Plastic shaman facts for kids

A plastic shaman (also called a plastic medicine person) is a term used to describe someone who pretends to be a traditional spiritual leader or healer. These individuals often claim to have special knowledge or connections to ancient traditions, but they don't have real ties to the cultures they say they represent. Sometimes, a person might have some cultural background but uses it to gain fame, power, or money.

Critics say that plastic shamans use the mystery of these old traditions to trick people who are genuinely looking for spiritual guidance. They might sell fake spiritual ceremonies, pretend artifacts, or make up stories in books. They might also offer fake tours of sacred places or even sell "spiritual titles." Often, they use symbols and words from Native American cultures. People who follow them might not know enough about real Native American religion to tell the difference.

What is a Plastic Shaman?

The term "plastic shaman" first came from Native American and First Nations activists. It is mostly used for people who falsely claim to be Native American traditional healers. People called "plastic shamans" are often seen as fake spiritual advisors, psychics, or people who claim to be "New Age" shamans. They might practice non-traditional healing methods in a dishonest way.

The term "plastic shaman" has also been used for non-Native people who pretend to be Native American authors. This is especially true if they misrepresent Indigenous spiritual ways. An example is Asa Earl Carter, who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan but wrote a book called The Education of Little Tree that claimed to be about Native American life.

Many people believe that trusting plastic shamans can be dangerous. If someone takes part in ceremonies led by untrained people, they could face emotional, spiritual, or even physical harm. The methods used by a dishonest teacher might be completely made up. Or they might be carelessly copied from other cultures without understanding the real traditions.

In most cases, a plastic shaman uses these fake healing or spiritual methods without the guidance of real elders from a traditional community. Traditional communities have rules and checks to make sure sacred ceremonies are done correctly and ethically. Without these rules, bad behavior can happen. For example, people have been hurt, and some have even died, in fake sweat lodge ceremonies led by non-Natives.

Why are Plastic Shamans Harmful?

Critics say that plastic shamans are harmful because they steal and misrepresent Indigenous intellectual property. This is seen as a type of colonialism that can destroy Indigenous cultures. It suggests that real Indigenous elders cannot share their knowledge with the rest of the world. Instead, it claims that a white person who has "learned" from them is the true expert. This idea makes Indigenous people seem like they belong to the past, while the plastic shaman can take over their culture.

People who protect the truth of Indigenous religions use the term "plastic shaman" to warn others about those who might be dangerous. They also worry that these individuals harm the good name of the cultures and communities they claim to represent. There is proof that in serious cases, these imposters have committed dishonest and sometimes illegal acts.

Traditional peoples also say that plastic shamans might use bad or harmful parts of real practices. This has led real traditional spiritual elders to say that the plastic shaman and their work are "dark" or "evil" by traditional standards.

Plastic shamans are also seen as dangerous because they give people wrong ideas about traditional spirituality and ceremonies. For example, some plastic shamans might require men and women to participate in ceremonies together. However, this is a new idea and was not traditionally done.

Protecting Indigenous Cultures

Because of this misuse of Indigenous knowledge, several tribes, intertribal groups, and the United Nations General Assembly have made statements about it.

The Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality states:

• "We especially urge all our Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people to take action to prevent our own people from contributing to and enabling the abuse of our sacred ceremonies and spiritual practices by outsiders; for, as we all know, there are certain ones among our own people who are using our spiritual ways for their own selfish gain, with no regard for the spiritual well-being of the people as a whole.
• We assert a posture of zero-tolerance for any 'white man's shaman' who rises from within our own communities to 'authorize' the expropriation of our ceremonial ways by non-Indians; all such 'plastic medicine men' are enemies of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people."

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples says:

• Article 11: "Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature. ... States shall provide redress through effective mechanisms, which may include restitution, developed in conjunction with indigenous peoples, with respect to their cultural, intellectual, religious and spiritual property taken without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs."
• Article 31: "1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions."

The Resolution of the 5th Annual Meeting of the Traditional Elders Circle warns:

• "Therefore, be warned that these individuals are moving about playing upon the spiritual needs and ignorance of our non-Indian brothers and sisters. The value of these instructions and ceremonies are questionable, maybe meaningless, and hurtful to the individual carrying false messages."

Many people who work to expose plastic shamans believe that these abuses happen because people don't know enough about the cultures that a dishonest practitioner claims to represent. Activists work to protect the rights of traditional cultures. They not only expose the fake and harmful use of Indigenous traditions, but also teach people the differences between real traditional cultures and the often-twisted modern ideas about spirituality.

One sign of a plastic shaman might be someone who talks about "Native American spirituality" but does not mention any specific Native American tribe. Websites like "New Age Frauds and Plastic Shamans" discuss people who might be plastic shamans.

Understanding the Term "Shaman"

The word "shaman" comes from the Evenki language, spoken by Indigenous people in Siberia. Europeans learned the term from Russians who interacted with these Siberian peoples. Later, anthropologists started using "shamanism" to describe any cultural practice that involves seeking visions and talking with spirits. This was used even if the cultures were very different.

Native American and First Nations spiritual people use words from their own languages to describe their traditions. Their spiritual teachers, leaders, or elders are not called "shamans."

Some writers, like Gary Snyder and Robert Bly, used the idea of a global shamanism in the 1960s and 1970s. They suggested that poets or people from different cultures could be like shamans. However, Leslie Marmon Silko, a Native American writer, criticized Snyder for taking ideas from Native religions.

Later, Michael Harner created the idea of neoshamanism, or "core shamanism." He wrongly claimed that the practices of several North American tribes were very similar to those of Siberian shamans. This led many non-Natives to believe that Harner's made-up practices were traditional Indigenous ceremonies. Geary Hobson believes that the "New Age" use of the word "shamanism" is a form of cultural appropriation. He says it's white people taking from Native American culture because they have lost touch with their own history.

In Nepal, a similar term, Chicken Shaman, is used.

Documentary Film

In 1996, a documentary called White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men was made about this issue. It was directed by Terry Macy and Daniel Hart.

See also