In the early 1980s I studied with a Blackfoot Sioux Medicine man and a Karuk Medicine man in Northern California

Stories like the last article were not unusual in the 1980s either. At that time the Blackfoot Sioux Medicine man had been active in the American Indian Movement which began in the late 1960s here in the U.S.

So, I heard many horrific things that had been done to separate people from their culture and religion not just in the U.S. but in Canada and Mexico and Central And South America too. In fact, in places like Argentina native Argentinians were completely wiped off the face of the earth unless they went to another nearby country. So, this kind of thing where genocide happened wasn't just in the U.S. and Canada but also in Mexico and Central and South America too.

It's important to understand that small pox blankets (that others had died in) were often given to new tribes as the soldiers and settlers moved west here in the U.S. simply because native Americans had no immunity at all to European diseases like smallpox, malaria or even the common flu which were bred in big cities in Europe since likely 5000 BC and in places like Egypt and China even before that in big cities where flush toilets didn't exist then likely until the 1700s and 1800s and not very much even then here in the U.S.

Archaeologists figure that about 90% of the native American population died from European diseases when the first trappers came to those areas. So, by the time the settlers came 90% of most tribes had already died of pandemics and plagues of various kinds. So, imagine a plague that kills 90% of everyone you know which is what happened to all the tribes in north, south and central America when the White people came from Europe.

However, things like a 4 day no water and no food vision quest taught for thousands of years by tribes all over to give people visions from God to show them what to do next in their lives I found very valuable in life. 

Also, I found the Sweat Lodge to get closer to mother earth in the womb of mother earth I found very useful also in finding myself along the way too and it made me closer to God and everything and everyone he has created on Earth.

By God's Grace