Lars Kegler

[educatedindian]

Received a request about him. Looks to be a German exploiter trained by some of the usual suspects.

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http://www.wowagwala-mani.de/lars.php
Sein bereits aus der Kindheit stammendes Interesse an indianischer Geschichte, Kultur und Religion führte in noch als Teenager auf die Rosebud – Reservation in Süd – Dakota.
 Dort erhielt er 1989 von Chief Leonard Crow Dog die Heilige Pfeife.
 Im Jahr darauf lernte er den ebenfalls aus Rosebud stammenden Lakota – Medizinmann Elmar Norbert Running während dessen Besuch in Deutschland kennen, und erhielt von ihm die Authorisierung zum Leiten der Inipi – Zeremonie (Reinigungszeremonie in der Schwitzhütte).
 Nach seiner Rückkehr auf die Rosebud – Reservation 1992, verbrachte er dort annähernd die Hälfte der folgenden zehn Jahre, um die spirituelle Tradition der Lakota zu studieren. Dabei lernte er viel von den Medizinmännern Norbert und Gilford Running, Leonard Crow Dog, Robert und Tim Stead, Francis Roast und Harold White Horse.
 Von Norbert Runnings Tochter Evangeline als Buder adoptiert, nahm Lars Kegler fünf mal am Ironwood Hilltop Sundance, dem Sonnentanz der Familie Running teil.
 Während dieser Zeit erhielt er durch Träume, Visionen und äußere Zeichen die Altäre, die ihn zur Durchführung der Yuwipi – und Lowanpi – Zeremomieen ermächtigen. Seit dem Jahr 2000 leitete er außer Schwitzhütten auf seltene und individuelle Anfragen hin die Lakota – Lowanpi – Zeremonie.
 Im Spätsommer 2009 hat Lars Kegler seine spirituelle Arbeit eingestellt.
 Er steht seither für die Durchführung spiritueller Zeremonieen bis auf weiteres nicht mehr zur Verfügung.
 Näheres zur Beendigung seiner spirituellen Tätigkeit in seinem persönlichen Statement.

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The person requesting asked:
does a person have a right to so sweat and ceremonies, when he had teachers like Chief Leonard Crow Dog, Lakota Medizinmann Elmar Norbert Running,  Norbert und Gilford Running, Leonard Crow Dog, Robert and Tim Stead, Francis Roast and Harold White Horse.

I answered back:
No one has the right to do Native ceremony unless they are regarded as elders and medicine people by a Native community. No European has that right and ever will. They are con men and liars out for money.

Crow Dog is no longer regarded as a legitimate medicine man because he falsely tells outsiders they can sell ceremony.

Elmer Running never did train others to become medicine people. Norbert Running's claim of being a medicine man is a lie.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=918.msg14326#msg14326

[ska]

Dear Educated Indian

Regarding these statements of yours:

"Crow Dog is no longer regarded as a legitimate medicine man because he falsely tells outsiders they can sell ceremony.

Elmer Running never did train others to become medicine people. Norbert Running's claim of being a medicine man is a lie.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=918.msg14326#msg14326"

Would that things were that simple.  The reality is that Crow Dog has massive support all over this continent and beyond, and even among his own people, too.  Tribal government continue to give him importance and recognition.  Some Indian people across this continent still consider him a hero, especially the ones that he made into "chiefs" at his annual "sun dance". He has recently played a prominent role as a spiritual leader in anti-pipeline activism. To dismiss this is to ignore the reality of the struggles of Lakota people to prevent the exploitation of their ceremonies and the reality that some of these exploiters are themselves Lakota.  And it glosses over the the destructive impacts of assimilation to new age /syncretic ideas about Lakota ceremony that are being promoted widely both on and off the reservation.

Your second statement  about "Elmer" and "Norbert" Running should just be removed as it may sound knowledgeable to those who aren't Sicangu Lakota, but it will seem laughable to those who are from those communities.  Norbert Running was most definitely a common man with a certain knowledge and wisdom to help his people through ceremony.  The end of his life was marred with much tragedy and so many tried to exploit him in his elderly years, but that did not change the fact that he was known as one who carried ceremonies for his people. 

ska

[removed typo]

[educatedindian]

The statement on Elmer and Norbert comes from Elmer's own family.

The statement on Crow Dog is just my repeating what several Lakota members have said on this forum. That he does some activism recently after decades of just franchising out one exploiter after another (nearly all non Native) doesn't change that. Some respected him for his decades ago work with AIM, only to lose that respect because of the franchising. And NAFPS has always criticized exploiters who are Native and should know better as much if not more than outsiders.

My getting Elmer's name wrong was removed.

If this to be a debate on these topics, instead of research on Kegler, we should start another thread.

[ska]

I"ll be happy to discuss this offline with you, if you want to, or in a private message but, regarding both Crow Dog and Elmer Running, I still say your statement is adding to confusion.

[Ingeborg]

Here's a translation of the above text (post #1). It's taken from the „About me“ section of Kegler's website:

http://www.wowagwala-mani.de/lars.php

His interest in Indian history, culture [sic] and religion [sic], originating from his childhood already, led him to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota while still a teenager.
There he received the Sacred Pipe from Chief Leonard Crow Dog in 1989.
One year later, he met Lakota medicineman Elmar Norbert Running who also came from Rosebud, during his visit in Germany, and from him received the authorisation to lead the inipi ceremony (cleansing ceremony in the sweatlodge).

