The Ina Maka Sundance
Hello Mr. Bone Shirt,
I write with great respect and ask your permission to write to you through this email. Since your communication with my brother and myself in mid October, I have talked with a number of Lakota People from Pine Ridge and Rosebud in relation to my letters concerning Norman and Shannon Running and their Ina Maka Sun Dance. I am finally hearing from members of his Circle who have come to realize Norman's untruths and how they have been mislead all these years.
I spoke with one of the firekeepers last week and he told me Norman told him the letters I wrote made it to the Tribal Council and the members said they wanted nothing to do with it and dumped it back in Norman's lap and that it was all over. Could you direct me to a source that could verify his statement? If in fact the Tribal Council has given the problem back to Norman to solve and have no intention of becoming involved then I will pursue a different way. I believe Lakota Ceremonies and Traditions have been and continue to be seriously trampled and abused. I firmly believe it has been sold to many whites and I am definitlely against it. To give the problem back to Norman is like allowing the fox in the hen house. I have read Arvol Looking Horse's proclamation concerning Ceremony and I find it hard to believe this is what the Tribal Council told Norman. If in fact they did and the Lakota People will allow Norman to continue his Sun Dance that even more people will be injured and that will certainly not be good for the Sacred Ceremonies and Traditions of the Lakota People.
Norman told one of the Ina Maka Circle members I was bi-polar and had brought bad energy to the dance. He told this helper that the reason I wrote my letter was because after the dance Shannon told me I would not be a leader next year. I never wanted to dance last year...much less as a leader because I knew I did not belong in the Circle. Norman also said I had forged all the Western Union receipts, bank drafts, money orders and personal checks...yet he admitted to the helper he had never seen them. All of these are all more of Shannon and Norman's lies.
To be very honest my name and reputation is impeccable and I will put it on the line anywhere. The only thing I have in my life is my good name and I refuse to allow Shannon and Norman Running and their family members to trash it without being held accountable. Norman also told the helper he had just come off the Hill in Wyoming....had a Vision and now has been given his Prairie Dog Altar and will be doing Yuwipi Ceremony. My understanding is there are very few Medicine men left on the rez with Yuwipi power.
I have also heard Norman is under investigation for stealing money from the Soldier Creek Community and was voted out as Chairman of that committee because he could not account for $18,000. I have been told he is also under investigation for dealing drugs. I have heard this from numerous Lakota people I have spoken with.......many who are family members, either past or present, and claim to know him well. To hear this from so many people certainly points to the direction of this being the truth. I would like to somehow find verifications of these things.
If the Tribal Council is not willing to follow up on my complaint and do something about it then I will give the information to the B.I.A. and we know what a waste of time they are in relation to the Native Peoples of this country. If I find no results there I will also give my information to the F.B.I., D.E.A., and the I.R.S.
As I mentioned in the letters and to the people I have talked with, I only sent my letters to the members of the Ina Maka Sun Dance Circle and it traveled a path out to the People. I had no intention of ever filing charges or filing a lawsuit to get my money back. I have been told by countless people that Norman deals in drugs, pays off the local people to keep them hushed up with alcohol and drugs. i've been told by numerous people he and Shannon have both been seen many times gambling at the casino so I think I know where my money has gone.
Thank you for reading this email and may you be well. Please feel free to give this letter to anyone you would like to see it. I cannot remember if you were sent any of these letterrs but If you or any of the Lakota People want to see my original letter and my brothers editied one along with the list on money I sent to the Runnings I would be happy to mail it to them or to you...
13 September 2004
Steve Willis
To the Ina Maka Family:
I write to you with a heavy heart, but I can no longer hold my silence. Many of you know me and have been associated with Norman since he became intercessor. I have been honored to be part of Ina Maka and have danced there for the past five years with a heart full of prayer for the People. I take my commitment to the People very seriously and must stand up and have my voice heard for the protection of the People who face deception, lies and abuse. After you read this letter and the enclosed letter from my brother, Larry, then you will have to make your decision about this very painful situation. Let me be clear about this. I am not trying to persuade you to take any particular action. That will be left to your heart. But, I cannot stand by and see the abuse that my brother, along with other people, has suffered.
