Indigenous North American Religions and Non-Native Practitioners
Despite the history of antagonism toward Native religions in North America, many nonNatives are interested in learning about Native religious traditions. Today, people in the United States and elsewhere are attracted to what they view as the nature-centered focus of Native religions.
In recent decades, some non-Native Americans have started following the religious practices, rituals, and beliefs of Native religions as an alternative to what they perceive as drawbacks of Western religious traditions like Christianity and Judaism.In the 1960s, many people, particularly those involved in the so-called countercultural movement, began to develop an interest in the teachings and practices of Native religions. Some were attracted to teachings about the interconnectedness of all things and found what they thought to be an appealing lack of materialism in Native religions. Others were particularly interested in practices that involved the use of hallucinogenic plants like peyote.
Some Native Americans appreciate the growing interest of non-Natives in indigenous religions. However, Native thinkers have also criticized non-Native interest in Native religious practices. These critics argue that selective adoption of certain practices, like peyote use, removes the activity from the cultural and historical context in which it developed. Sometimes conflicts arise over the use of sacred places. In recent years, for example, non-Native Americans have felt the pull of Mount Shasta. Their interest has not always been welcomed by Native peoples—primarily because of a perception that non-Natives are appropriating Native spirituality without proper understanding or proper training. Among the Native people of the region, the springs and meadows of Mount Shasta are treated with great reverence, and they believe a person should not approach these places without proper guidance from an expert or elder with great religious knowledge. Non-Native spiritual seekers, however, often bathe in sacred springs or play music in sacred groves and meadows without the advice or permission of religious leaders in the area, which offends some Native practitioners. Native views of the sacred nature of the land often conflict with the aims and goals of non-Native Americans, many of whom see the potential for development on the very lands that Native people consider sacred.24
Self-Assessment 2.2
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