Mark Robert Lumaye AKA Shaman Swadwa AKA Gothi Thorbjorn (Central Oregon Coast)

[catbus]

Further investigation is needed for this figure. He claims to be an etaminua ('traditionally-apprenticed Chinook/Tsinuk Shaman'), however he apprenticed with some other tribe, which he will not name. He had a website, but has since deleted it since I began asking him questions through email. On his site, he posted many misconceptions and generalizations about "Shamanic Societies", and under the "Services Offered" link, he listed things such as "Power Animal Introduction", "Chakra Healing", etc, claiming these were traditional Native practices. When I wrote him explaining that "Chakras" are not a Native term and have nothing to do with any Native American tradition, he insisted that it is a part of traditional Native American healing, but has since quit responding to my inquiries. He also stated on his site and in his emails that he is "Elder of the Canoe Clan".

His website also was selling some sort of protective crystal talisman necklaces. I think he was charging like 50 dollars each or something like that. He also stated that he does not charge for his ceremonies but gladly accepts donations. He does offer some authentic Chinook traditions, such as vision-quests and weddings, but he has also stated that his clients are all mostly white people. Perhaps he has found his niche as a "whiteman's shaman", or enabler of wannabes? (Not declaring this, just suggesting it seems this way..)

Here's the other part of the story: He is NOT connected with the Chinook Nation. According to him, he and the tribe "parted ways years ago" because the tribe wasn't interested in traditional medicine ways. But according to a tribal Elder of the Chinook Nation I spoke with (who is also a medicine person in a different tribal tradition), they parted ways because the tribe got the impression that Swadwa is a bit "mentally sick". I was also told he came in with a bit of an ego and all sorts of demands (ie. "I'm the Shaman and I want this, this, and this!"). I am not supporting either side's version of the story, just explaining the info I have been told.

(UPDATE- It has since been discovered by forum members that some of Swadwa's names and aliases apparently are: Mark Robert Lumaye, Shadow of Man, R.J Lumaye, Spirit Cougar, Shaman_Cougar, 'Shaman Swadwa'. He also claims to be a 'traditional Norse spiritual leader' under the persona Gothi Thorbjorn/ Noaidi Thorbjorn, and 'Thorbjorn the Dane' ).
"Swadwa" is Chinookan for "Cougar".  He is also apparently the head of a ghost hunter group (West Coast Ghost Hunters).

He needs further investigation by other members here, as he has quit responding to my emails. Last I heard from him, he said that the Siletz tribe was contacting him, interested in his services, as they had lost their medicine traditions also.

I'm not sure what tribe 'Swadwa' apprenticed in, because he would not tell me, but whoever he apprenticed with taught him a bunch of bogus and non-Native stuff, such as the power/totem animal introduction stuff, the "chakra healing", etc. So he takes this dubious apprenticeship with some other tribe, and then uses his status as a part-blood Chinook to claim that he is a "traditionally-apprenticed Chinook Shaman" (which are also known as tahmanaawos men and etaminua). It all seems fairly sketchy to me but it requires more research.

[catbus]

Also, when I wrote him explaining that what was on his website was really much more new agey than native or traditional, he stated that this was basically intentionally because of his clients being mostly white and not knowing much about the traditions. This further supports the idea that he might be a "whiteman's shaman" or enabler.

[educatedindian]

He's online in a few places, ghost hunters and the become an online minister people. First link has a photo of him, heavily altered.

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http://ministers.themonastery.org/profile/Swadwa
Hello. I am new to this site and would like to introduce myself. I am Swadwa, a Tsinúk Indian Shaman, Ordained Minister, Certified Spiritual Healer, Chief of the Canoe Clan, Senior Spiritual Leader of the Sumeš Tahmánawas (Medicine Power of the Totems) Congregation, Elder and author. Greetings and good medicine to all.   

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http://www.shamanportal.org/display_details.php?id=3648&country=north%20america&category=Resources&sub_category=Healers
Email: swadwa@hush.com
Website: http://swadwa.weebly.com/
Description:
Swadwa is a traditionally apprenticed Etaminúa (Tsinúk Indian shaman). He is available in person on the Central Oregon Coast and the neighboring Willamette Valley. For surrounding areas, please contact Etaminúa Swadwa for availability. Please note that services are best done in person, and Etaminúa Swadwa will do his best to provide his services for internet based clients.

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http://www.yourghoststories.com/organizations/ghost-hunters.php?group=652
Helping people to deal with hostile hauntings for over twenty years, or just understanding the nature of a haunting, Shaman Swadwa helps people through these paranormal experiences.

