NAFPS Forum
General => Frauds => Topic started by: Leo on April 26, 2005, 10:12:35 pm
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One of our donors, (NANAI - Netherlands Association for North American Indians - see intro) visited a lecture of the so called medicine man Stephen McCullough. I asked him to do so and try to get some information about his doings. He (Roel) told me on the phone that McCullough was not a really gifted speaker, difficult to understand. In his audiance were mainly young newage women in hippi 1960 dresses and listening to him like he was a holy man.
Here is Roel's story:
"This evening (April 25th) at 7.00 pm I witnessed a lecture by Steve McCullough in the University Students' Church in my hometown Nijmegen, Netherlands. McCullough is being coached here by a group living close to Nijmegen, having the website www.canku-luta.net. They managed to get the (unsuspecting) association of anthropology students ("Quetzalcoatl") to organize the audience and activities.
He will be in this country for a few days, and then continue his European Spring Tour mainly in Belgium.
He will do at least one sweat lodge ceremony in Belgium.
This coming autumn, he will do a new tour of Europe.
In the longer run, his ambition is to bring the Sun Dance over to Europe.
He and his supporters wil try to achieve this goal not in Western Europe, but in Middle Europe, in former communist countries.
I did not talk to him in person, but got this information from one of his supporters of this Canku Luta group. That man also told me they chose to hold sun Dances that far east because of less severe regulations, less government red tape, and lower prices for renting camp grounds etc.
I suspect another motivation as well:
the anti-New Age movement and awareness overthere is much weaker or non-existent. There are no people like you two (Trisha and Leo) to stop them..."
Roel van Eijsden
(I will keep you updated on any information, from Roel or others, about McCullough and de groups in the South of Netherlands and Belgium who are involved).
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Stephen will be doing sweats in Belgium again at the end of the month through Canku luta. If there are any Lakota people close by (UK etc) who would like to see what this guy's up to, I can offer a place to stay.
Meanwhile, here's his opinion on the protection of ceremonies statement from Arvol Looking Horse:
>
>May 30, 2003
>
>Hello friends,
>
>My name is Stephen McCullough.
>
>When I lived in White River, South Dakota I was
involved in the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee. I
have fought for Indian rights and issues ever since,
including the protection of Native American burial
grounds, performing reburial ceremonies and getting
laws passed to protect the graves of our ancestors.
For the past 12 years I have been the leader of the
first Sundance east of the Mississippi River. The Salt
Creek Sundance was begun to honor the spirits of our
ancestors and to protect their burial grounds from
looters.
>
>I want to begin by sharing some experiences I've had
over the years listening to my elders and learning
from them.
>
>We all have seen that thousands of non-Indian people
and Indians from other tribes have been asked to put
their pipes away and not go on their Vision Quest, or
pour water in the sweatlodge ceremony, or sundance.
>
>So my question is, could the more than three hundred
tornadoes that recently occurred across America with
all the ensuing casualties be a sign as to what can
happen when pipe people stop praying and are asked to
stop their Sundancing commitments?
>
>I say these things to explain that many elders say
that when a pipekeeper puts their pipe away, or
doesn't keep up their commitments, then that person
may have a tragedy in their family or community.
>
>I want people to understand what can happen when they
turn away from the commitments they have made to the
Creator, even if asked to do so by the very leaders
who introduced them to the ways of the pipe. All those
who have stopped their commitment to Sundance or have
not fulfilled other obligations they have made with
the pipe, should consider why they chose to pick up
the pipe in the first place.
>
>As a Sundance leader, I had a vision many years ago
to not only honor the spirits of the ancestors of this
area, but to host a ceremony that would bring all
nations together, both Indian and non-Indian.
>
>Back in the 80's a Lakota medicine man put me on the
hill at Wounded Knee, S.D. The second day it was so
hot. I remember I had to lie down and I laid my pipe
on the altar while I lay on the ground. A spirit came
and took me so far in the heavens that when I looked
down on the earth, I was so far up it looked as small
as a golf ball. I saw a lot of havoc and destruction
taking place on the earth and it looked like the earth
was coming to an end. An eagle brought me back into
the center, back to the earth, and later it was
explained to me what I saw.
>
>He said, "Never lay your pipe down. If you ever lay
it down again this is what will happen to this world."
>
>In that way he explained to me the seriousness of
putting your pipe down.
