It all started when I got my roll number, from my tribe.
I had gotten into genealogy and was doing research for a friend of mine when he came to check on his paper work. He brought someone else with him, we will call him little chief. He was about 5'10 and 165 lbs blue gray eyes and shoulder length dark brown hair which was turning to gray. He seemed very humble and nice, he gave me the feeling he was always watching me, but after I got to know him, I realized maybe its just me I shouldn't judge him for these feelings.
So as time went on we did become friends with his wife and family too. He asked me how much did I know about my indian side. I told him I did the sweats in the old way, (the first church of my ancestors, a mound of dirt with a hole in the center for the rocks, and the covering was buffalo hides put all over the top to hide the light and to keep the fire from being put out by wind or rain it is like the white mans sonn a, lutta gatta(red hot)) and you do sweat. In fact that is its name "a sweatlodge".
Upon finding out that I too beleive in the old ways he invited me to his sweat lodge. Being a four year sundancer (I thought) this was acceptable, only those sundancing for four years can run a sweat lodge. It was during this period of time that I found out more then I wanted and things began to happen to me.
As time passed and the elders saw my heart was good that he ask if I would lay the herbs on the fire in the sweat lodge. For me this being a big honor of our people, I did, and as time passed he would show me more that he himself could do, but it involved two human skulls and owl feathers. Since this is just not done amongst our people the Tsa-la-gi (Cherokee), I felt very scared and knew I should get far away from this man. It turned out he used this for evil not good, he said a chant and made the two skulls face each other and light up! I had never saw this before and became very afraid. I ran to my car and left He yelled out that I was not to tell anyone, but I did go to an elder so he could tear down his lodge and bless the ground again and replace the evil there with good. It still haunts me today for he still sends things to me that are evil for telling on him.
I am telling the truth please warn people of the Tsa-la-gi to stay away from lodges of this kind, for with them comes the spirits of evil ones, and this is the 90's I know, but this is a true story and if it can happen to me it could happen to another Native American Indian of any tribe!