Shamanistic Magick: Pagan Tradition or Culture Theft?

Are you interested in the magickal and spiritual culture of Native Americans, but undecided on where to look for authentic information? If so, you are not alone. There are a lot of people out here willing to mislead you, and many put up a good front. Well, they say that imitation is the truest form of flattery~ but where is the line drawn between imitation and plain old culture theft? How does one interested in the spiritual wisdom and magickal arts of a culture such as the native American culture define the line between the two? over the last few decades this topic has been hotly debated in some pagan circles , but has yet to come nearer to reaching any resolution. With irresponsible writers and peddlers looking to make themselves wealthy and famous through the hijacking of Native American culture , it seems likely that this problem will only continue to grow. In this article I hope to help the newcomer to the pagan community recognize who some of these people and organizations are and how to chose between those who are working toward a respectable practice and those who are exploiting culture.

There is nothing more mystifying to a practiced pagan than that first chance meeting with a middle aged, obviously white woman, who was last year an accountant, but has had a sudden revelation in her life and is now an Indian. Her cultural and genetic transformation just happens to coincide with a change of career, and an outrageous change of wardrobe. Suddenly her business suits have been replaced by long flowing skirts, enough turquoise jewelry to choke a Clydesdale horse and undoubtedly loads of leather and a feather or two. This creature is often found lounging about the local metaphysical bookstore, and will share with you her experience in walking in and out of worlds, how her great grandma was a full blooded native American, and passed all her knowledge on to her (this can apply to men as well), however all this knowledge was forgotten until something big happened in their life such as a divorce, or a mid-life crisis, whereupon they realized they were not living up to their true destiny and were inspired to become a spiritual leader. Most often they will have a small following as well, and most have no idea what they are talking about. Often their ideas of Native religion are so blended in with Christian and Saxon folklore that they themselves cannot untangle the differences. The pagan community has a rather unflattering name for these people, and a far worse attitude toward them. Why? Because there is nothing more frustrating to a genuine pagan researcher who has put a lifetime of study into a path to run into a person who has read a few books by some authors who have made themselves pretentious native sounding pen names and utterly hijacked and distorted this culture to suit their own purposes. How do you avoid these people, and how do you avoid becoming one?

The first rule of thumb is to avoid the popular writers with the silly native names. They usually arrive at these by blending together things that they think sound just right such as two animals. Ravenwolf is a good example of this. Many pagans take on magickal names from the animal kingdom, however, and this naturally doesn't apply to them. Many Native Americans actually have legal names with animal names within them, but this much rarer than you might think, it is far more common to find a Cherokee named Bob Smith than to find one with a mystical ring to their moniker.

Probably the most important piece of information you will want to gather is their price list. A price list is a good deciding factor when it comes to any faith based endeavor. Think of it like this, what would you say if a Christian friend told you that a minister would tell them all about Jesus, baptize them and let them join their church for only a couple of hundred dollars? So ,why then would it be more reasonable for a person who claims to understand Native practice to charge for it? The answer is simple: it isn't! Sweat Lodge and spiritual retreat moguls are infamous for selling this type of spirituality and raking in the bucks, but you are not going to get what you paid for. When seeking out an authentic sweat lodge experience you should not be asked for any money, or you are not getting the real deal. The exception to this rule is traveling sweat lodge facilitators who pay rent or a usage fee for the property that they use (but this should still be no more than 10-20 dollars per person, and should go to the landowner, not the facilitator). It is permissible and encouraged , however , to give a donation of an item to the facilitators, traditionally the item was a blanket, but in this age of central heating you might find something a little more appropriate. It is acceptable for anyone who dedicates their life to spiritual spirit to make a living, but not to bilk people of their money! Acceptance of donations is fine, but spiritual truth should be available to everyone regardless of their financial situation!

Beware of new age 'traditions' claiming to practice Native spirituality just as the Natives do, they do not.

As with all pagan paths the Native American Shaman's path is not something to be learned in a book. It is something that requires deep study, understanding and respect, as well as personal introspection. Sometimes people on this path forget that they are not Native Americans and sharing the beliefs inherent to will not make them Native Americans. It is insulting to the culture and to the people, as a whole, when others attempt to dress or act in a way that they determine makes them Native Americans, and fails to give respect to the culture as it deserves.