How to be OUT of fake shamans!!

First of all I have to mention this blog, besides showing to all my readers some amazing native people is also a place to show you the reality on the reservations, try to teach people to be respectfull with all native nations regarding to their history, ancestry and their sacred religious rites. I´ve been learning things from some friends, true Native Americans enrolled in Cherokee and Lakota tribes/reservations.

 These people are deeply envolved to their culture, history, and sacred religion and they are very wise ones. Thus, the information here comes from my conversations with them which they kindly helped me with this task sharing their thoughts and knowledge . I must say thank to all of them, for their kindness, pacience and willing to clarify all my doubts. They know who they are...

I understand that nowadays everyone is looking for a spiritual connection, spiritual identity. More than this, life is hard and without this it can be even worse to survival in this world. I share this feeling also, I am person who always looked for something to fullfill me spiritually  but it´s necessary to learn something and clarify ideas before getting into anything. 

I know that when we talk about spirtuality our racional ideas do not matter, just feel is what really matter. But I understand also that some people can be easily decieved  and I personally have been seeing it happens everywhere. Thus, I am here to invite you to learn how to be OUT of fake shamans and avoid wasting your time, energy and money with it.

It´s funny how nowadays suddently there are bunches of “shamans”, called by the natives as “Plastic medicine man”. Oh yes, most of them will tell you they had an iniciation and were made shamans by the Lakota and Cherokee Nations ( I don´t know why but these are the most mentioned nations, their favorite ones I guess)

I believe that people who are making a good work, walking the red road thru an authentic calling by their hearts and respecting the sacred religion of native nations will not be offended by this article. There are people really interested in helping you to find a better way of life, but they are few and mainly they do not claim to be a Shaman. My respect for them here.

One of my Lakota friends said to me: “ There is no way for you to make this article without offendind anyone...You´re going to offend people who are offending the real sacred keepers”...  I really thought it could be worth to mention this here...

“I am a Shaman made by Lakota/Cherokee Tribe!!” – well, if you listen to this, RUN!!! Here we have a fake one....First, “Shaman” is not a term used among Native American  Nations, it´s a term originally from other place. A real medicine man will not use this term and he is not going to brag his power. Second, an authentic Medicine/Holy man will not claim anything, it´s not necessary. 

He will not try to convince you he is real and will not tell you impressive stories about their ancestry and powers . Even, he is not going to guarantee to heal you, he only says he will try.

I was made a “shaman” by the Lakota/cherokee – If you do believe in it then you are a very potential candidate to be decieved and manipulated by this “person”.

 A real medicine/holy man must born in a tribe/reservation and be raised into their rites and culture. To become a medicine man can take years walking on this path, a whole life, just real natives are able to do it. There is no chance for a non native to be made “Medicine man” from any tribe.  None of the Native Nations recognizes a non native as a Medicine Man.

 If one day you go to a reservation and be blessed enough to meet a real medicine/holy man, and IF you have the blessing to be invited to take part of a cerimony it will not make you a medicine man!!! The same if you meet Dalai Lama and watch his cerimony it doesn´t make you a Lama.If you go to church it doesn´t make you a Priest.

It´s really wonderful to have the opportunity to learn from Lakota or Cherokee or any other nation. They probably will let you know a lot, there are things that can be shared with us non natives and others which are not alllowed for us to know. There are some sacred rites that even some tribal members are not allowed to know, just some special people who will work with healing. The same for leading cerimonies, an African American can not lead a Stomp Dance which is sacred for the Cherokees just like a Cherokee can not lead a Sun Dance which is a sacred Lakota Cerimony.  If they respect it why can´t we do  the same??

I perfectly understand the curiosity and wish of learning from native tribes , I am included on it. Shammanism is really fascinating and teach us too much about respect , preservation of earth, compassion and love and we do need it in your lives to make us better human beings. The Indian Nations always knew it, they struggled to keep this knowledge alive for future generations even when their cerimonies were forbiden and they were forced to forget their roots and embrace another religion. But there is a fine line to be understood and we must be aware of it in order not to fall in fake hands What could be a waste of time and a huge disapointment.

People who are using the Native Nations names especially Lakota and Cherokee to perform cerimonies are only misleading the real sacred beliefs. They don´t have any permition or power to do it.

If you ask to these “shamans” to give you the name of his/her mentor inside the tribe they never will tell you. I personally knew one who claimed that he had been made shaman by the Lakota and he even didn´t know the reservations names...worse, he invented wrong names...very sad...

An authentic Cherokee medicine man will make the cerimony in Cherokee language and will mention the sacred clan he is from. Most of them are single and do not have children. ( I hope you all can understand but I really can not mention these names here )

How to be a medicine man!! No one can be made a medicine man by reading books. Forget it!!...If you are really interested in reading books about Lakota Nation, I recommend you to read books which were writen by real natives. Joseph Marshall III is a good choice and you´re not going to be mislead by reading his books. There are others native authors also, they will be listed on my page about books. Although none of them will teach you to became a Medicine Man.

I am gold eagle/ thunderheart / red fox /white feather–  Real Medicine Men don´t have these kind of names. These people probably are watching to many series and films and performing stuffs they read on internet.

Money – Don´t waste your money by attending fake cerimonies. Nobody needs to pay for praying. The Sacred Lakota and Cherokee Rites came from their anscestry, from the ones who gave their lives to preserve and defend their people and lands. You do not need to pay for praying with them, there is no charge for it. You can give donations for respecting and gratitute once he is a person who has to live and pay his bills also, but no price is tagged and he probably will not ask you for it. 

 If you are on the reservation where is the only place you can find a real Medicine Man and be blessed enough to be invited to take part of a cerimony, use your money to help their social projects.

I´ve been among Lakota people – Some “fakes” use this term to make people think they learned something secret and powerful.

I ´ve heard this in my country and until now I am trying to understand it...

I do hope this article can help people. I really tried to put on it all my efforts to give to my readers information that really could make any difference and tried to do it with respect and responsability. There is much to learn from them but we have to respect the limits and be aware of people who do not do this because they are exactly the ones who are misleading things and deceiving. Take care everyone!!

                                           " we are still here so we do have hope..."