still be seen in a white band in the earth of cut banks, in Yukon.  As much of the land was covered in this white ash, hunting became hard and some of the Dene people chose to migrate to the south.

These people settled in an area which was uninhabited and continue to have linguistic similarities with the Dene of the north.  There are often visits to our region, by some Dine (Navajo) from Arizona, even last year.

I cannot speak about Tim Sikyea's activities, as I do not know him, but wanted to let people know that, although the Plains cultures are relatively well known, there are many, many distinct First Nations in Canada, each with it's own distinct Culture.

Ric



 

[educatedindian]

I've heard a bit about Manitou's Shoe. And I can imagine how an NDN would fit with old GDR propaganda.

The story fits with what I know about oral traditions about the migration. A giant was killed and the people traveled down its spine to where they are now, between the four sacred mountains for the Navajo and near the individual sacred mountains important to the different Apache bands. That giant's spine represents the Thelon River, the route taken during the migration. All three peoples have similar oral traditions, similar languages, and at least some ceremonies in common.

At ASU I met an Athapascan student from Alaska who came right up to me and told me I must be Apache. He said he could tell who was related to him and how just by sight, who was Navajo or Apache. It gives me a good feeling to know about these connections from very long ago.

[lakotagirl]

i know tim sikyea. i met him in 1987 in vienna, where he helped schoko (xoko) protest about the feathercrown. later he separeted himself from schoko and his believes. timmy was like a brother to  me....and helped me in a bad time of split up etc. he was with a viennese woman.....i was at the wedding...as my son tommy, than not even 1 year old in hospital was with pneumonia....and puss between lung and chest....helped timmy him...he gave me medicin ( a grey powder) i gave it to my son and it worked.
i remember he always said he's yellowknife, dogrib and slave from northwest territories but never mentioned he'd be lakota. i mean people can change and its a long time that i saw tim the last time.
but at that time he was ok almost never talked in public about spirituality and would never charge money for sweats or so.
i was surprised to read here about timmy....if somebody knows what hes doing know .....i'm just nosy, how hes doing.
oh by the way what i know, timmy was a successfull fashiondesigner when he was young

[frederica]

http://www.sanctuary-retreat.org/program.htm                                                                                                                                           This was sent to NAFPS to post concerning Tim Sikyea.                                                                                                                              Tim Sikyea is Dene, from Fort Resolution Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.  He was a fashiion designed in his early days.     He arrived in Germany, by way of France in 1986 after being invited to a "Medicine Wheel Gathering".  This meeting lasted 4 days and participants had to pay between 200DM to 600DM  per person.  Discounts were available.  The priice included meals, wood, and the Sweat.

  Also, present were Archie Fire Lame Deer, Sun Bear,  Xokonoschtletl, and Wallace Black Elk.  Tim Sikyea was there as a helper.  He spoke of his teachings from his Uncle in Canada and introduced his "visions" he had.   He decided to stay here and spend several months in Vienna, Austria to support Xokonoschtletl.  This was in 1986.  He married an Austrian woman.  At that time, he advised people not to pay for Sweats and knowledge.  He emphasized if and when a person needed help through him, they must ask and give some tobacco.  He often offered to help people.  He told them, he used a mixture of Rattle-Snake and a mixture of "Bear Root".  He, also, treated people with Cancer.  He sometimes ran after people who did not ask for help and gave them the mixture.     