Shaman Swadwa has found over the years that many cases of hostile hauntings go unresolved or have received partially successful attempts by groups, psychics, and even clergy to clear such activity from homes only to have the haunting return, often worse.

With his experience in the areas of spirit removal and spirit transition (aiding a spirit to move on), spirit communication, and spiritual dream contact, he has noticed that there is an ever-increasing need for these services, and is available to help you work out your issues in these areas.

With the growing interest in paranormal investigations, and many groups out there having little knowledge or experience under their belts but not knowing where to turn for practical assistance, Shaman Swadwa also offers his services to paranormal organizations. He has worked with several local organizations in the past, and is available to assist others.

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http://www.supernaturalconnections.com/directoryview/title_swadwa/listingid_109/
Shaman available for healings and spiritual mediation and intervention.

SWADWA
www.swadwa.weebly.com

Swadwa is a traditionally apprenticed Etaminúa (Tsinúk Indian shaman). He is available in person on the Central Oregon Coast and the neighboring Willamette Valley. For surrounding areas, please contact Etaminúa Swadwa for availability. Pease note that services are best done in person, and Etaminúa Swadwa will do his best to provide his services for internet based clients.

This is an informational website to help Etaminúa Swadwa’s clients better understand what it is that he does. Even though internet or long distance services are available from Etaminúa Swadwa, his services are best done in person.

Etaminúa Swadwa is also a firm believer in traditional apprenticeships and does not believe in modern shamanic paid education or the practice of Core Shamanism and does not offer such training.

Etaminúa Swadwa does not charge for any of his services, however he appreciates donations.

The following is a list of services offered by Etaminúa Swadwa:

Energy Healing
Life Passage Rites
Soul Retrieval
Shamanic Counseling
Shamanic Extraction
Shamanic Protective Talismans
Spirit Communication
Spirit Removal
Spirit Transition
Totem Animal Introduction
Totem Animal Retrieval
Paranormal Services...

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http://www.supernaturalconnections.com/directoryview/title_supernatural-encounters/listingid_110/
http://www.perception9.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2482
http://www.westcoastghosthunters.com/community/778-shaman-swadwa/profile.html
http://www.meetup.com/members/39019542/

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rachel-hayward/3b/648/5a2
"Rachel Hayward's Education
Shaman Swadwa Medicine Woman, Traditional Path
2009 – 2013 (expected)
Apprenticeship with traditional Tsinuk (Chinook) Shaman in traditional Tsinuk Medicine Woman path. I am an enrolled member in the Tsinuk tribe, and look to bring back this sacred path."

[catbus]

The Rachel Hayword mentioned in educated_indian's post must be Swadwas current apprentice. He told me that while he and the tribe "parted ways", his current apprentice was an enrolled member of the tribe.

What I find very problematic about this: Claiming to represent traditional Chinook/Tsinuk 'Shamanic' traditions, yet he would not disclose who and from what tribe actually apprenticed him, although he admitted that the authentic tahmanaawos traditions of Chinook medicine people were lost. So he is apparently taking something he learned from another tribe, mixing it with Chinook language and what he has learned/researched about Chinook history, and claiming that he is a bonafide "traditionally-apprenticed etaminua". And then perpetuating this.

People are free to practice what they want in the realm of spirituality, even if it is bogus, but it becomes blatantly colonialistic and dishonest when it is either falsely presented as representing a certain tribal tradition or when it panders to white new age stereotypes about native "shamanic" traditions. Therefore, he would be better off to more upfront about what tribal tradition he is actually apprenticed in, and whether or not that person is authentic in that particular tribe's culture/community. One of his posts simply said he apprenticed with a "real native american, from a reservation", which doesn't at all mean an authentic "shaman" or medicine person. I am not denouncing his apprenticeship lineage, but there is alot of bogus stuff mixed in here, that he really should tell where his "shamanic" background really lies, to just be more upfront about rather than expecting people to just accept it at face value (After all, we know how problematic that can be at times, Just think of Kiesha Crowther/'Little Grandmother' who gained her following largely by claiming to be trained by a fictional Salish Elder named 'Falling Feathers'). The way it is portrayed, one would be led to falsely assume that Chinook Tahmanaawos traditions were passed down to him and that he apprenticed with a tahmanaawos man of the Chinook.

