Core Shamanism vs Cultural Traditions: Ethics & Appropriation

BY NICOLE LAU

Shamanism is having a renaissance in the Western world. Workshops, books, retreats, and online courses offer shamanic training to anyone interested. But this raises urgent questions:

Is it okay for non-indigenous people to practice shamanism? Where is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? How do we honor the source traditions while making these practices accessible?

These are not easy questions. But they're essential ones. This is your guide to navigating the ethics of shamanic practice with integrity, respect, and humility.

What Is Core Shamanism?

The Origins

Core Shamanism was developed by anthropologist Michael Harner in the 1960s-1980s. After studying shamanic practices across multiple cultures (particularly in the Amazon), Harner identified common techniques that appeared universally:

• Drumming to enter trance states
• Journeying to non-ordinary reality
• Working with power animals and spirit guides
• Soul retrieval and extraction healing
• Divination through journeying

Harner stripped away culture-specific elements (specific deities, rituals, cosmologies) and taught the "core" techniques that could be practiced by anyone, regardless of cultural background.

The Foundation for Shamanic Studies

Harner founded the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS) to:

• Teach core shamanic techniques
• Make shamanism accessible to Westerners
• Support indigenous shamans and their traditions
• Research and document shamanic practices

FSS explicitly states: "We do not teach any specific cultural tradition. We teach the universal methods."

The Controversy

Core Shamanism is both praised and criticized:

Supporters say:

• It makes healing techniques accessible to all
• It respects indigenous cultures by not appropriating specific traditions
• It's based on universal human capacities, not cultural ownership
• It supports indigenous shamans financially and politically

Critics say:

• It decontextualizes sacred practices from their cultural roots
• It commodifies indigenous knowledge
• It allows non-indigenous people to profit from indigenous wisdom
• It's "shamanism lite"—missing the depth of traditional training
• The term "shaman" itself is appropriated (from Siberian Tungus people)

Cultural Traditions vs. Core Shamanism

Aspect	Cultural Traditions	Core Shamanism
Training	Years/lifetime with elders	Workshops, books, self-study
Calling	Chosen by spirits, hereditary, or crisis	Personal choice
Community	Embedded in specific culture	Individual or workshop groups
Cosmology	Culture-specific (deities, myths, rituals)	Universal (three worlds, power animals)
Language	Indigenous language, songs, prayers	Practitioner's native language
Accountability	To elders, community, tradition	To self, ethics, spirits
Purpose	Serve the community	Personal healing and growth (often)

What Is Cultural Appropriation?

Definition

Cultural appropriation is:

• Taking elements from a marginalized culture
• By members of a dominant culture
• Without permission, understanding, or respect
• Often for profit or aesthetic purposes
• While the source culture faces oppression

Why It Matters

Indigenous peoples have faced:

• Genocide and forced assimilation
• Banning of their spiritual practices (Native American ceremonies were illegal in the US until 1978)
• Theft of land, children, and culture
• Ongoing marginalization and poverty

When non-indigenous people take sacred practices, profit from them, and face no consequences—while indigenous people were punished for the same practices—that's appropriation.

Examples of Appropriation in Shamanism

• Calling yourself a "shaman" after a weekend workshop
• Performing sacred ceremonies you weren't trained or authorized to lead
• Using sacred plants (ayahuasca, peyote) outside of traditional context
• Wearing indigenous regalia (headdresses, medicine bags) as costume
• Claiming indigenous identity you don't have ("I'm 1/16th Cherokee")
• Profiting from indigenous knowledge without giving back
• Teaching "Native American shamanism" when you're not Native and weren't trained by Natives

Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation

Appreciation Looks Like:

• Learning with humility and respect
• Acknowledging the source ("I learned this from...")
• Giving back to source communities (financially, politically, through service)
• Not claiming expertise you don't have
• Listening to indigenous voices about what's appropriate
• Practicing in ways that honor the tradition
• Not profiting from sacred knowledge (or sharing profits with source communities)

Appropriation Looks Like:

• Taking without asking or understanding
• Claiming authority you weren't given
• Profiting while source communities struggle
• Ignoring indigenous voices who say "this isn't okay"
• Treating sacred practices as commodities
• Erasing the source ("I just channel this, it's universal")

How to Practice Ethically

1. Know Your Lineage

If you practice core shamanism:

• Acknowledge it's derived from indigenous traditions
• Don't claim to be practicing a specific indigenous tradition
• Call yourself a "shamanic practitioner" not a "shaman" (unless you've been initiated by a traditional shaman)
• Be clear about your training and limitations

If you study a specific tradition:

• Study with authorized teachers from that tradition
• Follow their protocols and permissions
• Don't teach what you weren't authorized to teach
• Honor the lineage publicly

2. Give Back

• Financial support: Donate to indigenous-led organizations
• Political support: Advocate for indigenous rights, land back, sovereignty
• Amplify indigenous voices: Share their work, buy from indigenous artists and teachers
• Reciprocity: If you've learned from indigenous teachers, give back (money, service, support)

