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14AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE2FALL2014SHAMANICPRACTICEStupid____ingwhitemanTislineutteredre-quentlybythecharacterNobodyplayedbyCayugaactorGaryFarmeranddirectedatthenaveEuroamericanClevelander-turned-SouthwesternerWilliamBlakeJohnnyDeppinthemovieDeadManunctionsasacueorviewerstoidentiywiththeindigenousperspectiveoNobodythatpermeatesmuchothelmshumorousatmosphere.Inasimilarwaymixed-raceLagunawriterPaulaGunnAllenelicitsreadersympathywhenshearguesinherbookOftheReservationthatsomeAnglo--AmericansperceivetheSouthwest...asamajorloiteringplaceorspiritualtrekkerseaturing...clidwellingsinexoticlocaleswhereUFOsNativegodsandspiritsstillsingandweepamongthemagnicentruinsoChacoMesaVerdeBandelierandCanyondeChelly228-29.Asitturnsoutaterseveralyearsworkingasanacademic-activistornativecausesandconceptsduringwhichtimeIhavechallengedandcontinuetotheappropriationoculturalritu-alsandartiactsInowndmyselevokingandotherwisecom-muningwithUFOsNativegodsandspiritsastheystillsingamongthemagnicentruinsoChacoMesaVerdeBandelierandCanyondeChelly.SobeoreelaboratingonthedetailsconcerningpopularizednotionsaboutKachinasandthenmyownrevelationsinexoticlocalessuchasChacoCanyonandAthensOhioIshouldrstaddressthequestionthatimmedi-atelycametomymindwhenIwascontactedbyKachinasHowcanIpresentthismaterialtothepublicwithoutappearingtobeparticipatinginve-hundredyearsogenocideandcolonialerasureoNorthAmericanindigenousculturesGiventhatKachinaisaHopiwordhowmightIavoidtheimpressionthatIamstealingsomethingromtheHopiandotherPuebloculturesandplayingIndianwhenIreportonmyowninterac-tionswithbeingsidentiyingthemselvestomeasKachinasAndasitturnsouttheKachinaswhohavecontactedmehaveindeedhadmuchtosayregardingtheseissuesandcon-cerns.Inacttheirprimarymessagetomeisthatthetimehascomeorhumanityatlargetorecognizeitsafliationwithallnaturalandextra-naturalspiritsothisplanetandbeyond.Inacthumansurvivaldependsonjustsucharecognitionoourplaceintheecosphereandthelargercosmos.TeKachinasIwillwritetheKachinasthroughoutthisworkinreerencetothespecicgroupoKachinaspiritswhohaveaddressedmewhileIrecognizethatgenerallythetermreerstoamuchwiderrangeospiritentitiestheKachinasinsistthattheiroriginalintentionwastocometoworkwithhumanityingeneralandthattheyhaveappearedtomanydierentpeoplesandhavegonebymanydierentnamesthroughouttheexistenceothehumanexperimentonthisplanetoverthecourseothepastourworldsorerasoevolutionarydevelopment.AndnowasweenterthetransitionintotheFithWorldtobeexplainedmoreullybelowweasaspeciesmustsimultaneouslyrecog-nizeourkinshipwithallbeingsincludingallhumans.TeirmissiontheKachinassayisecumenicalanduniversal.Terecognitionthatallhumanityisonedoesnotinanywayerasetheactthatthecolonialpracticesodominationandextinctioncontinuetothisday.Andsuchpracticesstillneedtobeidentiedandrecognizedaswetravelalongsuchempire-buildingroutesastheLewisandClarkrailinourcommunionwiththespiritsothiscontinentandbeyond.TatIhavesucheasyaccesstoancientsitessuchasChacoCanyonandMesaVerdeisduetotheactthatthesesacredsitesarenowunderthecontrolotheverygovernmentthathasledtheprocessesonativegenocideorseveralcenturiesnow.ButinthesamegestureImustacknowledgethatentitiessuchasKachinascameandcontinuetocometoworkwithallhumansnotjustcertaingroupsohumans.Tespiritsthemselvesdonotdiscriminateaccordingtohumansocialcategories.ForwhattheKachinasaretalkingaboutistheunicationoplanetaryconsciousnessandintentionastheprimarytaskinthisperiodotransition.Tisconsciousnessmustincluderespectorindividualdierencesaswellasuniversalties.SotheshortandstraightansweristhatIoronehavenointerestinplayingIndian.NordoIhaveanyinterestinplayingCeltdespitemybiologicalandculturalIrish-AmericanancestryandmyresonancewiththespiritsmostotenassociatedwiththeIrishlandscapeahtheHilloaraalthoughIdondmyselresonatingwithcertainthemesdevelopedbyearth-spirit-centeredculturessuchasAmericanIndiansCeltsSamiandmore.WhenseenromthedistanceothestarssuchculturalKachinaVisionsandtheExpansionofCulturalIdentityByGabrielHartley