After his return to the Rosebud Reservation in 1992, he spent there nearly half of the next ten years in order to study the spiritual tradition of the Lakota. He learnt much from the medicinemen Norbert and Gilford Running, Leonard Crow Dog, Robert and Tim Stead, Francis Roast, and Harold White Horse.

We already got a thread on Harold „White Horse“ Thompson:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1225.0

Having been adopted as a brother by Norbert Running's daughter Evangeline, Lars Kegler participated five times in the Ironwood Hilltop Sundance of the Running family.
During this time, through dreams, visions, and omens, he received the altars which empowered him to the conduction of the Yuwipi and Lowanpi ceremony.
In the late summer of 2009, Lars Kegler stopped his spiritual work. Since then, he is not available for the conduction of spiritual ceremonies any longer.

[Ingeborg]

Further excerpts from Kegler's Statement 2009:

[...]
With the exception of unfinished issues (e.g wopilas) I have stopped my spiritual work (house ceremonies, sweat lodges, vision quests) in the late summer of 2009.
Not only because, if I didn't stop, I would support an irresponsible scenario, but also because my self respect does not allow me to keep sitting in the same boat with certain individuals, or be mentioned with them in the same breath.

I will perhaps take up spiritual activities again only on condition that
1) I will not need financial income (in order to do spiritual work free of financial motivation)
2) I will arrive at such a spiritual level on which I can leave behind the traditional, established ritualism (in order to act independently from abused and therefore eroded ceremonial forms),
3) I find ways to reform Indian spiritual practice (in order to make it far less vulnerable for abuse of power and of financial abuse)

So for the time being, the matter is settled for me.
Of course Indian spirituality is my purpose in life and will remain so. Therefore I hope to be able to realise the above mentioned issues sooner or later.

But I mourn for the sacred pipe and for the dishonoured memory of those who in vain tried to lead us to their sacred path and who themselves have walked this path with integrity and competence.

I am deeply sorry that the warning words published by Regina White Plume, Sybille Klein, Claudia Höps and myself went unheard.
Which once again makes evident that the scene of Indian spirituality is not concerned about values and content, but about ego-trips.
I do not dare to hope this may change one day.

The „Heyoka Corner“ added to this website may be seen as my legacy to all those who follow the Indian path resp believe to do this.


Addendum

Today, almost three years after I ended my spiritual work and wrote the above statement, I believe it apt to point out that, in the realm of Indian spirituality, much but not everything is as bad as I described it above.

Of course abuse for power and financial reasons, manipulation and idiocy within this scene still is a quite a problem, so my above statement will stay online for the time being and I will continue publishing texts critical of issues of Indian spirituality.
But fortunately I am meanwhile able to state, from my own experience, that there are also persons on the Indian path here in Germany to whom the circumstances criticized by me do not apply, or at worst to whom these apply only roughly.

This means there are also people who take over a role of spiritual leadership without cheating their fellow humans, or boss them around, exploit them financially or even ban people who become inconvenient. And there are those who live their Indian spirituality in a respectful, traditional way, without being compelled to anything, or be reglemented somehow, or be manipulated or abused in any way. To witness this is very refreshing after numerous and drastic negative experiences, and I am glad to be able to say that there are even Sundances in Europe (e.g in the Harz Mountains or in Tuscany) which are done without the established agitations for power and money – and which cost about half (!) of what is charged elsewhere.
(That a Sundance on principle does cost money is inevitable due to the intricate preparations, and therefore not a legitimate point of criticism in itself.)

It is also positive that some of those who have been banned in the past, or withdrew due to these attitudes, now begin to gather in order to support each other beyond customary politics.

In this context, there is an interesting question I was asked recently: Whether I believed it was possible to have a large Sundance in Germany for all, as allegedly all wished for instead of the many smaller Sundances.
My reply to this seems to be relevant here, too:
Many of those holding leading positions on the Lakota path in Germany have managed to annoy each other as well as other persons so much in the past that the resulting gap between some persons may not be bridged any longer. No matter whether the cause was pure unreason, bad intent, or justified protest – there are too many persons in this scene who have more or less good reason they never again want to have dealings with each other.
So it seems virtually impossible that different „medicine persons“ and their assistants and supporters gather for a large Sundance.
It is, however, revealing to watch the processes of disintegration of some of these Sundances:
Steadily rising expense, imposing of absurd Vision Quests and ceremonies, banned dancers etc could render some Sundances financially and spiritually unbearable – with the possible consequence of dancers and supporters turning to Sundances they can afford and which are marked by an atmosphere of mutual support.

Furthermore, the constantly advancing disclosure of the secrets of the true nature of Lakota Yuwipi/Lowanpi ceremony may probably have the consequence of people being able to distinguish who is out to cheat them and who is not.
So it seems indeed possible that not the Sundance leaders, but perhaps the dancers and supporters will eventually gather where they may live their Indian spirituality free of manipulation, fraud, patronising, and financial exploitation.

Encouraged by this development which at least becomes apparent in a rudimentary way, and with the intent to support this development actively, I resume my personal spiritual practice in part as I am prepared to lead sweatlodges and Vision Quests again if required.
I will abstain from doing the Lowanpi resp Yuwipi ceremony, on the one hand to keep open the possibility for a development for me, on the other hand so that I will not once more get into the orbit of those persons whose exorbitantly inflated egos or swanky haughtiness too often rubs off on their environment.

