Ardy Sixkiller Clarke's excellent book "Encounters With Star People Untold Stories Of American Indians" is a journey into the high strange. Anomalist books has always been great at bringing unique informative titles. I have always searched for information regarding the American Indian connection and the star people. I feel it most assuredly one of the best sources to go to regarding the phenomenon of UFOs and alien encounters. I also have the pleasure to interview Ardy again at my radio show The Church of Mabus on March 16th at 11pm Eastern. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I have. Presenting.
1. Would you share with us what your prime motivation was in creating the book Encounters With Star People Untold Stories Of American Indians?
AC: I was encouraged to write the book by a group of Lakota women. Over the years I had collected these stories and last year I was on a South Dakota reservation having lunch with a group of women. During our conversation, the subject of UFOs came up and I began telling them about some of the stories I had collected over the years. They strongly encouraged me to write the book. One woman said, "It is definitely a part of our oral history and it should not be lost when you pass." I realized she was right and I came home, got out my boxes of tapes and notebooks and began selecting those stories for my book. That was perhaps the hardest part of the process. There were so many wonderful stories. I could have written a half-dozen books about the stories collected in the continental USA and Alaska. Maybe someday I will write another featuring many other stories.
2. All of your experiencers wish to remain anonymous when it comes to their names. Could you tell us why that is exactly? Also I definitely understand personally myself why they would choose to do so being a contactee myself.
AC: The people I interviewed did not want to draw attention to themselves, but more importantly they did not want strangers arriving on their reservations asking questions. For some, the fear of being ridiculed or teased was a factor. For others who were in positions requiring public trust, they voiced concern about their job security. A few were concerned they might lose their jobs.
3. I love your book Ardy and any information I can get on the American Indians and this subject and their spirituality I take great delight in. Could you share a story from the book with us that you would like our listeners to know?
AC: Perhaps one of the stories that will always haunt me is the story of an elder I met -- Leland. Leland lived in an extremely isolated section of the reservation. He had served in World War II, had never been to school or owned a phone or a television set. He lived on a small ranch that had been in his family for many years. He told me about a space craft that frequently hovered over his ranch (in plain view of his cabin) and lowered a car to the ground with "human-like" individuals inside. The car would drive away and return the next morning without the individuals inside. His story was corroborated by his best friend who had also witnessed the event. When I met with Leland he took me to the spot where the UFO hovered and showed me the barren circle on his land and the tire tracks that led to the dirt road that ran by his house. At one time, he told me that the "aliens" had a flat tire and that he changed it receiving 10 silver dollars in payment. He could not see the driver's face but described him as someone with "no neck" who never spoke a word. Leland was very concerned that these individuals were infiltrating the planet and were merging with the human population and the world was not even aware of it.
4. I noticed there were many stories from military veterans from your book who had encounters with the star people. Would you share with us one of those stories?
AC: One of the most interesting stories I heard from military veterans involved three Native men who were stationed at an Air Force Base. After a UFO event, which literally hovered over the Air Force Base, the men were separated and transferred. They had no contact in years. When one told me his story, he provided me with the names of the other two and I went in search of them. Although they had had no contact in the ensuing years, each of them told the same story.
5. From all the great stories you have gathered. What can you share with us about the star people? Did you find most of the stories to be positive? I have always noticed a lot of negativity aka fearful with stories from normal everyday Ufology or from the white culture. What are your thoughts on this?
AC: Most of the stories I heard were positive -- not in the genre that the aliens are going to save the world or whisk away the faithful to another world as the Earth is destroyed. But positive in the sense that the majority of the encounters were not frightening to those involved. For many, seeing UFOs and Star People was an ordinary event. They had seen them many times.
My perceptions of the Star People is that -- there are many civilizations in the Universe. We are being visited by several different ones. Some are highly advanced, both spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. Others see us as a species to be used for experimentation just as our scientists use rats and monkeys. Others appear to be novice explorers. One of the things that struck me that several interviewees talked about a universal law of noninterference which did not allow for contact with Earth beings, but admitted there were those who broke the law.
6. You have several stories involving guns. One in which an alien is shot and one in which guns are not allowed. Could you tell us a bit about these stories?
