Author Topic: Pablo Russell  (Read 133027 times)

Offline educatedindian

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Pablo Russell
« on: February 13, 2006, 03:11:55 pm »
We've gotten requests about him, so thought I'd post what we have for all to see.

Annika's post from ENAF followed by links to the Archives. The requester is kept anon.

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Hi guys! I wanted to forward an email I got today. Pablo Russell has  been up for discussion on NAFPS. I first learned about him when a
Danish woman contacted me and said that Pablo had got a vision to  spread his message (read: sell sweats) in all Scandinavian countries.
And I just had to help her get him into Sweden. The guy was selling sweats in bulk with a rebate - like "buy 4 sweats for the price of 3".
Together with a Norwegian friend I wrote a letter to the Danish organisation, enclosing the Lakota Declaration of War and explaining  we did not want him in Sweden OR Norway! And...so he disappeared.
Well, apparantly he must have got a new vision to go down south in Europe instead. (Now, how convenient...!)

For once I can say for sure that this guy is a fraud. I have asked Blackfoot friends about him, they are extremely upset about what he is doing and he has a very bad reputation among his people. (Pablo is Blood). So - thought I should just add another name on the fraud-list of ENAF. (David, if you want to add him to your list, go ahead...)

Annika

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Followed by the request(name deleted).

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Hi,
I´m glad having found this site! I´m searching for further  information about Pablo Russell www.pablorussell.com and the people
around him. I´m really no new age and indian spirit junkee. I´m a serious  therapist as you may have a look at my site (deleted for privacy.)
I was led to the ethnomed-kongress in munic in last october where I met Pablo Russell for the first time. As I´m wanting to learn especially form the first nation members I was very impressed of him
and what he was talking about.
But there was something that made me cynical about all this.I can´t  descibe it with words it is a certain feeling I can trust in. I´m  insecure if something is wrong there.
There are some people around him,I do not trust.Others seem to be o.k.

I do not want to take the wrong path.Also I do not want to judge  about him.
I saw in NAFPS-Forum what the member called "indianeducated" an the  member "Annika" were writing about him and Morris Crow.

I want to become clear about him before I decide to participate on a Medicine Wheel seminar, he will give at the end of march.

At the moment he has contact with Dr.Christian Rätsch who is well known as an Old-Americanist and Ethnologue since years.They will participate on a Esoteric-Fair in Prague/CZ this march.
I am very insecure about all this and would be glad if you could share your opinion with me

Thanks a lot and have a nice day
(name deleted)
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And what we have from Archives.
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http://newagefraud.org/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=archive1;action=display;num=1116518971;start=1#1
http://newagefraud.org/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=archive1;action=display;num=1116518971;start=4#4
http://newagefraud.org/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=archive1;action=display;num=1116518971;start=7#7

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2006, 05:51:22 pm »
Workshop he's doing in Germany.
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Pablo Russell and Christian Raetsch will make an appearance at the following event:

World Conference of Ethnotherapies 2006 – Concepts for Future Oct 7-8, 2006 at Munich University, Germany

The conference is organized by an Institute for Ethno-Medicine, situated in Munich.

(Translator's note: The institute is an „e.V.“, i.e. comparable to US  c500something (tax exempt, donations tax deductible). As an „e.V.“,
their finances will be revised by the state regularly and their principles must meet certain requirements (e.g. the „e.V.“ means to educate the
broad public re whatever, aims at the promotion of better understanding between different nations and cultures etc). This grants them a partly
state recognized status, however, whether the education they offer is utter bs will not be examined except if they happen to get reported to
the police. Authorities will only control finances regularly, and the mission statement when applying for the „e.V.“ status, and they have to
send in copies of the minutes of annual/bi-annual general meetings of members.)

The info about the conference is to be found (German language) at:
http.//www.institut-ethnomed.de/weltkonf06.html

The aim of this conference, which apparently has had predecessors, is to give the audience an overview about traditional healing and the
different concepts of healing of various peoples; they say they invited authentic traditional healers and teachers from all over the world.

