White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men, Part 2 of 3

[lion3p0]

Pow wows, atleast for my people, aren't religion or like ceremony, its a social thing we go to be with friends and family and to eat and dance and sing and have fun

[jimbronaugh]

What White people do with this is the same as what they do with Christianity. They write a book, start a church, get a tax free status and make money. That's what white people do. When you have no soul, no amount of spiritual pretense is going to be of any use. Getting money doesn't mean you are on a spiritual path. I am white and I have been through a dozen churches and religions. It is always the same. It is always about the money.

[daniellewis214]

the point is, be yourself. stop stealing their thunder.

[GrowingTreeAz]

All tribes are assumulated into the dominent american culture. Look and compare photos of the old ones taken in the 1800s and compare them to modern photos of indians. They may be dressed in beautiful regalia and even be on horse back. But they still look much differnt than their ancestors. The face of our people is forever changed.

[TheThreeWeavers]

These people have NO originality. They probably have a wealth of customs and traditions which are attatched to their own ancestry but instead of doing the work to find them they've just sat back and stolen someone elses. It's a beautiful thing to be inspired by another culture and to perhaps even adopt some of the traditions but.. .geee... not like this. It's like when people come up to me and say they're 'celtic' or 'viking'... both of which are invalid, and hey, you're American born damn it!

[Legacychildren]

sweat lodges are amazing, awesome, and healthy

[Marhaba1973]

Heh. Anyone remember "Wematanye" from King of the Hill?

Wematanye, I see sad-sack White people culture vulturing our Native friends!

[Starlightkitty12]

WE DO NOT PRACTICE SHAMANISM! IT IS A RUSSIAN PRACTICE! WE ARE NOT ANIMIST! WE DO NOT HAVE ANIMAL SPIRIT GUIDES! WE DON'T "SELL" CEREMONIES! WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RELIGION THIS LANGUAGE CAN DEFINE! Okay, now that that's out of the way, Americans, North or South, are not shamans. We. Do. Not. Have. Shamans. We have medicine men. Everything is sacred, and these practices are nothing but insulting.

~Navajo

[BlueRidgeSioux44]

Lord have mercy. Look at these fools, just as fake as they want to be.

[wbworkout]

Can't find part 3, even though I do study First Nations Spirituality and history, I have to really agree with this video content. Too many think a book or a class will make them a Shaman, or things they buy or dress up is. The path of the Shaman is of the heart and spirit and though not limited to NA First Nations it is a journey that cannot be sold. I still think that it is OK to study and even try to practice the Red Road even if you are not NA First Nation as long as it is done in sincerity.

[wbworkout]

I have to agree with the premiss of this video series. I am so divided in my heart. I always felt "tribeless'" My background is not important nor the particulars of my journey. I would never presume I am Native American or a Shaman but I am drawn over and over to these cultures, fascinated and even comforted. I know that many Native peoples feel dispossessed and have suffered at the hands of the Euro Western People and culture. Still, I study, read and try to at honor the First Nations.

[harussell]

Where's part 3?

[fuzzwahmrp]

All humans are descendants of tribal ancestry and nearly all tribes practice shamanism. Us white people are extremely removed from our tribal ancestry and our ancient culture because it was destroyed by roman and christian empires who then assimilated us into their own culture. Our spirituality has been oppressed for so long that when we become aware of that void in our souls we search for something sacred and the tribes of these lands are the first things we find. But THIS is not justifiable...

[Dafiddla07]

thats my grandpa Joe Flying By in the video with the ole Man that is infront of his lodge...

[0Krusnik0]

Tch, find your own path. Truly live in it with the people who are it.

[ResistNWOrder]

Is that Gary Busey at the end? ahaha. This looks like it's from 70's, capitalizing on

native peoples today even worse sadly ... and $50 back then is like $250 today

and many organizations under false fronts can go into thousands on fees.

"taking what's sacred and making profane"

[lion3p0]

too bad those hippie dipshits r playing the white mans stereotype songs that mock and disrespect ours shows how much those retards know

[freealityful]

where is 3 of 3?

[HeatherGenia]

THIEVES!