>
>Stanley Looking Horse talked with me personally about
how to run our Sundance and the things he would like
to see done at our Sundance. We agreed and he gave his
blessing.
>
>Every year we've taken tobacco offerings to Green
Grass, S.D., asking for blessings from the White
Buffalo Calf Pipe for a good, strong Sundance.
>
>Now his son, at the urging of others, is asking
Sundance leaders like myself to dishonor his father's
teachings by excluding non-Indian people who have been
welcomed many places in the past.
>
>Many have shared our ways with non-Indians through
the years for many reasons. But I can only speak for
myself that I shared it with non-Indians because there
are many non-Indian people who have good hearts and
want to know the right way. I've met people who had
dreams or visions of the pipe way, and they had no
idea what it meant. They didn't even know American
Indians were still living. When I saw those things I
knew those spirits had already called them so how
could I refuse them?
>
>It was non-Indian people who fought for us in the
court system so we could have our freedom of religion.
We should give credit where it is due. We should offer
them respect. The same respect we want for ourselves
and our traditions.
>
>
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One of our elders once said that the day would come
when every nation on the earth will come to the sacred
Tree of Life in order to preserve the earth itself.
>
>So please, my friends, keep the Sundances going.
>
>Keep your commitments where you are accepted and you
are treated with dignity and respect as a human being,
>
>Recent events came so close to not allowing
non-Indians to dance because of the exploitation of
our ways for money, fame, or for power. When you
re-enter the circle follow it in the traditional
manner of our Lakota people, not putting your own ways
into it.
>
> This is a second chance so please be careful with
what we have shared with you. The Rosebud Sioux nation
and many other tribes ruled against the proclamation
from Arvol Looking Horse, who tried to deny
non-Indians and others who aren't recognized a place
and a way to pray. Now some of those who don't want
non-Indians to be at ceremonies want to bring the
government in to enforce the "rules."
>
>But remember, my friends, in the old days the
government and others would go after one tribe at a
time, and as long as it didn't affect our tribe we
weren't too concerned about it. Now we see the same
thing happening to our Sundance grounds, as they are
being targeted one at a time.
>
>Can't we do this without the government? When we look
at history the United States government broke nearly
every treaty they made with us, and now some are
asking them to regulate who can and can't dance. Isn't
that what we were fighting in the 60s and early 70s
when we weren't allowed to practice our traditions?
Before winning our freedom of religion it was the
government that told us what we could and couldn't do
on our own lands with our own beliefs. Are we becoming
hypocrites?
>
>I have been helping at Sundances on Pine Ridge when
people would come out to cause trouble and try to shut
them down, making it hard on the dancers and on their
families.
>
>Like Tecumseh and his vision of uniting all the
nations in a confederacy to make a stand, we can join
together to protect the sacredness of our traditions
by supporting and helping each other against those who
would like to cause chaos between us and shut us down.
We can also work together to protect the sacredness of
our traditional ways, without the government.
>
>And as long as the people conducting the ceremonies
are doing it in the right and traditional ways of our
people we should help them, not try to stop them.
>
>With so much tragedy in the world, with our families
and with our people, we all need a place to pray. We
need a place to pray together, with one heart and one
mind.
>
>We need to pray as we have never prayed before as a
nation because the pipe doesn't force anybody out.
>
>I felt there was much that needed to be said and
nobody is doing it. This is not a time to slander or
condemn anyone just because we disagree on this one
issue. Arvol Looking Horse has done so much good
throughout the world and I encourage all pipe carriers
to continue praying for him and his family. He is a
man of great honor and I respect him. But taking away
a person's way of following the Creator is not
something I can support.
>
>Let's dance.
>
>Mitakuye Oyasin
>
>Steve McCullough
>
>
>
>You can contact Steve McCullough at
>
>PO Box 141, Edwardsport, IN. 47528
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McCullough's also been falsely claiming he was designated a successor to an actual Lakota medicine man, Vernal Cross. AIM Indiana also has been trying to stop him for years.
http://www.nanews.org/archive/1997/nanews05.039
"RE: Vernal Cross Claims Denied" ---------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 23:11:11 -0500
From: tusweca <tusweca@TWLakes.Net>
Subj: Vernal Cross
UUCP email
Vernal Cross, Oglala Sioux Medicine Man
On September 4th, 1997 Vernal Cross, Oglala Sioux medicine man passed away after suffering a massive heart attack at his home in South Dakota. Since that time his widow and children have learned that a number of people have come forth claiming to have inherited some part of his hochoka, or spiritual way. His widow, Darlene Cross, has asked me to post the following information. "No part of Vernal's hochoka was
passed on. All of his hochoka remains with the family and when he passed away he took his power with him. Anyone who claims otherwise is
subject to arrest and imprisonment under federal law". The following people have made claims of spiritual gifts and/or authority from Vernal
which Darlene states are false.
