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32AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE2FALL2014SHAMANICPRACTICEAtensionhaslongexistedbetweenthecontemporarysha-manismmovementandtraditionalNativeAmericanhealers.Ihaveexperiencedthistensionrombothsides.InmytimewithtraditionalNorthAmericanhealersIlearnedthatcallingsome-oneashamanwasastronginsult.Phrasessuchasurbanshamanweresynonymouswithplasticmedicineman.Teyweretermsoderision.FrommycontemporaryshamansideIdeeplyrespectedtraditionalhealersbutknewIcouldneverbeoneatleastwithinthedefnitionIhadlearnedtouse.Ioundmyselinthequandaryoneverbeingatraditionalhealerbuthavinglearnedtheirdistasteorthewordshaman.IwantedtosaythatIwasahealthpractitionerwhowasinspiredandin-ormedbytraditionalhealersandtheirpracticesbutthatdidntfteasilyonabusinesscard.SowhatwasIomeatraditionalhealerhaslivedhisorherentirelieinareservationsettingandisullyimmersedinthelieothecom-munity.Heorshehasbeenahelpertoanolderhealeroryearsusuallyatleast20andhascomeintohisorherownrecogni-tionuponthedeathothehealerwhomheorshewashelping.IcouldnotbeatraditionalhealerbecauseIhadnotgrownuponareservationthoughsomehavearguedthatsoutheasternKentuckythelandomychildhoodisonebigreservationoormercoalminingtownsandtheircompanystoresuntilcoalminingdisappearedleavingabjectpovertyinitswake.AlsoIbelievethathighereducationchangesuspermanently.MostothetraditionalhealersIknowdidnotventurepasthighschoolandmanydidnotmakeitthatar.Highereducationchangesusorbetterandworse.Itmakesithardertoreturntothecommunityandunctionintheroleotraditionalhealer.Howeverthereisapotentialawinmythinking.Givenmydefnitiontraditionalhealerswilleventuallyceasetoexistaspeoplebecomemoreeducated.Wewillalldevelopintohy-brids.Perhapswhenthathappenswewillhavetochangeourdefnitiontoencompassanewbreedohybridswhoareabletooperateinbothworlds.AreweclosetothattimenowIwouldconsidermyselahybrid.Ihavespenttimewithhealersmyentirelie.Igrewuparoundhealersthoughnotonareservation.Mygreat-grandmotherwasahealer.HoweverasachildIwasntconsciouslyawareohealing.InactItookmyculturerelativelyorgrantedasmanychildrendo.ItwasnotuntilIarrivedatStanordMedicalSchoolthatIrealizedthatIcameromadierentworldrommostomyellowstudents.Ihavebeenintentionallyspendingtimewithhealerssince1973.Ihavelearnedhowtoconductsometraditionalcer-emoniesandhaveworkedalongsidetraditionalhealerstoassistthemthroughoutthoseyears.IhavetakenwhatIobservedandhaveapplieditinmyownworld.Ihavetakenwhatthehealerscalleddoctoringandhavecalleditenergymedicine.IhavedrawnintellectualparallelsbetweenNativeAmericanhealingandchigongChineseenergyhealingReikiaJapaneseormoenergyhealingandTerapeuticouch.Ihaverelatedthemethodsohands-on-the-bodyosteopathichealingthatIlearnedromCherokeepractitionersothatarttotuinanaChineseormomanipulativemedicinetoTaimassageandtoAmericanosteopathicpracticewhichmanyNativescholarsbelieveounderAndrewaylorStilllearnedromthePawneeNationwithwhomhespentmanyyearsbeoreinventingosteopathy.Myworkisinspiredbytraditionalhealingandsomeoitlooksliketraditionalhealingbutitremainsahybrid.IamhopelesslyinuencedbyallthetraditionsIhavestudiedincludingReikitraditionalChinesemedicinechigongaswellasNativeAmericanhealing.NativeAmericanhealershavehelpedmetounderstandthatspiritmovesthroughmyhandsasIworkandinuenceswhatIdoincreasingbothmyrecep-tivityandmyeectiveness.TathavingbeensaidwhyamIuncomortablecallingmyselacontemporaryshamanIaskedoneomyeldersthisquestionandthisiswhathesaid.ShamanisawordromSiberia.1Itmeanshealerinonetribeslanguage.Youshouldntuseotherpeopleslanguageiyoudontknowtheirculturehesaid.Youshouldusethelanguageothecultureyoucomerom.FromollowingtheworkoMichaelHarnerandSandraIngermanIknowthattheiroriginalmodelorhealingcameromtheseSiberianhealers.Whatdiersisthestyleolearning.InSiberiapeoplespendtwentyormoreyearslearningtheircrat.IncontemporaryNorthAmericaitisdoneinaseriesoweekendworkshopsoraone-to-two-yearcourse.TisiswhytraditionalNorthAmericanhealersdismisscontemporarysha-manstheydontbelievethemedicinecanbelearnedinthiswaythisquickly.HoweverIhaveseenpeoplebeneftromtheirworkwithcontemporaryshamanism.Ihavealsoseenitusedasatoolorgeneratingincomewithlittleeectiveness.Ihavealsoseentraditionalhealerstakeadvantageosomeothepeoplewhocometoseethem.AsNewAgeascontemporaryOneRoadManyBranchesbyLewisMehl-MadronaMDPh.D.