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So... who's a shamanist?

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    #16
    Re: So... who's a shamanist?

    Originally posted by Rae'ya View Post
    An afterthought... I don't believe that the land and landvaettir belong to anyone, even to indigenous peoples. Yes, indigenous peoples were on that land first, but I don't actually believe that gives them sole rights to work with the land. It bothers me that many of us who work with landvaettir and with animal spirits are automatically lumped into the interloper and/or culturally appropriative camp, when we have a practice that is completely divorced from any indigenous cultural context or terminology. I don't use the term 'totem' because it's appropriative and it didn't even originally describe what we use it for now... but I still feel like there is this perception that being a shamanist who works with animal guides and physical animal parts is considered a 'Native American' thing. It's not.

    Cultural appropriation matters to me, which is why I'm very careful about the terminology that I use and the research that I do. But the reality is that many shamanic techniques and elements are common to multiple cultures. It is possible for someone to work with land spirits and animal spirits, and to hold a 'sense of place' sacred, without appropriating from the indigenous cultures who just happened to have similar opinions.
    I was gonna address this, but I think I'm totally gonna make this its own topic...
    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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      #17
      Re: So... who's a shamanist?

      I wouldn't call myself a shaman as there are roles they fill I would never do as I don't have the skill but I have started working in a compass, mask work and working with my animal fetch as part of both my religion and witchcraft. My focus at this point has been calling on my ancestors and engaging with them.

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