Roy Wilson - Medicine Wheel Tribe

[Olderthandirt]

http://www.natureman.net/      This link is the "official" website of the Medicine Wheel Tribe formed by Roy Wilson.  If you check it out, click on "books."

Has anyone heard of this, according to his own words, spiritual healer/medicine man?

The "Otter Clan" meets in Suquamish.

My husband and I met Roy Wilson the first time in Toledo, WA at the Cowlitz Tribe's little powwow about 5 years ago.  My husband was a Vietnam Veteran and Vice-Pres of the Vietnam Veterans of America.  He always organized the Colors at Grand Entries at the powwows.  The first time we ever laid eyes on this man, he walked up to us and said "I am a medicine man."  We nearly imploded with laughter as we thought it was a joke.  He was SERIOUS!!  That was even worse.  Then he cornered us & started preaching christian crappolla in sort of a Oral Roberts meets Wallace Black Elk way.  We got away from him, pronto.  He made our skin itch so bad, we yearned for a run through some sheep dip to rid the vermin.  Then, we learned from the MC, Tony McGrady, that Wilson was the "honorary" chief of the Cowlitz Tribe.  Oh, double urp!

Fast forward to Feb, 2006.  A Haida elder asked me to check out a "Medicine Wheel Tribe" meeting at the Kent Unity Church, as she had dealt with the trauma of a couple people who had become ill after attending.   It was definitely a non-indian doing.   Everyone clearly drools over Wilson and worships him in sort of a Jim Jones way.  A man named Tom was the "leader" and he is clearly a non-indian christian playing a wannabe game.  They follow Wilson's "teachings" from the medicine wheel book he wrote.  The book VERY suspiciously is close to verbatim to most of Sun Bear's medicine wheel book.  Five minutes into my first time there, I was given a little wolf figure much like you would find on a charm bracelet and was told I was now a bona fide member of the Wolf Clan.  (Gag!)  I was told my name would be Dancing WolfWoman and the naming ceremony would be in a couple weeks.  (HAH!)  I am an old woman, five feet tall and about four feet wide with white hair.....yeah I am a REAL Dancing Wolf Woman.  The rest of the people all wore big huge signs that hung around their necks with their "Indian" names.

They try to get a newbie to buy all of Wilson's books and some other junk.

To be fair, I went a second time, as I could not believe what I was seeing or hearing.  They started singing a sacred Sun Dance song and something happened that would be improper for me to speak about but I can tell you I knocked two chairs over in my haste to get out of there.   It is best for me not to say any more of that incident.

Does anyone know about this Medicine Wheel Tribe or Roy Wilson?

Karen

[weheli]

 here is more on Roy Wilson, I have also done some e mailing , will let you know when a reply comes. Much to research here. As we have all said if someone walks up to you and says they are a medicine man RUN and than report them to whomever will listen.
http://www.turtleislandstorytellers.net/tis_washington/transcript_r_wilson.htm

When I give the teachings of the Medicine Wheel I show the similarities between these teachings and the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islamand the teachings of Brahma. What has happened is that these people, after I give an introduction from one night a week for six weeks, many times they want to go more deeply into the teachings. Some of these have been meeting for ten, eleven, and twelve years now. From one group it grew to two, and three and four, to where now there are twenty of these groups, and we now call them Clans of the Medicine Wheel Tribe—Twenty Clans of the Medicine Wheel Tribe and it's gone international;

Will be doing more research, with him talking of the sundance and printing the songs and the chanupa songs ect..

                                                                          Weheli

[debbieredbear]

In the archives there is mre about this scumbag. He first appeared in Kitsap County in the early 80's. He was the minister at Tracyton United Methodist Church. He left under a cloud and whispers about bad behavior with women. At the time he showed up, he was married to Leslie who had some Indian blood. He proudly proclaimed he did not have one drop of Indian blood. Magically, about 5 years later, he was enrolled Cowlitz. I have heard privately that he may have falsified his enrollment papers as one of them did his genealogy and found no Indian blood. One of my friends told me he tried to fondle her on the dance floor. Another told me he attempted the same in the kitchen at a pow wow. Just after he "retired" from the Methodist ministry, he openly pledged to sundance down at Mount Hood. That is an AIM sundance, or was. Of course, he never showed up the next year.

He tells women to wear bathing suits in the sweat. He tells people to "potlatch the medicine man" for a pipe ceremony. YIKES! Potlatches are big doings and very expensive to the giver. He tells people to tke water, a book, a journal, a sleeping bag and a change of clothes for a vision quest. What, no snacks?? Some of the people at Suquamish United church here in Suquamish tried to get rid of Roy but the pastor thinks Roy is wonderful.

[Olderthandirt]

Debbie,

I searched the archives and found very little.  Perhaps I entered wrong search words??

Thank you for the info.  It is what I have read and heard AND experienced first hand.  Sometimes it is like I am going the wrong way on I-5.  People whisper mightily about him but no one will stand up publicly to stop his filth & lies.

This scumbag makes maggots quite appealing!!

