If you have found your way to this web page in search of information on Native American Spirituality it is likely that you have already visited many other sites and left having found little to satisfy your curiosity.
Most of the information available on Native Americans is so counterfactual, that after years of malicious propaganda, unsound research and deliberate misrepresentation most non-Native Americans know more about the people of ancient Egypt than they do about the Native American people who live amongst them.
There are a many people out who wish to learn about traditional Native American beliefs as part of a longing to return to a spiritual connection with the environment and Mother Nature and many of them are trying to do this on the Internet. Unfortunately, besides the massive amount of bad information from biased generalizations and inaccurate historical accounts, the Internet is virtually infected with charlatans masquerading as Native Americans in order to scam money out of people seeking a true Native American Indian spiritual experience. If that is what you sincerely seek, then your main problem is going to be in trying to determine which are authentic and reliable sources and which are only hucksters looking to take your money.
Most Native Americans are happy to have the opportunity to talk about their beliefs and spiritual practices, both to enlighten the public and to correct the historically inaccurate information about their ancestors. However, there are many ill-informed people of Indian descent who think they know a lot more than they do; along with unscrupulous non-Indians willing to pretend they're something they're not in order to make a quick buck. Sadly, there are also those in the Native American community who are sometimes willing to distort the facts in order to get attention for political rather than spiritual reasons.
Though it is not easy to separate the authentic sources of information from the pretenders there are a few things for you to watch out for while you search, such as bewaring of anyone offering to allow you to participate in Native American religious ceremonies, like sweat lodges, for a fee. The inclusion of a non-Indian in spiritual activities is a unique privilege that is offered only to those individuals that have developed a special relationship with members of the tribe. Authentic Indians may seek to educate strangers who come seeking enlightenment, but actually adopting an outsider into their culture is rarely done and only after knowing the person for some time.
While selling dream catchers or medicine bags may be acceptable, be wary of anyone who is trying to charge you a fee for smudging or blessing anything. While it is a courtesy to thank one who does these things for you with some sort of “gift”, it is not acceptable for authentic holy people to perform these rituals for a price.
When someone claiming to be an authentic Native American shaman offers to show you his or her diploma from a shaman school, walk away! Shamanism comes out of a shamanic experience and not a shamanic curriculum. You cannot certify an authentic holy person and an authentic holy person wouldn’t certify you either. No one who truly believed in American Indian spirituality would make these pronouncements and those who do either don’t know very much about the matter or are just pretending they do in order to rip you off.
Many people who are looking for a new religion are doing so because they are needy individuals looking for love and acceptance and not really seeking spiritual truth. Native American spiritual practice is not an evangelical revival. It is a private cultural experience. You cannot convert to “Native American”' as you might convert to “Catholicism”. That kind of shortcut does not exist. If you are looking to be spiritually “saved” you should look somewhere else for salvation.
If you are trying to learn about Native American spiritual traditions because you are of American Indian and wish to reconnect with the traditions of your ancestors then go to their tribe and reconnect with their other descendants.
If you are a non-Indian trying to learn about Native American spiritual traditions because you sincerely feel you need to become a part of it, the only way to for you to truly experience it is to connect, on a personal level, with a tribal community. It will be hard work convincing the people there that you are genuine but if you go with humility and patience you will eventually be accepted. You cannot buy your way into the Native American spiritual community. The only way you will ever become part of their spiritual tradition is for the community to welcome you into it.
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