Lars Kegler, summer 2012

[Ingeborg]

Lars Kegler noticed a thread in a German-language forum in which I commented he was a supporter of ceremony sellers and plastic shamans. Kegler then posted the following:

04 Jun. 2016 16:02

A friend pointed me to your comment and I would like to reply resp. I got a question:

First of all, I did not stop the sale of ceremonies but their implementation, since I never sold ceremonies but did them on the basis of donations. Certainly, if one is prepared to be strict about this, one can view this as selling them. But Norbert Running and others did it the same way. I also understand that some believe it wrong on principle to have white people conduct Indian ceremonies. But this I believe does not justify them to present false accusations resp criticise them for something Indians are not being criticised for.

Now to my question:
Which ceremony sellers and plastic shamans do I advertise? I am not aware I do. Did I cause a misunderstanding or commit a mistake, or is it possible you're in error? Please let me know, and if necessary I can correct myself or clarify a misunderstanding.

My reply:

05 Jun. 2016 16:41

[deleted explanation why a new thread was opened]

First of all, I did not stop the sale of ceremonies but their implementation, since I never sold ceremonies but did them on the basis of donations. Certainly, if one is prepared to be strict about this, one can view this as selling them.

My indigenous colleagues at NAFPS are inclined to be that strict about this.

But Norbert Running and others did it the same way.

The indigenous colleagues at NAFPS also have quite decided views regarding this.

I also understand that some believe it wrong on principle to have white people conduct Indian ceremonies. But this I believe does not justify them to present false accusations resp criticise them for something Indians are not being criticised for.

NAFPS does not only criticise white sellers of ceremony.

Now to my question:
Which ceremony sellers and plastic shamans do I advertise? I am not aware I do. Did I cause a misunderstanding or commit a mistake, or is it possible you're in error? Please let me know, and if necessary I can correct myself or clarify a misunderstanding.

To give one example, there is Christa Schaffrick. She is a blathering Nuager mixing indigenous bits and pieces with further Nuage stuff. Regarding her claimed status as an alleged wife of Tom Yellowtail's: the statements of the Yellowtail family stand against her claim – among them the family asked Schaffrick to stop using the name of the family. It is plain to see that the name „Yellowtail“ gives Schaffrick a certain nimbus and an alleged authenticity.

And secondly, there is Stephan Götze. You did an in-depth review of his book „Keeper of Creation“, and you spot various inaccuracies and also mistakes (some of them hair-rising) – and apparently even plagiarisms (cf the very same spelling mistakes and terms used wrongly as in a book written by Sabrina Dengel. You can obtain further info regarding Dengel here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1401.0  ).

Provided Götze was what he claims to be, he should of course be fluent in Lakota, and therefore he should not commit such mistakes like wrong translations of „Channunpa Wakan“ and „Wanbli Gleshka“ [the first term Götze translates as the Sacred Pipe brought by Ptesan Win, the second he translates as „Song of the Spotted Eagle“]. He also does not manage to list the seven sacred rituals without committing a blunder. Looks like he cannot even manage the 'basics'.

Götze also commits further misrepresentations and wrong descriptions of historical and cultural aspects, like e.g.:
- the Lakota were „the only ones to preserve their rituals and their spirituality“
- Custer had „massacred“ the Lakota
- Sitting Bull had been deprived of power
- Tashunka Witko as the alleged „last chief“ of the Lakota
- Geronimo allegedly died in Florida
- the US government allegedly wanted the Black Hills 'back' – this is not only a phrase easily misunderstood, but carries racist undertones, since the author apparently believes „the Indians“ were not entitled to the land.
- the medicine wheel as far as I know is an invention by Vincent LaDuke and not by Harley Reagan [Kegler attributes it to Reagan and wonders why Götze makes use of it since he rejects Reagan and Deer Tribe in his book].

All this was taken from your review on Götze's book. With that much garbage on 250 pages of the book, one wonders why you see it apt to praise Götze the way you do.

I also got an addition for the chapter „Götze spreads humbug“: On page 50, he mentions an „Indian sauna church“. That's more than enough to make one cringe...

In his book, Götze further claims to have seen the apparition of Tashunka Witko, which you doubt. It is also easily possible to phrase this far more to the point: Götze does so to exploit the name and the reputation of Tashunka Witko for his own gain and means to authentificate himself („A man who has the apparation of Tashunka Witko will not tell us a lie...“).

After so many errors, mistakes, inaccuracies, historical misrepresentations you still prefer to praise Götze and his book. And even Götze's claim to have been a student of Norbert Running's only prompts the following comment from you:

Hey, Stephan, we should have met then!
The meeting and the ceremony with Norbert Running you describe is clearly the ones organised by Karl Scherer who took place with Bruno Torri in Switzerland. Mike and I were present, too. What a pity I cannot remember you.

Well, actually, I could imagine a reason or two why you cannot remember Götze...

On your website, you further criticise my view of Götze's activities as being plastic shamanism. Well, meanwhile Götze has not only founded his association, but also sold one weekend seminar. During which they did three sweatlodges. For the little something of € 990 – plus tax. This is an exorbitant amount! Additionally – since no VAT had been added – the seminar was aimed at a business clientele who had the humbug paid for from their company's petty cash. Of course this is a different kettle of fish than a few Euro for a sweatlodge done during the afternoon, or an amount of € 3-500 for a regular weekend seminar drawing a clientele of end-users. By having his employer involved, a private academy, Götze also does something for his job security. (That he, born 1962 and having been self-employed for a number of years before, holds a job as a modest assistant lecturer, may be a statement in its own right.)

You also imply I mean to insinuate that Götze probably forged a letter received by Mr Arvol Looking Horse. No, he did not forge the letter – he rather misrepresents the letter and the reason he received it.

