Andrew Big Smoke

[zoi lightfoot]

Not sure if this guy is or is not a problem right now but he is playing around a very serious source of funding for future First Nations Direct projects in the UK,so I would be grateful if anyone knows of an Andrew Big Smoke,a Cree "prophet" and bundle carrier,legit or not can you send on details as we need to urgently establish who he is.Thanks.

[educatedindian]

An alleged "rainbow prophet" carrying a strange "rainbow bundle" that is put on display for journalists to photograph. And he freely admits time in a mental hospital.

But at one time he was involved in serious activism.
http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9301/0027.html

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http://www.mytown.ca/ev.php?URL_ID=82629&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1194239053
11 January 2004

....His story unfolds like water flowing through a long familiar stream bed. It is a story he has told for over ten years now, as he has walked his spirit journey across the continent and beyond. Andrew Big Smoke, of the Cree Nation, left Saskatchewan with a message for The People and a sacred bundle. They call him the Rainbow Prophet as he carries one of the "rainbow" bundles with him in his travels. To those of the First Nations it will be no surprise, but to others it will raise their curiosity to be told that no one knows what is in this sacred rainbow bundle except the elders who prepared it, blessed it, and gave it to Andrew to carry on his journey. The bundle is decorated lavishly with feathers, leather, and bone, and draws the attention of journalists and photographers at every stop Andrew makes on his quest. In their fascination with the bundle, they stop to photograph it and while they are stopped, for that long, they will hear the prophet’s story. Perhaps the elders had that in mind as they prepared it, for in this modern world something must make the people stop in their headlong race through their days long enough to listen.

Soon the prophecy says, Manitou, the Great Spirit, will purify the Earth with fire, cleansing it of all the evil that humanity has done. After the fires, the people who remain will live in peace for a thousand years. After the fire, there lies hope.

The message the prophet carries speaks of treating all people with respect and, above all, of treating our mother, the Earth, with respect. Further, the prophet tells us we must go back to the old ways of prayer and we must seek to do no harm to anyone or anything. He himself says a prayer as he passes through a truck stop asking for a ride, praying that his presence there will cause no harm to the truckers who will help him on his journey nor those who will refuse him aid.

Andrew Big Smoke recounts his time in a psychiatric hospital freely, and openly admits that he expects some people to dismiss his message on that basis.

[zoi lightfoot]

Thanks EI, for the info.

[Barnaby_McEwan]

Here's a report of sorts from the event's organiser:

I met him four years ago in the desert and to be honest have no idea what to expect but I'm sure it will be an interesting and inspiring evening and I like to grab random opportunites like this....

...that really was very strange and i'm still not quite sure how i feel about it all

[zoi lightfoot]

Thanks Barnaby.
Andrew Big Smoke contacted a city councillor our Nations are working directly with,when he was on his "Prophet gig"and he was informed we were around and he should contact us,according to the councillor he came over all mystic like and claimed he already invisioned the links between the community and the Nations...(its hardly a secret) Last we understand he was on his way to Scotland,yet he has still not spoken with us to clarify "who" made him a prophet.We know he is Canoe Lake Cree,thats the only thing we do know about him.We do not know who made him a "Rainbow prophet"(no one seems to know) which alledged elders made this bundle he carries etc.But we are tracking him,and keeping an eye on it to see if there is a problem.

[educatedindian]

Is "sleeping rough" English slang for sleeping in the street or wherever you can? From that report it sounds to me like the poor guy is just a bit out there, The main danger might be some Nuage operator trying to use him. I can't imagine any actual elders entrusting a bundle to him, where it might get taken from him while sleeping on the street and is constantly rained on, etc. It sounds like someone should call his family to get him to come home before he gets hurt living that way. I know Europe is much safer than US streets, but still...

[zoi lightfoot]

Yes to your first question Al,nope he's not sleeping rough far from it,if he were we would be the first on his families case to get him home to a place where he can get the care he needs,we may not agree with what he's doing but we are still mindful he's a Brother,with poor health.So we have concerns in that respect.Still,no doubt we will work this out ourselves should the need arise,we just needed to know if you guys had come across him.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

I live about 80 miles from Canoe Lake First Nation, in Saskatchewan, but do not know of any name "Big Smoke" from there.  Could this person have changed his name?
Ric

[zoi lightfoot]

Not as far as we are aware Ric,he seems to be known in odd pockets by the name Big Smoke,when he's out and about he also has a contact on Canoe Lake by the name Leon Iron,but as this individual also has General deliverly attatched to their name,lets face it that could be just about anyone.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

Leon Iron is an Elder in Canoe Lake, but the name Big Smoke is not one that I have ever heard of, from there.  The blockade that has been referred to, was instrumental in the changing of some forest practices, up here, but happened before I moved here, in the early 90's.
Ric

[zoi lightfoot]

Thanks for your input Ric,you are confirmining what we are starting to get back from the Cree Bands.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

Have you learned of who this person, Andrew Big Smoke, is?  I showed my wife a photo of him and she does not recognize him.  My wife has lived here for many decades and was very involved in the blockade.  I do not wish to discredit him, but am curious as to who he is and where he is from.  On another note, many visionaries have been committed to asylums, so this is not surprising, nor does it strengthen his claim of being a prophet.

Ric

[zoi lightfoot]

All we know at the time is,we have an extreemly unwell member of the Cree Nation out here who realy needs to be home with his family and peoples .We've done some more digging and in part Als "sleeping rough" comment is as it turns out correct.He is staying at hostels and homeless shelters.He has contacted us now,but he seems reluctant to meet with us or discuss ways of getting him home before the authorities latch on and deport him.He's not stable,that much is obvious to us,We've been talking to various Band councils and one of the councillors informed us he "just upped and dissappeared" some time back,although hes since grown his hair long the councillor did identify him.
Al is also correct that if we don't get to this guy first and get him home safe,nuage frauds have a prime "pet indian" candidate,as Andrew means no harm but i do not think hes capable of rational thought processes right now.Hes decieded he wants to meet with the local mp we deal with up there,told us when he would meet him but didn't tell the mp.Lucky for us one of "ours" will be in coventry around the same time and will drive over when Andrew meets the mp.Lucky for us the MP knows this guy is in crisis and wants to help.Lets just hope the luck holds and we get him home.

[Ric_Richardson]

Tansi;

Have you determined if he is actually from Canoe Lake First Nation?  If so, have they been contacted to see if there is anything that they can do to help him return home?  Does he even want to return home? 

I know that Leon Iron is not wealthy, so would not likely be able to help, financially.  Have you found out who "Andrew Big Smoke's" family is and where they are from?

Is there anything that I can do, from this side of the "pond"?

Ric

[zoi lightfoot]

At the moment we sent out an appeal to the tribal councils for assistence to identify his family,explaining briefly that we have concerns for his health.The guy is ill so humiliating him would not be helpful at this juncture and could send him reeling off towards the nuagers(which lets face it is the last thing we want or need) Thank you for your offer Ric,other than ask around,which you've been doing,we are just wanting to find and speak with his family and people who know him.I wouldn't dream of asking folks like Leon for airfares,between us we can get this guy home from here.We just need to know theres no problem at that end why we cannot get him home..