Frank Owen AKA Frank MacEowen, 'Celtic shaman' AKA Peacemaker a faux Buddhist

[Defend the Sacred]

In any case, "Frank MacEowen" is dead now. So, you can take one "New Age Fraud" off of your list.

Many of the ancient Irish believed so strongly in reincarnation, that they were still liable in this life for any debts incurred in their past life. Converting to Buddhism and having a funeral for your "old self" is irrelevant to the Celts. Even death doesn't clear the debt. Only right action does.

[peacemaker]

Responses below under each quoted block.

I believe you were searching, and much of your search was sincere. Many of us have been there; many of us have made mistakes. But during a time when people of conscience were breaking away from the nuage and neoplaygan scenes, you made the choice to team up with nuagers and exploiters.

--Life is development. Spiritual growth is also evolutionary.

 Clan MacEwan (the heads of said Clan society, my cousins, were quite surprised to hear you had claimed in the Pagan press that we're all hereditary Celtic Shamans). 

--Some MacEwens were poets and hereditary bards. Elspeth MacEwen was also a seer. That was my specific reference. I think you must be thinking of Geo Cameron, who has openly claimed to be a Celtic shaman, and that her family are hereditary keepers of a tradition. I've never made such a claim. My ancestors were poor farmers in Tyrone and near Loch Lomond.

Did you teach your idea of Lakota sweat lodge to John and Caitlin Matthews?

--No. I have never taught people sweat lodges, and my understanding about the Matthews' writings on the subject address Gaelic sweat houses that were earth mounds used to heal rheumatism, but devoid of any specific cosmology.

Did you lead your idea of Lakota sweat lodges?

--No. When I was much younger, I assisted a native man who led them. He was a close friend of Vernal and Darlene. However, in all cases, including when I participated in the Sun Dance, I was only that; a participant under the direction of Vernal, and sponsored by his friend to be there.

That family allowed a number of non-Natives into ceremony, and have been badly screwed over. This is very sad that you're part of that group of non-Natives they let in. They've had to issue statements that they have authorized none of you to carry on Vernal's ceremonies.

--I am well aware of the tragedy there but I was not among the non-natives who did that. When some in-fighting began up there, I quit going up. Until that happened, I drove to Pine Ridge every month and took clothes and food.

Arvol does not endorse you. I'm talking to his partner right now and she does not recall who you are.

--I never said Arvol endorsed me. All I said was that I did a phone interview many years back about his vision for World Peace Day and Lakota spirituality.

1. Have you stopped leading fake Native ceremonies?

--Never did. I taught about ecopsychology, meditation, dream psychology, and ancestral trauma.

I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh, but you have caused a great deal of damage, to multiple communities.

--I really believe you have me mistaken with someone else.

I believe you were searching, and much of your search was sincere. Many of us have been there; many of us have made mistakes. But during a time when people of conscience were breaking away from the nuage and neoplaygan scenes, you made the choice to team up with nuagers and exploiters.

--Life is development. Spiritual growth is also evolutionary.

 Clan MacEwan (the heads of said Clan society, my cousins, were quite surprised to hear you had claimed in the Pagan press that we're all hereditary Celtic Shamans). 

--Some MacEwens were poets and hereditary bards. Elspeth MacEwen was also a seer. That was my specific reference. I think you must be thinking of Geo Cameron, who has openly claimed to be a Celtic shaman, and that her family are hereditary keepers of a tradition. I've never made such a claim. My ancestors were poor farmers in Tyrone and near Loch Lomond.

Did you teach your idea of Lakota sweat lodge to John and Caitlin Matthews?

--No. I have never taught people sweat lodges, and my understanding about the Matthews' writings on the subject address Gaelic sweat houses that were earth mounds used to heal rheumatism, but devoid of any specific cosmology.

Did you lead your idea of Lakota sweat lodges?

--No. When I was much younger, I assisted a native man who led them. He was a close friend of Vernal and Darlene. However, in all cases, including when I participated in the Sun Dance, I was only that; a participant under the direction of Vernal, and sponsored by his friend to be there.

That family allowed a number of non-Natives into ceremony, and have been badly screwed over. This is very sad that you're part of that group of non-Natives they let in. They've had to issue statements that they have authorized none of you to carry on Vernal's ceremonies.

--I am well aware of the tragedy there but I was not among the non-natives who did that. When some in-fighting began up there, I quit going up. Until that happened, I drove to Pine Ridge every month and took clothes and food.

Arvol does not endorse you. I'm talking to his partner right now and she does not recall who you are.

--I never said Arvol endorsed me. All I said was that I did a phone interview many years back about his vision for World Peace Day and Lakota spirituality.

1. Have you stopped leading fake Native ceremonies?

--Never did. I taught about ecopsychology, meditation, dream psychology, and ancestral trauma.

I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh, but you have caused a great deal of damage, to multiple communities.

--I really believe you have me mistaken with someone else.

[peacemaker]

I have no knowledge of that, or of that person.. I was in ceremonies with Vernal about six years before what you're referring to.