The letter is headed:

„Support of Stephan Götze and the WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature“

So Götze apparently went to see Mr Looking Horse in his – at that point in time – capacity as a memer of the WWF resp asked Mr Looking Horse's support for a certain WWF project. This is the reasons Mr Looking Horse expresses his support for „Götze and the WWF“.

The most important paragraph of the letter is this:

„So in the view of the responsibilities and personal goals I have set for the future of our people, I would like to offer this letter of support for Mr Stephan Götze, in the hope that it will help him to obtain the assistance necessary for making this project a success for the betterment of our communities. I feel he can be trusted to make the best judgement on behalf of our people where in any assistance toward our welfare can be decided.“

There is nothing to be found about an alleged „Lakota Communicator“, or of receiving the task to teach Lakota ways to Europeans, or – as Götze puts it - „to explain the valuable wisdom of the Indians“. Of all of them? Pretty extensive task then....

The letter also does not intend to offer support for any past or future economic endeavours of Götze, but Götze is expected to support the Lakota by his work at WWF.

Below the scan of the letter in Götze's book, there is an explaining caption added at page 61 which clearly states that the letter written by Mr Looking Horse was given to him in connection with a WWF project, and that Götze continued to use the letter „for further tasks“, for which he said he obtained a „Go“ from the Lame Deer family – not from Arvol Looking Horse... Whom he only met twice, as he says in his book, in 1997 and in 2001.

So the letter received for a certain project also came in handy for – errrm: further projects. In other words: Götze exploits Mr Looking Horse's reputation and renown for his own profit and claims 'tasks' he was never bestowed with in the first place. The colleagues at NAFPS call this 'white entitlement', BTW. It is also a falsification of Mr Looking Horse's motives and intentions. It is racist.

You praise for Götze and his activities I therefore view as support of a ceremony seller and plastic shaman.

Additionally, your website also mentions further plastic shamans and ceremony sellers in a positive way (e.g. in the 'Quiz' section). There's the names of Harold Thompson aka „White Horse“ ( see http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1225.0  )  or Winfried Alessi Narr ( http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1225.msg22778#msg22778 ). According to what is said in the thread, Thompson is a severe alcoholic; apparently he suffered from long-term abuse already at the age of 44 years, in 2007. Alessi Narr according to descriptions found online 'of course' is a medicine man and claims he was adopted by a Lakota family at the age of 15; he also gets called a Sundance chief. That's two more ceremony sellers and plastic shamans.

[White Horse]

Send this to lars

Arvol Looking Horse Proclamation on the Protection of Ceremonies

On March 8th and 9th, Spiritual Leaders and Bundle Keepers of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation, Cheyenne Nation and Arapahoe Nation were called together to discuss the protection from the abuse and exploitation of our ceremonies. The meeting was held at the Cultural Center in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, hosted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. I would also like to acknowledge the financial donation from the Prairie Island Dakota Community.

Discussions in the meeting included the molestation taking place in ceremony, indecent mockery, mixing of new age beliefs, charging for ceremonies and death, which was never heard of before in our ancient ceremonial history. There was also discussion of the use of other "medicines" (drugs) in and around our ceremonies. When the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the Sacred Bundle, she instructed that only those with a pure mind and heart should touch the C'anupa. The ceremonies in question, in reference to all the Plains Tribes, were the I-ni-pi (Purification Ceremony), Wi-wanyang-wa-c'i-pi (Sundance Ceremony) and Han-ble-c'i-ya (vision quest) Sacred Rites.

We put out notice in the newspapers, Native radio stations and also contacted people through the phone. I offered prayers for the safe journey of the People to this very important historic meeting. Those that could not attend, I acknowledge their prayers for a good outcome for our concerns.

After long discussion and testimonies of the concerns and issues, it was decided that it would be up to me, as the Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe to make a decision. It was good to feel the beginning of a Unity amongst our People. This has been my concern for many decades, especially now, when we are facing an oncoming war. We need to stand strong with our ceremonies!

I will state what the decision is and also explain the reasons. I will state the protocols to our Seven Sacred Rites, which were passed down to me when I became the next Keeper at the age of 12 years old. These protocols are traditional knowledge passed down through our oral history and need to be brought back to strengthen our 'Ho-c'o-ka' (our sacred alters) once again.

I will also address the areas that I cannot be involved in. My responsibility is the Seven Sacred Rites.

It was decided, from March 9, 2003 and forward, there will be no non-Natives allowed in our sacred Ho-c'o-ka (our sacred alters) where it involves our Seven Sacred Rites. The only protection with this decision in Government law; is that only enrolled members can carry an eagle feather. In all the Seven Sacred Rites, there has always been the understanding of earning and a requirement of an eagle feather while participating in these Rites. The eagle feather stands for Indigenous knowledge and guidance in our spiritual ways.

* The Wi-wanyang-wa-c'i-pi (Sundance Ceremony): The only participants allowed in the center will be Native People. The non-Native people need to understand and respect our decision. If there have been any unfinished commitments to the Sundance and non-Natives have concern for this decision; they must understand that we have been guided through prayer to reach this resolution. Our purpose for the Sundance is for the survival of the future generations to come, first and foremost. If the non-Natives truly understand this purpose, they will also understand this decision and know that by their departure from this Ho-c'o-ka (our sacred altar) is their sincere contribution to the survival of our future generations.