[rezzedout1]

lol this is sum funny shnit i dont mean to laugh but it is find your own ways then come teach us about them soo we can pretend it will b super kool cant w8 im gona b a wicca praticionar then i can charge my n8v people to come to my house and let me beat them in the head with sum crystals i bought on ebay i will be famous all the native acotrs will come to me so i can show them the way dont be shy you know you want to come too you can 4 da low low praice of 99.99 plus tax hahahahahahahahahahahaha

[evesrib]

Well actually a lot of "Native Americans" have been watered down by "Nordic blood" and now look like white people.

[encliticcopula]

WTF, white people? Do other people do this? Do Cherokees dress up in phoney yarmulkes pretending to be rabbis?

[Scabzilla49]

I even heard of some NDN's trying to pass off as medicine men from their own tribes, tricking non-natives, encouraging them to spread their false beliefs. Both of my G-ma's were split when it came to their religious views, like many Natives, including myself, they believed in Christianity & traditional tribal views. Even though my G-ma's were from 2 different tribes they both taught me the same thing growing up: Watch-out for false prophets or sheep's in wolves clothing.

[Scabzilla49]

What a bunch of whores. This reminds me of an episode of that HBO show Real Sex, it was the same shit, except they sat around buck-naked, beating on handrums!! They even gave their donska's "Indian names"!!

[TheGreaterGood80]

Wow, I haven't been this ashamed to be white since I had the misfortune of hearing John Tesh sing.

Wicca is silly, and Asatru can be too, but at least its "sort of" attempting to reconnect with European heritage instead of this "Hi! I'm an overweight white guy from Oklahoma named Farting Badger and I teach a dreamcatcher craft class!" crap.

[MissManInBlack]

@TheGreaterGood80 *is still laughing* Farting Badger! HAHAHA love it!!

[randomtracy]

you can get this crap(at about 1:40) for free in any park on the weekend in a college town-

[randomtracy]

eww-u totally get an icky feeling watching these peeps .just seems so absurd.you can see right through em.what do i see?some old hippies that grew up w/the(prob govt planned)hippieculture, voyagers dream stuff .now they just want to hang out/smoke pot/be in nature.that's fine.who cares.who doesn't?-u don't have2defraud people in the process so they pay for u tripin in the woods and shit

[Octstorm]

I'm happy to see people coming back to mother nature, to find her call in the heart or to walk a spiritual path.. My father was Native American and he thought if we could get the white man to love mother nature, then our future will be a good one..

[Robertetter70]

These people make me want to hide my head in the sand. And not true TheReinhardheydrich. We Teutonic and Celtic Folf still have our Tribal Trads. Look at Asatru or Heathenism or Druidism.

[BobMonkfish]

@Robertetter70 If you don't speak a Celtic language then you are not a "Celt", sorry! I'm sick of people with barely any connection to Scottish/Irish culture, not only trying to rip it off, but getting it wrong, and trying to tell us their version is correct!

[Robertetter70]

These people make me want to hide my head in the sand. And not true TheReinhardheydrich. We Teutonic and Celtic Folf still have our Tribal Trads. Look at Asatru or Heathenism or Druidism. I hear hear you Ironfisteagleclaw. It is true most of our White Folk need to rediscovery their own ways. I was told the same long ago.

[BobMonkfish]

@Robertetter70 "We Teutonic and Celtic Folf still have our Tribal Trads. Look at Asatru or Heathenism or Druidism. " - Unfortunately I happen to know a lot about Druidism, which like most genuine information about the subject is very little indeed. Most of neo-Druidism, let alone "Wicca" is 20th Century fantasy.

[Sage1stick]

go to shadowfax1920 channel and see a video about some wasicu stealing ceremonies and selling them the woman needs to be stopped and we need everyone to help end this crap now

[nitushi1]

this makes me sad/mad all at the same time. Sacreds are NOT to be sold. Not to be handed out to just anyone. They are fakes. And even at some powwow's i go to.. they try to sell their "authentic" wares. Its just not fair. How dare they just look at a book and suddenly discover their path. Its like it was mentioned you cant FIND it in a book. just like you cant just GET a name. thats the same thing as looking in a box of crackerjacks finding a name and using it.

[MizzJoBear]

THAT PAINTER OF SHIELDS GUY LOOKS LIKE HE IS BULLSHITTING!! 