After his split from the group around Xokonoschtletl and his fans, he started to hold Sweats in the north of Germany near the town of Bremen, and also in the South of Germany.  He left Vienna, and settled down near Nuremberg with the help of some German people.  There were some joint meetings with people from a circle in Germany by the name of Zwie Adler/Two Eagles who used to work with Brave Buffalo.  The Lakota songs which are used in the {Erdtanz} Earth Dance may have come from them.  After a while, he started to point out quite often, that a Medicine Person is provided by the Tribe and the people accepted him as that.  They donated what they were able for sweats and teachings.                                                                                                                          This group of Germans had a vision about a ceremony to heal the earth and wanted to give something back to her.  In 1988-89 there were meetings held at the Extern Rocks which is viewed as a ancient German place of power.  Some Germans asked Tim Sikyea to help them with their Ceremony, thus the "Earth Dance" came into being as a combinatiion of Native American and German elements.  Tim Sikyea planned to give the ceremony back to this group later so they could do it on their own.  He also, created a pipe .  Soon more people joined this Earth Dance.  At one, he started to send people "on the Hill" for vision quests before they were allowed to dance.  They didn't stay on the hill, they came back down, as they thought he had forgotten about them.                                              At first, the Earth Dance lasted one day and one night of dancing while fasting.  Then it was increased during the following years to 4 days of dancing. Lakota songs were sung during the pipe openings.  They also used German songs for some time, then changed back to Lakota songs.  This was changed several times.  Each day ended in a sweat.  There were between 80 and 120 participants in the Earth Dance.  About 12-15 were male dancers and between 1-10 female dancers.  The rest were fire people, who cook and do childcare.  There are also guests.  A surplus of intake of funds is hard to calculate, as transactions were hardly transparent.  In the early 90's he consistantly has around 20,000 DM in his account.  Many people received pipes from Tim Sikyea as a symbol that they were now able to run their own sweats.  Many people left this circle, especially of the orginal founders of the circle, for different reasons.  Joining the camp to dance if free, everything works on the basis of donations.  Some stated a payment of EURO 12-15 is expected per day, but this is disputed.  And discounts are available.  Any surplus above what is needed for meals, wood, ect goes to "Chief" Tim Sikyea.   A few years ago the Earth Dance was exported to Slovenia and South Africa.  There they pay to take part in the Sweat.  No price on Slovenia but South Africa is R325.                                                                                                                        And he was also a SunDancer in South Dakota.  He claims he was adopted by a family in South Dakota for bringing dancers or for being a good-hearted person.  (This is in dispute, but eveyone knows by now,  a family adoption does NOT make that person a member of that Nation, nor does it entitle them to exploit their culture, Ceremonies and the like.)                                                           So, after the people from this circle did this on their own for 4 years.  Tim Sikyea is again leading the Earth Dance in Germany.  His is not the only one, just higher profile.  The same with the SunDances.  They are keeping them under the radar.
 (I have  never seen fixed prices on donations,  that does lean more to selling than pure donations. It's tricky)                                          http://web.mac.com/zenhq/Sweatlodge/Tim.html

[erdebear]

Tim Sikyea, is an honourable man, courageous, spiritual, an honoured elder amongst us. I am honored to call him friend.

Most of the information you have, does not come from the source, but is often not written well due to a misunderstanding in language translation.

He does not charge for his work, but works on a donations basis, which is decided by the grops of people that he is involved with and helping, this may vary from people to people, in Germany, for example, it is by donation, and any surplus does not go to 'Chief' Tim, but is held in a properly organised account by the people and it supports the Earthdance and its various projects, it is German and it all has to be 'ORGANISED'! it has a Verein, a properly set up committee of people to satisfy the German government. Tim's donations from this ceremony are seperate to the camp donations and is only a Metal Tin with a hole for donations, this is all, it is purely by peoples own conscience wether they donate and how much. Tim does not control these finances, nor does he make demands on the people for money, there is certainly no 'Fixed' cost for an Inipi, a sweat lodge ceremony, nor for taking part in the Earthdance Ceremonies, it works by giving.

Tim's 'Acting' work is just one way that he chooses to survive and help with his work and living expenses.

Tim is a Sacred Sundancer, this may only have meaning to those with some respect for these traditions, he is adopted into the Hunkpapa Sioux Nation, he is Hunka relative to  a highly respected  medicine man from those people, this is not just a token, when adopted, one is truly considered a relative and this brings with it responsibilities to these 'new' relatives.

Tim will tell you, if you take the time to experience it, that all he understands is Action, not just idle talk, what is said here amongst you is idle chatter, apart from those that have had direct experience with him. When you have experience, then you have something to say from your truth.

