Shake Tent Man: John Redman

I never did trust that guy cause he has those shifty eyes.  It's not that I even know him or anything. He's never done me no wrong.  But I think there are lot of shady characters out here in Indian land. The number of Healers out here is staggering. I even see them advertising on the Facebook.  Me, I think we need to flush them out, or at least gossip about them. That's one thing I do really good, it's gossiping. I'm heading out the ceremony to see if there is any "Jazz" in this guy's ceremony. To see if he is indeed the real deal and can contact the Spirits. 

The bush road is well traveled and my old Chevy has no problems. I listen to some Native American Church music to set my mood.  I'm not a Peyote guy but I like the songs; the Water Drum is soothing. Primeaux and Mike is the only cd I have of Peyote Songs. My friend Farley is a Road Chief so I did go Peyote to support his Ceremony, but I only went once. It was good ceremony but I go Sundance me. 

Lot of people go out to this bush place for ceremony and whatever. The Jeescan Ceremony is going to be staring soon at about nine at night.   You know Indians, they always do things only when the time feels right, so nine o'clock could be eight or ten o'clock. Anyways, this guy, this Jeescan-Inini is going to conjure the Spirits to answer people's queries. I'm skeptical. I'm not skeptical of the Ceremony or  the Spirits because they are real. I've seen them. But this guy, this guy with the shifty eyes, all  cool with the girls and shit. Man, it burns me that some guys just appear on the  scene and are full of the power to call the Spirits. I can't do any of that. I even went on a few Vision Quests trying to get some message but I didn't get a calling to do Ceremony. So I go to the Ceremony and try to help out and much of the time I am mostly a spectator. I like being in the bush, it's quiet out here. This time of year its great, all the colours and the leaves crunching under your feet. One thing I know to do when heading to a Ceremony where I don't know the players is to keep some sage in my shoes.  That is my protection but I don't let the people know. Or sometimes when I am in strange territory I add some gopher dust just like Crazy Horse use to do when he went into battle with the U.S. Calvary.  Oh, here we are at the Shake tent site. The site is in a clearing out in the bush not too far from the City.  Well there a few cars here I see. Holy Heck, someone is driving an Audi 8.  Cool. Some rich big shot with a nice car out here in the bush. I wonder who it is? 

The Shake Tent is up and the Fire is going good. People are ready for the show. John Redman is the Shake Tent man.  I wonder how he is going to communicate  with the Spirits?  I always thought that Shake Tent were done by people with no kids? Heard this guy is a baby maker all over. One of those guys that has lots of kids but is no Dad to anyone of them.  But what do I know anyway? Guess this guy must have the goods or people wouldn't come out and seek answers.  It reminds of this Elder back home, that guy was a real Jeeski-inin; Shake Tent man. I once saw him go in to fight the sent-evil. There are people who will use the Spirits to hurt someone. The Shake Tent man he took his weapons in with him. It was awesome.  He laid his gun and axe in front of him and then he went into a dream trance. It was in this other world that he fought the demon. So I didn't see the fight, I just sat there and watched him as he went into a meditative state. With his Shake Tent, the guy would bring in the Spirits and you could actually hear them coming in and speaking. The tent would bend back and forth almost hitting the ground. With this new guy, Redman,  I kind of wonder how the Shake tent works. Is the guy going to kick at the tent poles to make it shake? How will it be when the Spirits come into the tent or even if they come in? What will happen in there, inside the tent when John Redman is speaking with the Spirits?

Shake Tent man John Redman is in the tent now. It is quite interesting how its set up; about six feet tall and three to four feet round at the  bottom and  coming to a smaller point at top but it has about a foot opening at the top. It kind of looks like the classic tipi. The tent canvas is tied around with rope and there is a cedar tree or branch sticking out the top. I can hear the bells tied onto the Shake Tent as it starts to shake. John Redman is singing and  I can't hear anything else. John's a good singer. I thought I would hear the Spirits coming in by now,  but I just hear the tent shaking and the bells chiming? Must be quiet Spirits. Wonder which ones are shaking the tent? John is singing but he can't be moving the tent as his voice is so clear and doesn't seem like he is moving around. 

Oh wait, the shaking is stopping and the tent is going still.  People are gathered around waiting to see. It's dead quiet, now that is pretty weird.  The wait for John Red is taking for ever. How come he's not saying anything? Maybe someone should yell out to him in the tent? Maybe we are waiting for the Spirits to speak, I don't know? Ah, now that big shot guy is going to the tent. I think he used to a politician or maybe a judge; not sure but he's dressed really nice. I like his shirt and jacket. The beadwork on his jacket is cool. It's that floral type that Ojibway and Cree make. Must be worth a few hundred bucks his jacket. I wonder who made it?

John Redman is not answering.  I wonder if someone could take a peak.  I don't know, are you allowed to look inside the tent?  Hey! The Big Shot is opening the front of the tent. Those Big Shots think they own the whole place. Where does he think he is? Think he can do whatever he wants. 

Holy heck, what's happening? The Big Shot is dragging out John Red out of the tent. People are screaming and now it looks like John is not getting up.  Wait, the Big Shot is slamming on John Red. What the heck.

"Hey! Leave that guy alone! Let him go boy!  I'm fucking telling you, let him go!"

Big Shot is yelling something, "He's not breathing! Help me!"

Mass chaos going on here, people are screaming gathering around, everyone wants to help or to see. It looks like John Redman is dead!  I can't believe it.  What the hell happened in that tent? It was shaking like its supposed to and then nothing.  Did the Spirits come and take John Redman?  Did he do something wrong?  I mean I heard that he used his ceremony to try and snag White women, maybe that's what happened.

The Big Shot tells everyone, "He's gone."