[xwaystranger]

Quetzalcoatl, Pakal, and other MesoAmerican medicine people were all White men.  see on youtube: igorfrankenstein2 for the real ancient traditions.

[1NX9]

@xwaystranger

How is that relevent to the video here??

[mattokc]

Volume is too low to hear.

[progressivescan09]

wow i cant find a way to stop laughing on the inside...

All these sale articles for these things, the books, and the all-around ignorance is hilarious to me.

This form of spirituality came about before money and before people were as selfish as they are now... so how can people add these things to such a philosophy now? It doesn't make sense...

Information and knowlege should be free as long as you can prove you can handle and use it properly...

[KikyoChanXD]

They look like idiots. They know nothing about how Native Americans really live. They are registered in their tribes. They don't wake up and play pretend.

I'm white, BTW. These people make me ashamed to be white. Which I'm not, but it sure it embarrassing..

[Essanach]

I can see both sides. I think the idea that a person can NEVER become a full member of a culture simply because of the color of their skin is very wrong. This is easily seen by flipping the scenario and imagining any elements of 'white' culture or religion being denied to non-whites simply because they are non-white. We know this would be inherently wrong. Think about it. And this works both ways. It must. If not, it's unjust. There is a balance & I think both whites & natives miss it sometimes.

[jenkinscrowe]

@Essanach, I admire the sense of equality and justice behind your idea of balance, but there is no balance here. We whites have not relinquished enough power for there to be balance. Flipping the script doesn't work when the people who have the most power wrote the script. Other cultures have white ways now because we colonized them, killed them, and "converted" them at gunpoint.We become members of another culture when the people of that culture say we are, not after we buy our way in.

[Essanach]

@jenkinscrowe But there is no white homogeny. There is no "we" between me and you as "whites", only as humans. We know nothing of each others culture, or the history of each others ancestors. I may be a white Saami reindeer herder & your talk of white "power" & "scripts" & inclusion of me in a "we" that "colonized" & "murdered them" is rendered absurd. There is no white "we" which is "responsible". The idea is racist. Yes, it's their choice, but if they exclude because of race, they're racist.

[Essanach]

@jenkinscrowe To put it another way, everyone understands that to exclude based simply on colour is wrong - when it is exclusion carried out by whites. We call it racism. Yet, too often, excuses are made when such exclusion is carried out by non-whites. Exclusion based on colour is racism. It may be 'understandable' (in some cases) but then all racism is 'understandable' if you try hard enough. Those who take such a position are, of course, free to be choose racism (unless they're white).

[jenkinscrowe]

@Essanach, really? 500 years of Western Euro (is that better than "white"?) genocide is not worse, but equivalent, to a victimized society/societies deciding who they want to accept into their religion/culture--both are equally racist? Nope. Context matters. It's leaving out context that is absurd.

[Essanach]

@jenkinscrowe Cont. I never said that the underlying racism in this video was "equal" to the racism experienced by Native Americans. That's absurd and rather silly of you attribute that idea to me. It's also a complete red herring. But just because some groups have experienced grotesque racism doesn't make their racism acceptable, or make them immune from being challenged about it.

[1NX9]

@Essanach

I want to understand whats in this video that makes you think there is underline racism in it???

[Essanach]

@1NX9 Think about the very title of the film. We don't even need to go further than that. "White Shamans and Plastic medicine men". Now imagine any aspect of "white culture" where non-whites could legitimately be singled out and denigrated in that way for attempting to take part in or for using aspects of "white culture". We would all IMMEDIATELY identify & condemn anything of the sort as racist, & rightly so. So why the blind spot when it comes to racism against whites?

[1NX9]

@Essanach

First of all the vid. is about fake shamans who are predominatly White posing as Native American "shamans". From what I gather its not about Whites in general participating in Native events. Theres a difference.

Second of all. Its not Blacks, Latinos, Asians, South Asians etc pretending to be Native Amer. "shamans" (at least very few do). One has to ask why is this? (rhetorical)

I think alot of it has to do cultural fetishm of NA cultures (a distorted one as well).

[Essanach]

@jenkinscrowe What on earth makes you think that I said they are "equal"? Equality is irrelevant. The point you make is irrelevant. If a privileged white lawyer from a good family steals $10 million - it's theft. If a non-white homeless person who was only ever mistreated steals a car - it's theft. If anyone excludes based solely on colour, it's racism. The background might make something more understandable but it never makes a wrong thing right.

