Author Topic: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust  (Read 47390 times)

Offline Superdog

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #30 on: November 18, 2013, 01:39:18 pm »
Educated Indian,  I don't know what is inaccurate about the book.  Char complained that it was so I never bothered to read it.  I know that she isn't Cheyenne and I have never heard her claim to be.  Her mother is of Lakota descent and her father Apache.  I have never met her dad or step dad but I do know there was trauma there and what that trauma was.  Not sure if its appropriate to discuss details in a public forum here.

Her biological mother is a delightful woman and one can easily see where Char gets her lovey nature from.  I can tell you that Char is eligible for tribal enrollment and has drug her feet on this for years.  I have been pushing her to do so lately and feel this posting about her is probably going to be good ammunition for me to get her to finally do it.

http://sundustoracle.charsundust.com/soi-w/about/


"Char trained for about three years with a half-Cheyenne half-German man. Soon after, she was taught by a Lakota woman for years through story-telling, ceremony, practice and prayer. She was adopted into the Means-Adams family. Barbara Means-Adams, taking on the role of mother, had a strong influence on building their relationship through daily practice of visionary skills."

Doesn't really add up with what you believe to be true about her.  She's also quite high priced for her services.  Around $1500 per person per year of "classes"(the further along you go the higher the price gets)...or you could buy her CD's....or pay individually @ $45 per class.....or call her in for special services such as weddings or house blessings.....

Seems like quite a bit of commercialism going on there and she's using a 3 year encounter with an unnamed Half-Cheyenne and a Lakota adoption as selling points....not to mention the old bios claiming other tribal ancestry and the legal name change.  None of it makes her look very good....just expensive....IMHO....

Superdog

Offline earthw7

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #31 on: November 18, 2013, 04:44:17 pm »
I have to say one more thing about this... I have always regarded it as offensive when Westerners refer to my cultural traditions as superstitious.   My people believe we are not our bodies but where bodies like a coat.  as yoda would say... "luminous beings are we"

I have yet to hear anyone explain why I have consciousness  in strictly material terms.  To my way of thinking denying the possibility of spirit and the different phenomena associated with it is just as speculative as the various ways people try to define the supernatural.  The only thing that matters at the end of the day is not whether Char qualifies as a shaman or a psychic or a Kalahari Antelope.  The only thing that matters in the question of whether she is a fraud is does she get results.

I say she does.  I have seen happy clientele.  Even if she doesn't get perfection it doesn't matter because no one on this forum can point me to a doctor of any kind that has a 100 percent or even an 80 percent success rate, especially in the field mental health which is rife with phony science.

I am making a passionate defense for my friend and am sorry if in my passion I say anything to offend anyone.  Its not my intention and hope you will look past that.

Ok Raven let start at the beginning! i am Lakota born on my reservation; live on my reservation; follow my traditional way of life, I understand spirit and healing with my people, i know my way of life lives, I am objecting to a WHITE woman who is making claims to who she is and we know its a lie. No one learn for three years to be a (shaman) let alone a woman, it takes a life time. It is nice that this woman is helping people and making money off them. I object to her using Native people as her
verification to what she does. I would like to know the names of this Cheyenne man and who gave him permission to do this.
Plus Mrs. Means does not speak for the Lakota Nation she speaks for herself for that matter either do i but I do have the right to question people.
In Spirit

Offline milehighsalute

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #32 on: November 18, 2013, 06:45:37 pm »
sundust huh? where do these twinkies get these names from? the women are more ridiculous than the men...........maybe im just jealous.

i have an ndn name but mine is nobody's business.....just know i really am ndn and that name was given not by a medicine man, nor in a ceremony, but by my grandfather.....AND like most tribes its a very private matter

i'd like to have a cool indian name......"blue star spirit wolf woman with a fist" sounds kinda cool....too bad im a male

i guess this post can be inserted in more than half the threads on here.....i just picked on this one because "sundust" is pretty corny and if i ever had any doubts on an ndn name this would be the one

Offline Ravenspeaker

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #33 on: November 18, 2013, 08:24:06 pm »
I am not techy enough to keep track of the different replies and do them justice. I also want to remind everyone that I am not one of Char's students or a client.  The perspective you get with me is that of a life long friend.  I have my own spirituality and haven't been looking for much additional guidance on it.  We pal around.