AC: I did not have a story about an alien being shot. I had a story about an elder who "shot at an alien" when he thought he was harming his dog. Chauncey loved his dog. In fact, he referred to him as his son. It turns out that the being was very impressed with the elder's dog, Blue Son, and wanted to take him with him. The elder just positioned his gun in a way that let the star man know that taking Blue was not a possibility. When Chauncey died, Blue Son disappeared. He had told me that the alien spaceships frequented his ranch. He believed they were there for Blue. When Blue disappeared the day after Chauncey's funeral I always had the feeling that his fears were justified.
7. When it comes to the little people being star people. What do you mean by this? All little people are star people or just certain ones? I love little people so just curious to the tale really.
AC: I do not think that all little people are star people. I related a story told to me about an event that happened where small footprints were followed in the snow up a mountainside to a place where an alleged UFO was parked. The storyteller never saw the little people, only the footprints, but did see the UFO streak across the sky. In my discussions with him, he felt the "little people" were about 3-4 feet tall, so they are not like those little people of many Native American legends that speak of little people as being only a foot tall. You have to remember too, in his story, he told of a legend of his people that said the little people abducted small children. When he grew up, his mentor, Wolf, did not have to worry about him again because he was a man.
8. What is the American Indian and the Cosmic Connection? What can you tell us about this legacy and connection with the Universe?
AC: Many American Indian tribes had star stories: stories that tell of visitors from space. Some have even designed villages aligned with stars. Many tell of ancestors who visit them. Other tribes, even today, spend time watching the stars and studying the Universe. There has always been a wonderment about what is "out there" and many Native legends seek to explain that.
9. I see that you have more books in the works in this series. A trilogy of sorts? When can we expect more and also do you have any links you would like to share? I look forward to your appearance on the radio show in March. Thanks Ardy!
AC: I am currently working on another book, Encounters with Sky Gods and Other Creatures: True Stories from the Land of the Maya. This book is slightly different. I had gone to Central America and Mexico for two reasons: (1) fulfilling an adolescent dream of following in the footsteps of two 19th century explorers, John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, who "discovered" and introduced to the world the ancient cities of the Maya. I always dreamed of following in their footsteps. (2) Since my adolescence a number of writers had come forth with ancient astronaut theories and theories that the ancient cities of the world had been built by alien civilizations. I wanted to look for clues that such stories were unfounded.
So having no real contacts in Central America and Mexico, I set out on my own to find my own answers. During my journey, I met some of the most remarkable people I have ever met, heard stories that were amazing, and had a chance to immerse myself into a culture of some very unique people.
About the author and book
A UNIQUE AND SIGNIFICANT UFO DOCUMENT
A noted American Indian researcher offers up a collection of intimate narratives of encounters between contemporary American Indians and the Star People. The first person accounts, described as conscious experiences and recalled without the aid of hypnosis, reveal a worldview that unquestionably accepts the reality of the Star People. The stories also reveal cultures that almost universally regard Star People as ancestors, which allows for interactions that take place without fear and helps explain the uniqueness of the encounters and experiences.
The stories are told by people from all walks of life. Some had graduate degrees; others had never attended school. Some were adept at technology; others had never used a cell phone, owned a computer or a television set. A few of the stories are about events that occurred before the 1947 Roswell incident, however, the majority of the events took place between 1990 and 2010. This book significantly contributes to the knowledge about UFOs from a group that until now have mostly remained silent. For readers, it is likely they will never look at the UFO phenomenon in the same way again
DR. ARDY SIXKILLER CLARKE, a Professor Emeritus at Montana State University, has dedicated her life and career to working with indigenous populations. She is the author of several children’s books and the bestselling Sisters in the Blood. While retired from academia, Dr. Clarke continues to work as a consultant to American Indian tribes and indigenous communities worldwide. She maintains a blog, a poetry page, and a photo gallery entitled “A Day in the Life,” which embodies the beauty of Mother Earth and her creatures, at www.sixkiller.com. Dr. Clarke lives in Montana with her husband, Kip Szczygiel; her beloved Lhasa Apso, Prairie Rose, and her Maine Coon cat, Rez Perez.
This book and many fine other books can be purchased at Anomalist Books:
http://www.anomalistbooks.com/book.cfm?id=72
Jeffery Pritchett is the host of The Church Of Mabus Show bringing you high strange stories from professionals in the carousel of fields surrounding the paranormal.
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