[Jalyndre]

And I could not agree more. Do not get me wrong...I have a deep respect for First Nations Americans, their culture and religion. Perhaps that is reason why I get so angry when I see white people stealing even more from a culture which were never theirs. I live in Scandinavia and I am Asatru...I practise my religion by honouring my God and Godesses, nature and ancestors. Respect for other religions is a part of European paganism. Stop stealing and show some respect to your fellow pagans!

[campbellmay]

The people in this documentary are just ridiculous, and so incredibly disrespectful. I would say that it makes me ashamed to be white, but these people are total nutjobs and by no means represent what all white people think. I can't believe that after all Native Americans/First Nations have been put through, people still have the nerve to pull this crap. I really hope the legal action currently being taken against these idiots will start making some headway.

[scheming8rythem]

when the trees die, when the waters run corrupt and too hot or cold to drink, when land is tumbled about like the sand of a great sand painting then they will know they cannot eat their money..

[ligonte]

the name "plastic medicine man" it fit's so good!

[FancyShawl99]

Its sad that they do this. Its so fake, and they get money from lies.

[ReneeArnold]

1:40 .. priceless... white pp are tooo friggin funny

[RaynorX]

@ReneeArnold unless you're white yourself, then it can be pretty embarrassing.

[ReneeArnold]

@RaynorX

wht ppl are laughable..there is not much that they do in which I can take serious.

[KikyoChanXD]

@ReneeArnold Um, sweetie, most of us aren't like that, thank you very much.

Idiots (AKA those people) are. Don't group me with them just because I'm white.

[redroadbutterfly]

It is all right to find your spirituality, but for those that are self-proclaiming shamans/medicine men or women, please be advised, that isn't a Native American way. True Shamans and medicine people do not tell people who they are, it's understood and they do not charge a fee for it!

[tahzwalker]

@tfrenn

I think that you are simplifying the subject by making that comment. Obviously race is more complex than the limited constructs that colonization and globalization put us in. And I am talking about the last 1000 years of colonization, including Christian and Islamic genocide as well. My question tfrenn can you be strong in your whiteness, or do you shirk it off because of fear of knowing yourself. Or maybe for these shamans and you there is more oppression and history in your whitestory?

[guallivera]

3:18 you get to know the culture and the people then you will have the tools to respect it properly. Other than that they will only display disrespect and distruction through their ignorance even if they do mean well. White people in the Hopi tradition represent the (fire element) and too many times do to lack of understanding and ignorance that fire instead of being a warm light becomes a caotic distructive fire. Hence destroying whole races of people, believing cattle slavery is ok etc.

[CynnamynGypsy]

As far as sweat lodges go....3 words-

James Arthur Ray.

[saintvitus69]

white people are a virus, when they become to many they will kill themselfs off. they can never be native american, no matter what they say or think.

[tfrenn]

a native american told me once we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, I am half white and half Lebanese, my father is from the middle east and has taught me about the oppressive tactics done throughout history by the European and American elite and I hate America and the hypocracy it stands for, so would u consider me being half virus for being half white

[saintvitus69]

even my people woutl be a virus to the earth if we became to many. every ones race is the same in that since. you are right spirituality is all around us, we come from the earth and then go back to the earth. i speak not of hate but of truth. we are over populated and will not have enough food to feed the planet soon enough. my people are few because we were killed off in great numbers after 1492. i do not care about the american elite but i do care for my land from which my people came.

[tfrenn]

but its the elite that control American that are causing much of the devastation and starvation around the world, if people would live in balance and harmony with mother earth then the mess we are currently in would not be happening, technology is there to provide free energy all over the world for free but is blacklisted and suppressed so it is not known or available to the masses...what I'm saying there are enough resources to feed ever single child on earth

[tfrenn]

the government spends billions of dollars of tax payers money making bombs and weapons for destruction, the same technology could be used to shoot food at hungry people, but the elite don't want those people to have the resources

[killbbob]

your father gave you a gift you are all him.white people's genes are weak you probly have a lovely soul.

[steinwaygirl2010]

They are only imitators NEVER originators.

