NO LONGER A MATTER OF CONCERN: Chief Red Hawk aka Ed RedHawk Laughry

[William_Graywolf]

Searched here for this guy and didn't find anything on him.    His website is http://www.redhawkspeaks.com/   

The following is just a portion of his bio on his website.

 "Chief Red Hawk is a Cherokee Indian, Founder of OPM Management Solutions an organization established for the advancement of cultural understanding, and is an advisory board member of the Old Negev Research Institute (ONRI), an institute dedicated to the study of ancient Egyptian writings found in the "High Cultures" of the American Southwest. He is the former Chief of the Bird-Band for the American Cherokee Confederacy of Utah (retired), and also sat on the tribal council of the American Cherokee of Georgia as their tribal Medicine Man and Spiritual Leader. He still holds the honorary title of "Chief." Red Hawk is a traditional dancer, recording artist, graphic/fine artist, and author. His new CD "The Songs Remember" won the 2004 TELLY Award for "Music Video of the Year and a letter of appreciation from President George Bush for his tribute to the victoms of September 11. The International Library of Poetry voted him as one of the best poets of 2002. He is a master storyteller and flute player, and was recently given "Diplomat" status by the International Olympic Committee for his performances at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City."

His own sister has said they are NOT cherokee descent, but Mexican.  For a time he was pretending to be Hawaiian.  He charges for his speaking engagements, is involved with the Mormon Church. 

Interesting fellow, I'd say and one to avoid.  I've been told that he can be pretty ugly when confronted with the truth of who he is.

Anyone know anything about him and his Bird tribe?
William

[weheli]

Hi William,
I have located a Richard Redhawk under the American confederacy of Georgia, not a State or Federally recognized group nor is the Utah group. I am Cherokee and never heard of the Bird Band, I have heard of the Bird Clan. I did email the Gorgia group concerning this Redhawk. A red flag for me is he"was a medicine man and spiritual leader". WAS??

I will post the links for this Richard Redhawk, author, if you believe this may be the same man. It does say Redhawk is a pseudonym for a Wyandot author and editor, who's real name is Clifford Trafzer.


                                                                                         Weheli

[snorks]

OPM Management Solutions?

Office of Personal Management of the U.S. Government?  It sounds like a gov't contractor which bids on various management things that the U.S. gov puts out.

[weheli]

I just received an email from Windwalker of the American Cherokee confederacy of Georgia, stating they had heard of this guy and requesting the link for his site, which I sent him. Will keep you updated.

                                                                         Weheli

[educatedindian]

Clifford Trafzer is not the same guy, he's much older than these photos. Trafzer is Wyandotte and teaches at UC Davis. He's actually the historian who trained the historian, Donna Akers, who trained me. Trafzer has done some very good history books, such as As Long as The Grass Grows and Rivers Flow.

Found Laughtry is a member of the "tribal council" of United Cherokee Nation, which I believe was Jerry Edwards old group. Looks like Edwards was kicked out or left. UCN looks to be mostly a heritage group wanting to gather all the people of distant Cherokee descent. Their tribal council page shows every last one of them in regalia, one of them with a silly name.
http://www.theunitedcherokeenation.com/id60.html
Principal Chief Two Eagles (perhaps 25-30 years old?)
Red Hawk listed as an "elder"
and my favorite, Two Feathers of the Heart

Their list of "clans", actually state orgs.
http://www.theunitedcherokeenation.com/id3.html

Notice that PCTE claims control over "clans" from Washington to Massachusetts to Florida, while living in Idaho.

http://www.theunitedcherokeenation.com/id5.html
"Red Hawk's new book is perfect for those who study religion and a must for anyone who is searching for the meaning of life.
The Tao of an Indian, a look at Native American religion and the comparative religion of Taoism, has just hit the book shelves. "This is the heaviest little book I ever read", said Brenda Haegley, booking agent for keynote speakers.
The book sell for $15.00 to members of the United Cherokee Nation and is autographed. A portion goes to the UCN to support the "Gathering."

He also was founder of United Indian Nation Inc. but couldn't find anything more on this group.

About his name: There were real Chief Red Hawks among the Lakota, Delaware, Shawnee, and Cayuse. Don't know of any among the Cherokee. The name also rung a bell with me. I remember the comic book character Apache Kid was named Red Hawk.

