rachmlt aka "Aspen Willow"

[rachmlt]

Hello,
My name is Rachael. I stumbled upon this website while doing Internet research on an author of a book I'm reading, 'The American Indian Secrets of Crystal Healing' by Luc Bourgault. Since my father passed nearly two years ago, I've continued to be intrigued by all of the beautiful artwork, crystals, arrowheads and other stones that I inherited as his only child. I have loved and felt connected to crystals and stones since childhood. My father was estranged for the majority of my life and after a terrible auto accident left him paralyzed, he came into my life once again for a brief time. Due to the nature of our relationship, our communication progressed slowly. He suddenly and unexpectedly passed in 2011. So here I am trying to find reputable resources on Native American spirituality and crystal healing. I'm taking a trip to Taos, New Mexico and Colorado where my father spent the majority of his adult life. With the help of a family member I have discovered Cherokee heritage on both my father and mother's side. I am by no means one of those 'white people trying to call themselves Native American', nor do I have any intention whatsoever of profiting from it. I simply am interested in their way of life and tremendous respect for and connection to nature. It makes me ill to see so many people selling and dishing out false information for a profit.
I would appreciate any positive feedback that would help me in my search for information.
Rachael (rachmlt)

[rachmlt]

After reading on several topics here, I see a common thread of insulting behavior towards 'white' people. Very disappointing. How does one leave the forum and delete their profile?

[Diana]

After reading on several topics here, I see a common thread of insulting behavior towards 'white' people. Very disappointing. How does one leave the forum and delete their profile?

Hmmm.....sorry our speech wasn't quite palatable enough for you. If you want to delete your profile just click on the profile tab and then click on the action tab.

Lim lemtsh,

Diana

[Cheesy Little Life]

Insulting behaviour?    *raises quizzical eyebrow*

I am white, and nobody here has ever insulted me.

The only thing people have pointed out, that might once have been a threat to my ego, was the unconscious 'white privilege' that I used to hold.
It is liberating to have got rid of that completely.

[Laurel]

After reading on several topics here, I see a common thread of insulting behavior towards 'white' people. Very disappointing. How does one leave the forum and delete their profile?

This white person hadn't noticed that at all. Then again, I don't generally join forums I haven't read, rhapsodize about my notion of Native Americans as noble savages, and then demand to know how to delete the profile I just set up rather than figure it out for myself...all before anyone actually insulted me or even replied to me.

[Ingeborg]

This white person hadn't noticed that at all. Then again, I don't generally join forums I haven't read, rhapsodize about my notion of Native Americans as noble savages, and then demand to know how to delete the profile I just set up rather than figure it out for myself...all before anyone actually insulted me or even replied to me.

Perhaps she's asking so that she can say she was shown the way out here  ....

[educatedindian]

Whether you choose to stay or not Rachael, hopefully you see these two warnings and heed their advice.

Bourgalt is a fraud, and a dangerous one. He claims to have Algonquian ancestry, but what he teaches are false claims from a very dangerous imposter and outright cult leader Diane Fishel, who calls herself Dyani Yawahoo.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=61.msg144#msg144

Fishel is not Cherokee. Some accounts says she is Jewish, and she basically passes off a cult version of Buddhism as Cherokee to those who don't know any better. I'm not exaggerating when I call her followers a cult. We have reports of people being pressured to remain against their will, and of the followers being told to revere her son as a living god.

Among the lies Bourgalt spreads, likely coming from Fishel, are claims about Cherokees and crystal healing.

Most tribes don't have any beliefs about crystals. For those that do, many emphasize they can be both powerful and dangerous. It's not something that should be tried casually by a novice, just like you wouldn't want someone casually setting themselves up as a doctor. And any type of healing is not something one should try out of curiosity.

If you want to learn about your heritage, the best place to start is history books. Or the language.

[Autumn]

I think that Rachael is long gone, but for the record, I would like to comment.  I am white and I have never felt insulted here.  I do feel that this forum is one where you should not come into it with an agenda of your own.  You need to be willing to read, to not take things personally, and to be able to learn.  However, that does take sticking around for a while which many people are not able to do.

[Defend the Sacred]

Oppressed! Oppressed! I feel so oppressed!!! 

[Odelle]

Hi Rachael/Rachmit,

I hope you haven't left, but if you truly are interested in learning more about Native Americans, I hope that you've taken time to put your immediate feelings aside and read a little bit more in this forum. NAFPS isn't about insulting white people, rather its about disseminating information to educate all people and make it a little bit harder for would-be frauds and exploiters to take advantage of people who don't know better. Native spirituality is sacred. The people on this forum get this completely. One way we can honor this sacredness is to protect the spiritual traditions of our brothers and sisters here in North America and elsewhere in the world from being appropriated by liars and criminals. If you found some things that seemed "insulting" at first on this site, I'd urge you to read again and think hard about why you felt insulted. Also think about what we mean by "cultural appropriation". Why would American Indians object to this kind of thing? I think you mean well and I wish you luck in learning more about your dad and becoming more spiritual, but I hope that you will steer clear of people who just want to take advantage of you while also stealing and distorting the cultures of American Indians and other communities. I hope you will stick around and engage with us.

[Aspen Willow]

Thank you for your maturity Odelle.

[Odelle]

Hi Aspen Willow,

Are you Rachmit?

[Defend the Sacred]

Well. "Aspen Willow"/"rachmt". We do not allow sockpuppetting on here. I am banning your "Aspen Willow" account. Use your old account and do not attempt to sockpuppet again. This is your only warning.

[Defend the Sacred]

Since you deleted your rachmlt account and have used the same info (except screenname) for both accounts, we can't ban one without banning both. I strongly suggest you return your name to the original one, unless you want to continue to give the impression that you are sockpuppetting. Thanks.

ETA: Changed name of thread to indicate user has used multiple accounts.

[Diana]

Hi Aspen Willow,

Are you Rachmit?

LOL! I had a sneaking suspicion aspen willow was rachmit too Odelle.