Another aim of this conference is to enable contacts and meetings among traditional healers, shamans, open-minded scientists and persons
applying modern therapy methods.

The institute says that healers and shamans appearing in this conference are experienced and honoured experts and personalities in their
respective cultures. Since their indigenous guests, however, often think, decide, and act in different dimensions, they ask participants to be prepared for changes in the programme.

In translation (texts to be found at above URL in German language):

„Pablo Russell, Blackfoot medicine man, Canada....
Following a vision he received during a vision quest at Chief Mountain – the holy mountain of the Blackfoot Indians -, he continued his work in Europe from 1997 in order to bring us the „gift of the buffalo medicine“. Meanwhile he has given speeches, done seminars, workshops and
sweat lodges in many European countries. In November 1999, he organized a conference and Pow Wow together with Four Winds Association in
Lausanne/Switzerland with aborigines, pygmies, Siberian shamans, Crow, Cheyenne, and Lakota with the aim of uniting peoples close to nature resp their representatives in an initiative to save Mother Earth.

Workshop 1
The Medicine Wheel – Aid and Healing through the Holy Circle

The term „the circle“ is a possibility to express that all things are related. This is a perspective in which one's own experience of the physical world, the world of events, of emotions, of thoughts and of
relationships is being acknowledged. The Indians called this circle of life the „Medicine Wheel“.

With the medicine wheel, Pablo Russell will give deep insights into the understanding of life and enables practical counseling. He talks about
several different stages in the life of human beings (birth, youth, grownup, old age) by showing these on the medicine wheel as well as the development and deeper meaning of love, belief, trust, and sharing within these different stages of life. Participants of this workshop will learn how to integrate this knowledge into their own life and start the path of healing – a healing taking place on all four levels, the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual levels.(Translator's note:
each workshop is to last 90 minutes.)

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2006, 05:53:28 pm »
Pt 2
Other speakers/workshop leaders:

translation
Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales, shaman from Peru
who stands in the tradition of the tribal culture of the Mayorunas; he has been taken into the jungle from early childhood on and has been taught healing plants. At the age of 22, Don Pedro decoded to start the long way of the curandero. He spent two years in the Peruvian jungle in complete isolation, during which a special diet must be kept and strict rules of abstinence must be obeyed. In his dreams and vision (t.n: singular in original text) he came into contact with plant spirits, especially the powerful tree spirits. He gained his shamanic power and wisdom through the trees, therefore he belongs to the group of paleros, the tree shamans or tree knowers. Since then, Don Pedro also works with other master plants and their plant spirits who offered him their knowledge during further diets (sic).

Abbrev.
Kokopelli, Tradtional dancer of the Aztec and anthropologist, Mexiko Jorge A. Kokopelli Guadarrama, born 1975 in Mexiko, son of Nopaltzin, was separated from his family at an early age to learn the Aztec traditions. He studied anthropology at the National School of Anthropology and History. Out of a personal conviction, he aims at teaching the roots of
his culture, so that the world learns parts of this wonderful tradition.

Abbrev.
Nopaltzin, Traditional dancer of the Aztec
Jorge Nopaltzin Guadarrama was born in Mexico. He represents and teaches the Aztec culture, their art and traditional medicine, rituals, dances and ceremonies. His words about the spiritual teachings and healing concepts of the Aztecs have become known far beyond the borders of
Mexico. He is the founder of the Institute for Spreading the Culture of the Aztecs „Nopalli Mexico“.

Offline gus

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2006, 08:20:53 pm »
I lived in Peru a while. That is what the curranderos do there. Curranderos are not usually a secret thing though, they even have signs for their services in the high street.
There are a hell of a lot of fakes though. Most of them have big fat bellys - from their strict fasts in the jungle (=;

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2006, 07:33:18 pm »
I asked around at a curandero forum. Don Pedro is looking more and more like a fake. Curanderos are not paleros, and tree knowers are neither curandero nor palero. For one thing, palero is an Afric-Caribbean tradition by way of the Congo, meaning to work with spirits in the woods.