The only actual creations they've borne upon the world are mechanisms of destruction and death.

[zezt]

although i very much agree with this documentary, what you say is racist!

[docwhispr]

its all about the dollar

[0102106kls]

the form is to make money , they used power tool to build the lodge

[0102106kls]

there going to get them selves killed out there pissing of spirits

[ronniebeaver]

manyeagles- fake..fake...fake..it has no spiritual meaning, what they are doing. They don't have any right to conduct any native aboriginal ceremonies. The right to conduct any ceremonies comes from the spirit world...These people are sick and wannabes...

[tahzwalker]

Pretty Much, it really comes down to consumption. Cultural appropriation is about consuming culture without asking. Because if you are of the White Race, especially in ol' US of A you have racial power that means you do not have to ask to use a cultural practice, or to build in a sacred area, etc. These people are the airy new-age people that really are part of the loss of culture and gentrification that is sickening this land.

[sillyposter]

@tahzwalker

Tahzwalker, you and TheReinhardheydrick hit the nail on the head! It is one thing to respect shamanic traditions, it is another to steal someone else's version without respect that group, their culture/heritage/trad. etc. w/o their blessings or their perspective.Frankly, it would be more constructive for folks to revive the shamanic traditions from their own backgrounds instead of "appropriating other peoples.

[TheReinhardheydrich]

This is silly. I am not against "shamanism" as I think Christianity is a fraud. But dressing up like Native Americans and imitating them is a farce. We are not them are our minds are formed differently. Celtic peoples had their own shamanic tradition but those are lost as well as any other Nordic "religious" experiences. White people need to return to their pre-Christian roots. But that does not include imitating Asian or American "shamanism".

[TheSingingCello]

@TheReinhardheydrich I think it depends how it's approached. In the way some of the whites are doing it, yeah it's a disgrace but then there are whites who know it correctly, who understand the medicine of different plants and healing, who work towards expanding understanding and getting people to see things in terms of peace. But I think it would be different from a white man than from an indian, but non the less effective if done right.

[sonofthedestroyer]

@TheReinhardheydrich,

Celtic people so called spirituality is literally a rip off the black peoples who lived in what is present day europe. White man never had any spirituality and had to learn it.

If you think i am crazy read Gerald Masseys book on who built stonehenge. White people never existed on planet earth when it was built

White peoples roots are in the caves. Product of genetic experiment.

Brother Panic has broken down how Norse mythology is all ripped off ancient black mythology

[Robertetter70]

what the hell are you smoking? Fuck Tard.

[billbromanowski]

@sonofthedestroyer vitamin D deficiency, only the lightest of the black people survived the travails of migrating to the cold, foggy, snowy european land, and as the native blacks stayed longer and longer, through the process of evolution their pigment lightened to get the most vitamin D from the limited amount of sun that was available, because lacking vitamin d produces rickets, and to this day in Africa there are people so dark they blockout that vitamin and suffer terribly from disease

[sonofthedestroyer]

If you want to know where white people came from look at Nation of Islams teachings on the creation of the white man. I dont agree with everything they say. But the essense is the same.

[evesrib]

@TheReinhardheydrich And American Indians lost their language and traditions too. I wouldn't trust their "expertise" either, lol.

[thoostorm4]

@evesrib scuse me i know :my people and culturemoron

[evesrib]

@thoostorm4 Why? I'm just telling the truth.

[thoostorm4]

@evesrib phuk you lol

[thoostorm4]

@evesrib phukhead lol

[thoostorm4]

@thoostorm4 so your just a nasty u tuber

[baileythewonderhorse]

These white folks are fools playing Indian... pathetic..... met some Jewish woman who stole from hawaiian culture, Native culture, African culture.. all she looked like was a fool but a whole lot of other foolish white folk bought her books and labeled themselves with stupid names..pathetic

[WeenTukuy09]

what the hell ever that is pure disrespect to the first people of this land.Look here I grew up on a reservation that still has its ceremony's still intact with no white person running any of them......We are not racist because we allowed whites to participate in our ceremonys but never allowed to conduct these ceremonys on their own......Me i'm a younger man I would slap up these white people who are running these ceremonys for them to benefit........