[catbus]

post deleted

[catbus]

- Post deleted -

[Epiphany]

Swadwa says:   
November 5, 2008 at 5:48 pm   

It really surprises me to see all these people reading a few questionable books on shamanism and then running to South and Central America to see traditional shamans when we have so many traditional Native American shamans here in the United States and Canada, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. I am an Etaminua, a traditionally apprenticed Tsinuk Indian shaman, and I often wonder why these South American ???traditional shamans??? make such dubious deals with these ???shamanic vacation tour guides???. I guess the first thing we teach aboriginals is capitalism.

http://dreamstudies.org/2008/03/31/the-dark-side-of-shamanic-tourism/

His web site was http://sasws.net , some of it can still be seen in archives http://web.archive.org/web/20090312012125/http://www.sasws.net/

About SASWS

SASWS is a source of spirtual guidance, healing, and intervention; and was created as a result of a vision for the purpose of establishing an organization structured to accommodate a variety of shamans and spirit warriors with varied specializations and cultural backgrounds to create a unified operation able to provide a multitude of shamanic healing and protection services.

Our shamans work together as a team, sharing their specialized trainings to provide a broad-based shamanic service to effectively provide the proper course of treatment to our clients. We specialize in spirit healings, soul loss, exorcisms, and dream therapy, including nightmares, recurring dreams, and spiritual contact in dreams..

We are currently seeking shamans and spirit warriors with a traditional apprenticeship-based training or an equivalent educational instruction.

http://wayback.archive.org/web/20081001000000*/http://sasws.net/

Staff Requirements

SASWS is seeking qualified shamans and spirit warriors. If you are interested in joining our elite team, and fit the following requirements, please contact us.

We are seeking applicants with the following:

1. Either completion of a traditional shamanic or spirit-warrior apprenticeship under a traditionally apprenticed teacher*, or a traditional cultural-based training from any culture with shamanic traditions. Shamans should have three or more years of experience in shamanic counseling, guidance, healing, or intervention.
2. An understanding of the importance of helping those in need.
3. A belief in working together with a group of shamans to best aid the client or patient.
4. An understanding of the importance and sacredness of their calling.
5. The integrity to vigilantly maintain the professional bounds of their position or status.

Note: We believe and support traditional shamanic practices and in the specialized approach to shamanism. When one attempts an eclectic approach (does it all), one does not provide the "best" treatment and is unable to excel in the treatment they are best suited to. That is why a "community of shamans" can provide the best treatment for the needs of the client.

For shamanic practitioners who do not have a traditional apprenticed background yet feel an attraction to join us, we invite you to contact us for an evaluation to see if you do have the gift of such a sacred calling. Consulting with a shaman on this matter will at least let you know if you indeed have the calling, and if you do or do not, suggestions on what direction to take to find your path in life. We do not offer teaching to just anyone, but we will know our students when they appear.

For spirit warriors, we seek those with a traditional training also and an understanding of the roles of shamans and warriors who work together as a team to accomplish such tasks as exorcisms, spirit battles, disease removal, etc. We also invite those who do not have such training yet feel such a calling, as well.

*Note: "traditional apprenticeship" is defined as "one who works under the guidance of a shaman to develop their abilities through study and assistance during the course of the shaman's practice until one has mastered their abilities".

[catbus]

The info that Epiphany has found is very helpful in getting a better picture of what Swadwa's practice is about. Based on those quotations from the SASWS, I think it would be safe to say that what is written seems fairly sincere and professional. Because of his opposition to spiritual tourism, and also because of his requirements for the shamans who work in the organization, it appears he is also fairly opposed to exploitation, which is a good sign.

The parts I still wonder about, are Swadwa's pandering to white new agers, especially with stereotypical things such as 'power animal introduction', and most of all, claiming that "Chakra Healing" is a Native traditional practice. Also, he also should really explain where his own apprenticeship lies, rather than misleading people to think he was apprenticed as and by a Chinook tahmanaawos man. However, cultural misrepresentation is certainly a much lesser problem than exploitation, which at least can be ruled out at this point. Alot of tribes out here in the Pacific Northwest do in fact use the term "Shaman", which is different from other types of medicine people but Shamanism has NOTHING to do with Chakra sciences.
I am tired of seeing westerners misrepresent eastern sciences such as Chakra-based paths and Qi-based paths. We have enough problem with white new agers trying to appropriate and misrepresent our terminology based on a superficial understanding of eastern sciences, we do not need Native shamans doing the same. If "chakra" healing is in any way Native, one needs to prove it by listing the word for "chakra" in a Native language. No such term exists in Native America, because it comes from the Aryo-Dravidian Hindu-Buddhist teachings, East Indians. People seem to get their Indians mixed up, lol.
I have met a couple of multi-cultural healers, who are bonafide representatives of their traditions, yet incorporate treatments from different cultural traditions or modalities. But multiculturalism is different from misrepresentation. Misrepresentation indicates one of the two: 1. a lack of honesty, or 2. not being educated (ie. being clueless) about what one is talking about.

