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John Jerzyszek and wife Pauline live as native American INDIANS in Coventry | Mail Online
Meet Running Bear and Small Warrior (or John and Pauline) who live their lives in Coventry as native American INDIANS in the wild, wild west... Midlands
By DAVID WILKES
From the outside, John and Pauline Jerzyszek’s modern semi looks just like all the others in their suburban road.
But inside it’s pretty different. You could say it’s heap big different.
A bone-tipped spear decorated with feathers hangs on the living room wall. Beneath it are photos of Geronimo, Medicine Crow and Sitting Bull, names familiar to many of us only from cowboy and Indian films, but who hold rather more significance in this home. There are also framed flint arrow heads and even a lamp in the shape of a tepee.
Upstairs in their bedroom, they have a full bison skin to keep them warm on winter nights. And on special occasions, the couple wear traditional outfits and head-dresses with pride.
For here, in what you might call their own little corner of the wild West Midlands, the British couple from Coventry have been living their lives as native American Indians.
For the last seven years, they have immersed themselves in the culture, attended dozens of pow-wows with other like-minded people and followed the ancient teachings of the tribes.
Self-employed truck driver Mr Jerzyszek, 59, has even been given the name Running Bear after it came to a friend in a dream. His wife has worked out her Christian and middle names Pauline Louise mean she could be called Small Warrior. Out of respect for their beliefs, however, neither deems it appropriate to use these names.
How, you might well wonder, did this all happen?
The answer lies not on the high plains of North America, but a world away in a chance meeting at their local Morrisons with a fellow enthusiast who goes by the name Grizzly Walking Thunder.
Mrs Jerzyszek, 57, a former florist, said: ‘John happened to be wearing Navajo jewellery made of silver, turquoise and bear claws. Grizzly noticed it and we got chatting. We became friends and learned more.
Grizzly introduced us to our spiritual adviser Adrian Two Crows and it grew from there.
‘It’s a full on spiritual thing for us. When we put on traditional clothes for pow-wows, it’s not fancy dress. We surround ourselves with these things in our home as a reminder of how to honour the beauty we find in the native American way, in the way of the Old Ones.
It’s impossible to live as simply as they did, but we try to follow their beliefs of honouring the Earth, not using more than we need, not taking more than we can eat, and remembering to be thankful for what we have.’
Mr Jerzyszek added: ‘We were both Christians. It’s not like we’re pretending to be native Americans, we have just found our direction with this. The first time I heard their drums I was moved to tears.’
The couple say their family and neighbours are accepting of their lifestyle. ‘We still go to work, pay the bills and eat the same things,’ said Mrs Jerzyszek. ‘But we try to drink alcohol in moderation, as the old firewater has been at the root of many problems for native Americans.’
Traditional carvings further add to the authentic atmosphere in their home, alongside gems of native American wisdom such as ‘Enjoy life and leave no tracks’ incorporated into some of the artworks.
There are also pictures of animals which hold a special place in the belief system they follow: the wolf, for example is ‘the teacher’, the bear ‘the healer’.
The couple’s chosen path means they like to help those less fortunate than themselves. They have spent time living with Lakota Indians in America and travel to pow-wows (it means a gathering of like-minded people, they explain) all over Europe.
This weekend they are heading to one in Devon where they will sleep in their traditional 14-pole tepee and play drums.
Mrs Jerzyszek said there may be up to 200 Britons who follow the same native spiritual path as them, but added: ‘The majority want to keep it private. It’s a touchy subject because of misrepresentation.’
Meet Running Bear and Small Warrior (or John and Pauline) who live their lives in Coventry as native American INDIANS in the wild, wild west... Midlands
By DAVID WILKES
From the outside, John and Pauline Jerzyszek’s modern semi looks just like all the others in their suburban road.
But inside it’s pretty different. You could say it’s heap big different.
A bone-tipped spear decorated with feathers hangs on the living room wall. Beneath it are photos of Geronimo, Medicine Crow and Sitting Bull, names familiar to many of us only from cowboy and Indian films, but who hold rather more significance in this home. There are also framed flint arrow heads and even a lamp in the shape of a tepee.
Upstairs in their bedroom, they have a full bison skin to keep them warm on winter nights. And on special occasions, the couple wear traditional outfits and head-dresses with pride.
For here, in what you might call their own little corner of the wild West Midlands, the British couple from Coventry have been living their lives as native American Indians.
For the last seven years, they have immersed themselves in the culture, attended dozens of pow-wows with other like-minded people and followed the ancient teachings of the tribes.
Self-employed truck driver Mr Jerzyszek, 59, has even been given the name Running Bear after it came to a friend in a dream. His wife has worked out her Christian and middle names Pauline Louise mean she could be called Small Warrior. Out of respect for their beliefs, however, neither deems it appropriate to use these names.
How, you might well wonder, did this all happen?
The answer lies not on the high plains of North America, but a world away in a chance meeting at their local Morrisons with a fellow enthusiast who goes by the name Grizzly Walking Thunder.
Mrs Jerzyszek, 57, a former florist, said: ‘John happened to be wearing Navajo jewellery made of silver, turquoise and bear claws. Grizzly noticed it and we got chatting. We became friends and learned more.
Grizzly introduced us to our spiritual adviser Adrian Two Crows and it grew from there.
‘It’s a full on spiritual thing for us. When we put on traditional clothes for pow-wows, it’s not fancy dress. We surround ourselves with these things in our home as a reminder of how to honour the beauty we find in the native American way, in the way of the Old Ones.
It’s impossible to live as simply as they did, but we try to follow their beliefs of honouring the Earth, not using more than we need, not taking more than we can eat, and remembering to be thankful for what we have.’
Mr Jerzyszek added: ‘We were both Christians. It’s not like we’re pretending to be native Americans, we have just found our direction with this. The first time I heard their drums I was moved to tears.’
The couple say their family and neighbours are accepting of their lifestyle. ‘We still go to work, pay the bills and eat the same things,’ said Mrs Jerzyszek. ‘But we try to drink alcohol in moderation, as the old firewater has been at the root of many problems for native Americans.’
Traditional carvings further add to the authentic atmosphere in their home, alongside gems of native American wisdom such as ‘Enjoy life and leave no tracks’ incorporated into some of the artworks.
There are also pictures of animals which hold a special place in the belief system they follow: the wolf, for example is ‘the teacher’, the bear ‘the healer’.
The couple’s chosen path means they like to help those less fortunate than themselves. They have spent time living with Lakota Indians in America and travel to pow-wows (it means a gathering of like-minded people, they explain) all over Europe.
This weekend they are heading to one in Devon where they will sleep in their traditional 14-pole tepee and play drums.
Mrs Jerzyszek said there may be up to 200 Britons who follow the same native spiritual path as them, but added: ‘The majority want to keep it private. It’s a touchy subject because of misrepresentation.’
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