Nom : Franzisca Moller

Titre : Spiritual appropriation and what the indigenous have to say about it.

Mots-clés : spiritual appropriation, North American natives, shamanism, current indigenous opinions and resistance, New Age movement

Shamanism or also called Neo-shamanism has become very popular among urban, Western people as part of the New Age spiritual "movement". Bookstores are full of 'self-help' and spiritual books, ranging from meditation, Buddhism, Wicca and witchcraft to shamanism. All these books fill an apparent need for spirituality, some deeper meaning and way of managing one's life. What makes shamanism so alluring is the romanticization of the past, the imaginative, the appearance that somehow indigenous and traditional cultures are authentic, in harmony with nature and full of spiritual wisdom. Lisa Aldred and others see this New Age "movement", the interest for traditional ways of life and spirituality, as a rebellion to capitalism.

However, many of these consumers of shamanism are ignorant of how the indigenous population themselves feel about this appropriation of their spirituality. Some indigenous people, especially from the United States of America, see this as wrongful appropriation by the "white" person of the indigenous spiritual ceremonies and way of life. This spiritual appropriation is considered by some Natives as a continuation of colonization. Currently, some of the most vocal Native authors include Ward Churchill, Vine Deloria Jr., Christopher Ronwanièn:te Jocks, Inés Hernández Ávila. There are also non-Native authors who write on the subject of spiritual appropriation. The non-Native authors include Suzanne Owen, Sam Gill, Ronald Grims.

Ward Churchill is the most explicit and aggressive in his approach, using racial terms and reference to cultural genocide and the Second World War in his writings on cultural appropriation. Authors, such as Jocks and Hernández Ávila, are mostly concerned with the lack of respect and concern shown toward indigenous people, when using their ceremonies but having no further interest in other aspects of current Native life and issues, such as land claims and poverty. Some of the concerns Native people have voiced when other, western 'white' people, use their ceremony include: 1) betrayal of Native's confidence by 'white' people, 2) sense of entitlement from the white person (continuance of colonization), 3) danger of getting hurt by not following proper protocol and procedure of ceremony, 4) disassociation by 'white' people with other issues that affect Native people, land claims, poverty, etc., 5) "quickie spirituality" of consumer culture, 6) disrespect, 7) cultural genocide.

This paper explores the opinions of current Native authors, mainly of North America, with respect to appropriation of shamanism by the Western, urban population. The Native and non-Native authors, their attitude, concerns and opinions arise out of the current political context, where Native people find voices through academic profession. The search for authentic and traditional spirituality of some of the modern, urban population is questioned from the point of view of Natives, as well as non-Natives, rising questions of representation, identity, and power.

Courriel: franzisca.moller@mail.mcgill.ca