Where did you find links about his name being Laughtry, and this American Cherokee Confederacy?

[William_Graywolf]

This man's real name was Ed Laughry.  He lives near Williamsburg, VA.  Many of us from this state have learned a little something about him.  He legally changed his name to RedHawk.  A friend of mine knows this man's sister (by the way Trish, this friend is also a friend of yours).  She told him that Ed was of Mexican descent just as she is.  
Another lady my father knew, (I don't give names without permission), ran into him.  Because she goes among the Virginia natives and many accept her, he wanted her to introduce him.  When she refused he was very beligerant.  Not a good man to come across.  Especially if he wants something and doesn't get it.
William

[bluedragoness]

hi, i'm new to this group and i have been trying to do some research on this fellow red hawk. that's how i found this forum and decided to join. i also belong to yahoo groups that are talking about this man. one group has actually got red hawk to join in on the posting, i guess in a way to let him speak for himself. i was wondering if i can post these messages from here to that yahoo group with ya'lls permission? i won't post anything without someone's permission. i think it is very interesting how much both groups think he is a fraud. i believe mr graywolf is already on one of the groups i speak of. if anyone wants i can post the links to the yahoo groups so that your opinions of this fellow can be heard there as well. thank you very much!!

[William_Graywolf]

When searching this site, don't forget to check under United Cherokee Nation about what I've managed to learn so far. 

Since the latest I received more emails:

Seems when he first came to Virginia he claimed he was Hawaiian.   He actually went around in a cape and a tall hat as if he resembled the Hawaiian chiefs.  But he made a switch to Indian.  He went around to Virginia schools in the 90’s but when enough people were complaining and water got too hot for him he disappeared for a while.  No one took him seriously then and thought of him as a threat. 

But then he joined the Southeastern Cherokee band when they started up 12 or 13 years ago, got himself a card from them and managed to get involved with AIM.    Several people here in Virginia tried to speak out against him, but some of those belonging to fake bunches of Cherokee promoted him.   

It’s too bad no one took the first people complaining about him seriously enough to do something about it when he first started.  Now he’s making big dollars using a false title at the expense of the Cherokee people.  However, the group he did get papers from tried to get Federal status and did NOT. 

Red Hawk, you hear of Hugh Lambert and Michell Hicks?  How is it you say you have membership there and claim to be a chief?  You can’t.  Michell Hicks is chief.  You are chief of nothing, no tribe that is valid.  Might be called CNO of an organization, but not chief of any tribe or nation.  You are NOT a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

William

[William_Graywolf]

Little by little I am finding this man is nothing but a liar and fraud.  He claimed enrollment with the Eastern Cherokee and is not.  Now I have an email from the Olympics where he claimed he had received some sort of diplomatic recognition. 

   INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
ANSWER RELATED TO A QUESTION POSTED ON WWW.OLYMPIC.ORG
 
You asked:

Red Hawk was given "Diplomat" status by the International Olympic Committee for his musical performances and cultural programs at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City

Is this a truthful statement or not. Thank you
 

Answer:

Dear Mr Atkins:

Many thanks for your query of 14 November 2006.

After consulting the primary sources that we have at our disposal which might have made reference to such a recognition being made, we have been unable to find any record of this. As such, this is not a truthful statement.
Sincerely,

IOC Information Management Department
 
 
 

[weheli]

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Please introduce Red Hawk by announcing the following:

Chief Red Hawk is a Cherokee Indian and former Chief of the Bird-Band for the American Cherokee Confederacy of Georgia. He is an old-style, traditional dancer and master storyteller. Red Hawk has presented to over one million students and participants nationwide through his Native American programs and keynote addresses.

He's an author, an award winning recording artist and performer - a truly remarkable man with an EXCITING STAGE PRESENCE!

Please help me give a warm welcome to... CHIEF RED HAWK, "THE STORYTELLER"

NOTE: Any additional information can be used in our BIO section. Only information listed on this site is authorized and considered official and up to date information.

 
 

Please note that for qualifying educational institutions, grant or non-profit funds will cover most travel expenses. Please contact Red Hawk directly for travel arrangements.

Red Hawk
3624 Thrushwood Way
Chester, VA 23831
Phone: 757-719-3398
E-mail: redhawk@redhawkspeaks.com

A 50% deposit is required to hold your date open. The remaining 50% is due on the day of the event. Travel arrangements and contract information can be coordinated by contacting Red Hawk directly.
 
