Theft of culture
One of the things that continues to bother me is that more "New Agers" don't stand up and say "hey, wait just a minute here" when the latest "Pagan Star" stands up in front of a group and tells them they can all learn the extra special secret Indian whatever spirituality thing from them because they're ever so important and 1/1000th Foo Foo Indian from the Secret Tribe of Nobody Ever Heard of Em, for only 199.95. (I still should find a translation for "Spewing Butt Cheeks" and use that as my sacred Indian name).
We really do need to stand up and say "that is not us" and not be afraid to piss off those few in our community who don't understand what this rape of someone else's culture is about and think "it's all good." Well, it's not. and we have to say so, and not feed into this.
The Danger of 'Wannabes':
by Jason Pitzl-Waters
The Colorado Springs Gazette features an editorial from columnist Barry Noreen on the problems faced by Native Americans trying to preserve their religious culture in the face of appropriation and exploitation by the New Age community. Noreen continues this theme in his blog for the newspaper, where he recommends the NAFPS (New Age Frauds and Plastic Shamans) group, and claims that spiritual exploitation is "another way to attack Indians".
"Christians aren't the only ones for whom spirituality is a matter of life and death. So Jacob Anaya has taken up the role as a defender of the faith. Anaya, owner of All My Relations Creations in Manitou Springs, acknowledges he is a bit like the little Dutch boy, standing up against the latest assault on American Indian spirituality: New Agers. Anaya, originally of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and later a teacher of Lakota traditions, gives presentations to sound warnings about modern charlatans who will sell sweat lodge, vision quest or pipe ceremonies for a price ... Typically, Anaya said, a New Age spiritualist will know some of the sweat lodge details and perhaps a snippet of Lakota language. They're all about trying to create a ceremony, not about treating it as a way of life ... These wannabes sometimes hand out certificates - "they start handing out (Indian) names like cigars," Anaya said, derisively suggesting someone can become "Squeaking Squirrel Butt" overnight."