* Please understand the Wi-wanyang-wa-c'i-pi Ceremony is not only taking place in the center (Ho-c'o-ka) with the dancers. The ceremonial participation also depends on all the supporters on the outside of the arbor who should be in prayer. From the gate, to the cook shack, to the fire-keepers, to the supporters around the arbor, to even the moon camp, all people are still a part of this sacred ceremony.

* There should be a preparation of 'Han-ble-c'i-ya' (vision quest) before you become a participant of the Sundance.

* We shall go back into this ceremony with the proper protocols before and during the ceremony itself. Only those that have had the dream or direction through a ceremony, in concern of someone's health, should be dancing. Dancers should be secluded from outside participants, as to not be contaminated by other people's energy or thoughts. There should be absolutely no food or water during this four-day ceremony. If there are health problems, you should choose a person to finish your commitment. This ceremony is supposed to be for those that believe they can fulfill all required four days of the ceremony.

* Han-ble-c'i-ya' (Vision Quest): The vision quest should be only for Native People that have had the dream or vision. This Rite is also for the young men and women that reach the age of 12 years of age.

* I-ni-pi (Purification Ceremony): Those that run this sacred rite should be able to communicate with Tun-ca-s'i-la (our Sacred Grandfathers) in their Native Plains tongue. They should also have earned this rite by completing Han-ble-c'i-ya and the four days and four years of the Wi-wanyang wa-c'i-pi.

* The other four sacred rites of the Hun-ka ka-g'a (Making of a Relative), the Ta-pa kah'-g'o-ya (Throwing of the Sacred Ball), Wi-yan is'-na ti (Womanhood Ceremony) and the Na-g'i glu-ha (Keeping of the Spirit Ceremony), should be only handled by legitimate Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Oyate (People).

* It was also decided only legitimate Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Oyate Medicine Bundle Keepers should handle any other ceremonies that are connected to our Ho-co-ka, such as the Lo-wa-pi and U-wi-pi ceremonies.

* There should be no price tag allowed to participate in any of our Sacred Ceremonies. The only protocol needed for a ceremony is to o-pa-g'i, meaning to offer your C'anupa or offer tobacco that has been prayed with, in which the Medicine Person accepts or not accept if he is not able to assist. Medicine People do need to survive, and if people wish to give a monetary or any other gifts after they receive their help from a ceremony, giving it from their hearts, I see no problem with that. We have to have faith that the Grandfathers will provide for our needs to survive in this modern society; whether the gift is money, blankets, food or anything that represents how much they appreciate the help. Some people can afford big gifts, some people cannot. It all balances out.

* My position is only for the Seven Sacred Rites. I cannot dictate to our Medicine People who they allow to attend and support these Rites, in reference to non-Native People. I cannot dictate who they choose to doctor in their ceremonies. I cannot dictate where they travel to doctor.

* I have my own personal feelings on who should be Keepers of our Sacred C'anupa (Pipe). The C'anupa is very sacred and the Keeper should first be given a dream and be of Native decent. This issue should be further discussed in our future meetings. The reason for my feelings is that I am aware the C'anupa has gone out to the International community and has been for sale. I know that most non-Native People do not understand the important protocols or have had the Traditional background to carry this sacred item properly. I am aware of women in their moon and men with blood on their hands (to take ones life intentionally) have been allowed to touch and carry the C'anupa. These serious situations were never to be allowed. I offer thanks to the non-Native People that have returned the C'anupa to our People, after I privately shared my concerns with them. I acknowledge their true sincerity in assisting our Nation to protect the survival of our Traditional way of life on behalf of our future generations. They have helped us bring back honor and respect to our sacred Ho-co-ka and C'anupa.

* There was also discussion of only the Plains Tribal members to participate in the Ho-co-ka of the Wi-wanyang wa-c'i-pi and the Han-ble c'i-ya Ceremonies. In the early 70s, Chief Fools Crow and my father Stanley Looking Horse decided to allow other Native Nations to participate in these Rites. Their reasons were based on the fact that most Nations have lost their ways through assimilation or lack of Teachers to teach their Indigenous ways. They honored and understood the unity of the First Nations People when different Tribes came to the aid of the Wounded Knee Occupation. I cannot undo their decision out of respect for our Chief and Elder. It has also been in our history that our Ancestors have respectfully shared our ceremonies with other Indigenous Nations.

* The original teachings were that the Pipe Carrier should make their own C'anupa. There was an understanding of the sincere spiritual energy and the traditional values passed down through our bloodlines. All the values of compassion, love, honor, respect and truth are molded into the spiritual life they are creating. I hope that one day the future generations will again pick up this important protocol.

I would like to invite all our Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nations to the next ceremony when I bring out the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Bundle. The dates in the Fall will be announced. During this time we will place the 12 honorable compassionate men to assist in taking care of the concerns of the Sacred C'anupa. We will also discuss the protocols of the need to have a good mind and good heart to be a member of the Societies that will carry out these decisions in a respectful manner.

There will be another Protection of Ceremonies meeting to further discuss and address these serious issues in the future. This meeting will be sponsored by the Cheyenne Nation.

Once again, I thank all those that have offered prayers for these very serious issues to be discussed and handled in a good way.

In the Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning! Mitakuye Oyasin.

Arvol Looking Horse is the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe.


Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2003/04/25/looking-horse-proclamation-protection-ceremonies-88707

[Sparks]

Lars Kegler noticed a thread in a German-language forum in which I commented he was a supporter of ceremony sellers and plastic shamans.

I'd like to read all this in the original German. Is it possible to link to this forum, ot is it a closed one?

