Abuse and Exploitation of American Indian Sacred Traditions

[NVMojo]

I just received this alert via the Indigenous News Network. Many of us are not really truly aware of the exploitation that goes on with traditional spiritual beliefs.

Alert – Re:
Brooke ‘Medicine Eagle’ Edwards

Abuse and Exploitation of American Indian Sacred Traditions
A Statement from the Center for the SPIRIT

One phenomenally successful exploiter of traditional Indian spirituality
is a woman named Brooke Edwards, who transacts her business under the
assumed name of "Brooke Medicine Eagle". Ms. "Medicine Eagle" operates
"spirituality camps" in Montana, charging as much as $1,500 per person
for the privilege of putting up a tent on her ranch for two weeks.
(Assuming that at least twenty people participate in each session, Ms.
"Medicine Eagle" takes in at least $30,000 every two weeks, all summer
long.) Ms. "Medicine Eagle" has been denounced by the Crow Tribe of
Montana, with whom she claims affiliation as a spiritual "teacher", for
misrepresenting and abusing the spiritual traditions of the Crow people
through her high-profit cottage industry. According to John Pretty On
Top, traditional Crow sundance chief and the officially designated
Cultural Director and Speaker for the Crow Tribe, Ms. "Medicine Eagle"
is neither a traditional medicine woman (contrary to her paid
advertisements) nor an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe. Rather, Ms.
"Medicine Eagle" is a profound embarrassment to traditional Crow People,
says Mr. Pretty On Top:

"The book she published is so far away from Crow spirituality she's not
recognized anywhere in our traditional ways". Mr. Pretty On Top has
expressed concern for the harm to the reputation of legitimate Crow
spirituality that inevitably follows from the prosperous charlatanism of
imposters like Brooke Edwards and he urges non-Indians not to support
Ms. "Medicine Eagle" financially or otherwise.

We join with John Pretty On Top and the Crow Tribe of Montana in urging
all supporters of American Indian people to help us in our struggle for
social justice and religious freedom by actively opposing the spiritual
genocide manifest in the exploitation and abuse of our most precious
sacred traditions by cultists, con artists, hucksters, charlatans and
"plastic medicine people" like Brooke Edwards. And we invite you to
contact us at Center for the SPIRIT whenever you become aware of
situations in which American Indian sacred traditions are being
exploited and abused, so that we may help you and your community develop
and implement an effective strategy of community education and active
resistance to such exploitation.

Center for the SPIRIT (Support and Protection of Indian Religions and
Indigenous Traditions) is a nonprofit organization of American Indian
people dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of American
Indian spiritual practices and religious traditions. Headquartered in
Oakland we have begun to systematically address the momentous problem of
"New Age" exploitation and expropriation of the sacred traditions of
American Indian tribes--a problem which has proliferated alarmingly in
the Bay Area and throughout California in recent years.

They can be reached at P.O. Box 17002, Oakland , Calif. 94601.

http://www.sonomacountyfreepress.com/features/brooke-edwards.html

More info here:

http://www.treatycouncil.org/section_211513111.htm

[Mabus]

1. I met John Pretty On Top about ten years ago

He is an incredible man. He's the real deal. I take his advice very seriously. Thanks for passing this on.

edited for spelling.

[rumpel]

2. I m glad this is being addressed

aside from the obvious she could bring greart harm to herself....
Maybe this can be referred to the Native American Rights Fund to send a warning to the publisher, too.

[Desertrose]

3. Its really sad to see so many "plastic medicine people"

who are out there taking advantage of those who may be sincere in their desire to connect with Spirit through Indigenous traditions, yet gullible enough to believe some of these phonies who charge big bucks for nothing of substance.

I've always felt that no one should charge for teachings from Spirit.

[Cerridwen]

4. There's an "artist" here in the Phoenix area who,

according to my boyfriend, buys Native American arts and crafts from the local Navajo tribe for pittance then sells their work in his upscale Scottsdale shops at outrageous markup returning nothing of his profits to the tribe. He's been doing this for 35 or so years. He is supposedly a member of the tribe. Amazing how exploitation works. :(

[NuttyFluffers]

5. ooh, this is just next door to me...

i was pretty saddened by seeing the "plastic medicine people" and others fleecing the gullible genuinely interested in native american religious belief. it was something i was made aware of in several NA classes when i was in college. it just seemed like salt on the wound after everything they've gone through. take their land, take their homes, take their children, take their lives, take their history, take their heritage, and now trying to take their soul.

sure there might be a few who are genuine about their interest, but there's far too many shucksters in the midst. one would definitely be better off hanging out with the NA people themselves to learn more. and the NA community could use all the help and support they can get, they've faced serious problems and still face many to this day. i encourage people to be more cautious and deal with faith with honest people -- most religious priests/rabbi/etc. are incredibly forthcoming and kind to anyone curious about their faith and i've yet to see one put a price on witnessing a few of their 'outsider permitted' sacred rituals ($ for sacred ritual so cheapens the experience, it's like sacrilege).