Panelists
Thong Lee has been an active Hmong shaman since 2020. He experienced shaman signs and activities many years earlier. His family has a long history of Shaman linage. His great grandmother was a great Shaman, respected by many people. His grandfather was also a Shaman. He grew up most of his life in St. Paul, MN. Thong was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came to U.S in 1988. He graduated from Metro State University in 2005. BA. Computer Information System, Minor: Business Administration. Currently he works as a real estate investor, network engineer, and day trader.
Billy Lor of Hey Billy LLC, is a Hmong shaman, spiritual wellness business coach, cultural consultant, public speaker, educator in Hmong culture and spirituality. Lor is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was raised in Eau Claire as a Christian by Hmong parents who wanted to leave behind their native country of Laos and many of its cultural norms. It turns out the spiritual world had other plans for him, however. He has performed hundreds of ceremonies for people globally.
Kong Kay Shawn is a Hmong Shaman who was born into Shamanism culture since she came from a long line of Shaman. Her father is a Shaman as well as her great grandfather and other family members. Her journey as a Shaman started when she was 19 years old, but she did not initiate her rights to be a full pledge shaman until years later. She was born in Laos, fled to Thailand as a refugee of the Secret War in Laos. She came to the United States when she was 7 years old. She first settled in Manitowoc, WI and later moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in her teens. Shawn’s goal is to help bring as much light to others as she possibly can by providing her services to those who seek her out. Shawn hopes that one day Shamanism will be what it used to be and be appreciated as a gift that’s left by all of our ancestors to help us stay mentally and physically healthy.
Facilitator
Tou SaiKo Lee's research centers on Southeast Asian Studies, specifically coalition building of the Indigenous movement for language and cultural preservation in Thailand and Hmong language and cultural revitalization. He has extensive history in the Twin Cities area in community work in intergenerational cultural collaboration, and youth arts expressions of cultural identity.
Do you plan on attending the Nov 12th Hmong Shamanism Panel?