My brother is an honorable man who takes his commitments seriously to help the People. He was told by Shannnon that the Spirits told Norman, Grandma Mary and Grandma Alice that he was to dance for Mike White Buffalo this year as a Leader. He did this with great hesitation, but followed what he was told because of what he thought the Spirits had directed. He thought, since he was a second year supporter that it was too early for him to dance. Not only did Shannon tell him he was to dance, but that he had to pour water for people before he could be a Leader. Shannon and Norman have called him a liar and a dishonorable man, and have tried to convince you that he is the person in the wrong. And, in fact as you know, has been told to leave the Ina Maka Circle. That is a decision that Norman made and I will respect that. But I dod wonder why Norman never tried to contact Larry or me directly by telephone. Certainly, in the same situation, I would have been on the telephone immediately. This is a difficult situation and you will have to decide for yourselves what is honorable, truthful and appropriate for Ina Maka from the people who will come in the future, to the dancers, to the intercessor, and the Elders.
For your benefit, I am enclosing facts that you may not know. The fact is that Larry and Nancy have sent Shannon almost $130,000.00 between the Sundance of 2003 and the SUndance of 2004. The message that "I think
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everyone said it well, was this mans arm twisted, did he get a kick in the butt, did someone hold a gun to his head and rob him" is true. He gave the money with a good heart, asking for nothing for himself and without regret until he learned the truth.
Interestingly, of the almost $140,000.00, over %94,000.00 was sent for what he was told was for ceremony. He ws specifically told that the money was for particular ceremonies and that the Spirits had come to Norman, Grandma Mary, Grandma Alice or Ricky Two Dogs at different times for him to make a these donations. The specifics of this are listed in his letter. Shannon and Norman have stated that this is a lie. I have no evidence except my brother's honesty nad integrity to rely on that he was told that this was for ceremony as it came from Shannon over the telephone. It has been stated that other people have access to Shannon's email address and that very well may be true. I do have copies of emails from Shannon, and as well from Ricky Two Dogs emails sent from Norman's email address to my brother. Maybe others sent the emails. I do not know. But, I do have evidence of the receipts of how and when the money was sent. The receipts range from Western Union, to personal cancelled checks, to an overextended credit card that my brother allowed Shannon to use freely. In one month alone, there were charges on the credit card for more than $12,000.00. This is verifiable and I will send photocopies at your request. I do not know what Shannon did with the money, but I do know that she or her other family members collected the money. I have the evidence. It is irrefutable. It has been stated that Shannon did not know about this. So, just two of the many questions I have are" "Why did she accept this money?" and "Why didn't she question why it was being sent?" These are questions only Shannon can answer.
The dilemma that I have faced was taht I honestly respected Shannon and Norman. I have been to their house many times and always thought of them as family. I have always thought that each Dance was good and I was honored to be part of it. And I, like many of you, looked forward to those special days in July when we came together to pray for the People. Many times the knowledge that I would be dancing again the next summer got me through some very rough times in my life. Now, that has changed. I cannot stand by and witness the blatant abuse and deceitful lies. I can no longer stand by and see unsuspecting and trusting people with good hearts being abused. I have heard from many supporters and dancers that they have sent Norman and Shannon more money than they could afford. I have done the same. I have sent money to Norman and Shannon over the years that I could have spent on my own family. But, in good faith, I sent the money to them.
Because I now have knowledge of widespread abuse, this issue is no longer about the money. It is about how the People are treated. It is about how my relations are treated. There is absolutely no place for dishonesty and abusive treatment. This cannot be tolerated. I was told before I ever entered the
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Sundance Circle that I should carry my Pipe for the People, not for myself. I believe that and I have made that commitment. I have been told that the primary responsibility for a Sundancer is to protect the People. I believe that. This is the sole reason for this letter. It is not to attack Norman or Shannon, but to inform the people I respect. This abuse must stop and I am willing to stand up to protect the People, even if I stand alone, and even in the face of the reality that I may never dance again. The People must know all the facts. It has been stated taht we are all Pipe carriers, and many of us are. For me, a Pipe carrier must be honest, trustworthy, respectful and beyond reproach.