[debbieredbear]

Karen,
I called the UCC church in Suquamish to protest. Tony and Cliff went up there and tried to set things straight. One lady from UCC told the pastoir that if he had Roy speak one more time, she wanted to know in advance so she could stay home that day! The people who are enamored with him do not want to see the truth. Rikki Jacobs has written letters to the editor when they did shaman stories on Roy in the Bremerton newspaper. Even Cowlitz people have tried.  He is a slick operator and can convince people that he is the real thing. That medicine wheel that is Sun Bear's? Just a coincidence that Roy's "vision" was the same. I was told that.

[educatedindian]

Make sure you're on the homepage for the forum when you use the search function. Otherwise you just search that particular section. Doing that turns up three threads on Wilson, two on his ties to Ed McGaa and his people, and one Frauds and Illness.

I remember writing to the editor of the paper who published the fluff piece promoting Wilson. It was written by a freelancer fawning over Wilson because he saw him as "promoting diversity." He brushed off any suggestion of fraud as "racist."

[weheli]

Here is a reply from the tribal office of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the web site;
http://www.cowlitz.org/


----- Original Message -----
From: Carolee Morris
 
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 11:36 AM
Subject: RE: Roy


Yes.  Roy is the Spiritual leader of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

 

Carolee Morris

Tribal Administrator

 

 

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From:  Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 7:44 PM
To: cowlitztribe@tdn.com
Subject: Roy

 

I found this internet site and am sending it to you. I am Cherokee and an activist  to try to keep our heritage from being misrepresented by those who would exploit for there own gain. Roy Wilson claims to have been a tribal chairman and Traditional Spiritual Leader of the Cowlitz Nation. http://www.natureman.net/Site_Mail/Roy_Wilson.html. Many things he shares on his web site should have never been shared. He talks of the Sundance and even gives songs that should not be given,
Do you know this man?

 Thank you for your response.
Wado
              SOOO it seems they do claim him as a spiritual leader, he is certainly a mixture of many cultures.. I did email the Yakama Trible office but it bounced back. Plan on checking out his other credentials.

                                                                             Weheli
                                                                           
                                                                                                     

[Klatawa]

I am very new to this forum or any forum, I have written 3 times today to try to reply these posting I hope this one will make it through (I'm learning) I have been silent for over 3 years but I cannot hold back, Please Olderthandirt, know that this man and his clans are not our old ways of, The Cowlitz, he is a product of politics and does not represent our oldest understandings of natural instructions and healthy protocal as being a human being of Cowlitz, this represents our damage, those that may "know" will never announce it, nor set up clans, much less take money for work or info exchanged that is simply not old Cowlitz, Our desire in stretching our voice is that people will not see something like this and have it put on our back no matter what so called elected officials proclaim it. My Cowlitz blood line is deep as the river from which they run and I am saying this as my truth as well as others in agreement in front of all my grandmothers and relatives   HOIT>>>

[weheli]

Osiyo Klatawa,
 I was very much surprised when I received this email, I even emailed a link to his site, I do not understand how they can allow his explotations to continue and teaching misleading.
Perhaps you may want to email the tribal office I did in the above address and let them know your feeling about this.
                                                         Weheli

[Klatawa]

Well it is about politics, to ebrace old teachings, is expulsion, I will in all reality probably face, a new law within cowlitz called sensering or something like that basically banishment from all tribal activities and events,for engaging in exposing a fraud, it has been used on many of us that fought the current admin in cowlitz for their positions and practices. It is conveneint for the council to have a methodist minister turned indian religion, glean some old info, add his own and/or others info to it, stand all that in front of the public, and work this belief system as it suits the political agendas, it works well for some to incorporate christian religion with old cowlitz or sit in meetings and watch catholic priests proclaim cowlitz as a catholic tribe, it's easy to swallow and conveniant for some,,, not me and a few of us,,,,,, some have just turned their head away.. the battle and hurt within ourselves is huge, so many that really know just go on about thier bussiness. This allows the tribal party lineup to walk in and serve their agenda backed by a self proclaimed medicine man,,, make sense? For instance last year I sat and listened to Roy give an old story about fox and coyote, both of the stories were correct as I know but he also gave an interpetation calling the people that opposed the cowlitz casino project like coyote, not to be trusted etc... and the cowlitz council like the fox, wise etc.. and instructed the people to trust their wise council-----I wanted to puke,,, but we have went through so much infighting that many people do not know real old Cowltiz people, their ways and how they see the world, their is truly a difference between seniors and elders,,,,very few if any ELDERS of cowlitz are still about,,, alota seniors. With no disrespect to either, but people that speak their old language, heal others in their old ways know their stories of origin etc.... are able to bring an understanding that may have but all been lost already but for a few, no, it's easy to read a book, go out on sunday dance around a circle call it good,,, It is truly a hard life to live, a life of giving and sacrifice to embrace old Cowlitz ways.....There are many who will know who I am by posting this for this group, but today I was again encouraged by a senior brother to speak out on this subject,,,so I have, twice now today I hope this helps some of you, there was a man, I new his grandaughter, she spoke her language, she weaved her baskets, she would turn her basket away, so you could'nt steal her design if she saw you that way, she was an Elder, she told me of her grandfather, how he helped his son one day who was working in the hot sun outside, he took some water out of the river here and made a ball of water and rolled it across the river and into the field where it broke apart and spilled upon the ground, he said maybe that will help cool my son this hot day, shortly it started raining,,,her grandfather didn't make big show or ask for money, he just helped,,,, that is old Cowlitz,,,that was her grandfather, she was my grandmother..... Roy when you read this, and you will, it's time for you to roll water and help for helps sake, or sit down and stop hurting people, you know of whom I am,,, thats enough...HOIT>>>

