Native American Spirituality?

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GregoryLionborn
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Native American Spirituality?

Post by GregoryLionborn »

I'm (as some of you who were here while I was still in the prime of my posting) half native American on my mother's side; Yaqui, from Arizona through northern Mexico.
I've been heavily into my mother's ancestry since I was young, but don't know as much as I would like;

Specifically in the religion aspect. Can anybody give me any advice on what to read, or if someone can help me out, where to go in Southern California for advice/guidance?
More specifically in the Tustin/Irvine area. I can travel, but would prefer to keep it somewhat close. Joshua Tree National Park was a great place for me to go for communion with nature.
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Ravencry
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by Ravencry »

I wish I knew!
I'm Navajo from Arizona, and I can't even find my darn father -_-
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GregoryLionborn
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by GregoryLionborn »

Rats. I'll keep digging around then. :)
If I find anything, I'll try to post. The best we can do is share.
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Lost_Demise
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by Lost_Demise »

Good luck finding!
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by JuniperBerry »

The NA community was pretty open in the early sixties in seventies when people began looking into alternative religions. After awhile, though, they realized that the NA spirituality was being misappropriated by people who were taking the sacred rites and beliefs out of the worlview and out of the spiritual context and they closed their doors, so to speak, to protect their heritage. There isn't that much info out there.

I think your best bet is to get in touch with a local NA center and get their help with information on your tribe and assistance in becoming of the NA religious community.
The Gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that. A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson



As believers in the folk-religion we are studying, we seek after mysteries that expand the scope of our gods and our understanding of them, not reductionist theories that reduce them to manageable and socially productive "functions".

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presentcharisma
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by presentcharisma »

There is an excellent book on this that i rented from the local library. Its called "mother earth spirituality" its written by a chief.
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Earth-Spir ... 0062505963
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JuniperBerry
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by JuniperBerry »

From an email group:
--- In newagefraudsplastichshamans@yahoogroups.com, "mibby529"
<mibby529@z...> wrote:
> --- In newagefraudsplastichshamans@yahoogroups.com, "educatedndn"
> <bigi_again@y...> wrote:
> > He is enrolled, but I don't know how much contact he really has
with
> > Lakota communities. I ran across some interviews and writing he
did
> > in the South Dakota Oral History Collection. His grandfather
called
> > himself "a quarter-kota". (OK mibby, we're all waiting for the
pun.)
>
> He's just a two-bit huckster.
>
> > This was in the late 60s & early 70s, but already McGaa was
twisting
> > Lakota teachings in all kinds of weird ways. He interviewed an
> > elder, it may have been Fools Crow, and kept twisting every word
he
> > said. He'd say "So the Hopi believe the world is coming to an end?
"
> > when the elder might be talking about growing up on the rez,
things
> > like that.
>
> Ah yes, the old fake interview. You can do quite a bit with a few
> phonemes today anyway.
>
> > He's made every fraud list out there and been denounced BY Lakota
> > repeatedly and by name many times. Probably the kindest comment
I've
> > heard about him is Ward Churchill's, that could not harm anything
> > because he knew so little.
>
> Said the netizen to the spammer, until the day he was on too many
> "Remove" lists and couldn't access his mail.
He's also on a Tribal Warning list as a fraud. http://www.geocities.ws/dont_pay_to_pray/list.html#

And also on this NA site as a fraud: http://natube.magnify.net/messages/view ... JY7K8V9BMG


I'm sure there's many more lists that he's on.
The Gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that. A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson



As believers in the folk-religion we are studying, we seek after mysteries that expand the scope of our gods and our understanding of them, not reductionist theories that reduce them to manageable and socially productive "functions".

-Our Troth
spook
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by spook »

I only know of north west coastal native stuff and a bit about Metis,but not so much from the actual religion aspect.
sorry,don't know anything past washigton state.
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presentcharisma
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by presentcharisma »

Wow juniper! that is some crazy stuff? Did you just look him up or did you already know about him? I rented the book and read parts of it and it seemed pretty good. But you can never know nowdays. ;)

I guess it goes to show that we can find something on any spiritual teacher. For instance, I LOVE eckhart tolle, but there are people who like to bash him.