Offline gus

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2006, 02:59:49 pm »
Hi edu,
all i can say is,
imagine someone running workshops on -
"the path of the physiotherapist" or "the long way of the dental hygenist" or etc etc
it would be equally riduculous and out of its cultural context, but comparable.

Offline gus

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2006, 01:33:50 am »
Curranderos are more like the local doctors there and most people know something about herbal remedies seeing as western medical care is often expensive and many prefer curranderos anyway.
It would not be hard for a fraudulant new age outfit to hire a real currandero as charging is normal in many places, its a job for many as much as a ceremonial role .
Of course he might at first be curious why people were coming to him with loads of esoteric mystical questions and not physical health problems and diseases.
I really couldnt say whether he is the real thing or not , there are many "pendejos" or fakes looking for a quick buck without having done the training which is just as hard as any western medical degree.
However what he said is accurate .
Ill ask a friend of mine if he knows him.

One story that made me laugh :

This guy was mestizo but claiming to be an ashaninka native.
He did ayahuasca ceremonies mainly for gringos in this giant bamboo hut on stilts.
When he entered the ceremony his assistants would rock the whole house from below to make it seem like the earth itself was trembling at his power .
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 12:00:00 am by gus »

J.J.Toepfer

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2006, 05:45:16 pm »
Dear users of this forum,
As you can see, I put up my full name to be authentic in what I am saying.
I have been allowed to visit the sundance ceremonies of Morris Crow Spreading Wings,
native name, Last Tail Feathers, for the last 7
years, working as a helper first and as chief
fireman for the last 4 years.
Due to this generosity of the sundanceleader
I was allowed to share prayers of this holy
ceremony.
Within the last 8 years I was allowed to invite
Morris Crow and Pablo Russell to Europe for
sharing the native wisdom with the white people.
I can only say in a humble way, that I have
experienced nothing but clear teachings about the
soulsearch of mankind from both people.
Mr. Russell is known for sharing, not selling the  natvive ideas to people of all colours of  mankind.
He has worked for the Glenbow Museum in Calgary,
teaching about the native culture, be rewarded
with the Dr. Crowshoe award for teaching more
then 30.000 school students, he has been a
presenter at the ethnofair in munich in 2005
and I can furnish everyone , who is interested
with referenceletters from all over the world.
Mr. Russel is an active sundanceleader at the
yearly Morris Crow sundance and he has been
with the sundance for 20 years.
So , if there is someone, without a name , that
would like to talk about these things, I would like to ask everyone in an open way to call me up
at 0049-40-222555 and I will give them, whatever
is needed to strengthen the truth about this
whole topic.
I can only say , that I have the highest respect
for the native culture and I have traveled to Mount
Sinai/Egypt   with Morris Crow Spreading Wings to
pray  for world peace  and there were people from
all different religions,Muslims,Beduins,Christians,
Buddhists and we all prayed together in peace.
Maybe you should think about these things, before
you judge over people.

Offline vikinglady

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2006, 08:30:11 pm »
Hi J.J. I am Annika. I am like you (?) non-Native and European. I do not know that much about Native cultures and I am in no way a chief and not even an Indian in my past life!!  :)

I understand you know a lot about Native cultures having participated in all those ceremonies for sooo many years..WOW!... so I just have a couple of questions: during all your visits to Native communities and reservations in US and/or Canada, how many Natives did you come across who are in favour of selling ceremonies? How many medicinepeople, Elders and Spiritual leaders thought it OK to sell spiritual teachings? Just curious. Because damn if I can find them...! (Unless I count the exploiters)

I am not quite sure of the difference between "selling" and "sharing for money" ? Could you enlighten me? (Clearly Pablo is "sharing for money" since the price is up on most websites and I, myself, have been invited three times to his sweats - if I paid 80 USD.)

