General > Frauds
Need Some Help With A Suspected Fraud-CinnamonMoon
MaryWhiteWolf:
Dear Everyone,
I was a member of a message board called Spirit Lodge that is registered on Yuku.com. It is owned and operated by a woman by the name of CinnamonMoon who claims to be a "Medicine Woman" who had published a couple of books on Native American spirituality.
Now, the board is very prettily packaged as an "information library" on Native American shamanism, healing, stones, etc...I had a feeling this board was too good to be true, so I questioned CinnamonMoon after a prayer circle. She became very defensive and nasty. Quite contrary to the "love and light" attitude that she tries to maintain on her board. When I pushed for answers to her tribe affiliation, etc.. I was told to shut up, put up or leave. I didn't back down and it was then that I was banned. She also clearly has a link to keen.com for "psychic readings" At $6.99 a minute, claiming to channel her "guides", using tarot cards, etc...Anyone who dared to stand up to her and question her was told to shut up or leave. Another red flag that she isn't on the up and up. She has developed a cult-like following that will do anything to protect her and their "home" on the web. She has encouraged those within her inner circle to bully and intimidate others, following me from message board to message board..
Since I was banned from Spirit Lodge, I cannot stand up for those innocents that she is taking advantage of. From what I understand, she has been doing this for a long time. I'd like to see her investigated and hopefully put out of business for good.
Here is her website: http://spiritlodge.yuku.com
She can also be found on keen.com if you click on where is says "looking for a certain advisor". If you read her feedback it's all nothing but positive. Another red flag to be sure.
She also has a friend there who is white and is behaving as though she is Native American and who writes "articles" there by the name of Silver Dreamer.
Now, I don't claim to be Native American although my great-grandmother was Cherokee. My grandfather was adopted and so was I, so I definitely cannot claim Native American lineage.
Thank you so much for whatever help that you can give! :)
MaryWhiteWolf
debbieredbear:
Just from the look of her website, and the fact she won't tell you what tribe she is, I would say she is a fraud. However, in the interest of fairness, I will put bthis into Research Needed for now. I don't have time to do much research at this time, however, there are people on this board who may know something. Thjere are also some people with really good investigative skills.
Moma_porcupine:
Hi Mary
I'm glad you found this website .
Good for you for spotting the red flags and not being afraid to ask questions .
People posting here don't always agree on everything , but if you spend some time reading , it will make you think - which is always good ! There is also a long list in the recommended section of trustworthy sources to learn from .
I took a look at that website and it looks like the Cheezewiz Tribe . :o Maybe thats why Cinnamon Moon didn't want to say what tribe she belongs to . The Cheezewiz Tribe are very secretive about that sort of thing ... ;)
Sometimes I really think there should be some sort of award , given for managing to completely blandify and plasticize Native culture and traditions . In my opinion , this website would definently be a contender .
Whats sad , is genuine people who don't know any better get involved in these groups , and it can be really hard to seperate the completely useless out of context imaginary stuff , from the friendships , sense of community and the bits of truth mixed in with all that garbage . I recently had a talk with a friend, who for years has been involved in a group which is based on learning out of context / fake Native "teachings" . This person is just now begining to sense something is wrong , but it is all mixed up with their friends and social life . As this person was involved for quite a while this has also become a part of their personal history . Over a few years , we all make some good changes and gain insights and wisdom . Now this person is having a really hard time because these false "teachings" get credited for the good that was in their own self , and good things that would have happened anyway . Mixed up with that is stuff they are now realizing is lies and abuse of power . So now this person is having to go over the past few years and pick the good out from the garbage . What a mess !
Even if these groups at first seem to satisfy some need , if they aren't based on reality , and what is taught is out of context , down the road these Koolaid cyberspace versions of Native traditions , almost always leave people more empty and confused than they were when they got involved .
MaryWhiteWolf:
Hello debbieredbear, Hello Moma_porcupine :)
It is a great pleasure and honor to meet you acquaintances. :)
I am so glad that I found this website too. I just didn't know where to turn. :'( I've even spoken with some elders about this woman and they told me that what she is doing is wrong, so that helped confirm my feelings.
I've always been a strong soul so I don't do well with being bullied, especially by a suspected fraud. I think she and her bretheren are seriously afraid that I'm going to come back, expose them for what they really are and that will be the end of their board. Hence, having a few of her "lackeys"- I call them "thugs" for their attitude and nastiness, following me around. As if that's going to stop me from trying to find help to report her.
Her website is definitely of the Cheezewiz tribe. Completely managing to fool and blind everyone seeking some real spiritual teachings. How someone like that can sleep at night, I'll never know.
CinnamonMoon has two books out called "A Medicine Woman Speaks" (as if this isn't a red flag) and "To Be A Feather In Spirit's Wing". They can be found on amazon.com
She's based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I lived and worked in Minnesota for 8 1/2 years with my husband who is a born and raised native from there and we both have never heard of her. Another red flag.
Her board isn't based on reality. It's based on feeding her ego and filling her pocketbook out of genuine people's feelings who don't know any better. As I said, I was banned from there when I stood up to her and asked questions. I can't be that voice for the innocents and that hurts more than you'll ever know. As Winston Churchill once said, "You have enemies? Good. It means that somewhere, sometime you stood up for something". Yes, it has made me enemies. I'd rather do the right thing than go along to get along with a fraud.
I'm so sorry to hear that your friend is going through such a painful experience from such a board like this. Just when you think that there's progress, then they back-slide. It's a never-ending cycle until complete realization hits that they've been had. :'(
MaryWhiteWolf:
I meant to add this in my reply post, but forgot it. :-[ I'm very sorry about that. :-[
Here is a link to CinnamonMoon's Keen.com homepage where you can read about her "qualifications" on giving psychic readings.
http://www.keen.com/memberpub/homepage.asp?user=cinnamonmoon
Thank you in advance for any help that you can give! :)
MaryWhiteWolf
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