  I can say this, If anyone objects to a tuition of 1500 bucks for a year long program they haven't taken classes at the local community college recently and those are state subsidized programs where the student does NOT pay the full price of the tuition. 

I recognize that some traditions don't like people to make money.  Spiritual advisors are supposed to live in abject poverty or they are not spiritual according to some.  This isn't my tradition so I recognize that some will object that Char maintains a fairly middle class lifestyle, but from my viewpoint it is not a salient issue.  My people basically wouldn't trust her unless she were rich (which she definitely isn't) so chalk that up to different strokes...

I don't know who these Cheyenne people are, Char has only talked of certain mentors  Barbara Means Adams being the most important but I can mention folks like Barbara's son Mel and Kenny Moses.  Since Char shares her knowledge of many cultures I don't think its fair to charge her with pretending to be or speak for the Lakota and not all traditions require a person to study for decades before they can do healing work.  And once again I have never heard her call herself a shaman.  I have heard her describe some of her ceremonial work as shamanic but maybe its the writer in me I don't see that as the same thing.

My people describe a process not unlike being struck with the Holy Ghost and a person is fairly instantly indoctrinated in this way.  A faith healer is a faith healer and if you don't believe in it so be it.  they are a fraud if they don't produce anything of any value.  That was the question put on the table and frankly discussing all these side issues while ignoring the main one is getting a little frustrating for me.

Offline debbieredbear

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #34 on: November 18, 2013, 10:49:27 pm »
milehighsalute,

Just wanted to tell you that the surname "Sundust" IS a native name. I met a guy years ago, who was fullblood, from Arizona and that was his actual last name. Now, why Char uses it, I cannot tell you.

Offline milehighsalute

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #35 on: November 19, 2013, 10:07:49 pm »
http://www.id.mundia.com/us/Search/Results?surname=SUNDUST&birthPlace=United%20States you are absolutely right....i was mistaken.....i apologize

Epiphany

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #36 on: November 19, 2013, 11:21:56 pm »

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #37 on: November 20, 2013, 01:23:11 am »
If she can enroll which tribe? What is her really name that is
up for enrollment,

So Please tell what name she would enroll under.

And again
Hopefully Earthw7's questions will be answered. What name would Char enroll under, what tribe?

And yet again: What tribe, what band, what name?

If Char were really who she's told you she is, these would not be complicated or controversial questions.

There are many people here who follow the traditional spiritual ways of our respective cultures. There are others who do not, but who are respectful of those of us who do. If you think this about not believing in spiritual ways, you are arguing with the wrong people.

What it's about - what is fraud - is stated on the main page of our website, in most of the pinned threads, and repeatedly, directly to you, in this thread. Her claims to be working in an Indigenous healing tradition are not credible.  She's a newage ceremony-seller who admits publicly to putting people in situations that could be very harmful. We can see by her own claims and practices that she's a fraud. But it would be good to find out who gave her the idea to do these things; though I think it's fair to assume she just made most of it up.

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #38 on: November 20, 2013, 03:40:21 pm »
1. actually I have encouraged Char to make her own case here and I believe she has already posted something or is about to.... 

2. What I am hearing is someone says Char said this or that and then changed her story.  Does "someone" know Char and observed this behavior personally? 

3. Also, I think its fair to ask again by what standard are we calling her a fraud?  Is it because some of us believe there is no such thing as a psychic and therefore anyone claiming to be (or what amounts to the same thing) must be a fake? 


1. She joined several weeks ago but hasn't yet posted.

2. No, we're going by what she has posted herself online. It keeps changing. And apparently the people she works with also keep changing her story. A healer should be ethical, and should be responsible for trying to refute false claims that others put out on her behalf.

3. RS, I think the biggest problem is she's claiming psychic traditions among people who don't have them. There is no such thing as an Apache psychic tradition.
And I'm not Lakota, but I've never heard of a Lakota psychic tradition either. Our Lakota members seem skeptical of that as well. I went looking for evidence of such a tradition but couldn't find one.

On another post you said your people don't have a problem with healers acquiring wealth. I don't think I've ever heard of any NDN tradition like that.

And again, that's not the tradition of the Apache, Cheyenne, or Lakota, which she claims to be or have learned from.

