George

George Grey Eagle Bertelstein

October 21, 1946 — November 7, 2023

October 20, 2024 Memorial Service Program

1:00 pm — Arrival time

1:30 pm — Memorial Service Program begins

Georgia Bertelstein, wife — Welcome

Josie Bertelstein, daughter & Ram Dass Khalsa, hunka son: Wild Horses

Word/poem offerings:

Georgie Zertucha, nephew
Ethan Zertucha, nephew
Cecil Pollard, best friend since high school
Dominik Overstreet, hunka brother
Jeff Wright, hunka brother
Milliard Murphy, hunka brother, student with Eagle Bear
Abby Kojola, hunka niece
Dorothy Kowal, hunka daughter
Meg Zertucha, sister
Sam Yard, daughter

Slideshow set to George’s newly released songs

Georgia Bertelstein

Eli Marienthal & Jesse Sachs, both hunka sons — lead a group song and send us off to enjoy our gathering and take the prayer down the road…

2:30 — 4:00 pm - Eat, mingle, and sign the Memory Book.

Music by George Bertelstein

Preview of forthcoming Audio Book for A Clear and Simple Prayer

Books by George Bertelstein

A Clear And Simple Prayer: Self-Healing and the Path of Unlimited Love, Peace, and Happiness book by George Bertelstein
Medicine Path: In A Good Way book written by George Bertelstein with Artwork by Kristen Holmberg

Written by George Bertelstein

I came to the Indigenous Healing Ways to heal myself and my life. I am a combat veteran of the American War in Vietnam. I returned to civilian life in late 1969 at age 23, confused and traumatized, and sought refuge from my suffering in addictive behaviors of all kinds.

In 1985 I made my first attempt to eliminate alcohol and drugs from my life. I met a woman with a young daughter and became a de facto father to a 6 year old. In my efforts to be worthy of this responsibility I began to pray again for the first time since childhood and sought to find a spiritual path that made sense to me. My prayer was to find God in a form that I could understand.

In 1989 I went to my first sweat lodge and saw my first Chanunpa. I spent the next several years of my life deeply committed to sweat lodge and pipe. I became a pipe maker. I was given a pipe by my first teacher, a Lakota Medicine Woman and Sun Dancer. In 1992 I led my first pipe ceremony. Since that time I have led many hundreds of them with many thousands of people. Medicine Path Native American Church of which I am a Spiritual Leader and Elder has had an ongoing Tuesday night pipe ceremony for the last 16 plus years.

I discovered the plant Medicines through the Peyote, and found deep healing and permanent and lasting change in my life through those ceremonies. In 2004 Medicine Path was founded as an NAC and my work with the Sacred Pipe and the Plant Master Teachers came under the aegis and blessing of that Church supported by a blessing from Okleveuaha. Since that time Medicine Path has offered Master Plant Medicine ceremonies to many hundreds of people from all over the world.

The Master Plant Medicines contain within them all the genuine wisdom teachings of all the Sacred Ways. They teach self-discipline, self-mastery, personal responsibility, forgiveness, acceptance, compassion and unconditional love. This is profound and life-changing. The personally observable reality of this healing is the true reason for the surge in membership and interest in Sacred ceremonies all over the world.

Medicine is not a drug. A drug takes you someplace and leaves you right back where it found you. Medicine takes you someplace and leaves you with a new life. Every single time. Medicine teaches us that prayer, rather than being a form of begging or an empty ritual is the recognition of our personal relationship with Creator, and that every human being has the power to invoke that relationship in any moment by asking for help from a Power Greater than ourselves.

Medicine Path NAC teaches people to make and keep a clear and simple prayer for their lives through the Sacred Pipe ceremonies. Then, prayer in heart, it is possible for a human being to have a personal healing relationship with Creator through the plant Sacraments that can effect the permanent and lasting change we are all praying to have for ourselves, our families and communities and the world as a whole.

In this way, healing ourselves, self-chosen for self-healing, we heal the world with love instead of anger.

“He beautifully facilitated the wedding ceremony for my wife and I and offered us invaluable counsel in the months leading up to and after our marriage.”

Matthew C.

“He can see what's going on without judgment and offer a very clear path to finding your joy. If you like clear, simple and direct guidance and if you want to be truly happy, you'd be hard pressed to find a better guide.”

Amanda J.

“Be prepared to love yourself a whole lot more. This is a man who has been there and back. He knows what he's talking about and speaks in a way that you can hear because it's coming from a place of such love and compassion.”

Elizabeth V.

"He helped me learn many important ground rules. Even today, more than 10 years later, I may find myself wondering "what would George say?" Thank you, George!"

Otrebor L.

"George is masterful and kind truly a life saver. Words cannot express how much he has helped me."

Heidi H.

"I don't know if I'll ever need to have another session again, because he got right to the heart of the matter and left me empowered and motivated to follow my own heart. I probably will return, because it is a gift and a privilege to be in his presence."

Tara L.

"To have the opportunity to sit with George, to be in counsel with him is beyond psychotherapy or spiritual counseling, its similar but different, for me it is to sit with a medicine man, a healer, a compassionate, strong and clear human being who is loving, caring and uncompromising."

Farooq M.

"I have undergone many life changes within his care and have learned the very real power of love and ability to invite even more love into my life. There is nothing flaky, false, or wishy-washy about George."

Susan H.

"This man is truly dedicated to healing and will be 100% honest with you. As a young woman far from my family, I value the firm but loving corrections and suggestions that I always get from this great teacher and father figure of mine."

Teresa S,

"Talk about efficient healing. George is gifted. I've been to other therapists and left feeling utter despair. I personally don't believe one has to dig up an entire garden to get at a few weeds. George is honest with many simple truths to help illuminate and give clarity."

Tomiiko B.

"George is a truly impeccable human being. His wisdom and council have allowed me to navigate my life with more joy and grace than ever before. He is that rare mix of profound, hard earned wisdom and funny, humble humanness."

Lina T.

"Basically, George saved my life, or helped me save my life, or God worked through George to save my life... however you want to put it, it's what happened."

Katy P.

"George is a man you can trust your life with. He is a man you can get vulnerable with. He is a man that you can heal with and more."

Kiera E.

"George is the same way all the time with every person: helpful, kind, insightful and trustworthy. George helped me to trust myself when I was habituated not to do so."

Megan B.

"The first time I met George, I felt instantly safe and comfortable. In the 4 years I've known him, that has never wavered, not once."

Liz M.

"I've known George for about 18 years and he's the person who's had the most positive influence on my life. He's taught me to appreciate my life on a daily basis and I will forever be grateful to the person who turned me on to him."

Tina M.