I am not bitter, and I certainly do not hate Mr. Red Sky. If anything I feel a bit sorry for what he must be going through and you are correct that the creator will at some point step in and set things right. I was asked by several people if I knew him before he showed up in the Nederlands. I did not, so, since I did not know this man personally, I read his web site. After reading it and because it was so different from what the Cherokee elders I have known say, I checked with friends who do live within the Cherokee communities, to get their response to what his web site said. The response was the same from each person who responded. They find his web site and the statements/claims on it offensive. One elder, who is a well respected spiritual leader, who was a close friend of Phillip Deer and is a "priest" for the four grandmothers was particularily offended and plans to address the issue with others of the Cherokee culrure committee. Perhaps that is also part of the creator's way of setting things right. What they said was that anyone who says they can contact people who have gone on, who will assist in "finding an animal helper," help animals transition to the other side, do crystal healing for price, or give so called Indian or Cherokee names without the proper ceremony is in violation of all Cherokee protocols and is not following the traditional Cherokee ways of life and spirituality. Take for example the giving of an Indian name - and I have been told by one person that he gave several people "Indian names" when he met them. A name can not be given without a ceremony that has to be held within the Cherokee community. These Cheremonies can only be performed with other elders and ceremonial leaders assissting and only can only be done in the Cherokee language.
As to the "Indians" who play at the Dam or other street corners in Holland, Germany, Belgie, Sweden - of course you should not try to learn about North American Indian culture from them. They have no idea about it themselves. The last time I saw them, one of them had his feather on upside down and North American Indian cultures do not play music on pan pipes. These groups are NOT North American. They come from Guatamala and according to a Peruvian friend who runs a booth in the markt, and who knows them very well - they (the musicians) say the only reason they bought the pow wow outfits was to try to sell more CD.s. and yes it offends me that we are even ripped off by other Indians. If you have seen them you must be aware that they don't even play real music, they just pretend while a CD is playing in the back ground.
I am glad that you enjoyed your time with Mr. Red Sky. It is good that he helped people. However, I have been told that although he did not ask for money, a number of people did give him gifts of money. That is fine, but he still should not be presenting what he does as "authentic" North American Indian/Cherokee. I even understand that he said that he was told to dress traditionally and that is why he wore the clothers he did. If this is so, he should know what traditional Cherokee dress for a man is and wear it. What he was pictured wearing is not traditional, other than as a mid-20th century pan-plains Indian. Again there is nothing wrong with pan-Indian clothing, but it is not "traditional."
It is unfortunate that so many people in other countries do not understand why we, North American Indians, feel such great sorrow when these things happen and when people misuse, intentionally or unintentionally our sacred ways. It is sad that you can not understand that if he came as an ordinary person, who just wanted to comfort people in his own personal way, no one, absolutely no one would have a problem with it. But when he has say "I am a traditional "Cherokee healer" to be accepted, well I guess maybe it says more about the people he wants to heal than about himself. It is unfortunate that so many people in European countries do not appreciate their own traditions and have to try to find peace outside. I wish you only the best, and hope that you will find the peace that you are seeking.
