ABOUT | carlossauer

SOBRE CARLOS SAUER

My name is Carlos Sauer and I was born in 1959, a native of Brazil and adopted Cheyenne Indian. I am a fourth-generation healer from a long line of Brazilian healers, practicing and teaching the medicine ways of my own family, along with what I have learned from American Indian teachers that I have studied with for many years. I live in Rio de Janeiro, and I teach in Europe, America and Brazil.

Since the age of twelve, I have been taught spiritual work by my grandmother, my mother, and my sister, as well as other members of my extended family, who were born with spiritual gifts, and had great spiritual knowledge. I have learned that we do not have the power to heal anyone, and only God Creator, working with spiritual helpers through our spiritual gifts, is able to heal the physical, emotional or spiritual hardships and challenges a person may be facing.

When I moved from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Big Sur, California in 1982, I was introduced to the Sweat Lodge purification ceremony by American Indian teachers from the Cheyenne, Lakota and Mohawk tribes. In my first Sweat Lodge at 22 years-old, I experienced a spontaneous and powerful healing for something that I had struggled with for most of my young life. This experience changed me and opened my heart to the Red Road forever. It was then that I decided to dedicate my life to learning how to run Sweat Lodges and to support my new relatives and teachers. I served happily as a fire-keeper for Sweat Lodges for over 14 years.

In 1993, I was adopted by a traditional Southern Cheyenne elder from Oklahoma who was a roadman for the Native American Church by the name of Nelson Turtle (deceased) of the Beaver Clan. We had a father-son relationship, working together doing Sweat Lodges and Peyote ceremonies in both the U.S. and Brazil. I had the great honor to care for him through his struggle with a heart condition and diabetes while we traveled together.

During my apprenticeship with Nelson, he often told me that by rights, one day I would carry on his Cheyenne fireplace tradition with the Peyote ceremony and Sweat Lodge. I have been studying and participating in Sweat Lodges for the last 30+ years, and Native American Church Meetings on and off for over 14 years. I do not lead Peyote ceremonies, however, because I am still learning and I do not feel ready, even though I received Nelson’s Cheyenne fireplace and altar, along with his Peyote songs and tools (chief, staff, drum and gourd).

By 1996, my community, including family, friends, colleagues and workshop leaders, began asking me to run Sweat Lodges for them. After I was encouraged by different Sweat Lodge leaders and blessed by my dad, Nelson Turtle, I began to pour water for people. I conduct these Sweat Lodges in the Cheyenne tradition "(Little Boy/Little Girl" or "Young Man’s" Lodge) in which I was trained. I have been pouring water for more than 16 years, and thanks to Creator (Maheo), I have witnessed many beautiful healings. No one has ever gotten hurt in one of my humble ceremonies. I am not a Sun Dancer, and I do not conduct Lakota Sweat Lodges.

I have been teaching spiritual healing workshops that focus on my own family’s Spiritist healing techniques as well as those of the American Indian (often side-by-side with American Indian teachers) for more than 19 years on three continents.

I have come to realize that Europeans and Brazilians, as well as many other cultures, are deeply touched and fascinated by Native American Indian culture and spirituality.

My primary teachers were my own family. Other teachers include Hector Gomez, a Native American Church roadman from Argentina, Nelson Turtle (my Cheyenne dad) and Crow Bear, a Sun Dancer from the Mohawk tribe.

I was the coordinator and facilitator for the Esalen Institute Sweat Lodge from 1996 to 2003. I taught Brazilian Spiritist depossession training for seven years in the U.S. and three years in Europe.

I currently teach workshops privately in the U.S., Europe and Brazil, and continue to facilitate Sweat Lodge ceremonies.