[RedskinFrom79]

Too me and my Mushom(grandfather) these kind of elders whut soo ever you call them we called them popcorn elders juss pop out of no where and claim too be this person but yea we will one day show them ppl whoo try to b like us they arnt us they juss popcorn ready too get aten from the spirits that they bother

[RavenStargarden]

I see so much confusion and a lot of anger. Seems like a true spiritual person can feel the dishonesty in those who are just out for money. So the gullible and those who need to feel special can pay those who want the money... um... and need to feel special. The truth comes out for the ones who really look for it. And for some there is such a mix of blood it becomes difficult to find where you belong so you have to go where you are called. It may not be perfect but it is what it is.

[22brigid]

I agree that there is much silliness, stupidity, & greed going on. I feel you have a right to be insulted by people who misrepresent themselves as native holy people/medicine people, people who teach sacred secrets to any who will pay, and people who charge for more than their expenses. But Native American people do not culturally own drumming, sweathouses, and nature based spiritual work. No one does.

[sillyposter]

@22brigid

The New Age and Neopagans build their practices from Native American derived traditions so to the extent they do this, the traditions are Native American owned. It is one thing to say that shamanistic practices found throughout the world, but many shamanistic practices are designed with specific communities in mind. They are not tailor made for everybody.These folks doing this could stand to build among shamanic practices within their own communities instead of stealing others.

[22brigid]

Sweat lodges/houses are a circumpolar phenomena - not limited to Native Americans. 2500 yrs ago Scythians had tent-like sweathouses & burned herbs to enhance their spiritual experience while sweating. Irish had sweathouses, Russians had banias, Turks had hammans, & to this day Finns have saunas, which were originally much more than just for soothing arthritis pains. Before Christianization swept away the old folk customs, the spiritual significance of these things were well known.

[22brigid]

So let me see if I have this straight. White people arent allowed to use drums, seek Spirit in nature, take spirit names, and in particular, do anything resembling a sweat lodge - because they are not indigenous inhabitants of this continent?

White people were once tribal people too, you know? Read some history.

[MelissaNuna]

My Name Is Mountain Wolf Child and I am from the Innu First Nations in Canada. My people did not choose to be christains , they were baptized on the day they where born. We don't Live a white man's ways by choice we live this way because we have too. But we still do our ceremonys , that our people have done for thousands of years. When will it be enough for the white people to crush the thirst they have for complete control of the First nations?

[QuickOats]

where is part 3?

[iktomereturns]

This is a heads up for all the Natives out there on the red airwaves - White Ego Woman is at it again in Hawaii - go to google videos, type White Eagle Woman in the search box and click on the 3rd vid from the top entitled: LIVE H2O--Concert for the Living Water! You can make a comment, rank it low and click on report a problem and flag it for ethnically abusive material or whatever you think is correct.

All the REAL NDNS on YouTube, Please help spread the word. She's even more offensive now!

[whywiccanssuck]

Thank you for this, it was very informative.

[crazyhampster215]

One thing i think is important to recognize is that God (creator or whatever name you give it) doesn't see us in colors. that is a human way of seeing things. Disrespect comes when people take what they believe to be a Genuine Native belief and teach it to others for profit. These people should not be condemned for worshiping in the manor they choose to because that is only between them and their creator, but rather for trying to pass off their spiritual reality as a culture that isn't theirs.

[hujugudu12]

i think ive been born on the same planet as you and they we in europe used to have a culture too until the "roman church" killed "us" and took our connection to environment and all that calling "us" names like witches

although amongst the white are many showmen acting as fake shamen

i personally do not think that anybody even on the "right" path turns in wrong direc if one starts to hate

...do you think tom brown is fake??hes born white so he ought to be huh..

[rottenrusty]

I know tom brown jr. is a fake. He'll be known as a plastic shaman soon enough

[billster13]

where is part 3. Are they taking that from us too. ;)

[hujugudu12]

all you big hearted people should really hate more i mean you do already but not enough all over the past hatrige just could not get us anywhere because it was too little

[Romanorum]

Where is part 3?

[walkingbear56]

shamanic tradition is "global" and should not be confused with "native american spirituality" (which doesn't exist as a dogma like being Roman Catholic or Protestant).

There is a lot of confusing information here; not least by te lack of part three.

Find your own source and your own tradition/heritage.