3. Stay in Your Lane

• Don't claim indigenous identity you don't have
• Don't perform ceremonies you weren't trained or authorized to lead
• Don't use sacred objects (medicine pipes, etc.) unless given permission
• Don't teach "Native American shamanism" unless you're Native and trained
• Be honest about what you know and don't know

4. Listen to Indigenous Voices

• If indigenous people say something is appropriation, listen
• Center indigenous voices in conversations about shamanism
• Don't argue or get defensive
• Educate yourself about indigenous history and current issues

5. Practice with Integrity

• Don't commodify sacred practices (charging exorbitant fees, trademarking indigenous terms)
• Don't mix and match sacred practices from different traditions carelessly
• Respect closed practices (some ceremonies are not for outsiders)
• Be accountable to your teachers, community, and the spirits

Specific Practices: What's Okay?

✅ Generally Acceptable

• Core shamanic techniques (drumming journeys, working with power animals) taught by FSS or similar organizations
• Learning from authorized teachers of any tradition who welcome you
• Using herbs that are not endangered or culturally restricted
• Creating your own practices inspired by shamanism but not claiming to be traditional
• Studying and honoring indigenous traditions through books, documentaries, supporting indigenous teachers

⚠️ Proceed with Caution

• Smudging with white sage: Overharvested and sacred to Native Americans. Use alternatives (garden sage, rosemary, cedar) or buy from Native-owned businesses
• Using palo santo: Overharvested. Buy from sustainable, ethical sources
• Calling yourself a "shaman": Consider "shamanic practitioner" instead unless you've been initiated
• Teaching shamanism: Only teach what you've been trained and authorized to teach

❌ Not Okay (Appropriation)

• Performing Native American ceremonies (sweat lodge, vision quest, sun dance) unless you're Native and trained
• Using ayahuasca outside of traditional Amazonian context (or with trained curanderos)
• Using peyote unless you're Native American Church member
• Wearing indigenous regalia (headdresses, medicine bags) as costume
• Claiming to be a "Cherokee shaman" when you're not Cherokee
• Selling "shamanic initiations" you're not authorized to give

The "Plastic Shaman" Problem

What Is a Plastic Shaman?

A "plastic shaman" is someone who:

• Claims indigenous identity or training they don't have
• Sells fake ceremonies or initiations
• Profits from indigenous knowledge without giving back
• Harms people through incompetent or dangerous practices
• Exploits people's spiritual seeking for money or power

Red Flags

• Claims to be a "shaman" after minimal training
• Charges exorbitant fees for ceremonies
• Claims secret or exclusive knowledge
• Can't name their teachers or lineage
• Mixes traditions carelessly ("Cherokee-Celtic-Tibetan shamanism")
• Makes grandiose claims ("I'm a 5th-generation shaman")
• Doesn't acknowledge indigenous sources

Supporting Indigenous Shamans

How to Help

• Learn from indigenous teachers when possible (and pay them well)
• Buy from indigenous artists and businesses
• Donate to indigenous-led organizations
• Support land back movements
• Advocate for indigenous rights
• Amplify indigenous voices on social media and in your communities
• Educate others about appropriation and indigenous issues

Organizations to Support

• Foundation for Shamanic Studies (supports indigenous shamans)
• Cultural Survival
• Native American Rights Fund
• Amazon Watch
• Local indigenous-led organizations in your area

Can Non-Indigenous People Practice Shamanism?

The Debate

Some say no:

• Shamanism is inherently cultural and can't be separated from its roots
• Non-indigenous people practicing shamanism perpetuates colonialism
• The spirits choose shamans from within their communities

Some say yes, with conditions:

• Core shamanic techniques are universal human capacities
• The spirits call whom they call, regardless of ethnicity
• If practiced with respect, humility, and reciprocity, it's okay
• Many indigenous teachers welcome sincere students

My Perspective

I believe:

• The spirits are not bound by human categories of race or culture
• Core shamanic techniques can be practiced by anyone with respect
• Specific cultural traditions should be learned from authorized teachers of that culture
• We must acknowledge the source and give back
• Humility is essential—don't claim more than you've earned
• Listen to indigenous voices and adjust your practice accordingly

Final Thoughts

Shamanism is not a free-for-all. It's not spiritual consumerism. It's not a weekend hobby.

It's a sacred path that has sustained indigenous peoples for millennia—often in the face of genocide, oppression, and cultural erasure.

If you walk this path as a non-indigenous person, walk it with humility. Walk it with respect. Walk it with reciprocity. Acknowledge where you learned. Give back to source communities. Don't claim what you haven't earned. Listen when indigenous people speak.

The spirits will guide you. But so must your conscience.

Committed to ethical practice? Explore resources from indigenous teachers, support indigenous-led organizations, and learn shamanism with integrity and respect for its roots.