Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates. This important volume collects together these key debates from the last 25 years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines 'New Age' practices based on Native American spirituality. The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of 'protocols', rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality.

Learn the religious beliefs and practices of the Rastafarians. A great Rasta book for those who want to become a Rastafarian. Written by a Jamaican Rasta Woman, this book explains Rasta beliefs, how to convert to Rastafarianism, the true ways of dress as a Rastafarian, and the meaning of Rasta. Find out all about Rastafari culture, and what it means to follow Jah Rastafari, Emperor Haile Selassie I, according the the Rastamans way of life.

African cults and religions enrich all aspects of Cuba's social, cultural and everyday life, and encompass all ethnic and social groups. Politics, art, and civil events such as weddings, funerals, festivals and carnivals all possess distinctly Afro-Cuban characteristics. Miguel Barnet provides a concise guide to the various traditions and branches of Afro-Cuban religions. He distinguishes between the two most important cult forms - the Regla de Ocha (Santeria), which promotes worship of the Oshira (gods), and the traditional oracles that originated in the old Yoruba city of lle-lfe', which promote a more animistic worldview. Africans who were brought to Cuba as slaves had to recreate their old traditions in their new Caribbean context. As their African heritage collided with Catholicism and with Native American and European traditions, certain African gods and traditions became more prominent while others lost their significance in the new Afro-Cuban culture. This book, the first systematic overview of the syncretization of the gods of African origin with Catholic saints, introduces the reader to a little-known side of Cuban culture.

The Icelandic Sagas are prose histories, describing life and events that took place in Iceland, during the 10th and 11th centuries. They are stories of families, adventures, feuding, deal-making, wars, great journeys, history, and myth. They are stories of the Norse and Celtic settlers and their descendants in Iceland during what is sometimes called the Saga Age. For Asatruars and Heathens, there is indispensible knowledge to be gained here. These tales give us a window into the world of our heathen ancestors. What did they value? How did they resolve conflicts? How did they uphold their responsibilities to their famlies and their friends? How did they approach life and their places within the community? How did they view and honor their Gods and Ancestors? Contained in this volume are nearly 750 pages of Icelandic Sagas. Read, learn, and enjoy these tales of our Ancestors. This is part of a planned 3 volume set. All profits go into a fund to build a Hof and Hall here in the Heartland.

GODS, EARTHS AND 85ers is a first time clear and precise look into one of the most misunderstood, controversial and sublime groups in American history. The Nation of Gods and Earths', otherwise known as The 5%ers, rich history and teachings are finally made available. Pen Black is someone who has learned and lived their lessons for over a decade. Find out why this very large and influential group of men and women consider themselves Gods and Earths, find out who they consider the Bloodsuckers of the Poor and who they consider the DEAF, DUMB, and BLIND. Find out why in the face of deadly opposition and governmental intervention this group has survived and gone on to influence a whole generation and Hip Hop movement. Gods, Earths and 85ers may be your only chance to find true knowledge, wisdom and understanding about the Nation of Gods and Earths.

For centuries Western scholarship, and the African scholars seduced by this body of knowledge, have not been interested in African "religions" per se, but what was worse, African scholars began not to study indigenous African spirituality on its own terms but through European eyes and intellectual categories. Okot p'Bitek, who is best known for Song of Lawino, was one of the first African scholars to call attention to this situation and argue African scholars need not "Hellenize" African spiritual practices and ideas and that what we have come to think as "African religions" are European versions in African disguise. This publication, along with a new introduction by Ghanaian philosopher Kwasi Wiredu, reintroduces a classic work to a new generation, especially for those with an interest in African spiritual cultures and in need of "decolonizing" them so that they be studied, appreciated, and engaged on their own cultural and historic terms.

A unique characteristic of Native American medicine is the belief that each patient holds a different spirit, and that the healing can only work when it affects the individual spirit. Mythology is essential to this healing process. The belief stories within these pages reflect a culture that holds both poignant and alarming lessons. Readers of this book will discover the intriguing past and knowledge of Native American history and beliefs which are more enlightening than they may have previously realized. Teresa Pijoan was raised as a young child on San Juan Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico by her Barcelona born father and her New York born mother. When Teresa was twelve years old, her family moved to Nambe Indian Reservation. She also spent several summers with her adopted aunt at Hopi. As a University of New Mexico at Valencia history professor, Teresa Pijoan, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, and lecturer. She has won many awards for her teaching and her publications. Her other books from Sunstone Press are "American Indian Creation Myths," "Pueblo Indian Wisdom," "Ways of Indian Magic," and "Dead Kachina Man."