Thank you Romanorum for your wisdom

[planettwinkie]

Shamanic tradition is global ey? I thought all the new wave hippies were against globalization! These hypocrites are sure good at commotizing and globalizing. The twinks and the wannabes are the spitchul Wal-Marts and Starbucks of the planet.

[walkingbear56]

Not sure what your trying to say there, but long before dogma and church and the religious idealism against idealism, we were closer to the earth, because we needed to be for survival.

Some of us are looking to find our way back to that connection. There will always be spiritual tourists and "workshop junkies" going from one ideology to another in desperate attempt to find a "guru" to tell them what to think.

There are some though who look beyond all that show, and find something honest.

[walkingbear56]

Our lives are just a journey back to "ourselves" and our connection with Spirit. Some of us have a long hard journey, some of us fight hard against what is basically an easy and uncomplicated lesson. Some of us have strayed far from what they see to be "true" in indigenous cultures. Teach them and help them to understand fully rather than put all of them into the same boat as wannabees and "twinks" (whatever that is).

[walkingbear56]

My comment about shamanic tradition being global was to do with the shamanic tradition is not just centred around Native American or Lakota or Cheyenne or whatever tribe teachings. Those are sacred to those peoples, and selling sacred tradition doesn't work, because it is not a commodity, it is a gift.

People who dress up workshops as traditional, who are not themselves, need to be aware of the harm they are doing.

Find your own center and earth connection and teach from there.

[southwestskeptic]

Chieflittlehorse

It only takes a few words to state the truth but many to deny it foo!

[fancydancer48917]

AAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!!!!!!!­!

[olelivia]

you are either a liar or a child with a child's mind.

[8stepsifu]

No one is stealing culture, it diffuses. It wasn't traditional Indian technology that brought the internet. It was white people and a European way of looking at the world. Sweat lodges are run all accross North America. Did they all start on the same day? No, people taught each other and they took on their own styles. There is a big difference between the hippy tribe and the Lakota, to each their own.

[Wendigo757]

I fucking hate hippies. You don't understand the culture STFU and make your own culture stop ripping off native americans. Don't do the fuckin rituals if you cant do it right

[rezbird]

"the sweat lodge looks...traditional"

haha

thats funny

these white people need to go back to mass

and fees?

giving money to a medicine men, invalidates the whole process.

ha

[ironfisteagleclaw]

I deal with many non-native people always telling me they are native and/or they are Shamans. I am so sick of this treatment of my culture. These whites folks who fall are lost and they need to find their out about their own culture's ways of prayer. Don't take from this tribe and that tribe and call your self a Med Man. I have been raised this way to carry on our old ways for our peoples. My Potawatomi Name has been passed down for 17 generations. Not just picked because it sounds real native!

[ironfisteagleclaw]

If your mom is Navajo then your native. I have no prob with you. Take care.

[Jodcob]

what if your not native?

[southwestskeptic]

No, you're a fake-ass NDN with a fake-ass fake NDN name foo!

[Essanach]

@ironfisteagleclaw They may well be Shamans because there are many forms of "white" shamanism from Europe. Shamanism isn't just a Native American thing, by any means. But yeah, if it's Native American Shamanism they are practicing, then they need to be careful, I agree I don't think there is anything wrong with this because culture spreads and adapts, you can't stop it. But they need to be very respectful.

[Robertetter70]

I hear hear you Ironfisteagleclaw. It is true most of our White Folk need to rediscovery their own ways. I was told the same long ago.

[cheekyjessie]

how can sombody thats not born indian theach indian cultre .thats like me a white telling people what ist is to be black .

[8stepsifu]

The same way an Indian can go to Oxford university and get a degree or be a pentecostan minister. Speak the language fluently and take it seriously for 30 years with the best teachers available.

[jenkinscrowe]

There's a difference, and it is that Pentecostals allow anyone to be a minster. Christianity is a missionary religion, it wants everyone to join it. Native Americans, in general, don't invite those outside the culture to be shamans.

[AlluringShrew]

NDNs don't have shamans.

[jenkinscrowe]

Very true. But the ripoff artists THINK they do, and they wannabe NDN shamans.

[CynnamynGypsy]

umm well, there is that side of the situation too, you know.

[Witchyshaman]

5 stars.