And another one from my area

[ironbuffalo]

   This person Ellen Fishburn is running a program called "Giving Spirit". Ironic, because instead of "giving" she charges her clients a considerable amount of money. I have access to some good firsthand info on her. She uses sweatlodge and vision quest as part of her gig. From what I know from a reliable source, she either dances or supports at Norbert Running's sundance, which surprises me because to the best of my knowledge Norbert has always played it pretty straight. I have a hunch that he does not know what she is up to in her other life here on the west coast. From my "source" I have been invited to the sweats she runs, even though we have never met to my knowledge, and have always declined, and she has tried through my source to get invited to our sweats, to which I have not responded. Tell me what you all think of her website.

  http://www.givingspiritform.com/index.html

[chiefytiger]

 Im not amused w/her website , and the whole Native spiritual thing ....

[Kevin]

That Ellen is whiter than I am!  This is something my good friend Dances With Badgers would want to get involved with if he wasn't broke.

[Prairie Fairy]

I can never stand to look at the websites. I'm sitting here looking back at how twinkie my whole upbringing has been. It's hard sometimes but it's a relief to know it's real.

[C_from_Wpg]

I just looked at the website. 

... From what I know from a reliable source, she either dances or supports at Norbert Running's sundance, which surprises me because to the best of my knowledge Norbert has always played it pretty straight. I have a hunch that he does not know what she is up to in her other life here on the west coast....

I think there is a big problem with people like her attaching themselves to legitimate, traditional
people or organizations.  This seems to be a common strategy.  Perhaps I should say
"occurrence" instead of "strategy" because "strategy" implies deliberate fraud.  I'm still
not sure how many of these folks are deliberate frauds rather than sincere but deluded
people who actually think this is an honest way to make a living.  Either way, they do a
lot of harm.
What do I think of the site?  I got the feeling I've seen it before, over and over again.  I'm still
surprised at how many of these folks are out there, but maybe I shouldn't be.