Additionally, since you appear to have been part of the same crew of non-Natives who went to Vernal Cross's Sun Dance, is there anything you want to tell us about Fraud Steve McCullough and who all was involved in setting up his debacle at Stonehenge?

[peacemaker]

My conscience is clear, Kathryn. If I had been part of this group you are describing at the end there with Vernal and his family, it would not be.

As a Buddhist, I certainly believe in the force of karma. I have seen such instances of cause-and-effect play out in the indigenous community as well. As an Irish descendent, I learned of Irish beliefs in rebirth from my maternal grandmother. That is consistent with my other beliefs as well.

All in all, I value this whole discussion, and as ironic as it may seem to you, I support what you're doing.

Ultimately, it all comes down to integrity.

As far as I'm concerned, if an individual does not agree with what I've written, I can handle that. My own process as human being and writer has continued to evolve and *I* don't even agree with everything I've written.

If an individual thinks my own investigation of Celtic spiritual themes was deluded, so be it.

If an individual thinks a modern person trying to practice a spirituality (or explore spirituality with others) that is oriented to nature and the Otherworld (spirit world) is deluded, to each their own. 

My only qualm is being accused of things I did not do e.g. selling Native ceremonies for money, etc. As a singular focus, as a writer and retreat guide, I presented myself as the only thing I could be: a fellow student of consciousness. Not as "shaman", not as "healer", but as a student. In practice, Native ceremonies played a role in my own formation as a person, but Native ceremonies played no role in the work I did with people.

On the contrary, I utilized processes from the discipline of ecopsychology, meditation practice, and guided visualizations using soundscapes to explore such topics as ancestral trauma. From what I observed of people's personal experiences, this dimension of psychological and spiritual content is very real, can have an impact on multiple generations, and can be something that is shifted/resolved under the right circumstances.

New findings by the Emory School of Medicine seems to support this: http://themindunleashed.org/2014/01/scientists-found-memories-may-passed-generations-dna.html

But, at the end of the day, that was the extent of what I did with people.


quote author=Kathryn link=topic=124.msg36776#msg36776 date=1392936559]

In any case, "Frank MacEowen" is dead now. So, you can take one "New Age Fraud" off of your list.

Many of the ancient Irish believed so strongly in reincarnation, that they were still liable in this life for any debts incurred in their past life. Converting to Buddhism and having a funeral for your "old self" is irrelevant to the Celts. Even death doesn't clear the debt. Only right action does.
[/quote]

[Sturmboe]

Peacemaker,

for I am german I do not realy understand what you mean by your sentence:
"Point and case, my background is in psychology, with studies in consciousness, and from an anthropological and psychological point of view I have an interest in how different cultures approach the healing of trauma."
What means "background"? Interest, study, occupation? If I translate the word into german, I cannot indentify a clear meaning. 

[Defend the Sacred]

Frank,

If your conscience is clear I suggest you get psychiatric help.

What I see here are a lot of excuses and dissembling. If you're supposedly a Buddhist now, where's the "wise remorse"? Where's the apology? Where's the attempt to make amends?

I sense from you the pseudo-Buddhism so common among white people who dabble with the tradition as adults - ego wrapped in faux humility. Lots of attempts at justification but no taking of responsibility for the harm you've done.

You are also lying about a number of things you did, hoping no one here will know. We have people on the forum who read your early writings in zines, who met you in person and remember the misinformation you sold.  You can't escape your past as easily as you seem to think you can. 

The people you taught fake sweats to remember it differently. We've seen the photographs.

We know the difference between the Gaelic sweathouses and a fake Inipi with a tartan blanket thrown on top.

And we're not mistaken. We know exactly who you are.

Whether or not you feel you claimed a spiritual title is less the issue than how you misrepresented Native and Celtic cultures - for profit - and how you are still profiting off harming these cultures. You betrayed your own ancestors, as well as the people who made the mistake of trusting you. White people like you who get called out always love to claim we're trying to stop them from "exploring" or from connecting with the Earth. We strongly encourage people to connect with the Earth, with their own ancestors and ancestral ways, but people like you have harmed these efforts, and harmed those seekers, by selling pretendian and psuedo-Buddhism as Celtic.

The "I was just seeking" excuse holds no water; you could have had some humility and waited till you learned something before trying to sell it on the nuage circuit. Maybe if you had held your peace till you actually learned something you would have realized your mistakes before you put them down in print and took people's money, time and energy for your mistakes. And maybe you would have realized that exploiting cultures and ceremonies this way is not a sign of integrity.

Again, when are you pulling your books from publication?

When are you making a public statement (as yourself, not under a screen name on a forum) that you were wrong?

Let us know when you've paid back all the people you ripped off.

[Defend the Sacred]

Still dodging, dissembling and refusing to take responsibility for the harm you've caused. Real spiritual, Frank, real spiritual.

You're still a big ole lying fraud.

[educatedindian]

Received this defense of Owen from a follower claiming to be psychic and Cherokee. First is her email, then my response.

