The Path of the Buffalo Medicine Wheel

My name is Camille Pablo Russell. My Native American name is "Shooting in the Air." Born on the Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta, I grew up very close to my grandparents, and learned a lot about my roots and traditions. Over the past 20 years, I have lectured in Europe on Mental Health, Coaching, Traditional Herbs and Leadership Management. I was invited to several Esoteric Conferences. I am working in Calgary, Alberta at the Elbow River Healing Lodge as spiritual counselor and as native coordinator at the local Correctional Institution. My workshops are based on the principle of "Follow the Buffalo." To native people, the buffalo represents the qualities of perseverance, facing the storms of life and walking into them. At the age of 19, I started preparing for sun dancing, and my learning continued for eleven years. Then, I was granted the role of leader in the Sundance. I continued to learn from the Sundance leaders about the "warrior ways," as well as the "way of the holy pipe." These teachings are the foundation for understanding the four parts of a human being and ways of centering. My leader followed our oral tradition in teaching the medicine wheel, but he put this knowledge onto a diagram, to support teaching the principles to modern thinking people. After learning for 13 years I was granted the right to teach on my own. My workshops are based on this, and other tools, which have helped many people to see things that they have to correct and take new directions, not only in their lives, but in their work, and to take the steps necessary to improve their quality of life. This book is a transcript of the spoken word contents of my lectures and workshops of the "Path of the Buffalo." As I have already mentioned, I grew up with my grandparents listening to stories and teachings, which were passed on orally by our elders to the next generations. For the Blackfoot Nation, as well as many indigenous people, it was only a puddle jump from the old days of oral tradition to urban life and virtual media. Our native Blackfoot language has rarely been written down or printed in books. My first book is transcribed from my mother tongue captured on a recorder.

About the Author :
Camille Pablo Russell (right) was born on the Blood Reserve and was partly raised by his grandparents where he learn the stories and language. He was exposed to the stories and customs of his grandfather's friends whom called him a friend. He would also go visiting with his great grandfather who was 108 and visit his friends. He learned the history and customs from these old people and was quite comfortable with them. At the age of 19 he joined the Piercing Sundance and Danced for 11 years when usually they only dance for 4 yrs. He then became a leader and supported his teacher in the Sundance. He learned from 3 Grandmothers and 1 Sundance chief about herbs over 18 years of learning. He also learned the Medicine Wheel teaching from his teacher which took 13 years. He has worked and upgraded his education at the Red Crow Colleges helping to develop the Blackfoot studies. At the College, he won the Aboriginal achievement award for retaining his language which was submitted by the College. He also worked as a researcher for his tribe specializing in Pre contact with his knowledge from his elders. He then went on a vision quest where he receive the buffalo song and was told to teach the children to be like a buffalo. He moved to Calgary and worked at the Glenbow Museum for 6 years and the community of Calgary when he received the David Crowchild award. He went on another vision quest and was told to go to Europe to teach them about the buffalo, He was there for 23 years. He came back 3 years ago and currently works at the Elbow River healing lodge as a traditional Wellness councilor by day and at night he is the elder for the Calgary Remand Center. He continues to go to Europe twice a year to help the people in Europe and supports agencies in Calgary when asked to.