[catbus]

Swadwa says:   
November 5, 2008 at 5:48 pm   

It really surprises me to see all these people reading a few questionable books on shamanism and then running to South and Central America to see traditional shamans when we have so many traditional Native American shamans here in the United States and Canada, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. I am an Etaminua, a traditionally apprenticed Tsinuk Indian shaman, and I often wonder why these South American ???traditional shamans??? make such dubious deals with these ???shamanic vacation tour guides???. I guess the first thing we teach aboriginals is capitalism.

He brought up a great point here. New agers prefer to travel south for spiritual tourism for a number of reasons. The most obvious are:

1. It seems more 'exotic' to travel to Latin America for "shamanic" experiences or ceremonies (ie. it makes a more 'exotic' story to tell their new age friends, regardless of whether the actual ceremonies were authentic or not). Remember that ethnic cultural experiences are like a drug to consumerist white people, so the more exotic, the more rare, the higher grade/potency the "drug".

2. New agers and hippy white people are obsessed with psychadelic entheogens, and the more 'exotic' the better as they see it. For example, they would rather travel to Latin America in hopes of trying ayahuasca, etc. Most new agers fail to realize that such entheogens exist in only a minority of traditions compared to the great diversity of tribes who do not incoporate such things. They may also be ignorant that similar substances exist right here in the Pacific Northwest also, and were known early on by local tribespeople, though they are not an important part of medicine ways, likely for good reason.
So that is the answer: drugs. The drug of cultural appropriation and the drugs of psychadelic entheogens. These are important addictions to newagers.

His web site was http://sasws.net , some of it can still be seen in archives http://web.archive.org/web/20090312012125/http://www.sasws.net/

The website I had seen, but has also since been deleted was swadwa.weebly.com

[Epiphany]

On the Rachel Hayward as apprentice of Swadwa front, worth noting that her LinkedIn bio also has this

New West Seminary
Masters, Divinity 2001 – 2004

Classes in counseling, leadership, human dynamics, rites of passage, speaking, ceremony creation, Toastmasters. Also became an initiated sound shaman in the Hungarian Basci tradition.

(my bolding)

New West Seminary doesn't seem to exist anymore.

Swadwa on Meetup http://www.meetup.com/members/39019542/ joined February 19, 2012, is this the most recent current public web presence he has?

Haven't been able to find any archives of his past Weebly blog, would like to read this essay he had up in the past:

The Time of the Cleansing By Etaminúa Swadwa We are in what is called “The Time of the Cleansing”, or as the Sioux call it, “The Great Purification”.

In the past he's been active on unexplained-mysteries.com forums

catbus thank you for posting about this region, I'm learning a lot. I live in western Washington, Grays Harbor county. If Swadwa plays his cards right he unfortunately could be quite a hit amongst new age white folks in WA and OR.

[Epiphany]

Tried his email swadwa@hush.com but my msg bounced right back, looks like that email account is no more.

[catbus]

post deleted

[Epiphany]

Tried to contact him through Meetup but his account won't allow contact.

He had something called The Omega Paranormal Eliminations Team (OPET) http://web.archive.org/web/20090529083308/http://www.sasws.net/pages/opet/opet_home.html

OPET was created to assist victims of hostile hauntings by eliminating these dangerous entities from their homes. They also work alongside paranomal investigation groups whose clients request such services.

http://www.paranormalnews.com/article.aspx?id=1370

That Paranormal News site is run by Jeff Behnke from Sydney, not our guy.

In their forums the two posts on OPET & SASWS Paranormal were authored by "Shadow of Man".

