Archie Fire Lame Deer
Encyclopedia
Archie Fire Lame Deer or Tȟáȟča Hušté (1935-2001) was a Hollywood stuntman, a medicine man
, and a lecturer of Lakota people religion. He grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation
. With Richard Erdoes he wrote Gift of Power: the life and teachings of a Lakota medicine man. He is the son of John Fire Lame Deer.
Archie Fire Lame Deer was born in Corn Creek, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation
. His father was John Fire Lame Deer, a well known Lakota holy man. Archie grew up with the guidance and teachings of his grandfather, Henry Quick Bear. He attended school at the St. Francis Indian School, but was able to run away at age 14 after many tries. He enlisted in the army twice and was a veteran of the Korean War, a member of the Special Forces and a P.O.W.
Among other temporary careers Archie was a ranch hand on numerous South Dakota ranches, a rattlesnake exterminator, a Hollywood stuntman, a rodeo rider and a foreman on a Hollywood ranch. Upon giving up alcohol addiction in 1971 he also became a drug and alcohol counsellor. Through the Los Angeles Indian Center he ran a program for Native American offenders imprisoned in both State and Federal institutions in California. Archie was instrumental in bringing Lakota purification ceremonies into prisons across the United States and also helped found and run the Santa Barbara Indian Center.
The last twenty years of his life Archie Fire Lame Deer has travelled throughout the world teaching Lakota spiritual beliefs and way of life. In his travels he met and talked with numerous spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama and the Pope. In 1980 he also spoke in Rotterdam at the Fourth Russell Tribunal on Indigenous Peoples' Rights.
For many years Chief Lame Deer was the intercessor at the annual Crow Dog’s Sundance on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, just like his father before him. When Archie died, his son John took his place as a Chief and medicine man and carries on the traditions of the Lame Deer family.
Archie Fire Lame Deer was subject of the book Gift of Power: The Life and Teachings of a Lakota Medicine Man, which he wrote together with Richard Erdoes.
ceremony for two men, one of whom, Ronald Delgado, was a diabetic. Delgado died during the four-day ceremony. Lame Deer was promptly denounced as a "known fraud" and a "twinkie" (New Age
practitioner) by Native American activists and even by some white New Age groups. Activists from many Indian nations express concern and anger about the large number of unqualified persons, both Anglo and Indian, taking money to conduct alleged sweat lodge
, sun dance
, and vision quest
ceremonies—often gravely at odds with the real thing—primarily for Anglo people, many of whom subsequently proclaim themselves to have received inspiration to become "medicine people" themselves, perpetuating the fraud.
Delgado's race was never stated, but he was described as a Roman Catholic. Apparently charges against Lame Deer were never filed.
Prior to the incident, Lame Deer had been interviewed by Peter Matthiesen in 1978 and again in 1979. Mathiesen gratefully acknowledged that Lame Deer had "been kind enough" to include him in a sweat lodge purification ceremony at that time, and described ceremonies of respect performed by Lame Deer at Point Conception
and other places around Santa Barbara, California
. He quoted Lame Deer as being extremely concerned about improperly performed sweat lodges and Sun Dance ceremonies, often conducted by younger Indians with no sense of the proper timing or "feelings" of the year, wind or weather.
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
, and a lecturer of Lakota people religion. He grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation
Rosebud Indian Reservation
The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Sicangu Oyate, also known as Sicangu Lakota, the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe , a branch of the Lakota people...
. With Richard Erdoes he wrote Gift of Power: the life and teachings of a Lakota medicine man. He is the son of John Fire Lame Deer.
Person
Archie Fire Lame Deer (April 10, 1935 – January 16, 2001) was a Lakota Sioux spiritual leader, a medicine man and a lecturer and activist of Lakota spirituality.Archie Fire Lame Deer was born in Corn Creek, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation
Rosebud Indian Reservation
The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Sicangu Oyate, also known as Sicangu Lakota, the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe , a branch of the Lakota people...
. His father was John Fire Lame Deer, a well known Lakota holy man. Archie grew up with the guidance and teachings of his grandfather, Henry Quick Bear. He attended school at the St. Francis Indian School, but was able to run away at age 14 after many tries. He enlisted in the army twice and was a veteran of the Korean War, a member of the Special Forces and a P.O.W.
Among other temporary careers Archie was a ranch hand on numerous South Dakota ranches, a rattlesnake exterminator, a Hollywood stuntman, a rodeo rider and a foreman on a Hollywood ranch. Upon giving up alcohol addiction in 1971 he also became a drug and alcohol counsellor. Through the Los Angeles Indian Center he ran a program for Native American offenders imprisoned in both State and Federal institutions in California. Archie was instrumental in bringing Lakota purification ceremonies into prisons across the United States and also helped found and run the Santa Barbara Indian Center.
The last twenty years of his life Archie Fire Lame Deer has travelled throughout the world teaching Lakota spiritual beliefs and way of life. In his travels he met and talked with numerous spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama and the Pope. In 1980 he also spoke in Rotterdam at the Fourth Russell Tribunal on Indigenous Peoples' Rights.
For many years Chief Lame Deer was the intercessor at the annual Crow Dog’s Sundance on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, just like his father before him. When Archie died, his son John took his place as a Chief and medicine man and carries on the traditions of the Lame Deer family.
Archie Fire Lame Deer was subject of the book Gift of Power: The Life and Teachings of a Lakota Medicine Man, which he wrote together with Richard Erdoes.
Controversy
On July 12, 1980, Lame Deer was in the process of conducting a vision questVision quest
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures.In many Native American groups, the vision quest is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal,...
ceremony for two men, one of whom, Ronald Delgado, was a diabetic. Delgado died during the four-day ceremony. Lame Deer was promptly denounced as a "known fraud" and a "twinkie" (New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
practitioner) by Native American activists and even by some white New Age groups. Activists from many Indian nations express concern and anger about the large number of unqualified persons, both Anglo and Indian, taking money to conduct alleged sweat lodge
Sweat lodge
The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna and is an important event in some North American First Nations or Native American cultures...
, sun dance
Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is a religious ceremony practiced by a number of Native American and First Nations peoples, primarily those of the Plains Nations. Each tribe has its own distinct practices and ceremonial protocols...
, and vision quest
Vision quest
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures.In many Native American groups, the vision quest is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal,...
ceremonies—often gravely at odds with the real thing—primarily for Anglo people, many of whom subsequently proclaim themselves to have received inspiration to become "medicine people" themselves, perpetuating the fraud.
Delgado's race was never stated, but he was described as a Roman Catholic. Apparently charges against Lame Deer were never filed.
Prior to the incident, Lame Deer had been interviewed by Peter Matthiesen in 1978 and again in 1979. Mathiesen gratefully acknowledged that Lame Deer had "been kind enough" to include him in a sweat lodge purification ceremony at that time, and described ceremonies of respect performed by Lame Deer at Point Conception
Point Conception
Point Conception is a headland along the Pacific coast of U.S. state of California, located in southwestern Santa Barbara County. It is the point where the Santa Barbara Channel meets the Pacific Ocean, and as the corner between the mostly north-south trending portion of coast to the north and the...
and other places around Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. He quoted Lame Deer as being extremely concerned about improperly performed sweat lodges and Sun Dance ceremonies, often conducted by younger Indians with no sense of the proper timing or "feelings" of the year, wind or weather.