Vision Cloud

[Rattlebone]

At this time I don't have much information on this person other then he claims to be a "Native American Shaman," and he goes around charging people money to speak about ghosts and the paranormal.

[educatedindian]

http://intuitionandholisticexpo.com/exhibits.n.bios.htm
Vision Cloud - Key Note Speaker  
"Native American Culture and the Paranormal"

Vision Cloud is a Shaman of both the Sioux and Cherokee Tribes. He was awarded Eagle feather nation by Dancing Bear. He's also a Holy man for the Cummya Tribe.

In my life I have seen and experienced things most others may not have. I  had my first paranormal experience at the age of
four and have been studying this all my life. Raised by the Sioux and the Cherokee has given me unique view of the paranormal.

Vision Cloud also has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Fresno State in 1977.

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Searching for the Cummya tribe will just lead you to nothing but lots of porn sites. Tried Cumya tribe, and there was a single archeology article from 1901 that said it was once a name for the Diegueno people near San Diego.

The obvious problems of course: Which Cherokee community, allegedly? Which D/L/Nakota community? Why use the outsiders' term Sioux? And why would an alleged Cherokee/Sioux be a holy man for the Cummya or Diegueno? There's at least four bands today, Kumeyaay, Mesa Grande, Cuyaipe, and Santa Ysabel. Maybe others I didn't find.

This site has a photo of him, near the bottom, in cowboy hat and beard. Any BQ looks to be low. Also mentions he "experienced UFOs."
http://s-p-i-r-i-t.org/pages/spiritevents/hauntedhillsbio.html

Another event he spoke at, a haunted house.
http://forums.jazmaonline.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1011

Another where there were complaints of ripoffs.
http://www.fresnofamous.com/content/haunted-hills-paranormal-conference-2

[Rattlebone]

 Dr Al,

That's about what I figured. Once I seen his name of "Vision Cloud" on an internet posting, the though New Age came straight to mind. Only a New Ager would run around with a name like that. It doesn't surprise me that he is claiming to be Cherokee either.

Since most phonies claim to be either Cherokee or Sioux, it's almost comical in a bad way that he is claiming to be both.

It is evident that he was either born in the Fresno area, or moved here hence the degree he says he has from Fresno State.

Also in this link you provided

http://s-p-i-r-i-t.org/pages/spiritevents/hauntedhillsbio.html

It says that he is "current Director of Child's museum - Gold Gulch." The Gold Gulch museum was listed as part of the Broken Bit, which is also in the Fresno area, and is located in the small town of Coarsgold.

  I too have never heard of a tribe in California called the Cummya, and am thinking perhaps the owners of that website spelled Kumeyaay incorrectly. However the area this man is operating in is the homeland of the Yokut people, and in fact his place of employment is only a short distance from the Picayune Chukchansi Yokut rez/rancheria. The Kumeyaay as you know, are very far to the south of this area and are located in Southern California.

There was a man of Kumeyaay descent in this area who went by the name of Dancing Bear, however this particular man though a very good man, was not one I believe who could or would have been able to give this man a title of Eagle "feather nations." or anything else for that matter. He was the only Dancing Bear of the Kumeyaay tribe living in this area that I can think of, and he passed away about a year ago.

To the best of my knowledge I have never seen this "Vision Cloud" person in the NDN community around here, or on the powwow circuit. Then again maybe I might have passed him at a powwow and mistook him for just some tourist or vendor..hard to say. I don't think I have ever heard anyone speak of him either.

I think I am going to get a hold of the local AIM, as well as some of the local elders in this area and see if they know he is operating as a "Native Shaman" in this area, or at least make them aware of him and see what can be done.

[Rattlebone]

I have managed now to talk to a couple elders about this man, what he has been up too.

Initially when I started to mention him and what I knew, one of the elders eyes widened when he heard this was going on in our area. When I said the name "vision Cloud," the elder replied "oh that guy, yea we know who he is."

The elder however went on to say that though they knew of this man, and didn't like him, they had no idea he was going around saying he was a medicine man. They did tell me that that the believed this man had been in some trouble with the county before over some issues, but they didn't elaborate on it too much.

Evidently he is already not well liked with the local elders after an incidence where some bones had been accidentally unearthed that were believed to be in a Yokut burial ground. When the local elders asked if they could come pray over them, he refused to allow them to.

How much of this is completely accurate I don't know, but this is what I was told. The elder said that both he and his wife were going to the Chukchansi tribal council to speak about it.