[Olderthandirt]

Greetings Klatawa,

I raise my hands to you in humble gratitude for the information.  Although the stench of Wilson's never-ending fraud and deceptions are difficult to tolerate, it is like a breath of fresh air to hear from others who know of his sick treachery.

There is absolutely nothing holy or sacred about a man who has an oil slick on his tongue.  He is strictly a performing con artist.  I did notice that a lot of the people who fawn over him are non-indian.  He teaches the worship of himself to all fools who suffer him gladly.  Wilson's soul must run deep with the sewage of his chosen actions!!

Karen

[educatedindian]

Apparnelty he's still around. Showed up on a program called Haunted History on H2 or the second History Channel. Calls himself the official spiritual leader of the Nez Perce now. Does that mean the Cowlitz no longer claim him? But elsewhere he points to his enrollment and he shows up on Cowlitz calendars.

The Nez Perce are part of the Colville tribal rez and govt, along with eight other tribes all crammed together by the feds originally. I went to grad school with a Colville woman. She told me there was a Catholic mission on the rez and that's it.

The good news is his website is still down, the address now bought up by a sports site. Bad news is Wilson is on youtube doing his medwheel stuff and giving talks around WA state on H Storm's fraudulent ideas. Also a site has him as a storyteller now claiming "Iroquois" blood (no mention which of the six) and others and that he has clans internationally.
http://www.turtleislandstorytellers.net/tis_washington/transcript_r_wilson.htm

[debbieredbear]

Yeah, *Ol' Roy moved down to the Portland area when the Cowlitz people started getting ready to build a casino. Before he left, he did some strange things, including having his current wife tell people that as a shaman, no one was to photograph him. Or paint him. Because he's so holy, yanno? Some of his followers, finally figured out that he stole his medicine wheel from sunbear, and now they have their own "teaching circles" using sunbear's stuff. One of them calls himself "red buffalo" and does his schtick in Belfair, Wa. I was told by a Cowlitz person, who knows his tribal traditions, that until Ol' Roy's bud's on the council are off the council, they won't be able to boot him off the rolls, even though they have his genealogy. Which shows he's not Cowlitz, or NDN. He was born on the Yakama rez, apparently. And he claims that he was THEIR spiritual leader. He was a methodist minister on that rez for awhile. I am thinking he may have been a minister at either the Colville rez (NE Washington State) or on the Nez Perce Rez (southern panhandle of Idaho). In his flea infected brain, I guess that makes you their "shaman."I wish, whoever did his genealogy would post it on the internet.

[Epiphany]

Storyteller and Honorary Cowlitz Chief Roy I. Wilson

Learn the teachings of the ancient medicine wheel from Honorary Cowlitz Chief Roy I. Wilson. Each ongoing meeting will focus on a point of the wheel to better understand your human and spiritual self. The medicine wheel is the oldest form of knowledge and Earth based spirituality known on the planet. It has a history and presence all over the globe that goes back forty thousand years and is still practiced and growing in a time of need in today's world. It is interesting to note that you will find all religions, Western and Eastern in these teachings. In these teachings you will find your own way by learning to work with your spirit guides and animal helpers. A daily practice, you will find your balance and life force energy center to help guide you to a more focused way of life..

Our community currently has dozens of clans learning the medicine wheel all over Washington State and around the US,and Internationally.

http://www.meetup.com/ravenhousehealing/

Knowing his middle initial helps a lot with research. Hopefully someone who already has worked up his genealogy will make it available, I'll see what I can come up with too.

His middle name is Irwin. He's busy:

The tribe's spiritual adviser, Roy Wilson, performed a smudging ceremony - burning sage and spreading smoke across all four corners of the land. It symbolizes the spirits of tribal ancestors coming home to rest, Wilson said.

"Today our hearts are touched. This is a sacred day for many of us, all of us. The ancestors, the old ones - they are here and rejoice with us," Wilson said, his voice trembling with emotion.

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_659ea43e-9fbf-11e0-88af-001cc4c002e0.html (2011)

As the son of an Indian father and a non-Indian mother, Roy has spent much of his life examining the connectedness of Christian and Native American beliefs.

Mt St Helens Native American Tribe Folklore  http://www.mtsthelens.net/MtStHelensNet/Native.html

[debbieredbear]

Yes, he is busy. He passes the hat for "love offerings" and his groupies call him "grandfather". He claims his Indian name (which he probably gave himself) is "Bear That Talks Much". One of my friends says it should be "Bear who Bullsh*ts Much".