- Steve McCullough: Bicknell Indiana"
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Thanks so much for that Al. I'll add it to his page.
Trisha
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Wish I had a nickle for every person, Indian or white, who claimed to have been at Wounded Knee. I have known several people who really WERE there, as about 1/4 of the participants were from this area. MOst told me that with the exception of the Vietnam Vets who were the medics, few whites were there.
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I know who this Steve McCullough is. He has been running a sun dance in southern ILL under the name All My Relations Sun Dance, he has a large following in the Peoria ILL. region. Many of them are from the Native American Fellowship in Edwards ILL. This sun dance advertises their dance on tee shirts. Which I have seen on many people here in ILL.This sun dance is very similiar to the one in Nashville, Ind. And many are followers of both groups. I know that there has been things that have gone on at these so called sun dances that are not Native nor Native tradition.
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Note: I have the proclamation in front of me. The reason behind it, is because of what many non native people are doing out there, watering down the traditions to fit their needs. So are your rates the same as Two Hawks, Steve to carry a hawk feather? Last I heard it was 50.00 and you were given a geniune hawk feather card to carry in your wallet. And do you use the same medicine in the water in the Inipis likeTwo Hawks ? Just wondering.
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More extensive and recent thread on McCullough is here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1245.0
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I know who this Steve McCullough is. He has been running a sun dance in southern ILL under the name All My Relations Sun Dance, he has a large following in the Peoria ILL. region. Many of them are from the Native American Fellowship in Edwards ILL. This sun dance advertises their dance on tee shirts. Which I have seen on many people here in ILL.This sun dance is very similiar to the one in Nashville, Ind. And many are followers of both groups. I know that there has been things that have gone on at these so called sun dances that are not Native nor Native tradition.
Hate to disagree but Steve does NOT run the sundance in Illinois and the people there would be very upset for you saying that. Last I knew it was native run by Leonard Crow Dog's sun.
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who is leonard's sun???
It is the same sun we see in the sky???
There should not be a sun dnace in Illnios
there should not be sun dance
where white people dance.
This new age thing is just plain wrong.
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Oh excuse me.... sOn. ::)
And by the way... that's ...... Leonard's (with a capital L) :P
I think there could be a native dance anywhere need be. My point is it has to be NATIVE dance. ;)
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It depend on how you see the person
leonard is just leonard to me
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Oh excuse me.... sOn. ::)
And by the way... that's ...... Leonard's (with a capital L) :P
I think there could be a native dance anywhere need be. My point is it has to be NATIVE dance. ;)
tell me what give you the right to decide about my people ceremonies??
Are you Lakota???
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Actually the person who made the statement of this being in Ill, made a mistake and they are no longer here to correct it even if they wanted to. There are multilple threads on Steve McCullough here. His running for profit Sun Dances in Indiana and elsewhere against the wishes of the Lakota. It's their right to protect what is theirs.
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Actually that Sundance in Southern Illinois was started by a white guy - Duke Shlomo. There were always non Lakota "chiefs" running it including Aurelio Diaz the first year, a Mexican man who had only just completed his 4th year as a Sundancer in 2007 and a white guy called Bear last year. Leonard has alternately threatened to chop their tree down with a cahinsaw (in the late 90's) and given his OK (afterall there is mazaska there) and he has had his son go over there.
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Why are you being so rude and aggressive? And don't say it's because of your being Lakota and these are YOUR ways when you don't even know me.
The first thing you have to do is make a rude comment just because I spelled a word wrong. I'm glad you're perfect and make no mistakes ever.
Then you demand WHO am I and what RIGHT do I have? Not a very good way to have an open discussion with someone. And to repeat, you don't know me.
Then you belittle one of the oyate? I would never say that any man is perfect but "l"eonard has contributed much to the Lakota nation. Sure there are lots of people that are upset with him or some of his thinking on different matters but ya know what, those people know who to run to when they are in need.
