Native American Spirituality: What's Off-Limits for Non-Natives

BY NICOLE LAU

Native American spirituality has been romanticized, commodified, and appropriated for centuries. Non-Natives take sacred ceremonies, wear sacred items as costumes, and claim "Native wisdom" while actual Indigenous people face discrimination, poverty, and ongoing colonization. The appropriation of Indigenous spiritual practices isn't just disrespectful—it's a continuation of genocide. It's taking what colonizers tried to destroy and profiting from it while Indigenous communities struggle.

This article is uncompromising: Native American spiritual practices are not for non-Natives. Period. This isn't about gatekeeping—it's about respecting Indigenous sovereignty, honoring the trauma of cultural genocide, and refusing to participate in ongoing colonialism. This article lists what's off-limits, explains why, centers Indigenous voices, and tells non-Natives what to do instead. Because respecting Indigenous boundaries isn't optional.

The Historical Context

Why This Matters So Much

Indigenous spiritual practices were criminalized:

• American Indian Religious Freedom Act wasn't passed until 1978
• Before that, Indigenous spiritual practices were illegal
• Native people were arrested, imprisoned, and killed for practicing their spirituality
• Children were forcibly removed to boarding schools where Indigenous practices were forbidden and punished
• Sacred items were confiscated and destroyed

Cultural genocide:

• Deliberate attempt to destroy Indigenous cultures
• Languages, ceremonies, and knowledge nearly lost
• Elders who kept practices alive did so in secret, at great risk
• Generations of trauma from forced assimilation

Ongoing colonization:

• Indigenous people still face discrimination and poverty
• Sacred lands are still being stolen and desecrated
• Treaties are still being violated
• Indigenous communities are still fighting for survival

The appropriation:

• Now that it's legal, non-Natives freely take these practices
• What Indigenous people were punished for is now trendy
• Non-Natives profit while Native practitioners struggle
• The pain is ongoing and real

What's Off-Limits to Non-Natives

Closed Practices and Sacred Items

Absolutely closed ceremonies:

• Vision quests: Sacred ceremony requiring preparation and guidance from elders, not for non-Natives
• Sun Dance: Sacred ceremony, absolutely closed to outsiders
• Sweat lodges: When led by non-Natives or for non-Natives, appropriative and dangerous
• Peyote ceremonies: Sacred to Native American Church, illegal for non-Natives
• Specific tribal ceremonies: Each nation has practices closed to outsiders

Sacred items not for non-Native use:

• Headdresses (war bonnets): Sacred items earned through specific deeds, not costumes
• Medicine bundles: Sacred personal items, not for non-Native possession
• Sacred pipes (chanunpa): Ceremonial items, not for non-Native use
• Dreamcatchers (when sacred): Commercialized versions are appropriative
• Tribal regalia: Not costumes or fashion

Practices closed to non-Natives:

• Smudging with white sage: Sacred to specific Indigenous nations (covered in previous article)
• Using "spirit animals": Appropriative term, not from Indigenous traditions
• Claiming to be "shaman": Not a Native American term, appropriative when used by non-Natives
• Selling or leading Indigenous ceremonies: Exploitative and harmful

Why These Are Off-Limits

The Reasons

1. They're sacred and protected

• Too sacred to be shared with outsiders
• Require spiritual preparation and protection
• Can be dangerous if practiced incorrectly
• Must be kept within Indigenous communities

2. They belong to specific nations

• Not "pan-Indian" or universal
• Each nation has its own practices and protocols
• Lumping all Indigenous peoples together is erasure
• Respect tribal sovereignty

3. Historical trauma

• These practices were nearly destroyed
• Indigenous people were punished for them
• Now non-Natives take them freely
• The pain of appropriation is real and ongoing

4. Indigenous people have said no

• Native voices have been clear: these are not for non-Natives
• Continuing after being told no is disrespectful and harmful
• Their sovereignty must be respected

5. Ongoing harm

• Appropriation perpetuates colonialism
• Non-Natives profit while Native people struggle
• Sacred practices are commodified and distorted
• Real consequences for Indigenous communities

The Harm of Appropriation

Real Consequences

1. Spiritual harm

• Sacred ceremonies violated and disrespected
• Practices lose power when done incorrectly
• Spirits and protocols disrespected
• Indigenous people see their spirituality profaned

2. Physical danger

• Non-Native-led sweat lodges have caused deaths
• Ceremonies require proper knowledge and safety protocols
• Playing with sacred practices is dangerous

3. Economic exploitation

• Non-Natives profit from Indigenous spirituality
• "Plastic shamans" charge for fake ceremonies
• Indigenous practitioners can't make living from their own traditions

4. Cultural erasure

• Practices stripped of context and meaning
• Reduced to New Age trends
• Tribal specificity erased
• "Pan-Indian" stereotypes perpetuated

