Interest in Native Spirituality Continues to Grow. Vine Deloria, Jr., Jamie

Interest in native spirituality continues to grow. Vine Deloria, Jr., Jamie Sams, Robert Doyle, and Ted Andrews talk about ongoing issues between and within the American Indian and New Age communities. by Ray A. Hemachandra artwork by Loree Hemachandra am married to an Indian woman. My as a member of the National Office of Rights Hemachandra: I’m always skeptical when wife and her family are Cree/Blackfoot. of the Indigent; and as a professor of history, a book about American Indian spirituality I have interviewed many American law, religious studies, and political science at comes in for review by an author with a na- I Indians during the past six years. An- the University of Colorado — Boulder. He is tive-sounding name and a bio that indicates ecdotally, at least, a touch of Indian blood even author of A Native View of Religion; Custer the author as “Native American” without runs through my African American line of Died for Your Sins; and a seminal book on specifying tribal affiliation. How serious do you the family. I also am the editor of New Age American Indian spirituality, God Is Red: A perceive the problem of non-Indians “pre- Retailer magazine, where I have worked for Native View of Religion, first published in 1972 tending” to be Indian and selling books, mu- half a decade. Together, these facts have and updated and re-released in 2003 by Ful- sic CDs, and other products? caused numerous incongruities and tensions. crum Publishing. Deloria, Jr.: I’m always very skeptical of Many American Indians feel scorn, con- their claims and even more so of people al- tempt, and anger toward people in the New Ray Hemachandra: How can independent leging to be members of the Five Civilized Age community for exploiting, distorting, and retailers better respect native spirituality in Tribes but who know nothing about those trivializing native sacred spirituality and iden- terms of selecting the products they sell in tribes. Then there also are Indians who ex- tity. Others consider the New Age — and “New their stores? pand the teachings far beyond what would Agers” — a joke. Some American Indians feel Vine Deloria, Jr.: Well, most products today be acceptable to people on the reservation. no animosity toward New Age whatsoever; are artificial reproductions of Indian crafts. It’s a difficult call. sell their products to the New Age market; Many are modeled on previous crafts. So, Hemachandra: How should an individual and look at the sharing of spiritual paths as a while they can be used for some kinds of de- retailer of good conscience and intentions, natural part of the progression of humanity. votional activities, I doubt if there would be wanting to offer information about different Some issues that come up frequently are: any violation of a particular tribe’s spirituality spiritual paths and communities, attempt to • Should retailers sell items that are consid- — unless they were advertised as being do so for her or his clientele without crossing ered sacred by American Indians? blessed or authorized by a particular medi- an inappropriate line when offering products • What does it mean for non-natives to be cine man. In that case, I would check with based upon native spirituality? “shamans”? the tribe to see if the object was really autho- Deloria, Jr.: The Northern Plains spiritual • Can non-natives teach native spirituality, rized by the medicine men of that tribe. leaders recently issued a code of conduct to or offer native-styled products, in any way Hemachandra: What care should retailers prevent further exploitation of ceremonies. that has integrity? take in presenting Indian crafts and spiritual They were immediately criticized by some • Are there topics even American Indians objects? Indians, who claimed they had received their themselves should not be teaching or shar- Deloria, Jr.: Many things already have been ceremonies from different elders. So, not even ing with non-natives? trivialized by both Indians and non-Indians. Indians can figure out how to curb abuses. I These issues are complex and sensitive, Unless outrageous claims are made regard- just don’t know how you solve the problem. It and their resolutions often seem intransigent. ing an object, I think it should be up to the will take some self-discipline by Indians be- New Age Retailer will be exploring the rela- shop owner to display the objects in a respect- fore resolution of the problem can be achieved. tionship between the New Age and Ameri- ful manner. Hemachandra: As a broad generalization, can Indian communities throughout 2004 to Hemachandra: Do you think there are lim- what is the perception of the New Age com- provide appropriate depth of coverage. To its to what American Indians should write or munity among Indians? begin, I spoke with two natives, authors Vine teach to non-Indians? Deloria, Jr.: I think the New Agers are re- Deloria, Jr., and Jamie Sams, and two non-na- Deloria, Jr.: Well, that is a slippery slope. garded in a negative light, especially people tives, Canyon Records president Robert Doyle Stories and ceremonies belong to the spiri- who try to practice certain rituals. I occasion- and author Ted Andrews, about some of these tual leader and the people he works with. My ally find newspaper stories about people dy- topics. Please also read the interviews of flut- rule is that if a story is told to me, I don’t re- ing in the sweat lodge. They were trying to ist R. Carlos Nakai (beginning on page 32) and peat it unless I can find that it already is in use that ceremony and didn’t know how to do Crystal Connection store owner Deborah print. In that case, someone has previously it. It is very sad, but those things can happen. Morningstar (starting on page 114) for further told the story, so it is now public information. Since the practices are so widespread, I doubt coverage of these topics. I don’t include a story that has been told in if anything can be done. print without asking the person if it is permis- I have had people come to me to ask about Vine Deloria, Jr. sible. I often leave out material that could spirituality. I find them a year later claiming Vine Deloria, Jr., is Standing Rock Sioux. bolster an argument, because it is not mine to to be of a certain tribe; starting to use phrases Deloria has served as executive director of print until I am assured it is OK or that it has of the tribal language as if they knew the lan- the National Congress of American Indians; already been printed elsewhere. guage; and passing themselves off as tribal New Age Retailer November/December 2003 ● 3 members. It’s very sad. Rather than make an years and around Native Americans for years. Cards are archetypal Native American psy- issue with them, I just pass the word to other Then they would realize you don’t come with- chology. But they can be called divination sys- Indians that the person is a fraud. Sometimes out asking what you can do to help prepare tems, because that allows many people on the person is thousands of miles from home beforehand, to clean up afterward, or to assist spiritual paths to get it. The labels matter too and tells others that their elder commanded in some way. much, and we’ve got to work that out. It’s not them to go into white society and conduct I personally believe that’s why certain just about my books. Musicians or authors ceremonies — and they ask for payment. Native Americans resent New Agers. And, who change genres — because life changes again, it’s not just New Agers. It’s anyone. It — get lost, and people can’t find their creative Jamie Sams could be another Native American who efforts. More than anything, addressing that Jamie Sams is half French and half four sepa- came from another tribe where they weren’t problem would help both New Age retailers rate American Indian tribes, with the major- taught their own traditions, where they didn’t and general retailers. ity being Cherokee and Seneca and with a have their own storytellers, so they didn’t Hemachandra: Should Indians share native Choctaw and a Mohawk great-great-grand- learn as part of how they were raised the philosophies with non-Indians at all? mother from each side of the family. Her works importance of contributing to the whole of Sams: Every Native American person who include Dancing the Dream, the Sacred Path the tribe. has the courage to share the beauty and simple Cards, and, with David Carson, the Medicine Hemachandra: What advice do you have goodness of what they have been taught by Cards, one of the most popular titles in many for booksellers and other retailers selling their elders is creating a bridge between cul- New Age stores. American Indian titles and products? tures. The same is true of African Americans, Sams: To retailers in the general bookstores, Asian Americans, Latinos, different European Ray Hemachandra: Why do you think ill will in my opinion, they would sell more if they spiritual traditions, and others. The more we exists among many Indians toward the New would take anything placed in Native Ameri- experience life as experienced by different Age community? can spirituality and put it in two completely cultures, the more we can stop hatred. Jamie Sams: No one wants to be looked at different places: one under metaphysical or According to Seneca tradition, we are at stereotypically, the way Indians often are.

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