Pagan Prompt

[pt_tangles]

Acculturation or so-called "cultural theft" is an enormous source of debate in the pagan community.  There are some who feel acculturation is as natural as breathing and that every religion and culture has evolved by "borrowing" from others and thus ecceltic and neo-pagan paths are justified in their "borrowing".  Others feel that it has been taken too far and religions lose their meaning when they are diluted by other traditions.  Where do you land in the debate?

Honestly, I tend to think of this as something that people worry about so that they can take their minds off of things that are really important in their lives.  Rather than fighting whatever demons or battles that you need to in order to better yourself and your place in the world, people tend to focus on 'the other'.

If you are alive and practising your religion and passing your ways on to your descendants, then it isn't possible for someone to take your culture away from you.  You have it.  You are using it.  As long as you live and breathe, your culture and your religion are vital and real and done just how you like it.

This debate reminds me a lot of the 'You can't call yourself Wiccan' debate.  No one can take your culture away from you.  It doesn't hurt you for someone else to make themselves look foolish.

--Phae

Comments

[lupagreenwolf.livejournal.com]

The issue is that you have white people making money off of indigenous practices and religions, while actual members of the tribes are starving on reservations. Tribal practices are meant for the communities they came from, and if the practices aren't benefiting the community, that's where the complaints come in.

Additionally, Running-Fluffy-Bunny the plastic shaman being held up as the epitome of Native beliefs is akin to Fluffy-Bunny-the-Real-Live-Witch (complete with dinner plate pentacle and ten minutes' worth of 'net surfing) being held up as the epitome of wicca.

Those are the main issues I've seen. Misrepresentation, and dilution/diversion of cultural/community benefits.

[pt_tangles]

I admit that I don't know how these things work in the states, but I grew up next to a reservation (as in, we lived less than 10 minutes away from the rez). Natives in Canada don't pay taxes, they don't pay for housing, and their education is free.

I know that many of the ones who live on the reservations are very poor, but that isn't the fault of the government, and it cannot, in good conscience, be blamed on some fool dressed in war-paint and selling plastic sweat lodges.

I don't know what exactly it is that causes such problems for many Natives, but it isn't a lack of opportunity.

And I don't think that you can really claim that the general public is going to think that someone who isn't Native is the epitome of Native spirituality. Anyone who is that gullible deserves to be separated from their money, IMO.

From what I do know personally, there are a great many internal/tribal problems that Natives need to solve (and from what I hear, it is worse in places where all governing is done by the tribe and there is no federal government presence). As easy as it is to believe the contrary, not everything is the government or mainstream society's fault.

--Phae

[dbmyrrha.livejournal.com]

Your statement reminds me of the TIW saying, "what I have, I hold" and the resulting fact that if you are truly a Witch, then it is impossible to be a victim (i.e. of "persecution.")

For, if you are what you are, you take full responsibility and ownership of it. No one can take it away from you, no one can lessen you, and no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. (Thank you E. Roosevelt.)

[pt_tangles]

Exactly! It's the same thing I try to tell my coworkers who are all worried about the government controlling them (a lot of anarchist/conspiracy nuts at my work). The government can't control your life unless you allow it.

Just do your thing and live your life, and don't worry about whether or not politicians are lying (if they're speaking, you can assume that they are most likely lying).

--Phae

well done

[(Anonymous)]

well done, bro