Lupa, your points remind me of what I found in Daniel C. Noel’s “The Soul of Shamanism: Western Fantasies, Imaginal Realities.” Granted, it’s a more anecdotal and less scholarly rigorous than what’s out there (haven’t read Perkinson, but thanks for the recommendation), but has anyone else here had a look at it? Any other titles to recommend, too, since we’re here?

I think Core Shamanism can be useful– the idea that certain practices are universal to all cultures is an interesting idea, and Noel’s commended Harner for not wanting to “play Indian,” but is it really necessary to strip a practice of its context?

I agree that the S-word has really complicated things. I mainly hang onto it because it’s familiar, same thing with “totem”. But I also have been enjoying chewing over your thoughts on the matter over time, and I want to continue familiarizing myself with your solutions to the quandary. The fact that people are actually talking about this stuff is enough to get things rolling toward shaking off old, unhealthy and appropriative patterns.

I totally agree with you. This really does matter and it is important to talk about it. I majored in postcolonialism and indigenous writing back home in Australia. How cultural technologies move from indigenous cultures into dominant ones is critical in shaping their role, visibility and identity.

It’s something that needs to be approached in a considerate way. I have my own rule of thumb when it comes to playing with indigenous cultural technology that I based on guidelines we learned about Aboriginal spirituality:

Don’t go any further than a layperson within that culture would go (usually this is just charms, chants, etc) without seeking out some kind of ‘authenticity/approval’ signals.

Granted this gets complicated if you don’t live up the Amazon or in Siberia but that’s exactly why I think these discussions are so important.

Thanks again, everyone.

So what do I do? Well, I try not to pilfer from Native American practices while still keeping with the ways that still work for me. I honestly don’t know the particulars of Native American smudging rituals. What I do know is that I can readily grow it, I like the smell, it is native to where I live, and in the past I’ve used it as a cleanser and purifier. So, I have little issue with using sage in my rites, given that I’ve taken to simply spreading some sage on hot charcoal tablets in my censer more than using the ‘sage wands’. I may occasionally, but I tend toward the former.

I agree that rites are not universal; certainly the rites of Native American tribes differ tribe to tribe. They certainly aren’t like seidr from Norse practice either. There may be touchstones, even archetypes to plug into, but the archetype that I use of the [Neo]Shaman, is one that more echoes what I have been taught that the Shaman did as a function of society: that shi would use hir gifts to better their community, bring prosperity, healing, resolution, etc. But is this also a caricature of shamans, medicine men, (or indigenous practices generally)? Good question. I’m not sure I have a good answer to this. I like to think that I am not, and that my work at the least is done with forethought. Given I’m a young, poor white boy with a deep love of learning, experiencing, and researching, I am trying to find my own path and staying off the toes of indigenous cultures.

It is a challenging road to go, given I’m going at this from a former-Catholic-now-Neopagan neoshaman-perspective. For me, as I’ve watched you, I’m having to research what I can, and build a lot of what I don’t have while not nabbing from Native American culture and rites. Mercifully you’ve come before me and I’ve been able to learn from your successes and mistakes. Hopefully, alongside you and other neoshamans, I can help a generation of similarly-minded neoshamans have the confidence to move forward in their spirituality, with an eye to respect and due diligence paid to indigenous practices.

This post touched on something I have really worried about a great deal. I have been really concerned with issues- particularly involving cultural appropriation when it comes to shamanism. My understanding is also that the teacher I have- well, you can’t exactly pay the guy. But, also, I DO want to learn more- and it feels weird saying it, because in the back of my head, there’s always this sorta voice going, “But Tori..you’re a Jew..is it offensive to kinda barge in on others’ traditions? Is it right?”

To me, inside, it does feel right- so I don’t know.

I mean, if you read, I do not know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I don’t want to be a quack or a charlatan- but honestly thus far, that’s the sort of things I’ve seen. It’s really, really difficult to find people to talk to, people to learn from who aren’t out to make a quick buck. I mean= see, this makes me feel like a rotter for offering the readings and such- and to tell you the truth, this post hit me at a weird time, anyway. I really enjoyed this post because it has helped me sort of gnaw on something I’d been considering for a while. I hope nobody flames the crap out of me, I honestly have been looking around, trying to find similar sentiments, or those more advanced in thought than my own to think about.

On one hand, it’s important to understand the issues you bring up, but then I fear we can get trapped in a cycle of constantly addressing an endless stream of issues without ever getting anywhere. Maybe that’s a worthy goal, I don’t know. But just because we happen to live in a Western culture, must we live our lives in never-ending atonement? In some ways, this feels like reverse racism, if you will (white people “bad,” native people “victim”).

And, practically, what can we do? Dialogue is good, but that takes at least two people. If certain tribes or people are not willing to engage in dialogue, must we then relinquish any use of practices inspired by these cultures? If our very use of them is racist, then the only “right” thing to do is to let it go. If calling it “shamanism” is part of the problem, well, then let’s invent something new to call it. That’s a start. I know much of what modern Western shamans do isn’t authentic to those original cultures, but I also believe that we are creating something brand new, something particular to our culture. All religions and practices come from somewhere, if you go back far enough. Since I believe humans borrow from one another naturally and then transform it into something new, in a sense everyone is a racist and a cultural thief. Even those “pure” native cultures which we Westerners plunder. It’s the chicken-and-the-egg paradox.

Also, I have to say that I believe spirit is pure, regardless of the form it takes or the person inhabited. If I’m drawn to certain practices, then how can one cultural claim ownership? Does anyone own spirit? I think we should honor all traditions, but I see those native cultures who insist Westerners cannot participate as just as racist as we can be. If Christians went around forbidding others to pray to Jesus or enjoy Christmas, wouldn’t that be racism/xenophobic? To say any spiritual practice is reserved only for a select group strikes me as completely anti-spiritual. In fact, it makes me question the very validity of that practice.

I’m sure these opinions are shaped by my own background and experiences. For example, as a Christian, I once looked to the Bible story of how Christ appeared to the Jewish Saul with a vision that he should carry the gospel to the Gentiles. Here is an example, often overlooked I think, of a member of an indigenous group who took certain elements of his spiritual practice, then transformed it for a new group outside that culture. Naturally, the “real” Jews were horrified and said it was a corruption. And it may be. But because Saul became Paul on the road to Damascus and spread his vision, Christianity grew up–and, for better or worse, it has now transformed way beyond its Jewish origins (I know there were other influences but indulge me for brevity’s sake). And Christianity is mostly seen now as a completely separate and unique religion, as is Islam.

And yet debates still rage in some circles about whether these “new” offshoots of Judaism are “true.” Do Easter celebrations corrupt the Jewish tradition of Passover? Well, it’s been roughly 2,000 years and that debate will never end satisfactorily. And neither will some of these debates you mention, unfortunately.

Consider that i might bite your tail, draw blood and you might be angry about it. Perhaps you were angry for a few days and felt bitter about it. However, my then saying “Well, i did bite your tail, yes but then you got angry and growled at me. So, really we both have responsibility here” is besides the point. Yes, were you an advanced Buddhist monk you might not have growled at me all things being ideal. However you are not and i bare the responsibility in this situation. I need to apologise to *you* and then and only then can we progress to you apology for your growling. [edited slightly for typos over IM]

What i find strange is the apparent need for people (especially modern non-indigenous raised people) to apply labels like “Shaman” to themselves or worse claim that their teachings come from “ancient traditions” as though it validated the teachings. If your technique brings the results that you wish to have in your life and it works for others as well why place a label on it? Can’t it stand on it’s own instead of being propped up by the culture of another?

MoonWind