If she were to call herself simply another psychic, and not mention her alleged ancestry to try and draw people in to make money, I think most of us would have less of a problem with her.

charsundust@comcast.net

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #39 on: November 27, 2013, 04:32:16 pm »
Greetings,
I found your website recently and want to clarify any misunderstandings or misrepresentations about my life work that your contributors seem to have.  My work is the culmination of 20 years of research, study and practice. I also want to express my gratitude for your good work of checking people out and ensuring that their credentials are legitimate; and for trying to provide informative resources for people who are exploring either their roots or other traditions.
I am in the process of making sure that specific changes are made to the authorized book about my life you refer to on the site with both the author and the publisher. These changes should eliminate any misleading or incomplete information that could lead to certain assumptions that are not accurate.
The following should answer any queries about my ancestral heritage:
My adoptive father was Keith Leroy Meints. Keith was half Cheyenne River Sioux and half German. He was raised in Culbertson, Nebraska. My birth mother is Matilda Anne Goodrich who was married to Keith. She is of English, Irish and Apache descent.
When I was 21, Barbara Means-Adams (Russell Means’ second cousin) adopted me through the Lakota ceremony of Hunkapi…the making of relatives. She passed the women rituals on to me so that I could teach them. Barbara passed away in 2005.
Her son, and my hunka brother, is Mel Adams. His wife is an attorney, Lisa Adams. Mel had a New York pizzeria in Chadron, Nebraska and won the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year award from the SBA in 2012. Mel grew up following the traditional Lakota spiritual teachings. We all thought that was pretty wonderful.  He is well regarded in the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Lisa is in house legal counsel for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They are both remarkable people. I love and admire them so much. And there is James, Mel’s brother, who has a transmission shop in Chadron, too.
My name, Char Sundust, breaks down as follows: Char is short for Charlotte, which means, “strong woman” in England. Sundust was the name given to me by Keith, and it means, “passing one with the sun above all other obstacles.”
I also was given the Lakota name, napé wašté win, by Barbara Means Adams. To receive this name a ceremony was held. I love that she called me this. It means good hands woman.
This name impacted my work, which is to help people of many different lineages, because that is my background. My students carry lineages such as Yupik, Swedish, Mexican, Jewish, Japanese, English, Irish, Colville and Apache. For example, tonight I am teaching a class on relationships. I will open the class with a prayer and a poem from one or more of these diverse traditions, and then we will look at our criteria for being in a relationship. What are our requirements; and then, whether we are that person with those particular qualities (A Neural Linguistic Processing (NLP) exercise, I became a certified NLP practitioner because I appreciate the positive change I see in individuals through the NLP methods) This results in more self-respect and self-esteem. I also finish with a poem or prayer.  This is an example of how and what I teach.
The core focus of my work is mentoring and educating diverse people from different cultures and of different age groups through my programs that are housed by Bastyr University in Kenmore Washington. I help others connect with their own lineage through seeking the common ground among us all.
Among the cultures we examine are Shinto, Christian, Mayan, African, and indigenous cultures including the Lakota and Apache – but only those passed on from Barbara and Keith. I practice and teach only what I have been given permission to which includes: drumming, singing and sharing about symbols and where they are found in different traditions, and their unique and common meanings. However, a lot of knowledge has been passed on to me that I do not share
In 1992, Barbara and I collaborated with Charles Jefferson on a cd project (IYAYE) for Everyone Has a Song productions. 
I teach a program called “Spiritual Identity and Applied Spirituality” to empower others to connect with their own lineage to practice spirituality from a deeply personal place. I have developed a method of working with dreams and their meanings in a residential program called Dream Work. I also teach a year-long course on leadership and mentoring. I developed an internship program for mentors with experiential processes to assist others in reaching the next level in their personal and professional lives. 
I support the Robert and Solana Natives Rising storytelling tour. I have been an advisory member on this board since its inception.
I am also on the board of Village which provides prenatal and birth services so all mothers have the best possible care.
I support Longhouse Media because I believe in the work Tracy Rector is doing in assisting indigenous peoples to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation and social change.
If there is any further information that you require, please contact me at: charsundust@comcast.net.
Sincerely,
Char Sundust


Epiphany

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #40 on: November 27, 2013, 07:32:20 pm »

The following should answer any queries about my ancestral heritage:
My adoptive father was Keith Leroy Meints. Keith was half Cheyenne River Sioux and half German. He was raised in Culbertson, Nebraska.