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I find the article about Frank MacEowen extremely offensive.  Frank never claimed to be a shaman, in fact he was adamant that he was not, that he was a seeker like the rest of us.  Neither did he charge a fortune for his workshops, nor was he a predator of any sort.  Over and over again, I saw him help people discover their, and I repeat their, inner strengths.  He helped people become their best selves, regardless of their cultural background.  And he always encouraged people to follow their own cultural traditions first, before searching beyond them.

I am a hereditary clairvoyant and practitioner of magic and I am also Cherokee.  I never once saw Frank take advantage of anyone or force his beliefs on anyone.  What I did see was someone who was deeply intuitive, thoughtful and capable of great transformative magic.  I've known many a fraud in my 60 years & I can spot them a mile away.  Frank MacEowen is not one. His books are deeply valuable to the right person and the article on your website is, frankly, libelous.

M. E. Sumner-Wichmann
New Mexico

------
Hello,

Your claims contradict the first hand accounts we have of Frank Owen. MacEowen is his fake exploiter's identity. That you choose to use it says you are either unaware of his lack of ethics, or choosing to ignore it.

Mr. Owen sold Native ceremonies he had no right to, and falsely claimed training and permission from a Native elder. While claiming to no longer do wrong, he has refused several times to either apologize or repay those he defrauded.

For being a supposed clairvoyant, your insight and ability to predict certainly seems very limited. And while you say you have Cherokee ancestry, it is uncertain how much you know of Cherokee tradition, or you would know that what Mr. Owen does is wrong.

Your understanding of the law is similarly false. Criticism is not libel, and truth is an absolute defense against libel. That's why in over a decade and a half we have never once been sued, or even had an attempted suit, only empty threats by people not knowing the law.

I will post your defense of Mr. Owen, and my response to it. You are certainly welcome to join the forum and post, and hopefully learn.

I certainly also hope you will urge Mr. Owen to do what is right and ethical for a change.

[educatedindian]

Another email from the same Owen supporter, followed by my response.

-------

I'm not interested in joining your forum and I know plenty about my ancestral ways.

I never saw Frank sell anything to do with Native American culture and I worked with him for several years in Colorado.  All his courses were taught through the Naropa Institute or Drumming Circles.

Since there were no dates listed as to events that happened in the posts on your forum, I can't speak to the things that may or may not have happened prior to his work after the millenium.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions.  I never saw Frank as anything but a humble, true seeker of wisdom who helped a lot of people become comfortable with their own cultural backgrounds, not one he imposed on them.

I agree totally with the fact that there are a lot of fakes out their who take advantage of people, which is why I have always steered of so-called "Native" teachers.  I have visited the reservation where my ancestors came from, but I have never tried to join any native group, despite my heritage having deeply affected who I am, both physically and culturally, and despite qualifying by blood quantum. [personal information deleted]

So don't make assumptions about me.  You don't know me.  I don't want my emails posted on your forum.  I'm just sick of seeing it come up any time Frank's name is mentioned.  Perhaps he started out seeking in the wrong places.  Everyone is capable of making mistakes.  I never saw any evidence of this in his work and he never, ever claimed to be a Shaman when I knew him.  Too bad people don't understand that this terminology belongs to a specific group of people in Siberia...

Margaret Sumner-Wichmann

--------

If you want to defend him, angry emails to one moderator are not going to do anything. Thus the last email, your defense, was posted, as this one will be, plus any other defenses of him.

The only time an email would be confidential was if someone were disclosing personal information or feared retaliation. Thus the family information you disclosed will not be reposted.

Naropa is itself an exploiter's group. Those drumming circles are based on imitations of Native traditions. So were Owen's sweatlodges, which he falsely claimed were Irish in origin. It is possible this happened before you knew him. Again, this simply points out there is information about the man you defend you are unaware of.

Other examples of what you don't seem to realize is that the Cherokee do not have a blood quantum requirement to enroll, and that they don't have a reservation. That was taken away almost a century ago. The Eastern Band do have a reserve.

We realize as well that humans are of course only human, and fallible. The problem remains that Owen refuses repeatedly to either admit the harm he did, and more importantly to undo the harm he did. If he were to repay those he defrauded and apologize, his name would come off the Frauds list. Until then, he remains an abuser in denial of the abuse he did, and his name stays.

[Defend the Sacred]

If Frank Owen is living in a state of abject poverty and has no money to feed, clothe or house himself, if he is homeless and starving and in dire need of medical care he cannot afford (like many people in the communities he's harmed), I think people would be compassionate about the financial restitution part of this... if he actually apologized and tried to make amends in whatever way he could. See, it's the principles involved - that he ripped people off, spiritually and emotionally as well as financially.

He owes some sort of restitution, some commitment to making things right. Since he chose to monetize his exchanges with people who came to him seeking spiritual help, he can monetize his amends. But it's going to take more than just a fistful of dollars. To borrow from the nuage idea he employed: the money is just a symbol. He has shown no compassion for the people he misled and no remorse. Every day his books are out there he continues to mislead and do harm. All his posts here show is a man still caught up in his own ego and deceptions, who thinks he deserves better than the people and cultures he's harmed.