Oh excuse me.... sOn. ::)
And by the way... that's ...... Leonard's (with a capital L) :P
I think there could be a native dance anywhere need be. My point is it has to be NATIVE dance. ;)
tell me what give you the right to decide about my people ceremonies??
Are you Lakota???
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So I guess the next question would be which tribe are you
enrolled in and what family claims you?
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Sure, I won't mind answering that after you answer mine. :)
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I am an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
I am 7/8 Standing Rock Sioux from the bands Ihunktonwan, Cuthead
Sisseton of the Dakota Nation on my Father's side and
Hunkpapa, Blackfeet of the Lakota Nation and finally
1/8 Oglala that is not claimed from Pine Ridge that is
not claimed on my enrollment from my Mother's side.
(side note our enrollment policy just changed so I will be
able to claim my Ogala blood this coming year)
I live on the my reservation. I complie the history and
genealogy for my nation as well as keep and eye on
the corruption of our spirituality.
I am a grandma of seven, a mother of four plus five step-
children and a foster mon of 36 children.
So that who i am. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Why are you being so rude and aggressive? And don't say it's because of your being Lakota and these are YOUR ways when you don't even know me.
The first thing you have to do is make a rude comment just because I spelled a word wrong. I'm glad you're perfect and make no mistakes ever.
Then you demand WHO am I and what RIGHT do I have? Not a very good way to have an open discussion with someone. And to repeat, you don't know me.
Then you belittle one of the oyate? I would never say that any man is perfect but "l"eonard has contributed much to the Lakota nation. Sure there are lots of people that are upset with him or some of his thinking on different matters but ya know what, those people know who to run to when they are in need.
Oh excuse me.... sOn. ::)
And by the way... that's ...... Leonard's (with a capital L) :P
I think there could be a native dance anywhere need be. My point is it has to be NATIVE dance. ;)
tell me what give you the right to decide about my people ceremonies??
Are you Lakota???
I will ask that you take time to understand our point of view of my people and that is view is not just one person.
I did not feel i was being rude and i being forward. I am offended that you have come to tell us what we must think and why. I am offended because one of our people share a part of his life with you people and then you took it as yours. I am offened that my words about Steve McCullough and the sundance are taken as being rude.
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I'm sorry but you have it all wrong. I was not saying I was offended that you said anything about Steve McCullough. I know he is a fake and a cultural vampire. I also don't know why you think that I was trying to tell people what they should or shouldn't do/think/whatever. That is not the case. All I was saying is............ there are sundances that are being run by NATIVE people all over the country and not just in SD/ND. Do you think they are going to stop? What I was saying was .. if there are going to be dances other places..... they should be NATIVE run and not some wannabes or fakes.
It wasn't that what I thought you said about Steve was rude....... it was how you talked to me that I felt was rude when you don't know me..... or where I come from then you come back in demanding what gives me the right about your peoples blah blah blah. You even had to make a snotty remark about a typo that I had made.. how petty is that?
I also felt it was rude the way you talked about Leonard. You don't have to agree with everything that man has done but you should show him some respect for all he as done for the native people over his life time.
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Ok i don't like Leonard, that is fact.
I have been around him and will not
shake his hand because of what he
has done.
I can not give respect to the man.
Sorry about that but no i won't change.
I am also against ceremonies held in different
land bases that it is not on the plains.
I think it is stupid to have ceremonies in part of
the country where other tribes live and have their
own ceremonies.
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But that is one point people use for having ceremonies in other areas now, people HAVE moved around and were relocated to other areas. Yes, while it is desirable that people would travel to a home dance it is not always possible, especially given the times and economy no matter how much the heart desires that.
And just what would Leonard have done that would make him any different than any other human that has ever made a mistake? People do make mistakes and people have recovered and changed. I've heard him many times talk about some of his mistakes but ya know what, it sure doesn't make a difference in his ceremonies. Have you been in any of them?
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yes
I am sorry but it is how i feel
Ok so people have Inipi in other locations
that i can understand except the desert
Sun Dance is a ceremonies that not everyone
should participate in.
The different states have different tribes go to them
Again my point is No non natives people at all at ceremonies.
No non-native people dancing at all.
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I will be attend where leonard will be saying prayer again :-\
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Anne - please start a new thread
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There is a newer and much longer topic about Stephen (Steve) McCullough here:
Steve McCullough aka Iktomi Sha & Salt Creek Sundance (http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1245.0) (230 replies from 2007 to 2021.)