Welcome. I hope you will be able to have a further conversation here with us. I have some questions and concerns, others here may also. There are also questions through out this thread. Thank you.

Keith Leroy Meints, born 1939 Nebraska, died 1993 Washington state? Is this him in the 1940 federal census, Nebraska, with his family, all listed white, all born in Nebraska? https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9MQ-RZ8 If so, I can see the German heritage on the Meints - Alberts side of the family, Keith's father. Do you know the surname of his mother, Elaine? If this is not the right family, could you tell us more about his Cheyenne River Sioux ancestry?

Your mother's Apache heritage, can you tell us more about this? What were the names of the ancestors with this heritage?

« Last Edit: December 01, 2013, 10:42:12 pm by Piff »

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #41 on: November 29, 2013, 07:59:19 pm »
Greetings,

...I am in the process of making sure that specific changes are made to the authorized book about my life you refer to on the site with both the author and the publisher. These changes should eliminate any misleading or incomplete information that could lead to certain assumptions that are not accurate.
The following should answer any queries about my ancestral heritage:
My adoptive father was Keith Leroy Meints. Keith was half Cheyenne River Sioux and half German. He was raised in Culbertson, Nebraska. My birth mother is Matilda Anne Goodrich who was married to Keith. She is of English, Irish and Apache descent.
When I was 21, Barbara Means-Adams (Russell Means’ second cousin) adopted me through the Lakota ceremony of Hunkapi…the making of relatives. She passed the women rituals on to me so that I could teach them. Barbara passed away in 2005.
Her son, and my hunka brother, is Mel Adams. His wife is an attorney, Lisa Adams. Mel had a New York pizzeria in Chadron, Nebraska and won the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year award from the SBA in 2012. Mel grew up following the traditional Lakota spiritual teachings. We all thought that was pretty wonderful.  He is well regarded in the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Lisa is in house legal counsel for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They are both remarkable people. I love and admire them so much. And there is James, Mel’s brother, who has a transmission shop in Chadron, too.
My name, Char Sundust, breaks down as follows: Char is short for Charlotte, which means, “strong woman” in England. Sundust was the name given to me by Keith, and it means, “passing one with the sun above all other obstacles.”
I also was given the Lakota name, napé wašté win, by Barbara Means Adams. To receive this name a ceremony was held. I love that she called me this. It means good hands woman....
Sincerely,
Char Sundust

Hello, I'm also glad you're here and hope you can help clear these matters up.

You gave a long list of causes you supported. I don't think anyone is disputing your intentions are likely good, but these causes are not relevant to our concerns.

I think all of us are glad you're working to change that bio to make it accurate. But could you tell us exactly what was inaccurate about it?

Your own website used to say you are Iroquois, no mention of Lakota or Apache. That suggests you weren't sure of your heritage in earlier years. There's certainly no shame in that, but touting your ancestry now as a sign of your authenticity is troubling.

As I said to your friend RS, I think the biggest concern is your claim to be psychic and that it's touted as part of either Apache or Lakota tradition, when neither people had such traditions as best I know.

I'm not sure about the claim on what your name means either. I'm not a Lakota speaker, but I doubt it means "passing with the sun" etc. A quick check of an online dictionary shows their word for sun is wi, not sundust or anything close to it.

Offline earthw7

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #42 on: November 30, 2013, 01:18:00 pm »
i would like to ask what are these women rituals you claimed where passed down to u
and what right did Barbara have to pass down to you?
In Spirit

Epiphany

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #43 on: December 01, 2013, 11:49:02 pm »
I hope Char will answer the questions already asked, they are important.

Char says her mother's ancestry includes Apache. But her genealogy can be traced back several generations, and we only see white heritage listed in records.

Char's maternal grandparents are Conrad H Goodrich and Charlotte Irene Guinn. In the 1940 federal census Conrad Goodrich and his parents are in Wyoming, white, both parents from Nebraska. Also in the 1940 census Charlotte Guinn and her parents are in Wyoming, white, parents from Kansas and Wyoming.

Offline Diana

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Re: Charlotte Goodrich AKA Char Sundust
« Reply #44 on: December 02, 2013, 01:59:27 am »
One more update about Char, her stepfather Keith Meints whom she claims is Cheyenne is white in the 1940 census and as is his parents goimg back several decades. And grandparents are also white.