I consider the Ina Maka circle my family and this situation has brought me, as well as many people, pain and hurt. When I first got this information, I was in shock. When I saw the evidence, I took this information to my family and we talked a long time about what to do. It was painful. We decided that the information should first go to the Sundance Leaders along with a few veteran dancers to see what they thought was the best course of action. They asked me and my brother to not communicate with anyone in Ina Maka about this until it was resolved. We honored that. It is my understanding that the Leaders were trying to work out a meeting with Norman to see how this situation could be resolved honorably and to see if a healing ceremony could be conducted for the entire Circle. We were trying to meet with Norman before this information went out to everyone. Shannon and Norman are the ones who sent the letter to everyone, not the Sundance Leaders nor anyone in my family. Previous to the information going to the Ina Maka circle, I also sent Norman an email that I, along with my family, would come to him and sit to try to resolve this. I never received a response. Prior to any communication with anyone in Ina Maka, and to try to resolve this situation without hurt to the People, my brother sent Shannon a letter that contained this information in hopes that she and Noran would respond. My brother was told through an email from Shannon that Dawee had picked up the mail, saw the letter addressed to Shannon, and gave it to Norman who burned it in a Loedge fire. I have no evidence that Norman ever recieved or read the letter. Only Norman knows that. But an honest attempt was made to resolve this prior to this hurt being sent out to all the People. No one went behind Norman to try to be hurtful. My family and the Leaders were honorable in their actions. Again, I question why Norman reacted the way he did without first contacting either Larry or me. Instead, it seems that the jury and hangman were directed at my family. I question why no leader or Sundancer contacted anyone in my family before they passed their judgment.
Before any of these meetings could occur. Shannon and Norman sent out their emails of accusations and misinformation, and indicated that everyone has a copy of my brother's letter. I apologize for duplicating my brother's letter, but I send it to you for clarificaiton.
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As Norman is taking responsibility for Shannon, I am taking the responsibility for my brother. I am the one who brouoght him and Nancy to Sundance. I am the one who introduced them to Shannon and Norman. I am the one who said taht Shannon and Norman were honorable and trustworthy. I am the one who voiced a great amount of respect for Shannon and Norman, the dancers and the Ina Maka circle. Norman stated in one of his emails that Victoria and Carlo were responsible for this. This is a blatant lie. I was there. I know what they said and what they did. I wonder why Norman never checked with them or me before he accused innocent people. My brother and I brought this forward, and no one else.
Larry and Nancy never questioned Shannon about the donations nor did they question the fact that they were told by Shannon to not tell anyone, not even anyone in their family. I truly regret that they held this confidence so long. In the process, Larry emptied his life-long savings account, his business account, and is presently $70,000.00 in debt.
Now, I am taking the responsibility to let each person be fully informed. Out of my respect for you and the Sundance Circle, I am sending all of the information to all of the People who are associated with the Ina Maka. Each of you must grapple with this and come to your answer for yourself and your family.
By Norman telling my brother to take four steps back for telling the truth and trying to help the People, I must weight the gravity of this statement. Not only is it hurtful, but full of social problems and spiritual contradictions that weight heavily on my heart.
If anyone in the Ina Maka Circle would like to speak to me, sit with me, or fill our Pipes together, I am willing to do whatever I can to provide the facts, and help to protect the People.
I am truly every sorry for all the pain and suffering, but I do have to say with a clear mind and heart, in light of all the evidence, my brother is certainly not the guilty party, and neighter is any one else in my family. He's only guilty of being naive and gullible, and for having the honesty and courage to stand up for the People. He sent the money to Shannon to help the People and to be used in Ceremony and that is the only reason. There has been much deceit,
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misinformation and painful lies told about my brother and many other people. This must be stopped.
As I hope you will, I will call for ceremony with someone I trust to put this in the past, put the burden down, and become whole, and healthy again.
Since I do not have addresses for all the members of the Ina Maka circle, please feel free to forward this to anyone in the circle.
With utmost respect to you and your families,
Steve Willis
* * * * * * * * * *
September 11, 2004
Hello Sundance Leaders, Sundancers, Firekeepers, Security, Cooks, Supporters, and all people who support Ina Maka Sun Dance.
