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www.shamansociety.org 7 Shamanism has grown in popularity as an idea and practice in the modern world. Shamanism is defined by the recognition of a common wisdom based on ancient or indige- nous spiritual traditions. This broad definition has some advan- tages and disadvantages that are worth exploring. I am speaking from the perspective of a North American tribal member because I am of the Din people. I was raised on the Navajo reservation in the American Southwest with a mixed cultural background. My mother is Din Navajo and my father is from California of European descent. My childhood was spent on a ranch with sheep cattle traditional ceremony and the occasional trip to California for Christmas. Many Native Americans I know hear the word shaman- ism and take an immediate skeptical stance. Several people I know embrace shamanism with a rich authentic and rewarding spiritual life. There is a long history of cultural appropriation and abuse among indigenous peoples that leaves several issues to be sorted out. The issues that wound the indigenous cultural personality range from minor to significant. For example there are the much publicized conflicts over the names of sports teams like the Redskins or the gaudy feather costumes of runway models. These are easy to recognize aspects of a much deeper trend that impacts how people and cultures are identified. I am not personally offended by the name of a football team but become concerned when I recognize the slow erosion of my cultures significance within the awareness of the dominant social consciousness. It isnt as simple as pride in myself or pride in my ancestors but more of a recognition of the wisdom contained within the teachings of my culture. As I layer mistakes lessons and years on top of one another I get better at reflecting in greater depth the wisdom and significance of not only the Din traditions but also the traditions of many indigenous peoples. There is a perspective held by many Native Americans that this wisdom has such depth and breadth that you have to grow up with it in order for those teachings to truly resonate in your life experience. I agree to the extent that I may never understand being Din like my grand- mother did but this does not diminish the value it has in my life. Being Din is simply who I am. Because I live my life and nurture my family within the con- text of the dominant western culture it is important that I have significant points of reference within western culture that allow me to weave the wisdom of the past with present reality. It is the erosion in any capacity of these points of reference that get many indigenous people frustrated and angry because it interferes with our capacity to preserve the lifeline of cultural wisdom and maintain a healthy interaction with society as a whole. There are more significant issues to be considered beyond sport teams and lingerie and this brings us to the realm of spirituality. At the core of a culture are the ideas and practices surrounding its spiritual and philosophical understanding of the world. Language food art song and dance are a few key elements that hold a cultural system together. My mother was forbidden from speaking the Din language as she attended government-funded boarding school on the Navajo reservation. The pressure to convert to one form of Christianity or another has been underway since first contact with Europeans and has largely been successful. The diet family structure and living habits of the Din have undergone great changes in the past four generations. All of this has left many traumatic imprints on the Din identity. Despite this much of the culture and spiritual tradition has survived. The idea of change and renewal is central to Din philoso- phy and this has contributed to its survival. Not all indigenous spiritual traditions share this fortune and many have disappeared. Those that do survive have done so with much effort and sacri- fice. This is one of the key reasons why there can be a guarded and proprietary attitude surrounding indigenous culture in North America and beyond. There is a kinship among different tribes that has grown from this shared struggle. There is a rec- ognition of many shared values but also a respect for some very clear differences. This understanding has evolved over generations of people sharing and comparing ideas and traditions for mutual survival in the context of western culture. At the core of this cooperation has grown a recognition of shared spiritual principles and several spiritual practices are now shared by many tribes in North America. This is where there is some commonality with the idea of shamanism. Shamanism recognizes that many cultures share similar ideas and practices grown out of what is termed a perennial wisdom. Many shamanic practitioners recognize the value and wisdom of these practices. I have wondered what it would be like to never have grown up with my background of culture and tradition but still recognize the beauty and wisdom in the world around me. I would realize that the study of shamanic practices would seem to bring me closer to an understanding of that truth. I would want to embrace it and to absorb as much knowledge and wisdom as I could in order to bring me as close as possible to a full under- standing. E D I T O R I A L Shamanism Approaching Indigenous Wisdom with Care and Respect. by Ben Boomer