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

Dread Jesus explores the black, dreadlocked Jesus in the teachings of Rastafari.Is Rastafari simply a bizarre Christian cult, destined to fade if the Emporer Haile Selassie never reappears? Or could it become a vibrant Two-Thirds World reform movement, recalling Christianity to its original non-oppressing gospel for all people?Rigorously researched, William David Spencer 's unique and compelling study - which includes exclusive inteviews with major Rastafarian thinkers and close analysis of the lyrics of many reggae songs - will prove genuinely accessible to anyone who wishes to learn more about Rastafari and its significance for global Christianity.

An Account of the Rites and Mysteries Connected with the Origin, Rise, and Development of Serpent Worship in various Parts of the World, Enriched with Interesting Traditions, and A Full Description of the Celebrated Serpent Mounds and Temples, Forming An Exposition of One of the Phasks of Phallic, or Sex Worship.

"Spirit Wars" is an exploration of the ways in which the destruction of spiritual practices and beliefs of native peoples in North America has led to conditions of collective suffering--a process sometimes referred to as cultural genocide. Ronald Niezen approaches this topic through wide-ranging case studies involving different colonial powers and state governments: the seventeenth-century Spanish occupation of the Southwest, the colonization of the Northeast by the French and British, nineteenth-century westward expansion and nationalism in the swelling United States and Canada, and twentieth-century struggles for native people's spiritual integrity and freedom. Each chapter deals with a specific dimension of the relationship between native peoples and non-native institutions, and together these topics yield a new understanding of the forces directed against the underpinnings of native cultures.

An Account of the Rites and Mysteries Connected with the Origin, Rise, and Development of Serpent Worship in various Parts of the World, Enriched with Interesting Traditions, and A Full Description of the Celebrated Serpent Mounds and Temples, Forming An Exposition of One of the Phasks of Phallic, or Sex Worship.

"Searching for Africa in Brazil" is a learned exploration of tradition and change in Afro-Brazilian religions. Focusing on the convergence of anthropologists' and religious leaders' exegeses, Stefania Capone argues that twentieth-century anthropological research contributed to the construction of an ideal Afro-Brazilian religious orthodoxy identified with the Nago (Yoruba) cult in the northeastern state of Bahia. In contrast to other researchers, Capone foregrounds the agency of Candomble leaders. She demonstrates that they successfully imposed their vision of Candomble on anthropologists, reshaping in their own interest narratives of Afro-Brazilian religious practice. The anthropological narratives were then taken as official accounts of religious orthodoxy by many practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions in Brazil. Capone draws on ten years of ethnographic fieldwork in Salvador de Bahia and Rio de Janeiro as she demonstrates that there is no pure or orthodox Afro-Brazilian religion.

Challenging the usual interpretations of Afro-Brazilian religions as fixed entities, completely independent of one another, Capone reveals these practices as parts of a unique religious continuum. She does so through an analysis of ritual variations as well as discursive practices. To illuminate the continuum of Afro-Brazilian religious practice and the tensions between exegetic discourses and ritual practices, Capone focuses on the figure of Exu, the sacred African trickster who allows communication between gods and men. Following Exu and his avatars, she discloses the centrality of notions of prestige and power--mystical and religious--in Afro-Brazilian religions. To explain how religious identity is constantly negotiated among social actors, Capone emphasizes the agency of practitioners and their political agendas in the "return to roots," or re-Africanization, movement, an attempt to recover the original purity of a mythical and legitimizing Africa.

This work surveys a wide spread of old rites, practised during initiations, puberty, marriages, burials, and other major events of life. Relying on ornamental artwork on pottery and on ancient inscriptions and literature, the author examines, among other topics, Old Testament terms for "dancing," and forms of musical accompaniment in the time of the Hebrews; the sacred processional dance, performed by Hittites, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and other peoples; the ritual dance around sacred objects; and sacred dances performed during harvests and other festivals. Students of bygone civilizations, dancers, choreographers, and anyone interested in the history of this age-old art form will find this text of immense value. The chapters include: The origin and purposes of the sacred dance; The sacred dance among the Israelites, Old Testament terms for "dancing," The sacred processional dance and dances in honour of supernatural powers, The ritual dance round a sacred object, The ecstatic dance, The sacred dance at vintage, harvest, and other festivals, Dances in celebration of victory, The sacred dance as a marriage rite, and Dancing as a mourning and burial rite.