I write with treat respect and thanks to each and every one of you who have helped in the preparation and completion of the Ina Maka Sun Dance. While I only supported two years and danced one year it held a special and very spiritual place in my heart. The following letter is written with a heavy heart but I feel the situation that happened to my girlfriend Nancy and me needs to be brought out in the open. While this letter is painful, it is true in all its content.
First let me apologize for writing about some things that are sacred and pertain to Ceremony but in order to tell my story these events must be included. Please let me introduce myself so you may have some background before I begin my story. My name is Larry Willis. 3 years ago my girlfriend Nancy, who had cancer, and I came to Ina Maka to support my younger brother Steve Willis. We supported him for the first 2 years in 2002 and 2003. Late last year I was asked to dance in Mike White Buffalo Chief's position as a head dancer. I declined the offer but Shannon told me that Norman, Grandma Mary and Grandma Alice had gone on the hill and prayed to the Spirits about who would fill Milke's position. Shannon told me a coyote came to them and said I should dance in Mike's position. I repeatedly asked who was requesting me to dance, Norman or the Spirits. I was told it was definitely Spirit taht had told Norman and the Grandmas I should fill the empty position. I suggested they choose a seasoned dancer, but Shannon
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insisted dance as a leader. Reluctantly I accepted as he insisted it was a request by the Spirits.
Here is m story of how Shannon asked for money, in total we have sent just under $140,000.00 since Sundance last year. Most of the money Shannon asked for was under the guise of Altar offerings for Ceremonies. Of the $140,00.00 we sent, over $94,000.00 was requested for Ceremonies that never happened. I was asked for the remaining $46,000.00 for many other reasons. There are many, many things I have not written in this letter concerning the additional $46,000.00 that was sent to Shannon for things that did not concern Ceremony. Most of these requests for money have turned out to be unfounded, which are documented and can be proven. The object of this letter is to make you aware of the money that was sent under the pretense it was to be used for Ceremony. My claims are backed up by Western Union receipts, money orders, bank checks, personal checks and bank transfers to Shannon's account. I would be happy to talk about any of the additional $46,000.00 in "donations" if you wish to speak to me. This was all the money I ahd in the world and I had saved it like a miser since I was 16 years old, planning for my retirement. I'm nearly 59 years old. I sent a vast amount of it because I was told it was offerings to the Altar to honor the Spirits in Ceremony and also for wopilas following those Ceremonies. In all but a few of the instances where I was asked for money, it was to go into Ceremony and ultimately be hung in a waluta, on the Cedar Tree to honor the Spirits.
Right after my second year as a supporter Shannon began to ask me for money. In all of the following instances it was Shannon, not Norman, who asked for the money, either on the phone or by e-mail. Please bear in mind taht time frame of these requests, from after Ina Maka Sundance 2003 until Ina Maka Sundance 2004, actually less than a year. I also received requests for money by email from Ricky Two Dogs, Ginger Boyce, Cassandra Four Horns and Dawee Running. Many of these requests came from Shannon's email address. I do not have any evidence of who wrote these emails. Only Shannon can answer that question. I know for a fact that a Cassandra Four Horns never existed, even though Shannon sent me a photograph of her. I sent the photograph to one of my four contacts on the Rex and was immediately informed that it is actually a photograph of a teenage senior girl attending school at St. Francis Indian School. For obvious reasons, I have not incluced her name.
Following is a list of why some of the money was sent to Shannon.
1. In October of 2003, Nancy and I were adopted by Joanna as her grandparents. We were told they did a Hunka Ceremony and Shannon and Norman stood in for Nancy and me. We were asked to send $350.00 for the wopila.
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2. Later in the year, I was told Ricky Two Dogs, who lives on Pine Ridge, was doing Ceremony for an illness for Shannon. We sent $650.00 to pay for that Ceremony.