[Lars Kegler]

Received a request about him. Looks to be a German exploiter trained by some of the usual suspects.

Hello there, greetings to everybody.
So finally, my Name popped up on NAFPS. In a way, that`s an honor, since it means to be noticed. And of course, I want to reply to the above statements myself. or rather to the request by E-Mail to give some clarification about myself.

Whereas it was my intention to make a statement on Leonard Crow Dog and Norbert Running first, I have meanwhile decided not to do so. Ska has defended them well, and I want to avoid making a statement that would lead only to further arguments about them.
So I shall get straight to the point and explain a little about myself (the following is not meant as an excuse of alleged wrongs I committed, but merely a description of facts about me, as was requested):

Those who are convinced, that Europeans are by nature neither able nor allowed to conduct Native American ceremonies, will necessarily consider me a fake or a fraud. I will not argue against this, because nothing I could say will make anyone change this conviction, who holds it. But I sincerly believe that the term "exploiter" is unjustly applied to me here.
For the following reasons:

I have conducted sweat lodge ceremonies since 1990 with Norbert Running`s explicit permission (otherwise it wouldn`t even have occured to me), on very rare occasions and on request and invitation only. I have never charged anybody any money for participation in my sweats. I have accepted monetary and other gifts (tobacco, feathers, rocks, etc.) when they were voluntarily presented to me.
I have conducted Lowanpi - ceremonies between 2000 and 2009, with knowledge and explicit consent of Harold White Horse Thompson, recognized Rosebud Sioux medicine man, as well as with Norbert Running`s knowledge and at least silent consent (of course he didn`t officially endorse me, but he made no attempt to shut me down either, which he did with others, including elders of his own tribe). The Lowanpi I also conducted on very rare occasions (a total of approximatly 30 times in nine years) and also on request and invitation only. For Lowanpis I requested a monetary gift of unspecified amount, thus leaving it up to the sponsers, how much they were able or willing to give me, just the same way, Norbert Running used to do it in his ceremonies. No other participients were ever charged. In the same way, I have guided people on the vision quest, likewise with Harold Thompson`s knowledge and approval. Six of them altogether, as far as I remember.
As also indicated, I have discontinued the conduction of ceremonies seven years ago, mostly because of disappointment about the way the practise of Lakota - spirituality in Germany turned out to be. In essence, the scene became so bad in terms of unethical and non - reflected conduct, I felt I had to refrain from it in order not to be part of something I could no longer stand for.
I have never referred to myself as a "shaman" or "medicine man".
I have never manipulated people to sponser unnecessary ceremonies, just to grab their money (even though I`ve seen others do that many times).
I have never excluded or refused people, because they were poor.
I have not mixed Lakota - tradition with any contents of New - Age, neo - shamanism, or any other religion. I have alway conducted ceremonies the same way Lakota - people on the reservation do it. Thus I have not sold ceremonies, but conducted them according to tradition.
I have never conducted seminars or workshops involving a fee. I have not written a book on Native Americans either.
I do have published (with the help of a friend) an extensive website about the practise of Native American spirituality in Europe. This website in essence contains information intended to enable Germans to discern fraudulent or alleged Native American spiritual practises from more or less genuine Native American culture and tradition. It contains also observations I`ve made and opinions I developed, that are certainly controversial, as they are not always in accordance with traditional Native American teachings or the self - image of German spiritualists. Also my website is of non - commercial character, thus not designed to earn money (the € 50,- mentioned in connection to the sweat lodge is not a fixed demand, and in practise literally immaterial).

The exact amount of money I recieved from the conduction of sweats, ceremonies and vision quests over the years i can not possibly tell, as I did not keep record of donations, I assume it may be a total of approximatly $ 5000,- in some 20 years or so. Which means an average of $ 250,- per year. Perhaps a little more, if I was lucky. Part of it I didn`t even keep or use for myself, but shared with my singer, or sent to needy people on the reservation.
I`m sure even those who oppose what I`m doing or have done will realize, that a real exploiter hauls in far higher amounts of cash, than I ever did, and that real exploiters grossly misconstrue Native American tradition, in order to more effectivly cash in on it. Thus my sincere confiction, that I do not fall into the category of exploiters.
Of course I realize, that some people will simply refuse to draw my conduct into consideration and consider my race alone sufficient ground to label me an exploiter. In this case, all I can say is, that I must have been a somewhat inefficient one.

And, believe it or not, I have myself fought against the abuse, exploitation and misrepresentation of Native American spirituality for years. I know this may seem like a contradiction in terms to some. Nevertheless, it`s a fact. I have exposed three plastic shamans on my website and have provided a lot of information on it regarding the subject of abuse and exploitation of Native American spirituality, to help Germans gain a better understanding of the matter. Of course some people will disagree to some contents of my website. But why accuse me on the one hand, and on the other hand ignore, that I have done much work to support the cause this forum is about? Is that fair?

At this point I originally intended to somewhow strive fore a mutual understanding.
I have abandoned that intention though, because I neither believe attaining it is possible nor desired.
As I have been made aware, my website is considered racist, exploitive and supportive of plastic shamans by some Native American People and Germans as well. Thus rather than defending myself or any kind of spiritual ideal, and risking to create further misunderstandings or resentments, I have dcided I shall present some evidence, that racism and exploitaion have at least not been my intention. Therefore I will have the entire contents of my website erased as soon as possible, leaving only a brief explanation as to the reasons why for some time, and ultimatly have my website removed altogether.
I hope this will be understood as a consession to the accusations raised against me, and as a sign that I respect Native American people, and thus do not intend to exploit their culture or hurt their feelings. And I hope it will satisfy those who held suspicions about my integrity or intentions.