The Icelandic Sagas are prose histories, describing life and events that took place in Iceland, during the 10th and 11th centuries. They are stories of families, adventures, feuding, deal-making, wars, great journeys, history, and myth. They are stories of the Norse and Celtic settlers and their descendants in Iceland during what is sometimes called the Saga Age. For Asatruars and Heathens, there is indispensible knowledge to be gained here. These tales give us a window into the world of our heathen ancestors. What did they value? How did they resolve conflicts? How did they uphold their responsibilities to their famlies and their friends? How did they approach life and their places within the community? How did they view and honor their Gods and Ancestors? Contained in this volume are nearly 800 pages of Icelandic Sagas. Read, learn, and enjoy these tales of our Ancestors. This is part of a planned 3 volume set. All profits go into a fund to build a Hof and Hall here in the Heartland.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

The Midewiwin is the society of the Mide or Shamans, popularly designated as the Grand Medicine Society. It is found in many Algonkin tribes. Its ritual, and the traditions of Indian genesis and cosmogony, constitute a powerful religion. Originally published in 1891 in the Bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Seventh Annual Report, 1885-1886.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

The Matachines dance is a ritual drama performed on certain saint's days in Pueblo Indian and Mexicano/Hispano communities along the upper Rio Grande valley in New Mexico and elsewhere in the American Southwest. It derives from a genre of medieval European folk dramas symbolizing conflict between Christians and Moors. Spaniards brought it to the Americas as a vehicle for Christianizing the Indians. In this book, Rodriguez explores the colorful, complex, and often enigmatic Matachines dance as it is performed today. In the Upper Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico, the Matachines is the only ritual dance performed in both Indian Pueblos and Hispano communities. There, the dance involves two lines of masked dancers, a young girl in white and her crowned, masked, male partner, a bull, and two clowns. Accompanied usually by violin and guitar, these characters enact a choreographic drama that symbolizes encounter, struggle, and transformation-resolution. In this classic, prize-winning ethnographic study, anthropologist and native New Mexican Sylvia Rodriguez compares Indian Pueblo and Hispano Matachines dance performance traditions to discover what they share, how they differ, what they reveal about specific communities, and what they mean to those who continue to perform them with devotion and skill. Sylvia Rodriguez, a professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico, studies interethnic relations in the US-Mexico Borderlands, with particular focus on Hispano/Mexicano-Pueblo-Anglo relations in the Upper Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. She holds degrees from Barnard College and Stanford University, and has taught at Carleton College and the University of California, Los Angeles. Her publications deal with the impact of tourism on ethnic relations; the politics of identity, place, and representation; identity and ritual; and conflict over land and water. She continues to conduct ethnographic fieldwork in and around her home town of Taos.

A fascinating and important volume which brings together new perspectives on the objections to, and appropriation of Native American Spirituality. Native Americans and Canadians are largely romanticised or sidelined figures in modern society. Their spirituality has been appropriated on a relatively large scale by Europeans and non-Native Americans, with little concern for the diversity of Native American opinions. Suzanne Owen offers an insight into appropriation that will bring a new understanding and perspective to these debates.This important volume collects together these key debates from the last few years and sets them in context, analyses Native American objections to appropriations of their spirituality and examines 'New Age' practices based on Native American spirituality." The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality" includes the findings of fieldwork among the Mi'Kmaq of Newfoundland on the sharing of ceremonies between Native Americans and First Nations, which highlights an aspect of the debate that has been under-researched in both anthropology and religious studies: that Native American discourses about the breaking of 'protocols', rules on the participation and performance of ceremonies, is at the heart of objections to the appropriation of Native American spirituality.This groundbreaking new series offers original reflections on theory and method in the study of religions, and demonstrates new approaches to the way religious traditions are studied and presented.Studies published under its auspices look to clarify the role and place of Religious Studies in the academy, but not in a purely theoretical manner. Each study will demonstrate its theoretical aspects by applying them to the actual study of religions, often in the form of frontier research.

This book explains in detail the most ancient of all spiritual paths called, The Way of the Medicine Wheel. It describes every aspect of the powerful sacred ceremony performed to construct a medicine wheel, and how it can be used to merge the physical and spiritual realms together in our daily lives. The nineteen Teaching Sessions presented in this book also explain the specifi c steps involved in conducting many ancient ceremonies that, collectively, can create a personal lifestyle that produces peace, harmony, and balance within the Sacred Circle of Life. The words to the songs associated with those ceremonies are printed in the Appendix. In addition, detailed information is given about some of the major Native American prophecies concerning the coming Earth Changes-what most Native Americans call "The Time of Great Cleansing". The reader will also learn how this ancient sacred path can help people properly prepare themselves for the devastating Earth Changes which are about to engulf us as we rapidly approach the near horizon of time.

Using a slew of disciplines - including archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, ethnobotany, biology and other fields - The Long Trip strips bare the evidence for the psychedelic experiences of various prehistoric societies and ancient, traditional cultures. It is probably the most comprehensive single volume to look at the use of mind-altering drugs, or entheogens, for ritual and shamanistic purposes throughout humanity's long story, while casting withering sidelong glances at our own times - as Paul Devereux points out, our modern mainstream culture is eccentric in its refusal to integrate the profound experiences offered by these natural substances into its own spiritual life. The Long Trip is a fascinating study of an influential yet still under-explored experience, and is revelatory in its findings, invaluable in its research, and important in its attempts to address many deep questions confronting our culture.