3. Shortly afterwards, I was told Ricky's Two Dog's Grandmother Kate, who's birthday was conveniently the same day as mine, crossed over 4 days after her 100th birthday. We paid for that funeral and the Wopila. Norman and Ricky brought Grandma Kate back in the Ghost Ceremony, and I was told by Shannon that Grandma Kate told Norman and Ricky to build me a Medicine Pipe and place it on Norman's Alter along with Norman and Ricky's Pipes. I was also told that Grandma Kate gifted me her Medicine Bundle taht she received when she was 4 years old. I was to receive the Pipe and the Bundle at Sun Dance this past year. I did not. We sent $2,400.00 for the funeral, Ceremony, offering for the Medicine Pipe, and Wopila.
4. Shortly after the funeral we were told Ricky and Norman were arrested for burning Grandma Kate in the traditional Lakota way. We sent $800.00 for Ceremony to convince the authorities to let them out of jail. We sent an additional $500.00 for a fine to actually get them out.
5. We were told Cassandra Four Horns paid $5,000.00 for two horses that Johana released at the Medicine Pipe building Ceremony for my Pipe. Shannon said Cassandra had wanted to be a part of the Pipe and therefore bought the horses. When things did not go as Cassandra expected she asked for the $3,200.00 back for one of the horses. I was told she was one of Grandma Alice Four Horns' granddaughters who had come back from Philadelphia after she had been adopted by a White family at the age of 10. They named her Contessa Avery. Shannon told me that she came back to the Rez last year when she was 26 years old and changed her name to Cassandra Four Horns. Cassandra is a non-existent person. There is no Cassie Four Horns but there is a woman living in Rosebud named Tessa Avery.
6. We were told Norman and Shannon recently were married by the Pipe. We were told the Chiefs from the Seven Council Fires were there. We paid $2,600.00 for that Ceremony.
7. We sent $2,500.00 for Ceremony for Jorden becoming a woman. My sources on the Rez tell me the Ceremony never happened. Only Shannon and Norman can answer that question.
8. We were told Norman accepted the Chief's Bonnet after the Ceremony for Jorden becoming a woman. We sent $500.00 for that Ceremony and wopila, where we were told all the Chiefs from the seven Councils were there.
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9. We were told Ione blew bad medicine on Jorden in her puberty Ceremony and they did Ceremony to take away the illness and make Jorden better. We sent $800.00 for that Ceremony.
10. Two days after the Ceremony to take the illness away that Ione had blown on Jorden we sent $4,000.00 to take away Ione's power as Shannon said said the Ione had sold her soul to the Devil.
11. Five days later more Ceremony was done and we sent $4,000.00 for the Altar.
12. Six days later we sent $1,000.00 as a thank you for Grandpa Elmer Running for helping with the Ceremony to take care of Ione's bad medicine.
13. Two days later we sent $3,000.00 for Ceremony to take care of Grandma Mary and Grandma Yvonne's health. We sent money for a Yuwipi Ceremony to remove Grandma Mary's cancer.
14. We were told Norman did Ceremony for Ricky Two Dogs after a horrible automobile wreck that took the lives of his mother, wife, three children and a neighbor named Clara. We were told Norman went to the hospital and after he saw Ricky was brain dead he did a Ceremony to bring Ricky back from his brain dead state. We sent $5,000.00 for that Ceremony. My contact on Pine Ridge said that Ricky is well and lives with his wife and has never been in a bad wreck or in the federal prison in Pierre.
15. Four days later Shannon asked for more Ceremony obligations amounting to $7,000.00.
16. Two days later we were told Ricky put his Ghost Dance shirt and Drum up for sale for Ceremony and we sent $3,000.00 so he could keep those items in his family.
17. Four days later Shannon said she would put her life on the Altar for Ceremony. We sent $6,500.00 to gift the Spirits so Shannon could take care of her obligation of her life on the Altar.
18.
Three days later we sent $3,500.00 for a Ceremony Grandma Mary did which told Shannon and me about our connection through the Spirits. I was told through the Ceremony that Shannon and I were connected as far back as 1813 and that is why we felt so close to each other. I was told Grandma Mary went back into the womb of Mother Earth and told Shannon that she was my daughter in 1813 and also the rest of the story concerning our connection.
