Tommy Priester

[educatedindian]

http://www.bearmedicineherbs.com/about.html
Since 1984, when a Seminole Native friend from Fl. introduced Tommy to some traditional Native American (First Peoples) ways, Tommy has been privileged to learn from Abenaki, Cherokee, Ojibwa, Cree and Lakota Elders. His primary teachers, Albert Tait and the   late Don Cardinal are Cree elders of Manitoba, Canada. In October 2009, Tommy and his partner Karen were initiated into the Braveheart lineage of the Lakota Traditions under Basil Braveheart.

Shamanism Tommy has also studied the ancient wisdom traditions as taught in core shamanism with Michael Harner, and other shamanic schools of thought with John Ford, and Dana Robins, and Tibetan shamanism with Larry Peters.

Energy Healing In 2010 Tommy was initiated into Pan Gu Shen Gong as both an instructor of the basic technique and a practitioner of the Pan Gu Shen Gong healing form. Along with this he's also certified as a Tong Ren practitioner and Reiki two.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-priester-6229619/
Clinical Herbal Instructor
Company NameBoston School of Herbal Studies
Dates Employed2003 – Present  Employment Duration15 yrs
LocationArlington, Ma
Teaches 7 month long herbal apprenticeship programs, clinical advanced programs and leads Native American based Red Road talking stick ceremonies.

Bear Medicine Holistic Services, Heart Mind Integration Healing
Owner and Founder
Company NameBear Medicine Holistic Services, Heart Mind Integration Healing
Dates EmployedJan 1999 – Present  Employment Duration19 yrs 7 mos
LocationLincoln, Ma
Bear Medicine Holistic Services is dedicated to reclaiming natural health through the mindful use of plants (herbs), nutrition, flower essence, specialized supplements, aromatherapy and Heart Mind Integration Healing.

BearMedicineHolisticServices, HeartMindIntegrationHealing
Herbalist, Wellness/Lifestyle, Shamanic counseling & Founder of Heart Mind Integration Healing
Company NameBearMedicineHolisticServices, HeartMindIntegrationHealing
Dates EmployedJan 1999 – Present  Employment Duration19 yrs 7 mos
LocationLincoln, Ma
[repeats from his own website]

Earthsong Herbals Co-instructor
Company NameEarthsong Herbals
Dates Employed1999 – 2001  Employment Duration2 yrs
Co-taught 9 month herbal apprenticeship program.

Education
Blazing Star Herbal School, Earthsong Herbals, Mathew Woods Six tissue states, Rosemary Gladstar
Blazing Star Herbal School, Earthsong Herbals, Mathew Woods Six tissue states, Rosemary Gladstar
Degree NameClinical Herbal Medicine Field Of StudyHerbology and Shamanism
Dates attended or expected graduation 1997 – 2000
I hold seven certificates in Clinical Herbalism.

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Larry Peters's dubious claims are here. http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1977.0

Harner's here. http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1117.0

[Piff]

Heart Mind Integration Healing

HMI Healing is Tommy Priester's way of sharing the outcome of over 15 years of shamanic, holistic and herbal studies with the world.

http://hmihealing.com/

Born in 1960.

He says his work is more advanced than Michael Harner's, he claims that it is safer.

He is a Tom Brown Jr. (http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=269.0) follower.

LINDA:

So what you're saying is that you choose 7 plants based on what you are drawn to and these 7 plants can cure basically anything no matter what the disease is?

TOMMY:
That's right. That's a very old native belief.

When he was 32 he lost an arm in an accident.

Interview: http://naturespeaks.org/priester_tommy

Lakota Inipi ceremony agreement: http://www.bearmedicineherbs.com/Resources/lodge%20Notice.pdf

When he was younger he was a windsurf board shaper in Oregon.

[penelope]

Hi. I am the widow of the late Cree Elder, Don Cardinal. I knew Tommy Priester (and his partner, Karen) while Don was alive but have not spoken to them since Don died in 2008. Tommy participated in sweat lodge ceremonies conducted by Don in New York (Long Island and Saugerties). Tommy and Karen may have travelled up to Canada once or twice. However, I would not consider Don one of Tommy's primary teachers. Don may have shared some basic information about certain herbs with Tommy as he did with the rest of us who were part of the lodge family, but Don did not formally train Tommy. Tommy did not spend more than a few days at a time with us in ceremony - certainly not the time needed to be formally trained by a healer of Don's calibre. And Don did not pass any of his major medicines to Tommy Priester.   

Once, I did ask an Elder from Norway House Cree Nation about Albert Tait - the other Cree herbalist who supposedly taught Tommy. (I am not comfortable sharing her name but she was a trusted friend of my husband and myself) This Elder did receive herbal training from Don and was given his blessing to prepare and dispense the herbs to others. When I mentioned to her that Tommy Priester claimed he was trained by herbalist Albert Tair from her reserve, the Elder looked at me and said it was news to her that Albert knew anything about herbs and he was not considered an herbalist by her or anyone she knew.