Walk your Talk...........

mitakuye oyasin

[educatedindian]

Tim Sikyea, is an honourable man, courageous, spiritual, an honoured elder amongst us....

....he is adopted into the Hunkpapa Sioux Nation, he is Hunka relative to  a highly respected  medicine man from those people, this is not just a token, when adopted, one is truly considered a relative and this brings with it responsibilities to these 'new' relatives.

....what is said here amongst you is idle chatter, apart from those that have had direct experience with him. When you have experience, then you have something to say from your truth.

Walk your Talk...........

mitakuye oyasin

Who do you mean by us? You haven't introduced yourself or said who your people are. It appears the "us" you mention are the Germans who show up to these ceremonies.

Any adoption does not give him the right to perform ceremony, nor make him a medicine man.

And much of the cliches you ay are straight Nuage imitation of NDNs, like using Mitakuye Oyasin out of context, thinking it's just a way to say hello.

[Ingeborg]

Judging from their nick, erdebear is probably German, as 'Erde' is the German word for earth, as in earthdance.

it is German and it all has to be 'ORGANISED'! it has a Verein, a properly set up committee of people to satisfy the German government.

There are different possibilities for such a 'Verein' (~ association), depending e.g. on whether you want recognition as a non-profit or not. The basic requirements for a Verein is seven persons putting down their names on the founding paper, with seven being the minimum requirement for recognition. This recognition is also given to such organisations lacking non-profit status.

One of the differences e.g. is that you might be expected to pay tax on donations, depending of course on the annual amount of donations received. Another one is you will not be able to give donours receipts for the amounts given so that they can use them to deduct from their own income tax.

As an aside, it is not the German government checking the 'Vereine', whether non-profit or not, it's the local courts of justice. Erdebear will have heard the term 'Amtsgericht' (i.e. district court or county court). Every 'Verein' is supposed to hand in documentation, e.g. about their annual meetings (invitation letter for all members, complete with planned agenda, initiatives discussed, plus the minutes. The documentation must give the names of all members elected into positions; a 'Verein' must have a president and vice president whose complete ID has to be documented to the court; for any other positions like cashier, secretary or committee members, their names must be given in the minutes). Plus the annual tax return (this will be a 'Steuererklärung', erdebear) and accounting.

Usually, with small organisations, the docs are filed and that's about all that ever happens. Unless there is evidence of - shall we say: irregularities.

One thing certainly seen as an irregularity is the practice of having two donation boxes at ceremonies organized. Strictly speaking, the Verein is expected to declare every amount that goes into Mr Sikyea's donation box as their intake, these amounts will have to go through their books first and then transfered to Mr Sikyea.

Oh, and quite incidentially: Mr Sikyea will have to declare these amounts in his tax form, too, just like any other amounts that he earns per year, e.g. as an actor, or whatever

way{s}  that he chooses to survive and help with his work and living expenses

.

[Ingeborg]

Quoted for documentation purpose:

Tim Sikyea, is an honourable man, courageous, spiritual, an honoured elder amongst us. I am honored to call him friend.

Most of the information you have, does not come from the source, but is often not written well due to a misunderstanding in language translation.

He does not charge for his work, but works on a donations basis, which is decided by the grops of people that he is involved with and helping, this may vary from people to people, in Germany, for example, it is by donation, and any surplus does not go to 'Chief' Tim, but is held in a properly organised account by the people and it supports the Earthdance and its various projects, it is German and it all has to be 'ORGANISED'! it has a Verein, a properly set up committee of people to satisfy the German government. Tim's donations from this ceremony are seperate to the camp donations and is only a Metal Tin with a hole for donations, this is all, it is purely by peoples own conscience wether they donate and how much. Tim does not control these finances, nor does he make demands on the people for money, there is certainly no 'Fixed' cost for an Inipi, a sweat lodge ceremony, nor for taking part in the Earthdance Ceremonies, it works by giving.

Tim's 'Acting' work is just one way that he chooses to survive and help with his work and living expenses.