Gregory- pehaps you can look up in amazon "native american spirituality" and see if there are any books. A variety will help you find what is right for you.
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Asch
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by Asch »

Before taking any book or teacher to heart as the be all and end all it pays to verify their sources with at least two other sources, investigate their background and claims online and use your common sense. There are loads of charlatans and so called scholars eager to sell you on an idea and more than willing to use lies and self righteous indignation to do so. Anyone who gets offended or defensive when you request references or credentials regarding their claims is to be avoided, similarly any book needs to be read with a grain of salt and an understanding of the author's goals and perspectives.
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presentcharisma
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

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"Before taking any book or teacher to heart as the be all and end all it pays to verify their sources with at least two other sources, investigate their background and claims online and use your common sense"
THis is great advice

"Anyone who gets offended or defensive when you request references or credentials regarding their claims is to be avoided,"

I sure hope you weren't refering to me. Because that is not what I was doing. Wow... what a welcome!
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Asch
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by Asch »

I wasn't referring to you specifically but just offering my two cents regarding research in general. Far too many people are taken in by bad information and fluff from 'reliable' aka well known but poor teachers like Silver Ravenwolf etc. Most of these people probably have good intentions but are too lazy or set in their own philosophy to back up what they're teaching with good sense and legitimate research. Many early pagan scholars - especially those associated with Wicca - were relying on sources and other scholars whose research and methodology have since been shown to be extremely suspect if not outright false. This doesn't render them wholly invalid as the spirituality and message of their conclusions remains just their scholarship and facts are suspect. For me, that makes them a good resource to understand the evolution of their creed but not an accurate source for the way things actually are and were.

Please don't take this as an attack, it's not, it's an explanation. :D

EDIT

Also, this bad information can lead to pointless bickering and arguing between those who've actually researched some historically accurate information and those who've been taken in by poetic fluff. It's tiring and counterproductive for both sides.
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presentcharisma
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by presentcharisma »

Asch wrote:I wasn't referring to you specifically but just offering my two cents regarding research in general. Far too many people are taken in by bad information and fluff from 'reliable' aka well known but poor teachers like Silver Ravenwolf etc. Most of these people probably have good intentions but are too lazy or set in their own philosophy to back up what they're teaching with good sense and legitimate research. Many early pagan scholars - especially those associated with Wicca - were relying on sources and other scholars whose research and methodology have since been shown to be extremely suspect if not outright false. This doesn't render them wholly invalid as the spirituality and message of their conclusions remains just their scholarship and facts are suspect. For me, that makes them a good resource to understand the evolution of their creed but not an accurate source for the way things actually are and were.

Please don't take this as an attack, it's not, it's an explanation. :D

EDIT

Also, this bad information can lead to pointless bickering and arguing between those who've actually researched some historically accurate information and those who've been taken in by poetic fluff. It's tiring and counterproductive for both sides.

well thank goodnes, because I was starting to wonder if I offended someone by suggesting a book that i read, liked, and he asked for info.


"Most of these people probably have good intentions but are too lazy or set in their own philosophy to back up what they're teaching with good sense and legitimate research"

I do wonder about that statement though. Personally, my philosophy is not native american spirituality, however i do like it and find it to be peaceful. My reading that book was a way to know a little more. My goal is not to become a great teacher on native american spirituality. So I don't think its lazyness to not research something that I do not plan to adopt. I have 4 kids and 2 houses, between all of that I try to meditate, study the tarot, be a good mom and wife, learning numerology, learning astrology, and now looking into witchcraft (if that is not the right term then pardon my ignorance)
Is someone who enjoys an oreo cookie and suggest to a friend who is looking for a new snack a lazy person because they didn't research the ingredients that are bad for our human bodies?


But this is definately a good lesson altogether. Thank you for pointing it out.
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Asch
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

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"Most of these people probably have good intentions but are too lazy or set in their own philosophy to back up what they're teaching with good sense and legitimate research"

^ is referring to the authors, not the readers. I would hope that the authors at least researched or practiced what they're writing. I write fiction and I still bust my ass doing research when applicable. were I to write something nonfiction or purporting to be nonfiction I would redouble my efforts.
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Re: Native American Spirituality?

Post by presentcharisma »

Asch wrote:"Most of these people probably have good intentions but are too lazy or set in their own philosophy to back up what they're teaching with good sense and legitimate research"

^ is referring to the authors, not the readers. I would hope that the authors at least researched or practiced what they're writing. I write fiction and I still bust my ass doing research when applicable. were I to write something nonfiction or purporting to be nonfiction I would redouble my efforts.

My husband writes fiction too. :) What type of fiction? Any luck with publishings. Its a hard market!
You make a good point about those claiming to be "teachers" and not having the info right.
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