Naturally, this does not mean that I feel guilty or remorseful, or came to believe, that my long involvement with Lakota - spirituality was wrong in itself. I merely wish to show respect to Native American people who feel that way and hope, this will be seen as such, even though I still see the issues at hand from various different viewpoints. Pointing these out though, is an effort I don`t wish to make, as I do not believe it would be fruitful.

Of course I can see, that my simple backing off may be viewed by some as a cowardly refusal to engage in a meaningful discussion. In this case I reply:
If you confront people with harsh accusations and false implications, as I was being confronted via E-Mail, you just alienate them and render a meaningful discussion impossible, as it obviously has never been desired in the first place. Also, any reasoning I would come up with to defend or explain myself, or non - natives in general, would certainly only be interpreted as evidence of how racist, disrespectful and exploitive I am. Thus I feel it is more appropriate to step back and let go, rather than to argue, insist, or assert myself in any kind of way.
Also I feel it is impossible to reason with people who confuse their opinions with facts and thus ignore or even condemn other facts as well as other opinions, and who thus percieve and present themselves as keepers of the one and only truth. Since in this case a racial matter is involved, I feel that as a white person stepping back and giving in is the only possible means to express, that I am not a racist or exploiter, or at least don`t intend to be one.

Perhaps one last word on Native American medicine men, who take money:
If they didn`t, how are they going to live, take care of their usually large families and their other expenses? Condemning monetary involvement with sprituality in every way, even in form of donations, is to expect ceremonial leaders to work for free, and that is likewise exploitation. The best, because the most extreme example is the deceased Lakota - medicine man Godfrey Chipps. He was known for sometimes charging excessive sums, yet he was also known for his very successful healing work. But once such people`s reputation is ruined by endless and unreasonable arguments, it will not matter anymore, how many other people they have healed and helped.
I hope I won`t be labeled a racist now, for pointing this out.

That`s pretty much all I have to say for the time being and most likely for a long time to come.
Thank you.

[debbieredbear]

Lars asked:

Perhaps one last word on Native American medicine men, who take money:
If they didn`t, how are they going to live, take care of their usually large families and their other expenses? Condemning monetary involvement with sprituality in every way, even in form of donations, is to expect ceremonial leaders to work for free, and that is likewise exploitation. The best, because the most extreme example is the deceased Lakota - medicine man Godfrey Chipps. He was known for sometimes charging excessive sums, yet he was also known for his very successful healing work. But once such people`s reputation is ruined by endless and unreasonable arguments, it will not matter anymore, how many other people they have healed and helped.
I hope I won`t be labeled a racist now, for pointing this out.

Well most do it the old fashioned way: They work. My husband's late relative worked for his tribe, made and sold art and taught art to people for money. He never took so much as a dime for ceremony or healing. When people gave him money (donations) he would turn around and give that to people in his community who needed it more than he did. THAT is how the legit people live.

[Sparks]

I do have published (with the help of a friend) an extensive website about the practise of Native American spirituality in Europe. This website in essence contains information intended to enable Germans to discern fraudulent or alleged Native American spiritual practises from more or less genuine Native American culture and tradition. It contains also observations I`ve made and opinions I developed, that are certainly controversial, as they are not always in accordance with traditional Native American teachings or the self - image of German spiritualists. Also my website is of non - commercial character, thus not designed to earn money …
[…]
And, believe it or not, I have myself fought against the abuse, exploitation and misrepresentation of Native American spirituality for years. I know this may seem like a contradiction in terms to some. Nevertheless, it`s a fact. I have exposed three plastic shamans on my website and have provided a lot of information on it regarding the subject of abuse and exploitation of Native American spirituality, to help Germans gain a better understanding of the matter. Of course some people will disagree to some contents of my website. But why accuse me on the one hand, and on the other hand ignore, that I have done much work to support the cause this forum is about? Is that fair?
[…]
As I have been made aware, my website is considered racist, exploitive and supportive of plastic shamans by some Native American People and Germans as well. Thus rather than defending myself or any kind of spiritual ideal, and risking to create further misunderstandings or resentments, I have dcided I shall present some evidence, that racism and exploitaion have at least not been my intention. Therefore I will have the entire contents of my website erased as soon as possible, leaving only a brief explanation as to the reasons why for some time, and ultimatly have my website removed altogether.

I found your website here: http://wowagwala-mani.de/index.php

I suggest you keep it there, to support your many claims, as cited above. (Anyhow, I have archived the whole site on my Mac, for future reference, if need be.)

[Sparks]

Lars Kegler noticed a thread in a German-language forum in which I commented he was a supporter of ceremony sellers and plastic shamans.

I'd like to read all this in the original German. Is it possible to link to this forum, o[r] is it a closed one?

I found the thread that Ingeborg started: http://288051.forumromanum.com/member/forum/entry_ubb.user_288051.2.1128300233.1128300233.1.was_unterstuetzt_plastikschamanen-indianer_nordamerikas.html

[Lars Kegler]

"I suggest you keep it there, to support your many claims, as cited above. (Anyhow, I have archived the whole site on my Mac, for future reference, if need be.)"
[/quote]


Well, meanwhile my entire Website is off the web, after all the texts had already been erased shortly after I`ve made my above statement.

I appreciate your suggestion, Sparks, but I think you misuntersood.

[Loooong personal attack and racist rant removed.]