Tim is a Sacred Sundancer, this may only have meaning to those with some respect for these traditions, he is adopted into the Hunkpapa Sioux Nation, he is Hunka relative to  a highly respected  medicine man from those people, this is not just a token, when adopted, one is truly considered a relative and this brings with it responsibilities to these 'new' relatives.

Tim will tell you, if you take the time to experience it, that all he understands is Action, not just idle talk, what is said here amongst you is idle chatter, apart from those that have had direct experience with him. When you have experience, then you have something to say from your truth.

Walk your Talk...........

mitakuye oyasin

[earthw7]

Hi from Standing rock, I want to remind the person from germany that Tim was not adopted by our nation. An adoption by our nation has never been done. He was adopted by Dogeagles family, he has no rights to my nation and to my ceremonies.
I gave the information from the site to the sundancers of Sitting Bull dance and they are very disappointed with Tim's actions. They said that they told him that dancing with them gave him no right to perform ceremonies.  The family is very hurt by Tim actions

[erdebear]

Hello, and with respect....

I will aknowledge that my perceptions may not be correct, that Tims "adoption" by this family does not mean adoption by the nation, I stand corrected. I was really trying to point out his connection to Native People that carry some respect and authenticity. I did not imply that these peoples had given him authorisation to carry out ceremonies, nor would Tim, himself, he would not disrespect these people in this way. He would be hurt to think that this portrayal of him had been created. If you have gathered this from my writing, then I would most humbly ask you to correct this with those people. He as I have great respect for the people at Standing Rock, and would not seek to dis-respect them in any form.

I did not say "Us", but meant that there was information that is reported on the various web links on the postings that are not from Tim, but from people, whose first language is not English and so much is often lost in translation, concerning native names and identity. And that much said is speculation. I was seeking to give my experience of knowing this man, rather than offereing more speculation.

In all the years I have known him, I have not been asked for one cent, euro, deutschmark, penny, franc or any form of payment for any experience he has shared with me. This is my experience. As I said there is speculation, and there are those that have had some experience, I have not denounced those experiences as untrue, just to aknowledge  that experience has the better knowledge; and there are many angles and perceptions from which to offer what has been experienced, and this is part of mine.

Tims legal requirements as to his Tax Affairs are not my business.

I did not wish to cause any dis-respect with a Nuage-NDN "hello" I was honouring all our relatives.

[kimberlysikyea]

Hello, This is Kimberly.. Tim's daughter
With respect to peoples view points and thoughts - I feel very hurt and shocked to see what some of you have shared and brought to the table. I have a very close relationship with my father and I do not think what you hear on the internet shows whom someone truely is. My fahter only wants good for this world and for people to think other wise is clearly something they have to fix within them selves. I have more to say to this matter, but I have to run to my class...

[somebody]

This is my 25. version,i`ll try to keep it short:Money from the earthdance-box for donations for T.existed and went to him.How much i cannot say.I don`t know,money from his talks or kind of "healing sessions" also go to him ,the  price is up to the people.I is not my request or busyness to help german tax-system to get a better income.I only want to show that this is a great way to avoid any clearness about income.This system of donation for a medicineman/or woman(he is called as one) is NOT to compare with the system which is working in your native counties and tribes etc.,in my oppinion.That definitly is not my business and i don`t want to evaluate anything about that.                                                                     But for germany i can say donation system is geneous to vail prices and income.           German people normally are much to slow and used to a system of competition to be able to realize  the misuse of traditions of other nations.The chaos on the market seems to be perfect.In the german earthdance-circle it was usual to use "mobbing" against eachother and the jealosy to whom (for example) a pipe is going is  gigantous.Pipes are like decorations .And T. is a high teacher for them.It took a long time until they understood what he is doing.We had no elders there,we only had some older people and they are asked to much to "see" him and what is going on.I guess he has nothing(bad?) in his mind he only wants to finance his way of living through all that...                             Hope i write in understandable words,otherwise i have to take care for a translation.               Hope not to bore anyone,regards