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19. Four days later I was so happy and honored about my connection with Shannon that I mentioned the story to my brother Steve. When I told Shannon I had shared part of our connection story with my brother, she exploded, and said that she would have to make a sacrifice to the Altar as the story was sacred and not to be told. I was not told the story could not be shared with my brother but I had to send $4,500.00 for the Altar to honor the Spirits. Remember how Shannon introduced me the day of Norman's camp meeting? She introduced me and said "and this is my Dad."
20. 15 days later I sent $6,000.00 for my wopila for the Medicine Pipe I never received.
21. 14 days later Ricky did Ceremony to get his life on track after the loss of his family and put his life on the Altar. We sent $2,000.00 for that Ceremony.
22. I paid over $12,000.00 in credit card charges in the month of May for various Ceremonies and wopilas because I had run out of accessible money. At this point Nancy refused to help me and I didn't tell her about these Cremonies so I have no specific recollection of what the money was for. I can certainly call the credit card compnay and trace the charges.
23. This money was not sent for Ceremony but the story is VERY NOTEWORTHY! We were told Ricky Two Dogs, Ginger Boyce and Cassandra Four Horns took all the money in the walutas on the Cedar Tree. We sent $2,500.00 to set up a sting for their arrest. We were told they were arrested and sent to the federal in Pierre. I was told two days later that Cassandra and Ginger had hung themselves in their cells. Prison officials in Pierre and law enforcement on Rosebud have no record of arrests for Ricky Two Dogs, Cassandra Four Horns or Ginger Boyce or any suicides. We were told the State investigators would return the $2,500.00 sting money in a week. We still do not have it because there never was an arrest.
24. We were told Ricky Two Dogs was trying to get Norman's medicine and we sent $2,500.00 to send Norman, Shannon and Grandpa Elmer Running on a trip to Wyoming to be doctored by an elderly Shoshone medicine man.
25. As you know, I was adopted by Norman in the Circle this year and was told I needed to pay $3,500.00 for that Ceremony and Wopila as Rick Hedeen had paid $XXXX and I needed to pay more than he did to be in a good place of honor.
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I have been told that neither the Ceremony for Johana adopting Nancy and me as grandparents nor the one for Norman adopting me asa brother were done in a traditional Lakota manner. It is my understanding that when a Lakota adoption is done the Wopila and feast is paid for by the sponsor and not the Hunka. It is also my understanding that the purpose of the adoption is for the sponsor to always take care of the Hunka and not the Hunka always taking care of the sponsor.
I wrote this letter in late August and have held it on my computer to give the head dancers and some senior dancers a chance to talk with Norman to see if there was an honorable way to solve this situation. I do not know if he was privy to all that went on but I do know he sent a letter out September 7th to try to paint a picture of me being a bad person and offering his forgiveness. In the first place only the Creator can forgive, not Norman, me, nor anyone else. In the second place, I do not need forgiveness for sending $240,00.00 to people I loved and trusted.
It breaks my heart to write this letter, and with one or two exceptions, the things contained are only the ones where I was asked for money under the pretense it would be used for Ceremony. I can produce documentation of requests for money for every dollar Nancy and I sent. I also have nearly every email Shannon ever sent me, which includes emails from Ricky Two Dogs sent from Norman's email address concerning the Ceremonial money stolen from the Cedar tree. I don't know what Shannon did with the money. Maybe it is in a bank account somewhere, in a can buried under the trailer, stuffed under a mattress, or given to other people. I only know she received the money, I have that evidence.
Norman and Shannon have sent out a number of letters recently trying to depict me as being untruthful. I was asked by one Sundance supporter to not say any more negative things about Shannon and Norman and take it to the Pipe. First and foremost I will tell you, as I did this supporter in regard to his suggestion to take it to the Pipe that I am 59 years old, and I was raised to tell the truth and I have done so all my life. I was gifted my Pipe 3 years ago. I have never had to go to the Pipe to tell the truth. My thoughts on this are simple. If I have to hold the Pipe in my hand or smoke the Pipe with someone so they believe I am speaking the truth then I don't need to be around that type of person. Since the Pipe is in my heart, I tell the truth whether I am physically holding my Pipe or not.
