About Our Founder
The Nagual Thunder Strikes
The Nagual (man of knowledge) Thunder Strikes, also known as Swift Deer, was a shaman and Elder on the Twisted Hairs Metis Medicine Society Council of Elders. As a master teacher his vast medicine knowledge and dedication to sharing it with others inspired students and apprentices around the world. He encouraged his students not to believe anything he said, but rather to put knowledge into practice and find out for themselves whether it worked or not. He inspired his students to dream that they could be more than they ever imagined and he was dedicated to providing teachings and tools to support them.
Thunder Strikes devoted himself to his ongoing evolution to be able to guide others into their talents, skills, and abilities. Thousands of individuals have experienced healing and increased self-love through him and through those he trained.
Born into Two Worlds
Thunder Strikes was metis (or mixed blood), part Cherokee and part Irish, born into two worlds and two cultures in northern Texas. Texans are highly independent and Swift Deer was no exception. He was resolutely unfazed by whether you liked him or not, and regularly challenged people to think for themselves. He was firmly a part of the Texas cowboy culture, taking part in rodeos as a teenager and maintaining a love for competitive shooting.
His Cherokee ancestry on his maternal grandfather’s side was also important to his identity. His first and perhaps most influential teacher was his grandmother who educated him about life and death through experiences in nature. This early training motivated him to seek excellence in many arenas. Even so, he never considered himself to represent a specific tribal tradition, referring to himself as a Texas half-breed cowboy, a Twisted Hairs Elder, and a human being walking on Grandmother Earth.
A Warrior’s Mindset
Thunder Strikes loved his country and was proud to be an American. Shortly after graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corp. He was discharged eleven months later, having left the base without permission.
He went on to develop expertise in martial arts, teaching, competing and earning belts and certificates in multiple disciplines. Anyone who has been in the dojo with Thunder Strikes could attest to the depth and diversity of his skills.
Below are some of his Martial Arts accomplishments
- 7th Dan in Kempo Karate with All Japan Karatedo Federation in 1970 (certificate)
- 7th Dan in Kempo Karate with Kobudo Association in 1987 (certificate)
- 3rd Dan in Kamishin Ryu Jujitsu in 1974 (certificate)
- 1st Dan in Judo with Armed Forces Judo Association in 1970 (certificate)
- Certificate of Commendation from the International Kung-Fu Federation in 1988 (certificate)
- Two World Cup Champion certificates from the International Kung-Fu Federation in 1987 & 1989 (certificate)
- Certified as an international judge & referee of the International Kung-Fu Federation 1988 & 1989 (certificate)
- Inducted in the World Sports Medicine Hall of Fame in 1994 (certificate)
Martial arts taught him an intensity of focus, attention to detail, and knowledge of what really matters in technique and life’s circumstance.
Competitive shooting gave him great joy, including taking part in the Single Action Shooting Society, known as Cowboy action shooting. He created the Deer Tribe Gun Club to compete and have fun with others who were also interested in this sport.
He taught that spiritual discovery is rooted in physical mastery and presence: that the ability to be aware of what is in one’s space, and to focus and follow-through on an action, directly enhanced a person’s self-mastery. Deeply rooted within the warrior’s mindset, he understood there is no separation between physical mastery and spiritual prowess.
Becoming an Elder
Thunder Strike’s journey to becoming a Nagual (a man of knowledge) was initiated through his grandmother and then guided by other significant teachers in his life.
Grandfather Wilson, whose use of traditional Navajo medicine in modern western settings was featured in Human Behavior magazine (July 1973), taught Thunder Strikes about sand painting and healing. Grandfather bonded Thunder Strikes to his beloved Nightbird in 1979.
In his thirties, Thunder Strikes met Hyemeyohsts Storm, a metis of Cheyenne, Sioux, Irish and German ancestry. Storm had experienced first-hand the distrust a “breed” can encounter from whites and full-bloods alike. Storm has written beautifully in his book Lightningbolt about his training with the brilliant Zero Chief, Estcheemah. Storm shared a significant number of teachings with Thunder Strikes, and also taught him the heyoehkah way of never taking yourself too seriously as an alternative way of perceiving the world. With Storm’s support, Thunder Strikes attended the Dreamer’s SunDance in Pryor Montana. There, Thunder Strikes was given permission by Thomas Yellowtail to begin holding SunDances for Thunder Strikes’ students.
Thunder Strikes credits several Twisted Hairs Elders, men and women weaving knowledge from various sources, as his teachers. As in many spiritual traditions, certain knowledge was received directly through personal visions as well as through lucid and pre-cognitive dreams. He also received insights through ceremony, spiritual practices, wisdom from the ancestors, and the energies that surround and support us each day.
Building Bridges among the Eight Great Powers
During the 80s and 90s, Thunder Strikes traveled, studied and taught with shamans and wise Elders all over the world including the Americas, Europe, and in Burkina Faso (Africa). This was a dynamic time in which people from many traditions around the world openly shared the beauty of their medicine with others, with no concern about “appropriation” or who was “entitled” to what knowledge.
Beginning in the early 1980s Thunder Strikes was invited to Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland, where he participated in numerous workshops, introducing the people to the Twisted Hairs teachings and ceremonies such as the purification lodge. He taught about our interconnection with the planets, the elements and the Worlds of Grandmother Earth, introducing people to a very personal connection with Nature and spirit. In both Europe and the United States, he joined with Elders from other traditions in gatherings where the world’s diverse spiritual traditions were shared, and the gathering together circle of humans everywhere was honored and celebrated. At these events Thunder Strikes taught alongside such luminaries as Grandfather Semu Huaute, Brother David Steindl Rast, Gonsor Rinpoche, Irina Tweedie, and many others. In this way Thunder Strikes contributed to literal cultural changes around the world that continue to this day.
In 1986, Thunder Strikes and his wife Nightbird founded the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society – a non-profit international gathering together circle for sharing the Sweet Medicine SunDance teachings with all interested seekers. The headquarters were moved from California to Arizona in 1992, where the Rainbow Powers Center was established so knowledge from the Sweet Medicine SunDance path and other lineage traditions could continue to be shared.
Twisted Hairs Elder
Thunder Strikes was many things: a Texas half-breed cowboy, a martial arts master, a spiritually dedicated human being, a bridge-builder, and primarily a Twisted Hairs Elder, a Shaman whose gifts brought inspiration, hope and healing to those who were privileged to work with him.
He was highly tuned to crystals, working with pioneers like Marcel Vogel to optimize their use as healing tools. His gift for working with the Pipe, impacting energy fields, and ability to “see” into other dimensions, made him an extraordinary healer. He routinely took apprentices into ceremonial spaces that allowed new possibilities for greater balance to emerge.
Thunder Strikes, although known for his straightforward direct manner, was a deeply benevolent being who continuously supported those in need of counsel and guidance. He was endlessly generous with his time and wisdom, teaching for hours to ensure that his knowledge would be available to others. He encouraged apprentices to take what they learned from him out into the world and “let it shine” with their own artistic originality. His impact continues to be felt by people around the world whose lives have been changed through his genius and the Sweet Medicine SunDance teachings.