As for the credentials, do I get you right, the more lectures you have, the more authentic and spiritual you are? Hmm...yeah, that must be right, the Swedish shamans I´ve met talk for hours about themselves and their spirituality, not at all like the Native medicinepeople I´ve met who were very quiet and modest, almost shy. Most of them had never had a single lecture... so does that mean they are not real? Oh dear....:(

I´m just curious of one more thing: why is his own people against him? Why do his own people say things like: "I agree about this Pablo Russell, it is individuals like him who continue to perpetuate stereotypes and prostitute our culture for their own personal gain and at a great expense and loss to our culture and ceremonies. The Europeans have been lost for quite some time and are grasping at anything to believe in and research. "

Hmmm.... what do you think is wrong with that reserve? And with the one "next door", because a lot of people there said the same thing? How come they don´t know that he is a medicineman? He should tell them.....really!  Is Pablo a little bit misunderstood do you think?

Well, just curious :)

Annika

J.J.Toepfer

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2006, 10:03:51 am »
Dear Annika,

first of all I would like to apologize , if I have left the impression, that I am special, because I have been in the reserve a couple of times. I am not.
I am just a visitor of these ceremonies and I am
thankful , that the native community is allowing me,
to get an idea how to life in harmony with mother earth.
It is a blessing , that these people open their culture to the white people, even though, they have been treated so badly in the past.
I think , that mankind should stick together to change the present situation on this planet.
About the selling:
I have learned about the native culture, that
" what comes around goes around" and that in the old days, the tribe always took care of their elders
or the people who were doing ceremonies, by giving them meat, blankets,tobacco or even horses,
due to the fact , that they were not allowed to go
hunting or into warfare. So there seemed to be an exchange of material things.
These days , there is a need too, to cover expenses
for airfares, accomodation, food etc. and to help the
lecturers.
But I can assure you from my personal experience,
that nobody will be excluded from sweats for money. I can invite you anytime to share a sweat
without any donation at all. In all the sweats, I have experienced , children, elderly people or people without money, were sweating for free.

Another thing, that I have learned is , that no
native person would gossip about their fellow
tribe members. If they have an issue with somebody, they stand up, say their name and
clear it up in a personal attempt.
If you have experienced something different by hearing things, I would like to suggest, to go to the
sundance and talk to the tribemembers, to get
an eye to eye information.
Maybe that would help to get real information.

It could be, that I  have misunderstood the whole
thing, but in common sense I would always see
somebody myself in person, before I get upset with this person and even if a feel dislike for them , I would accept, that this person might not serve my personal needs, but maybe he could help others
to find peace with themselves, so we can make this
world a better place.

As I said earlier, I am very humble to help
to preserve these precious teachings from the north
american culture, because if I look around , I feel
it is needed for all of us .

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

J.J.Toepfer

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2006, 01:39:19 pm »
Oh, I forgot to mention: the expression "chief firemen" means lead helper and has nothing to do with being a chief . we are just carrying rocks, watch the fire and chop wood, so that the sundancers can sweat in the morning and at night.

Offline debbieredbear

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2006, 05:32:52 pm »
No native person would gossip about another?? Hahahaha! That is funny! Yes, we do gossip about people. We are human beings with the same foibles as anyone else. And the fact that this man's own family is willing to denounce him says buckets.


Annika, is this the same guy who abandoned a wife and children to shack up with one of his euro groupies? If so, why would ANYONE want to learn from someone like that?? Someone so dishonorable as that would have very little respect among traditional people in my experience.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 12:00:00 am by debbieredbear »

Offline yellowthunder_bolt

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2006, 07:44:13 pm »
'Siyo J.J., my name is Thomas,

Ihave read this thread with a lot of interest. Have you ever asked the Creator or Spirit for guidance concerning these teachings? Please open your heart for a moment as I share the following with you.