 INTRODUCTION;
 
Please introduce Red Hawk by announcing the following:

Chief Red Hawk is a Cherokee Indian and former Chief of the Bird-Band for the American Cherokee Confederacy of Georgia. He is an old-style, traditional dancer and master storyteller. Red Hawk has presented to over one million students and participants nationwide through his Native American programs and keynote addresses.

He's an author, an award winning recording artist and performer - a truly remarkable man with an EXCITING STAGE PRESENCE!

Please help me give a warm welcome to... CHIEF RED HAWK, "THE STORYTELLER"

NOTE: Any additional information can be used in our BIO section. Only information listed on this site is authorized and considered official and up to date information.

http://www.redhawkspeaks.com/intro2.htm

                                                                         Weheli

 
 
     
     

[weheli]

 Sorry for repeating the post above.
                                                   Weheli   

[William_Graywolf]

I'm still waiting for more information from the government concerning this fraud.  Meanwhile he told on one group I have friends in that he is Cherokee:  
"You want to know who my ancestors are?  Your traditions as a boy does not apply to all
Cherokees.  Cherokees are Cherokees regardless of how you were raised.  Mr grandparents are on the Federal rolls, James, Otter and Parkers, long standing Cherokee ancestors. Both have roll numbers."  

Now look at his claims in 2002.  Different name, same face on the picture as Ed Laughry/Red Hawk.  Lakota?  

go to http://www.saponitown.com/forum/member.php?u=166

Biography:
7Th Generation Shawnee/Lakota/Cherokee/Seneca/and a few lost Euro boat people.
 
 05-17-2002, 02:38 PM  
 Red Hawk  
Registered User   Join Date: May 2002
Location: Still on Native Land, still occupied, 400 years and counting.
Posts: 15  
 
Hi all My name is John Poundstone and having traded a few emails with Linda Cater from the room here I thought I would come and join in and see whats history we can find for all of us Indians stuck here in the 21st century. My family is Shawnee/Blackfeet/Cherokee(on the silly rolls). My Grandmother was full blood, but of mixed tribes, which never made us much welcome anywhere either. We were the only indentified Indians in our community in Southern Indiana (what a joke INDIANA! land of Indians) Ok I'll save the bitter jokes for later.

One part of my heritage is diffinitively Lakota from my Great Grandfather, but My Great Grandmother also had Backfeet/Blackfoot Souix. She was from Southern Illinois and there is a still surviving remnant there of this Blackfeet/Blackfoot community. Does anyone here have relatives there? Is there a possibility that this group is eastern Blackfoot? They arrived there around 1813-14 just after Tecumseh's war and many of the arrivals were warriors for his united tribe. I would appreciate any and all input to this....to Email me directly send to: hawkheart07@aol.com
Thanks and Paselo(Take care)
 
This is from all his posts at http://www.saponitown.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2386#post2386 where he also explains his ancestry further as follows:
05-17-2002, 02:58 PM  
 Red Hawk  
Registered User   Join Date: May 2002
Location: Still on Native Land, still occupied, 400 years and counting.

The Souix linkage with my Illinois line is fairly firm, but as I have two lines where this occurred (a husband/wife) the naming of Souix may still be a cross over. What makes it firmer is the other families there which also use the Souix name. But this in only one lineage of many in my family. The same line which marries into two generations of Lakota in SD/WY came from the top of the Blue Ridge in WVA. They had been living in mixed Indian villages there for 4 generations. Do you have any information on the Blackfoot/Saponi groups living there? My relatives lived on settlements reaching from the Little Kanawha, to French Creek to the Monongalia headwaters. This was a line of Pritchards who married into Indian families for the first two generations after they came from Wales in 1624. They moved up into western VA around 1760. Once there they married into two more Indian families and a third as a second marraige-a Delware woman, no childern in late life marriage. This man Joseph pritchard moved with his Delaware wife, her children grown children and his own to Indiana in the 1850's. Then the one son (my ancestor) moves to join cousins in SD before 1860. the family had been apperating as traders with in the Indian communities in WVA and in SD for many years. Any info on these communities in WVA?

