Warning – Fake Indians Trying to Cash in On Traditions
Wow, this dude is creepy & it’s quite sickening!
Angelia Baldwin
Warning- Fake Indians trying to cash in on traditions. This is not only downright disgusting but it is criminal! Beware of the group called S.A.I.M. and the founders mail order business called Native Dreams Inc., run by Eliase Graywolf AKA Eliase Elijah Yenegat and his so called Ojibwa Princess wife Allison Block. If anyone bought crafts from him claiming they were traditional Lakota or bought a ceremony from him or donated money for Pine Ridge, please contact the Dept of Interior Kenneth Vanway 1-888-278-3253, make sure you report this guy under his real name Eliase Elijah Yenageta. Report all these fakes to the Dept of Interior, it is a federal crime to pass off fake Indian relics, crafts, trade/sell Eagle or Hawk feathers and misrepresent yourself as a Native American. Here’s is what people in CO on the Powwow form had to say about this fake: “Who is Eliase Graywolf? Well, nobody really knows for sure.
He came on Denver scene in about late 2009 telling tall tales with delusions of grandeur. He claimed to be a Lakota and related to very prominent high-profile Lakotas in public prominence. but we have found out he is actually an Ethiopian American. We also found out his real last name is Yenageta, and Eliase is a very popular name in Ethiopia. He first claimed to be from Wounded Knee. Then Rosebud, then Pine Ridge and lastly Porcupine. All Lakota agencies had been contacted and NONE of them know who he is or have any record of anyone matching his names. When Eliase Elijah Yenegata moved to Denver he started telling people he was a full blood Lakota. He claimed to be related to the Black Elk, Swallow, Means and Spotted Bear families.
A few phone calls to the offices of all the Lakota tribes and interviews with family member from each respective family turns up that he is NOT related to any of them and all of them wish he would stop saying so and in some cases he was told directly not to be spreading around that he is family. He also claimed he was born at the siege in Wounded Knee and I quote “my mom carried me in one hand and had an AK-47 in the other.” This also proved to be a lie because during whole standoff only one baby was born and he still lives up in SD. So a group of us thought we would dig deeper. Eliase was born to a father who is a naturalized American citizen by way of Ethiopia. And his mother (Roxanne R Tawahade aka Roxanne Garvin aka Roxanne Frye) calls herself a “Heinz 57” including Hispanic, White and Arabic but knows of no Indian blood in her past but claims she MIGHT be Cherokee.
Which explains why 5-6 years ago in California Eliase was making the rounds passing himself off as a Cherokee before he decided he was going to call himself Lakota according to CA sources. After running Roxanne’s family tree on Ancestry there was no evidence of Indian blood at all. No Lakota, No Cherokee and lately I heard of him also trying to claim both Choctaw and Ojibwe heritage, again no proof . His father Mel Tawahade aka Yenegata N Tawahade, an Ethiopian American who is related to Eliase and owner of property where Eliase lists as address for Native Dreams Inc, also said that Eliase is definitely NOT native. Those who had questioned him had either got him to say he was “part Egyptian” (Lie!) or that his family didn’t take orders from the “BIA stooges”. Any further questioning he gets verbally abusive, calls them “apples” and “sellouts” and “goons” then calling them “FBI Agents” working for the BIA.
Which is fine, BUT he sells so-called “Lakotah” crafts from his company “Native Dreams Inc” around town and abroad through mail order. So anybody purchasing this stuff please be advised that this is NOT real American Indian crafts but the work of an Ethiopian and also a Federal crime to misrepresent himself and his wares. So if you buy from an impostor it is your choice, but please be aware of what you are getting. He also recently participated in some fundraiser at the Mercury Café to “raise money for Pine Ridge.” We have been asking the coordinator of that event (another African woman who says Eliase set it up through her) why none of the Lakotas here in Denver knew about the fundraiser, why they weren’t invited to participate, and where the money went to. She then refused to return emails. But it gets better. Not only does he just sell crappy beadwork and cheesy looking dreamcatchers, he now decided to tell everyone he was a VETERAN.
But alas, the real veterans pulled his card very quick. It was very clear that Eliase Yenageta was NOT a veteran or even served as a member of our armed forces. Shortly after he was suspected of stealing eagle feathers that had been on a staff for a very long time, being that he was the ONLY suspect he quickly disappeared. Then not long after he was wearing eagle feathers and told everyone that he earned them sundancing. A few more calls were placed and he was found to have NEVER sundanced. He was found on the web hocking things that were suspected missing items in other people’s homes (painted buffalo skulls and basic Indian wares). With this revelation he responded like every other wannabe does, with ANGER and lashing out at real native community. So you would think by now after getting exposed he would stop coming around right? WRONG!! So now Eliase Yenageta starts fancying himself as a holyman.
He even went as far as going to people’s houses in full homemade Sundance regalia and performing false ceremonies, throwing around names of real holymen claiming he has the right to do so. Then he also claims to be a Heyoka, which he has NO RIGHTS to do by ANY holyman. He posts pictures up on his Facebook of Koshares and calls them Heyoka. ANY Lakota knows what a Heyoka is and that a Koshare is a whole different thing than a Heyoka, but then again Eliase is an Ethiopian so he doesn’t know any better. As far as his S.A.I.M. group goes, A.I.M. does NOT acknowledge them as a splinter group and claims NO AFFILATION with them, good thing it seems to be only a few Mexicans and Indian teenagers on the net. Eliase Yenageta is also kicked out of 3 different school Districts (DPS, Jeffco and a Charter division of Jeffco) for allegedly trying to exchange numbers with minors. Then it coincides with him being kicked out Indian Center for creeping out the teenage girls.
Where does it end with this guy? We don’t know, but we do know that he has no native blood in him at all. Claiming he is Lakota to sell “Handcrafted Lakota” products and ceremony is a Federal offense, just as his penchant to wear eagle feathers. We urge everyone to buy native products from REAL natives, not on those who both want to cash in on our culture and have an identity crisis that they want to address by pretending they are one of us complete with bogus background story. Read this report on how he ripped off an elderly woman and then got abusive with her, this guy must be stopped! www.ripoffreport.com.