5. Perpetuates colonialism

• Continues pattern of taking from Indigenous peoples
• Treats Indigenous cultures as resources to extract
• Ignores ongoing oppression and genocide

Common Appropriations to Stop

What Non-Natives Need to Stop Doing

1. Wearing headdresses

• Sacred items, not costumes
• Earned through specific deeds
• Wearing them is deeply disrespectful
• Stop immediately

2. Using "spirit animal"

• Not from Indigenous traditions
• Appropriative and trivializing
• Say "patronus" or "favorite animal" instead

3. Claiming to be "shaman"

• Not a Native American term (it's Siberian)
• Used by appropriators to sound exotic
• If you're not Indigenous, don't use this term

4. Selling or leading Indigenous ceremonies

• "Plastic shamans" exploit Indigenous spirituality
• Charging for ceremonies is often exploitative
• Non-Natives have no authority to lead these

5. Smudging with white sage

• Covered in detail in previous article
• Use ethical alternatives instead

6. Using Indigenous imagery casually

• Dreamcatchers as car accessories
• Tribal patterns as fashion
• Sacred symbols as decoration
• Reduces sacred to aesthetic

What Non-Natives Should Do Instead

Respectful Alternatives

1. Explore your own ancestral traditions

• Research your own heritage
• Reclaim practices from your ancestors
• Build relationship with your own roots
• You don't need Indigenous practices

2. Support Indigenous communities

• Donate to Indigenous-led organizations
• Support land back movements
• Advocate for Indigenous rights
• Amplify Indigenous voices

3. Educate yourself

• Learn about Indigenous history and ongoing struggles
• Read books by Indigenous authors
• Listen to Indigenous voices
• Understand the harm of appropriation

4. Buy from Indigenous artisans

• If you want Indigenous art, buy from Native artists
• Ensure your money goes to Indigenous people
• Don't buy from non-Native companies selling "Native-inspired" items

5. Respect boundaries

• Don't attend Indigenous ceremonies unless invited
• Don't use closed practices
• Honor when told "no"
• Accept that some things are not for you

Addressing Common Defenses

Why These Don't Work

"But I have Native ancestry..."

• Distant ancestry doesn't grant automatic access
• If you weren't raised in the culture, you're still an outsider
• Reconnecting requires humility and proper protocols
• Don't use ancestry as excuse to appropriate

"But I was told in a vision..."

• Spiritual experiences don't override cultural boundaries
• Real spiritual guidance respects cultural protocols
• This is often spiritual bypassing

"But I'm honoring the culture..."

• Covered in previous article
• Honor means respecting boundaries
• If Indigenous people say no, honor that

"But spirituality is universal..."

• Some truths are universal; specific practices are not
• Universal access is not the same as universal truth
• Respect for boundaries is also universal

Supporting Indigenous Sovereignty

How to Be an Ally

1. Respect boundaries

• Don't use closed practices
• Don't attend ceremonies unless invited
• Honor Indigenous sovereignty

2. Support land back

• Advocate for returning stolen land
• Support Indigenous land defenders
• Learn whose land you're on

3. Advocate for Indigenous rights

• Support treaty rights
• Oppose pipeline and mining projects on Indigenous land
• Vote for Indigenous interests

4. Amplify Indigenous voices

• Share Indigenous educators and activists
• Listen to Indigenous perspectives
• Don't speak over or for Indigenous people

5. Make reparations

• Donate to Indigenous causes
• Support Indigenous youth and education
• Pay Indigenous people for their labor and knowledge

Crystals for Respecting Boundaries

Protection and Respect

Boundaries:

• Black tourmaline: Strong boundaries, respecting limits
• Obsidian: Truth-seeing, recognizing what's not yours
• Smoky quartz: Grounding, staying within appropriate bounds

Humility and Respect

• Hematite: Grounding, staying humble
• Amethyst: Spiritual humility, honoring what's sacred
• Sodalite: Truth, respecting others' sovereignty

How to Use

• Hold when tempted to appropriate
• Meditate with to strengthen respect for boundaries
• Use to stay grounded in ethical practice

Integration: Respect Indigenous Sovereignty

Native American spiritual practices are not for non-Natives. This isn't gatekeeping—it's respecting Indigenous sovereignty over their own spirituality. It's honoring the trauma of cultural genocide. It's refusing to participate in ongoing colonialism.

You don't need Indigenous practices. Explore your own heritage. Support Indigenous communities. Respect boundaries. That's what real respect looks like.

When Indigenous people say "this is not for you," the only appropriate response is: "I understand. I respect that. How can I support you?"

Stop appropriating. Start respecting. That's non-negotiable.

Next in this series: Santería and Lukumí: Initiation-Only Practices