“In my 20’s and 30’s, I found myself protesting all over the u.s. and in the caribbean. My mother had called me once  and after some conversation, she said, “you know, everything you’ve done in your life has been to protect others, you’ve really lived up to your name: Thunder Sing the Protector.” I have reflected and I was astounded when I had looked back at all the things I had done.”

Details

Storyteller: Vaughn
Tribe: Gros Ventre, Cheyenne, & Ojibwe
Created: 2019
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Transcript: House of the Bull Buffalo, or Buffalo Bull Lodge is my family last name. Buffalo Bull Lodge was a prominent medicine man that lived in the 1860’s  and he had the ability to perform miracles, surgeries and he also used holistic medicines to heal. His story is written in the book called the Seven Visions of Bull Lodge, which chronicles the journey of his spiritual experiences throughout his life, but also include his battles and achievements.  As a young boy of four years old, Bull Lodge was lying on his back in the former camp site of the chief medicine pipe, he had experienced a vision of an Eagle flying above him when a spirit came to him to  give him power, or , as we call it, “medicine”. The eagle was soaring in a circle but coming ever closer. Eventually Bull Lodge made out a shield and was told to memorize it exactly and whenever he needed protection in his life, he was instructed to say, “Protect me now”, Thunder Sing. And the shield had protected him for the rest of his life earning him war chief status.

As a young boy, my naming ceremony was held in the Little Rocky Mountains on the Fort Belknap Indian reservation. My aunt was strangling pups in the tool shed, my father’s father was in prayer for the ceremony and Pup soup was on the grill. The naming ceremony had honored me with the name, Thunder Sing, the protector. Named after my great, great, grandfather’s shield.

In my 20’s and 30’s, I found myself protesting all over the u.s. and in the caribbean. My mother had called me once  and after some conversation, she said, “you know, everything you’ve done in your life has been to protect others, you’ve really lived up to your name: Thunder Sing the Protector.” I have reflected and I was astounded when I had looked back at all the things I had done. From being a Security Officer, a Night Club Bouncer, in the Marine Corps (naval security forces), Police Officer, AIM Patrol Security, Ceremony Security and Emergency Medical Services.  And now I currently Own A mixed martial arts school in Minneapolis.

Dog Soldier Academy was started in south Minneapolis at Little Earth of united tribes, after I was receiving numerous reports of kidnapping and sex trafficking.  I volunteered teaching kids and teens to learn self-defense so that they were better equipped to fight off would be kidnappers and sex traffickers. For years since, Ive been networking with local non profits and law enforcement to teach self defense and de-escalation techniques to staff and faculty because I feel sexual violence isn’t just specific to children.

Dog Soldier Academy is also the first ever Native Owned Martial Arts school in the country with the first and only community based program. We held the first ever Native owned and operated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in the world called The Choke Festival.

 And I am looking forward to continued work in the future.