Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Snellgrove.
Wayne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Genocide survivor of the Canadian 60s scoop, where the government intentionally stole Indigenous babies from healthy families gave them to the church and the church, in turn, sold us to non-Native families. I was taken the day of my birthday, and placed into a state-run orphanage and later into church foster care. I was adopted later by a wonderful white American family.
Early in life, I beg my competitive swimming career. I was Nationally ranked age grouper. Later becoming the greatest Native American swimmer of all time. With 2 USA Swimming National Championships And a member of the USA Swimming National Team, 95’.
Since the mid-’90s, I have been walking the Indigenous Spiritual Road we call the “Red Road” with my Elder And Medicine Man Tony Stone Hawk. Together, we take the ceremony in 13 state and federal prison.
In 03,’ six years after my adoptive mother’s death from colon cancer and what seemed to be endless searching I was able to find my biological mother, in two months, I stepped off the airplane to hug her for the first time. I was home at last. Not only reunited with my Indigenous family but my culture and heritage. I have made many trips to see her since.
My walk with Spirit and the Red Road has been amazing. I have been invited around the world to teach, lecture and perform indigenous ceremonies. I have been to Europe and S. America.
Most recently, I have decided to return to home for an extended period, really taking time to learn about my culture and family. This where I’m at now, summer of 19’, embedding myself in my culture, taking back what the Canadian Government tried to take away.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Recovering from Genocide is and will be a life long process.
Returning home is one of the biggest gifts that I can give to myself. I thought myself for years unlovable, unwanted, and abandoned. As a toddler, I waited for night after night looking out my window waiting to be rescued, looking for my indigenous family to come. Summers, I waited at the corner of the street for days on end to for my real mom to come. They never showed.
Later in my life, slowly over time, with the help of elders indigenous ceremony and prayer, I was able to over those feelings. Healing circles, talking circles. Truth circles. I am still healing.
I was born with a cleft palate, and because of my cleft palate, I endured dozens of surgeries, endless hospital trips. The teachers, doctors and speech therapist said I would never speak properly, that I would always have a stutter. I have since proved them all wrong. I speak fluently and in front of large crowds regularly.
I failed first grade, the teacher told me and my family I had a severe learning disability. I couldn’t read and barely write. My attention span was nil. Combine that with my stutter and they told my folks not to expect much. I lecture around the world and just finished my first book. Just waiting to publish it.
Racism has always been an issue. Ever since I was a young guy, first grade. There were very few interracial adoptions I the 70s. I went to an all middle-class white community. It was a time in the country where “Indian” was a dirty word. We were considered dirty people. Combine that with my cleft palate, consistent home and being made fun of. They called me “button lip” for years. Told me to take showers because of the color of my tanned skin, they assumed I was always dirty.
Racism still goes on today. Although it is cool to be an Indigenous these days, much more since the 70s and 80s.
I am sober and have been for years. But before that, I struggled mightily with the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction. I have been to dozens of rehabs and psych wards. The doctors I had various mental and emotional disorders. Diagnosis me with being totally disabled. I never believed them, I eventually got sober and weaned myself off all psych meds to live a wonderful and full life. My medication only includes indigenous prayer and ceremonies.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I work for Hollywood fire department for 15 years, as an ocean lifeguard. Marine safety officer. EEMT/Paramedic
Since then I have dedicated my life to the Spirit. My prayer every morning is “Spirit, I will go wherever you want me to go, do whatever you want me to do.”
I have been honored with being invited around the world performing ceremonies and lecturing.
I write books, mainly meditation books. But I am also working on my biography.
I am an artist as well. I have done many shows around South Florida. I am an abstract free flow artist. Many colors. I believe colors are the nectar of life, so I incorporate these into my artwork. I find it very meditative, much like swimming used to give me.
The work I am most proud of is my work with the Spirit. I carry and run indigenous ceremonies all around the world. I started an indigenous spiritual community here in S.Florida. We hold a ceremony on a regular basis, mostly sweatlodge, but as a community, we run several other healing ceremonies. Fire, water and talking circles. I am honored to have several other Elders that help us guide these ceremonies. I am honored to be able to do the work I am able to do.
I love sharing the love of the Spirit and watching people grow and understand their relationship with Spirit. I also taking ceremony with my elder to 13 state and federal prisons. Incredible work, I have been doing that for 15 years.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
My swimming accomplishments, I was Nationally ranked as an 8 y/o.
Summer swim league in NJ. Tri-county swim league. It was the first time people treated me as special, I wasn’t the dumb, stuttering kid when I was in the pool, I was deemed special with special abilities. Race was no longer an issue. People saw me as human. I realized people loved winners. And when you win, the race wasn’t an issue.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2241 NE 136th street N. Miami Beach, Florida 33181
- Phone: 305.417.2373
- Website: https://m.facebook.com/wayne.snellgrove?ref=bookmarks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/wayne.snellgrove?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/home?username_or_email=bearsmoke71
Image Credit:
Charlotte Miller-Snellgrove
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