As my spiritual path has evolved, I've discovered a growing appreciation and respect for Native American spiritual beliefs and traditions. I know there are many differences among tribes, but in general, they all appear to share a reverence for the land, for animals and plants, for the bonds of community, for the wisdom of the elderly and for the contributions of their ancestors. I find these perspectives compelling and valuable because they are unfortunately absent in my own culture's religious traditions.
Sounds innocent enough, right? Hardly. Turns out many Native Americans are offended about the growing attendance by whites at their powwows and the usage or appropriation of their rituals and symbols for pricey New Age spiritual retreats. You can't blame them when tragic deaths occur at "Native" sweat lodges led by white folk like Oprah guru James Ray, when self-appointed celebrities like Heidi and Spencer Pratt announce that they wish to be known as "White Wolf" and "Running Bear,", or when poplet Ke$ha performs with a full feather headdress for no apparent reason.
While these are extreme cases, to be sure, Native Americans are organizing around this issue and becoming more vocal about what they see as outright theft of their ancestral spiritual traditions. The site New Age Frauds & Plastic Shamans aims to uncover hucksters posing as "real" Native Americans, and more thoughtful blogs like Native Appropriations and articles by Native spokespersons nudge us not to be so arrogant and clueless.
So what does this have to do with me? First let me say that I am as white as they come, and if there is any Native American blood in my family, it's well hidden. The only claim I make is that what little I know of Native American spirituality stirs my soul at a deep level. There's something about the simple act of acknowledging the cardinal directions that quickly puts me in my rightful place on the Earth. And I have come to believe that all animals possess insightful qualities and attributes that we can learn from if we just slow down and look. But some anthropologists are up in arms, and some Native Americans say, "Indian spirituality is for Indians only." If that statement is true, I think it bodes poorly for our future as a nation and also for us as spiritual people. I may not be conducting sweat lodges or dressing in native garb, but am I allowed to incorporate Native American-inspired traditions into my own private spiritual practice?
We have to ask ourselves whether culture, race or DNA forever determines our spiritual path. Is Christianity only for white Anglo-Saxons? Are all Catholics Irish or Italian? Can a Westerner practice yoga, meditation or Tai Chi? Are all Arabs Muslim? Turn the tables and ask: Can a Cherokee be a "real" Christian? Or, can Native Americans celebrate Easter or Christmas? Does their own cultural and spiritual heritage prevent them from understanding what these traditions truly mean?
While it is important to root out fraud no matter what your religion is (Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, anyone?), I prefer to believe that our spirits are bigger than the tiny, particular corners of the world into which we are born. I understand that Native Americans have experienced a near extinction of their culture in this country, and the appropriation of spiritual traditions seems like yet another violation.
But don't all religions evolve? For example, Christianity evolved from Judaism and ancient mystery cults. Yet the Christianity practiced today in the U.S. has little in common with that of the early Church, and today Christians have numerous worldwide denominations and offshoots, all of which evolved out of particular cultures and peoples. I believe this is a good thing. Perhaps Native American spiritual traditions have an opportunity to evolve, too. And if calling it "Native American" is distasteful, then give this emerging spiritual practice a name of its own and allow it a space to flourish. If it has no validity, it will eventually wither and disappear.
I don't know who gets to make this decision, and I deplore all that my own ancestors did to the Native tribes when they arrived in North America. But as a result of my meager exposure to Native American spirituality, I believe I have changed for the better. How wonderfully ironic! Perhaps their spirituality is the Native American's most enduring legacy for the people now living on this continent, what some refer to as Turtle Island. Religion certainly once kept Whites and Native Americans apart. What do we gain by maintaining this separation? If you believe that places, such as Turtle Island, have a spirit, does that Great Spirit play favorites?
It's about colonialism. If your grandmothers were taken to an Indian boarding school and deprived of their culture and language (whipped for speaking it even) in an effort to "kill the Indian to save the (wo)man", maybe you'd understand why this is one area where some elders draw a very solid line. They want to define what it is to be who they are. As for me, I respect my elders on this subject. If you have lineage in our Nation, you may learn our ways; if not, please respect our ways and depart.
Much of the First Peoples faithways were related to spirits of the Land, and anybody who isn't headblind can feel those influences. I have had sweats and I have passed a pipe and blown smoke to the 4 directions. But I didn't build a sweatlodge on my land, I built a proper wood fired sauna (they are more permenant besides being cleaner)!