So if I didn`t want to be labeled a racist in public, I really didn`t have any choice other then to eradicate my website. Meaning I have basically [defamation removed] for the intend is obviously malicious.

Of course, if I had not accidently deleted Al Carrolls mail, forewarded to me by Renate Schwab, I would have published it here and on my website and would have refuted his [defamation removed] entirely, just like I refuted Ingeborg`s [defamation removed] in the German Forum. But unfortunatly, since I have accidently deleted that mail, I was unable to do that, and just quoting out of memory without evidence is not good enough.

And then, the impulse to eradicate my website was not altogether unwelcome to me. Because I found out, that abandoning it is one more step of liberating myself from attachements to the past. Also, Al and Ingeborg have thought me something, that I really could and should have learned a wong time ago:
That it is wrong, or at best stupid, to try to make a positive contribution to the world, though it may be just a small one. For at the end of the day, there`s really no reason why I should bother with issues and subjects, that really need not and thus should not concern me at all.
But there`s more to that:
Having found out, that [defamation removed] I am certainly no longer willing to support their cause. And I sure couldn`t care less, if anybody believes I ever did, or not. Having done so in the past, I thought I was supporting Indian people and helping mine, but obviously I have made a mistake, and I certainly shall not repeat it by keeping my writings publicly available. Besides that, I don`t need to prove anything to anyone.

Yet maybe I should elaborate on this a little further, to prevent a misunderstanding:

I`m not just pouting - even though I have to admit, that Al`s and Ingeborg`s accusations have deeply hurt my feelings, as they were [defamation removed]
But not my personal feelings are of any relevance here. The bottom line is this:

Had I never persued Native American spirituality in my life, then I would have never become aware of plastic shamanism in the first place, much less would I have aquired any knowledge or expierience, that would have enabled me to discern fraudulence from the real thing, and that I could have shared with others, to help them discern.
So wether I prayed with the pipe or performed a ceremony for others, wether I wrote an essay exposing spiritual abuse or counciled somone, who had been decieved (note the past tense in ALL of these!) - it is all the same. That is, it as all based on the same thing. Kind of like in that Al Bundy - theme: "You can`t have one without the other."
Yet, if my having followed Lakota spiritual ways for many years, is to be considered wrong, if it makes me a bad, immoral person, even a racist, then obviously everything based on that must necessarily be just as wrong.

Thus if I had maintained my website, had even continued to work on it [defamation removed] So what choice did I have?
Keeping my website up would have only made me a target for attacks by people, who neither know nor care, if their accusations are justified or not. And if prejudices and lies are a sufficient base to accuse me, then I automatically stand guilty as charged - or guilty as framed, to be precise.

Why would or should I continue to expose myself to that?
Al and Ingeborg have [defamation removed] so that`s what I did. It may Sound cynical if I say: The only Thing I care about now is me, myself & I. But that`s the natural and unavoidable result of my expierience with NAFPS.
That`s all there is to it.

Which leads me to something else I`d like to mention here, something that kind of irritates me:
Given the fact, that Al Carroll`s verdict on me stood firm right from the start, I was very surprised to discover my thread in the RESEARCH NEEDED - section, rather then in the FRAUD - section. Trying to find out the reason why, and suggesting, that my thread may consequentially be moved into the FRAUD - section, I contacted both, NAFPS and Al Carroll himself via e-Mail, but recieved an answer from neither.
I wonder why?

[Long personal attack]

Or could it be, that you came to the conclusion [defamation removed]

Either way, I find such [defamation removed] And yes, Al`s and Ingeborg`s utter silence towards my responses to them here and in the German forum seems to indicate [defamation removed] Which is somewhat silly, as they have made it obvious - to me, anyway - that defamation removed].

Thus I ask you people to be consequential and move my thread into the FRAUD - section. By the standard you apply, I am guilty without the slightest shadow of a doubt.

Besides:
You people are obviously not just against fraudulence, exploitation and abuse in spirituality, but also [racist rant removed]
 After all, why search for any evidence against somone, if that person is already wrong by definition?
So please be true to your convictions and officially label me a fraud. Not to do so would just be inconsequential and hypocritic.

[Defamations and personal attacks removed. The earlier post was removed because it seemed entirely irrelevant. Besides the attacks, it was entirely an extended cry of self pity; empty, mopey, dripping with conceit and arrogance and paranoid delusions of persecution after being caught doing wrong. And to top it off, a man who has never experienced racism in his life accuses a multiracial multifaith group of being "racist" and issues petulant demands to fit his paranoid delusions of persecution.

That, and that alone are why your post was removed. This activist group of Natives and supporters does not exist to be your therapy or your online reality show. You seem incapable of going a single sentence without believing yourself the center of the world. That you did ceremonies you had no right to, that you were never properly trained for, and that Native ceremonies make no sense outside of a Native community, still seems a mystery to you after all of this. That alone proves you incapable of understanding what you falsely claim to have been part of.]

[educatedindian]

Amusing email I received.

-------
please remove my name (Renate Schwab) of the last post (written by this idiot  Lars Kegler).

If he has a problem with me, he should call me or write me a email, but not put my name in a public forum. He wrote, that i forwarded a private email to him (from al caroll), but he delated this email , and if he did not delete this email, he would have published on his website. (a private email on his website, how stupid is that??? And if that email was so important, why he deleted this email? he has no proof?

sorry to say, that in the german forum everybody know, that he is a arrogant idiot. He need therapy! And even the german forum he use for his own reality show.