Some forum posting from Shadow of Man:

New Age shamanism (Core) and traditional shamanism are two different things. Culture, location and instructional technique have everything to do with the “practice” of shamanism. Historically most “white shamans” have come from Russia. In Europe, where druidism was practiced, there may have been shamans, but there is no historical evidence to that.Traditionally, shamans were apprenticed in a lengthy, arduous process that took years to accomplish. Today, many “shamans” of the New Age either pay for an internet course or read a book and “presto” they are a shaman. Their form of study is a generic, eclectic, “watered down” version of a traditional apprenticeship, without the self-sacrifice and “true” connection to spirit. Culture and location have a lot to do with how the shaman performs their tasks and what tools they may utilize, as well as, what spirits he/she may work with.Some cultural styles are similar. For example, the native Pacific Northwest tribal shamans are similar in their practice to Siberian shamans. These similarities of course have to do with location and the exchanges of cultural contact.As far as your question of prophecies about white shamans, I’m sure there are in Russia, but I do not know their mythology, so I couldn’t give you any specifics

Sending a spirit into the light is not the right way to send of a spirit. It is an ancient trap. The following is from my tribal mythology, which I for one believe…Tah-xwuy or spirit transition is the rite with which a shaman assists the spirit of s deceased person to find their way to the Nxsaqs or the Ghost Road (literally Good Road) which takes us to Temath – the land of our ancestors and avoid the Ncsaqs or Trail of the Lost (literally Bad Road) which spirits of the dead will wander for eternity. Both paths look similar to each other and are lined with distractions such as fields of wildlife and edible plants, light and dark paths that lead away from it and into regions that trap the soul, and occasional spirits (non people) that travel them. The Organized Religion view of a tunnel of light may be one of these light paths that lead to an undesirable place if someone who guides a departed soul leads it into the wrong place, this person receives a mesachie kah’tah or a bad karmic debt that will be attached to that person forever.Again, this is just one point of view, and I am sure a lot of people out there will retort about the fictitious “Light from Heaven”.(Note: I have taken out punctuation and symbols from the words of the traditional language and replaced with letters that this site will show, so the words are not technically correct.)

http://www.shamans-and-spirit-healers-network.spruz.com/ just goes to a log in page, I joined spruz.com to see what is behind the scenes, there isn't anything there now.

catbus, is it possible that he got a lot of his info from anthropological & historical books?

[Epiphany]

Shadow of Man identified as from Washington state when he joined http://2012forum.com/forum/ in 2008

His response to someone asking for more direct info:

Please understand, Terry, that this is not about enticing people towards investigating the society nor is this cheap bait to recruit support. I have taken particular measure so it is difficult to contact me directly in the past; circles of assumed names and temporary email accounts.

But there is enticement there. It is deliberate. What I am saying, in so many words and complex meanderings, is that there is a truth in motion. An undercurrent to what society is familiar with. It is there, it is functioning, and it is potentially dangerous. We are equally at risk, should I begin speaking the particulars and should you begin learning them. Such is the unseen light, such is the unspoken lore.

And the message is this. I could tell you. But it is much more important that you find out for yourself. And that, you can find out for yourself.

I dangle the carrot, not so that you might bite at my hand... but that you might be motivated to find the garden yourself.

He has written a lot of other stuff:

http://www.2012forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5712
http://www.2012forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5713
http://www.2012forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5714
http://www.2012forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5715

Society of Unseen Light http://societyofunseenlight.blogspot.com/

[catbus]

catbus, is it possible that he got a lot of his info from anthropological & historical books?

Epiphany: Most certainly. I get the impression what he has done is conduct alot of research, mixed in his own understanding of what he has found with whatever tradition he was apprenticed in, and claiming he is the real deal, the traditional "etaminua" when his story is a bit more complex than that. He admitted to me through email that the Chinook tahmanaawos lineage of traditions is broken, that such tahmanaawos traditions were not passed down. So essentially he is attempting to reconstruct his idea of an etaminua.

I am not the "spiritual police", so I am not going to be so arrogant to claim that a Chinook descendant has no right in attempting to reconstruct their traditions in this way, as they were lost from their culture. But he seriously needs to be upfront about it. He is his own reconstructed idea of an etaminua, not an authentic "traditionally-apprenticed etaminua (Chinook/Tsinuk Shaman)" as he titles himself.
Sometimes cultural traditions get lost, so the descendants try to reconstruct them. This has also happened with some of the Asian lineages of spiritual study I have learned from. However, one must always be honest and upfront about the fact that such traditions were reconstructed. Because chances are, 9 times out of 10, that if you could travel back in time and compare the reconstructed tradition with the historic ancestral one: the people of old would have a lot of teachings, insights, and subtleties in practice and philosophy that were never written down or passed on. Every traditional apprenticeship that maintains a profound level practice, contains a certain degree of non-conceptual wisdom as well, that must be learned through experience and could never be written down. What I am getting at here, is that a reconstructed tradition will never be the same as the historic one, so one must not portray it as such.