Somebody gonna tell me I can't blow smoke or beat a drum because that is somebody elses cultural property? Sillyness! Pipes and drums belong to the whole world, Native Americans have no monopoly on them! These are divisive distractions when spiritual folk should stand together and merge our circles, not exclude folk. I do have a problem with egotistical white jerkwads who run "sweats" without qualifications (just because they been to one once). But hey, I have a sauna...
Many beliefs are similar, but you need to research, to narrow down, to prove you are interested in what a particular nation practices, you have to prove that it's not just a novelty, and not get offended at having to prove a legitimate interest.
I think the problem comes in because many people see the religion as "quaint", and what concerns people is that it's seen as a "trendy" belief system, and something you can just take a weekend or summer to learn, then go skipping into a forest. People dedicate their entire lives figuring out how to honor their spirituality in their lives. It takes a full commitment to the one who's guiding you, our friend "adopted" my mom as a part of it. You need a passion for the culture- the actual culture and not the BS over the top stereotypes they show when the pow wows come to town. Those things are circuses, sure, there are threads of reality in it, but it's a performance.
It seems everything is Yahwists-v-Atheists-v-everyone-else here, and thre are obviously some things for the rest of us to talk about.
Native American history is rich with accounts of such dreams, being forewarned of future events etc...
There seems to be a common denominator with other faiths in this respect...
There is more happening here than easily meets the eye of science!
Matthew Fox may be a good way for Christians to look, but my Christian ancestors and living relatives weren't about what he said: they were about flogging themselves and everyone around about Calvin and 'st.' Augustine and Cotton Mather.
I'd be happy to hear if that's your future, if you so choose to have one, but, no, it's not your past.
People didn't have Ipods, never mind their own Bibles, which don't even make sense if you're literate, when they hit this continent.
Our pow-wows always have one or more inter-tribal dancing periods which means anybody at the gathering is welcome to join in and dance.
But we do have traditions that need to be respected. Gourd dancing is not for everyone to join in. It isn't about just hopping out there and shaking a rattle. The songs and dances have great meaning as prayers and memorials to our warriors.
As a sign of respect and honor for our fathers and brothers and the other men, women dance behind the men during gourd dance. Or women sit around the drum and join in the singing.
Women are expected to wear a shawl when entering the circle for any reason. But that is tribal women. During inter-tribal dancing anyone can dance even if they have no shawl.
My tribe has many spiritual rituals practiced year-round but not in a public place like a pow-wow. These rituals are held at our cultural stomp grounds. We fast during the day. We listen to Chief when he speaks about our history and why we dance and sing. The dances are spiritual in nature and special clothing is worn and special dances are danced throughout the day.
If you hear about a dance and show up you would be welcomed. You would be fed well and invited to dance after eating.
To co-exist we must have mutual respect.
Think anything that says otherwise is stealing their martyrdom or something.
White people have souls. Also, generally, have *holes.* Big ones. Holes where our own ways and lives and ancestors, and our relations with spirit used to be. That's why the rapaciousness, also why people who seem to want to steal *your* connections with the land and spirits, *even want to.*
Cause what some have done to you, they did to us first. And this is what happens.
This is what it becomes. A Godsforsaken nightmare.
It's not your fault or responsibility to fix, but. however silly some things look, it's about waking up. And it's not a pretty scene to wake up to right now.
Anyway, I'd be glad to dance with you, as invited, and in a general way, perhaps you'd like to dance with us, one day. :)
Many Native Americans are up-set for the sweats and other ceremonies that wannabes do for sales and james ray showed what happens when one does not honor the teachings nor teachers. Most westerns don't know how to honor teachers nor teachings of other cultures. However more than most are very happy to share the native path that is,was and always will be opened to all. Great Spirit does not play favorites.
Thank-You Wes great article
That he didn't know 'sweat lodges,' especially wrapped in plastic, *don't scale up,* and that *mass hypoxia* ain't the point, even at a few grand a head... Isn't about some grand philosophical issue regarding race: it's that *people don't see the difference.*
It's the ignorance that means people throw that kind of money looking for something, not the theology.
Saying, 'Only Native Americans have the antiquity to do this,' ...only means someone who doesn't know better will think they can buy or sell it.
Being professional about the spiritual end of things isn't just doing things by the numbers and telling people to 'have faith.' Seers are supposed to be *aware.*
That man bought his own hype, and people died.
Sad fact is, he probably believed what he was saying.
But he gets paid better than any spirit-worker I ever met, by a big differential, and it was his business to know better, regardless, if he wanted that business.