My time with Arvol
I first met Chief Arvol Looking Horse in the fall of 2001. I had just graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and had been invited by Harvey Arden to join his company, DreamKeepers - whose motto was "Bringing the Elders to the World and Bringing the World to the Elders." My first weekend working as the MultiMedia and Creative Director started with loading boxes of Arvol's freshly printed book, "White Buffalo Teachings" into the back of our vehicle, to take up to New York for a gathering. We were to meet with Arvol at mutual friend's house in Long Island for a sweat lodge ceremony and to discuss an upcoming book tour and a special visit to the United Nations building in NYC. I knew a little about Arvol and had read his book, but had not had the chance to meet him. I was a little nervous. One, this would be my first sweat lodge ceremony, and two, I was still figuring out the protocols of what my role would be in this new (for me) company. I knew we would be doing some interviews, so I had my cameras, mics, and laptop at the ready, but I had no idea that this weekend would open up a whole new world to me.
When we got to our friend's house, we unloaded our things and I was brought into the living room, where Arvol was sitting. We were introduced and when he stood up to shake hands, I immediately felt like I was in the presence of someone very special. He was a tall man, long hair pulled back and eyes low. He was confident, yet he wore a shy smile. He was reserved at first, but we broke the ice a bit talking about music. Turns out he was also a drummer. We got to talking about music and I told him about some of the projects I was working on in Boston, and we then talked about some stories in his book. It was a great introduction, and my nerves started to fade...until it was time to head outside to begin the sweat lodge ceremony. To my amazement, Arvol asked for me to sit near him and to help him gather a few things for him and we proceeded outside. I was honored to be of service, yet increasingly nervous. I was entering into a new world and I was unsure of any protocols that I might be messing up. Everything went smoothly and after the ceremony, some new friends commented about how being in a ceremony like that, especially with Arvol, was a very
When we got to our friend's house, we unloaded our things and I was brought into the living room, where Arvol was sitting. We were introduced and when he stood up to shake hands, I immediately felt like I was in the presence of someone very special. He was a tall man, long hair pulled back and eyes low. He was confident, yet he wore a shy smile. He was reserved at first, but we broke the ice a bit talking about music. Turns out he was also a drummer. We got to talking about music and I told him about some of the projects I was working on in Boston, and we then talked about some stories in his book. It was a great introduction, and my nerves started to fade...until it was time to head outside to begin the sweat lodge ceremony. To my amazement, Arvol asked for me to sit near him and to help him gather a few things for him and we proceeded outside. I was honored to be of service, yet increasingly nervous. I was entering into a new world and I was unsure of any protocols that I might be messing up. Everything went smoothly and after the ceremony, some new friends commented about how being in a ceremony like that, especially with Arvol, was a very