In regard to that supporter asking me not to say negative things about Norman and Shannon, I have never said anything against Norman other than to say it's hard to believe all this deception could go on under his nose and he would not be aware of it. I have never said Norman asked me for money for Ceremony. I have said many things concerning Shannon and I hold strong to the truth with my heart. I understand the seriousness of this letter and can
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provide evidence of each and every statement with facts of receipts and emails. There are two sides to every story, and so far, you have heard only one side. Consider calling me and I can share with you how I was deceived.
From being asked for over $94,000.00 for Ceremony to:
1. We were told that Dawee's trailer burning to the ground. (I remember requesting helf from Ina Maka members, and many of you sent money to Shannon. When I was on the Rez this summer, Dawee's trailer looked fine. I guess the trailer did not burn to the ground.
2. We payed tuition for Cory for a non-existent school. The first time, on January 8th, we were asked for tuition money, it was for $350.00. The second time, less than 6 months later, May 18th, we were asked for $2,000.00 for Cory's tuition. We were told by people on the Rez that Cory does not attend a school of any kind.
3. Gifting Grandma Red Bear Woman Two Dogs $600.00 for doing Ceremony to heal Shannon's Chihuahua's broken leg.
4. The daughter I was supposed to have adopted, Lola Marie, Lola for my Grandmother and Marie for Shannon, was not from a street girl Shannon met like I was told, but from a woman Shannon knows very well who was told that would send $2,500.00 a month for the care of my adopted daughter.
The list goes on and on, such as:
We also bought Shannon 4 cars and Norman a pickup truck. We bought her a house, 3 trailers and 10 acres of land that she was to hold for me if I ever moved out to the Rez. I suspect that Nancy and I were not the only ones who made donations. I wonder how many people have paid for the same electric bill, car repair, or other emergencies. If you have concerns about these continued requests for money and you would like to talk about it, or share your experiences so we may all be well and recover from this please feel free to contact me at seakayaks at aol.com I prefer the initial contact to be by email to set up a good time to talk and then I will be happy to call you and answer any questions you may have...
What you may not understand is that I loved Shannon to the depth of my heart. She was the sister I never had Iloved Johnna and Jorden and I continually sent gifts to my new family and new grandbabies. I spoke with Shannon every day for a year. I listened to her instead of my own family. I gave her my heart. I trusted her and respected her. To give you an idea of how
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much I loved Shannon as as sister. I used to talk with her every day from 30 minutes to as long as 3 hours. I was on vacation in New Mexico last year and wanted to go to the Gathering of the Nations in Albuquerque. I called her from the motel to ask her and Norman to come down. I was castigated because she said Norman had taken a commitment for her that was for me, and he was on the hill for me and it was unfair for me to be having such a good time. I advised Nancy what was up, barricaded myself in the darkened motel room, fasted with no food and water and stayed in prayer for 2 days for Norman. Nancy and the couple with us went to the Gathering. I stay in prayer. I am firmly convinced Norman was not on the hill for me.
I have no bad thoughts about Norman or Shannon, only dismay at why I was repeatedly deceived by a family I loved deraly. For Shannon to continue to deny the truth when I have the overwhelming proof seems absurd. In doing this she is continuing to deceive people. I do hope you make a decision that is good for you and your family. I was told by head and senior dancers that I needed to tell my story in order to protect the people of the Circle. I was told if I did not it would fall on my shoulders if others were hurt or deceived. I have not fulfilled my commitment. If you choose to believe the rhetoric of Norman and Shannon then that is your decision. I respect that.
May you walk a Path of Light. This experience has not altered the way I pray or the path I walk, only where I walk. I carry my Pipe humbly and in prayer. I left the harsh words and the lies I heard behind on the day I was told these stories in a Pine Ridge Lakota's living room right after Sundance. I have learned it is not disrespectful to ask a question or challenge an order in a respectful way. But this has been an expensive and painful lesson for me. I hope this information will save you the heartache I have suffered. Hopefully you have not experienced nor ever will experience what Nancy and I have gone through. But if you have, may you be able to travel the same path of contentment I have found.
Respectfully,
Larry Willis
DISCLAIMER DLN is unable to make any claim, promise or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site and its associated sites, including this particular document.
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