Question by ????? ??????? zeitgeist pirate™: What do you think of cultural appropriation of Shamanism by non-indigenous cultures?
Sensitive issue; maybe I should have used a disclaimer concerning Neoshamanism.
Best answer:
Answer by abu-ben-boobee
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It’s what all the religions evolved from, why not? If you’re going to practice something you might as well do the real deal… direct experience.
Seems to work just fine.
People are as open to wacko spiritual experiences today as they were 500 years ago.
non-indigenous????
who’s that?
Shamanism is the oldest path and the simplest path and has been practised by nearly every culture there is.
So they are encouraged to adopt western religions, but us adopting theirs is frowned upon?
That’s interesting — in the book, “The Stuff White People Like,” one of those things is anything Native American, claiming ancestry to Native Americans, etc. I wonder if the cultural appropriation is simply an extension of this?
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Emily: Actually, they were forced more than “encouraged.”
To be taught by an indigenous Shaman and to bring those gifts to another culture would be a wonderful thing, accepted by teacher and student alike. The problem would lay within the gaining culture, which would judge, persecute and cast aside the student who would bring it the bounty of such teaching. Still, for such knowledge I would chance being that student.
It’s an uncomfortable issue. On one hand, if a person is fabricating a false history, then that’s a bit of cultural dishonesty, and they are wronging the people of the culture they are mining their “spirituality” from. On the other hand, everyone has the right to believe and worship what they want how they want, even if their ancestors weren’t the ones to come up with it.
If they don’t self-appoint themselves as an authority, and are frank about everything, then that’s the best path.
I have mixed feelings on it. See, shamanism is very important to indigenous cultures which believe in it, but when taken out of context it loses that importance.
Yes, the “shaman” in our current culture may become “Star Raven Wolf” and give you an energy blessing/healing by contacting the “Mighty one” or whatever, but it’s not true shamanism for indigenous cultures.
For example, there’s a tribe in the Amazons which do believe in shamans and these shamans are always waging a war between good and evil and it’s a very serious job for them.
But here, it’s taken away from that and turned into a feel good thing.
There’s a very good article on that, but I forgot who wrote it.
I actually have strong feelings about this. I honestly believe that any method of opening the door to enlightenment and knowledge should be open to all, regardless of ethnicity of their current physical manifestation.
The culture into which our physical bodies are born is temporary. Our souls selves are our true selves. A belief system that speaks to the soul should be open to all souls.
To say “This is my culture’s belief, and not yours”, is not to recognize the truth, that we are all One. It feeds into separation and gives reality to this illusory world we temporarily inhabit.
Even non-indigenous cultures practiced shamanism before their own forced conversion to christianity. And indigenous cultures were once themselves non-indigenous. Mitochondrial Eve came out of Africa and humans migrated east and west from there. Shamanism most likely originated in Africa as well, with our earliest human ancestors. As such no particular culture has more claim upon it than another.
Huh?
All cultures are indigenous somewhere.
Many cultures have their own form of Shamanism or Shamanistic belief…the Celts buried theirs in the sacred boar, salmon, wolf, raven and horse, while the Christians still use the lion, lamb, eagle, dove and fish.
Early cave art sometimes seems to depict Shamanic practices, “La Sorciere” is a classic example. And even our nearest nonhuman relatives (or, for creationists, the animals that God made most like us), chimpanzees, have been observed to carry off the head of a simulated predator after “killing” it–perhaps the first step toward a Shamanic tradition.
Therefore, I do not think Shamanism is being appropriated by cultures; I think it is being re-discovered.
Wow, great topic, some fascinating answers.
I believe we are all connected by the truth. So any form of healing, searching, enlightenment is not indigenous to any specific group.
We are more than a body, the Soul comes in a variety of forms.
So to say this Shaman is good and that one bad or if you are from Australia, you are better than South America… Our creator doesn’t care where we are now in the physical form…
So I guess I just don’t believe in ‘cultural appropriation’ period.
I do understand our society does buy into these ideas, but it seems like it creates an us against them mentality that I don’t want to be a part of. I do have respect for different cultures and honor the nuances yet when truly compared, Its all the same. Seems the power play, politics, and word games, just gives people reason to argue, control and resist what needs to be done; create harmony!
I believe the more we ‘come out’ to just help one another no matter what your belief, culture, or path, the more we will be able to create lasting peace.
“Shamanism” is something of a confusing term these day’s, as it’s actual meaning has been warped (a spiritual practitioner of one of the siberian tribes), and has become an umbrella term for a specific body of practices…..at least among us indigenous european folk 😉
I am acquainted with several native medicine men and women, and they all cringe when people call them “shamans”……because regardless of what the academic community chooses to do with the word, that’s not what they are.
Having said that……being what we refer to as a “shaman”, is not something someone chooses (or at least it’s not supposed to be), in all indigenous cultures the spirits did the choosing, and most of the teaching….not people.
Sure you can call yourself a shaman, and fill your living space with crystals and smudge sticks, but if the spirits don’t choose to teach you….well, you get the picture.