"Tribe always took care of the Elders or people who were doing ceremonies,by giving them meat, blankets, tobacco,or even horses due to the fact they were not allowed to go hunting or into warfare". As I am Cherokee I will speak of my traditions, for I cannot speak of someone elses tribe. It is not "PEOPLE" who do ceremonies but those who have the right to do them, passed down from one generation to the next, or the right was earned and a ceremony performed to give them the right.
These things you mentioned"exchange of material things" that was given to them ,was not because they were not allowed to go hunting or into warfare, no, it is traditional to give tobacco,cedar, corn meal, out of respect for the one doing the ceremonies. A gift, a traditional gift, not "material things" but sacred gifts,depending on the ceremonies.
Now days it remains so, however monies is sometime gifted but it is never asked for. No true traditional person of any tribe would ever ask for money. These ceremonies were given by Creator to share freely with the people. You are so right "what goes around comes around". I have seen it and it is not a pretty sight. These gifts from Creator are NEVER to be sold or misused, or exploited, regardless of ones credentials.In fact to bring up these is not traditional.Your own words "Gift of the Buffalo"

"One would never be turned away from a sweat if they had no money,""sweating for free".Question J.J. did Creator tell Pablo or anyone else you know to charge for inipi ceremonies? Did the Great Spirit? We Cherokees don't sweat but have hot houses or long houses but I have sweat with Lakota friends and if I would have been asked for money, I would have spit on the ground and turned my back and  walked away, for you see the sweat is sacred a gift from Creator. Yes I would have taken a gift but out of respect for the one doing the lodge, it is taken very seriously.

"Lead helper, we are just carrying rocks, watch the fire and chop wood" These "rocks" are you talking about the grandfathers? This fire you watch is it part of the sweat ceremony or to just keep you warm? Where is the Altar? who is watching that??"
All of these are part of a sacred lodge.

I admire the fact you want to preserve these precious teachings but J.J. be sure in your heart and Spirit that living part of you, that these are true.
Creator is telling you something or you would not have crossed this path.

                                     WADO Thomas


Offline vikinglady

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2006, 10:56:31 pm »
Hi J.J.

Quote
But I can assure you from my personal experience,
that nobody will be excluded from sweats for money.


That´s good, maybe you should add that on the invitations, because people actually think they have to pay!

Quote
I can invite you anytime to share a sweat
without any donation at all.


Thanks but no thanks. Native ceremonies are for a Native community and should be conducted by an authentic ceremony leader. Also, I don´t have any need to participate in ceremonies. The best way for me to show respect for them is to stay away.

Quote
Another thing, that I have learned is , that no
native person would gossip about their fellow
tribe members. If they have an issue with somebody, they stand up, say their name and
clear it up in a personal attempt.


A..hmm...oooookey...? NO Native person? You know them ALL?! C´mon, Swedes gossip, Germans gossip, Natives gossip...

Quote
If you have experienced something different by hearing things, I would like to suggest, to go to the
sundance and talk to the tribemembers, to get
an eye to eye information.
 Maybe that would help to get real information.


I HAVE got real information already, thanks.  Or did you mean that your information is the only "real" one?

Quote
personal needs, but maybe he could help others
to find peace with themselves, so we can make this
world a better place.


Well, you know, helping non-Natives to feel better about themselves while thousands (probably) of Natives feel offended...well...I am not quite sure how that contribute to "people sticking together to change the present situation..."?

So why the need to appropriate sacred ceremonies? There are SO much that can be done in our own cultures to make the world a better place. Like, to start with, show respect for others, help the old and the sick, raise money for a good cause, do something for your community, show respect to Mother Earth...  That is ALL it takes.

Annika






Offline vikinglady

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Re: Pablo Russell
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2006, 11:05:11 pm »
Quote
No native person would gossip about another?? Hahahaha! That is funny! Yes, we do gossip about people. We are human beings with the same foibles as anyone else. And the fact that this man's own family is willing to denounce him says buckets.


Annika, is this the same guy who abandoned a wife and children to shack up with one of his euro groupies? If so, why would ANYONE want to learn from someone like that?? Someone so dishonorable as that would have very little respect among traditional people in my experience.


Hej Debbie! Yeah, the gossip bit is really funny!! And no, this is not the same guy. There are so many of them...irrrrrrrk....   I have Native friends up in Alberta and have spent some time on one of the reserves, so I know what they think about him, actually they called him "a dirty rat!" And he is NOT a medicineman!!

Annika