Green Starlite

On looking up The Native American way, i am discovering that in fact Shamanism is not a Native American Religion, as most people think, indeed i thought so, now because i am wanting to get closer to my Native American Guide , i am going to post some links that might help others discover a few things as well if that's ok.
So if Shamanism is not from North America what do we call it ? Native American Spirituality ?
I would be interested in others views on this please from those that have a lot more knowledge than me, Thanks

http://www.native-languages.org/religion.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/electronic...ot_shamans.html

http://www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/sacred.htm

http://www.garynull.com/Documents/nativeamerican.htm

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Shantu

Hi Angel Light,

You know, most Native Americans would be really affronted if anyone suggested that they might be a shaman - shaman isn't even an NA word. In a broad sense, their respected elders and medicine people are the 'shamans' of their culture, but as it is regarded as really bad taste to proclaim yourself in this way, medicine people are termed such by their communities. Shamanism is certainly not a religion by any means.

Native American spirituality seems as good a catch-all as any, although again, beliefs and traditions differ between tribes and Lakota spirituality is totally different from Navajo, for instance. Also, native practices are such a integral part of their culture that we outsiders can't really appreciate all that there is...and that is why many Native Americans get upset about their spiritual practices being picked up and used by outsiders without any of the deeper understanding of meaning and symbology. You have to live and breathe it to truly know it.

If you wanted to study shamanism, then looking in our own back yard is the best place to start and an anthropologist would direct you to the Siberian shamans, which is where much of European shamanic practice originates.

Sorry if this sounds a bit preachy - I've had years of reading debates about this subject on sites and forums...

Bb
Otterly

Green Starlite

Thanks Otterly, for explaining that, thats great, it's not really Shamanism i am so interested in then as the Native American Way, reading Mother Earth Spirituality at the moment by Ed McGaa, and find it fascinating the way Native Americans are sooo connected to everything, every rock, tree, river animal etc. Mother Earth in such a big way, there respect is wonderfull to see

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Magin

I class myself as a shaman as I have developed my spiritual awareness from many areas that emcompass shamanism, such as druidry, witchraft, medicine men, herbal law, divination, celtic religion and also tree spiritaulity.

I am interested in the Native American way and paractice some of their rituals but mainly I pluk my ceremonies out of the dark resesses of my mind and do what I feel is right for me at that time. I am more in awe of how they lived with and helped the earth.

Shamanism is a wide area of practices and does dirive from Siberia, but tracing it back the word shaman actiually is derived from german words (cant think what they mean at the mo but will come back to you on it lol).

With love
Tali
xx

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