I have the line in my family of Poundstone from Mecklenberg TN/Monongalia WVA and PA also. John Poundstone move to WVA with brother Phillip and then on to Whitewater Village before 1808. After Tecumsehs war he settled in what would become Northern Rush co. This was a mixed Miami/Shawnee/Delaware and I am now learning Saponi area. I have been unable to find John's wife, but records indicate she was not white and was a refugee...so Saponi heritage seems quite possible. If she was Shawnee I should know and the same for Delaware. John's son marries a Catharine Burch/Birch who lives in Fayette co. just east of Rush co. Her parents were from NC and again of colored/Indian decent from one census. I had earlier assumed Cherokee but they were seperate from other known Cherokee I have found there. It seems very likely that there were Saponi Blackfoot living in this refugee settlement and that they came into close contact with people like John Poundstone who came to fight for Tecumseh. The possibility that records may exist from Brandts villages is hopeful to me in tracing some of these warriors.
 

His heritage is interesting and changing over time.
William

IMPORTANT: John Poundstone is NOT Ed Laughry and is NOT accused of any of the wrongdoings that Laughry is. They simply used the same name of Red Hawk at different points.

[Al's note- added edit.]

[BlackWolf]

Does anyone know what the story was about his Military background and his serving in Desert Storm and the story about the rescue operation he was suppose to have taken part in off the Sea of Japan?  It appears he spoke at Ft. Belvoir, a US military instalation in Virginia last year in Nov of 2009. He also seems to use the name "Chief Red Iron Hawk"


http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/11/19/30685-red-hawk-delivers-powerful-message-during-american-indian-heritage-celebration/

A 10-year Navy veteran, Red Hawk received the Navy Achievement Medal for his contributions in the field of management theory and commendations for serving in Desert Storm. He was also awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for his services in the rescue of Korean refugees off the Sea of Japan.

[John Poundstone]

In short your statements with a web link to one of my postings on Saponitown are both absurd and defamatory.  On the message board you have made statements claiming that I am a man known as "Red Hawk"...you even claim that my photo on Saponitown is the the same as his.  I have lived in MN, FL and Africa for the past 20 years.  I have NO connection to Mr. Red Hawk or his lecture series.  So to confuse my families genealogy with his and then use "inconsistencies" in those to call me a fraud or even him is dangerous and ludicrous.  I would not be surprised to hear he sued you and this forum.  I do not know him and will not speak for him.  I speak for myself.  Call Lind Carter at Saponitown as she is easily available via the website and ask her of my identity.  She knows me from numerous long phone calls and knows of my work in Africa and further KNOWS I am not the man you claim in VA. 

I will expect and demand a full retraction of your suggestions that I am him or that he has anything to do with me and my family.  John Poundstone is my ancestor and it is the name given me by traditional naming ceremony within my family (Pounding Stone, as I use Poundstone for short in social settings.)  There are NO Poundstones on any Cherokee Rolls for your information, period.  My Cherokee ancestry is found related to Lucille Little in the rolls and that is only one Great Grandmother of four Great Grand Parents of Indian blood.  My Mother was a Shinob...Ojibwe for you white people who's family live in Rez communities in Northern WI and MN as well as the Twin Cities.  My Father's side who are Pritchards and Poundstones are Shawnee (yes with some enrolled and in OK live and deceased), with a branch of Lakota and the stray Cherokee intermarriage.  We are modern NDN's and City NDN's known in NDN circles in Minneapolis (MN), WI, SD and OK.  Now...who the heck are you?  I trust that you will be honest as to your mistake and remove me and any reference to me in this forum.  What you do here is dodgy at best but maybe someone must do it...There are far too many fake shaman/medicine people out there selling services.  I do NONE of those things and indeed only lecture in metalsmithing classes at universities...not related to Indian arts!  Again remove me from your little verbal war with Mr. Red Hawk immediately.
John NOT...Red Hawk...Poundstone

[Defend the Sacred]

Hi John, just getting up to speed with this. I'm sorry for any confusion.

Is the profile William linked to above yours? http://www.saponitown.com/forum/member.php?166-Red-Hawk

So did you just use "Red Hawk" as a screen name in that forum?

This is the page for Ed Laughry: http://www.redhawkspeaks.com/

If you don't mind, I'm going to post both profile pictures:

John Poundstone aka Red Hawk:


Ed Laughry aka RedHawk:


_{[edited to add wayback machine links for deleted websites and photo]}