the words “oh my gods” evokes the exact same emotional fight-or-flight response in me as homestuck references
this post is about you
OP is probably North American (if not sorry; they’re just an uneducated dumbass) and that would explain their views on paganism (American White paganism is, well,
usually
not very good, culturally-appropriative and overall often misguided, even if they do try, yeah), but what follows is nonetheless an answer to his “pagans are corny and face no real hardship, let’s laugh at them lol”.
The Christian religion has broken so many things not only in me, a European who was forced in it by tradition, but also at a greater scale, in the whole damn world. To all the people implying we (pagans or polytheists) are mainly stupid people for worshipping several (sometimes forgotten, but not always) gods/goddesses, implying that our religion and spirituality are “cringy”, that we should just go away and stop being “embarrassing”, know that we did almost disappear.
In Europe, of course, it happened during the “Christianization”. Our holy places, our holy/epic stories – almost all replaced by Christian artefacts.
It happened to sources, wells, but also rocks (carved into crosses) and even just land spaces or old temples on top of which they build their churches – Notre Dame de Paris is such an example, built on the emplacement of an ancient temple dedicated to Jupiter, and the Montmartre hill was sacred and its temples dedicated to Mercure and Mar – .and that’s just ONE CITY in France; the same happened all throughout Europe.
Pagans and polytheists rites were also incorporated by the Christians, their “holy days” replacing our feasts and sabbats (even if some of them still survive under their true form in Northern countries), and even ridiculing them.
This is, for me, an enormous and painful loss of culture. Our European pagan culture (almost) completely died, recycled in the Christian symbolism and celebrations, and reserved for the gaze of the historian. In some places in the world, people can still practice the religion of their ancestors from millenia ago without being seen as nutcases (not that they sometimes/often did not have to fight for this, of course). Try that here in Europe? Ha! Christianity is often seen as “the religion of our ancestors”, probably because it came so early in and is still the main religion here (well, at least in France which is what I know the most). But it’s actually wrong, so wrong! And there shouldn’t be such a stigma if you decide to say “fuck it” and go back as far as you wish in the cultural spirituality of your land, just to reclaim this culture Christianity mostly erased, especially since most people do know Celts, Germanic tribes and Gallic tribes were pagans, were polytheists, and that they are our ancestors too.
And the same process crept worldwide because of this imperialist religion and its “missionaries”. Choose any area of the world, and see how well colonization treated polytheism. And today still, these people have to keep fighting to keep their culture and spirituality as alive/respected as possible (even if it’s by hiding/dissimulation to strangers, in order to protect it).
So what is so wrong about wanting to separate yourself from all that shit, if just by words which, may I remind you, hurt literally no one?? What did pagans (and polytheists) do to you, except surviving??
The Plains warbonnet is not a Cherokee thing. It is not a Navajo thing. It is not an Indian thing. It is a Plains thing.
Stop calling every silly thing you draw that even vaguely resembles a native “Cherokee” or “Navajo” or “Aztec.”
Stop drawing the warbonnet everywhere as the apparently definitive native thing. It isn’t part of all of our 600+ cultures.
Same goes for the tipi, not part of every one of the 600+ indigenous cultures.
Stop thinking that if a native person doesn’t have dark, “mahogany” skin, that their heritage is invalid. Even without admixture, we actually do have varying skin tones.
Stop wearing crappy fake warbonnets.
Stop wearing redface.
Stop using us as your silly mascots. We are people.
Stop saying “spirit animal.” It’s derived from a New Age bastardization of a something that actually exists in some of our cultures.
Don’t smudge. Cleanse all you like, that’s fine, but don’t smudge.
Don’t call us “Indians.” “Native American” isn’t great either, it is not our name, but it’s slightly better than “Indian.” “Indigenous” is also fine.
Don’t use NDN/ndn. That is ours.
Step off about our hair. If you meet a long-haired native, admire it if you like, maybe even ask them about it (RESPECTFULLY), but do not touch. The same applies for someone with short hair, but additionally for those with short hair, don’t say things like “oh you’d look more native/Indian/etc if your hair was long.” We didn’t all traditionally have long, flowing hair. Believe it or not, there are actually different haircuts existing in our various cultures, and aside from that ultimately it’s a personal choice, one does not need to have long hair if they don’t want to. Doesn’t make them any less native to have short hair.
Don’t pray to our spirits/gods/energies. Native spiritualities are closed, they are not for outsiders.
Don’t say “The Native Americans believed…” Firstly, the past tense is silly, we still exist and do things. Secondly, we are NOT A MONOLITH. As I mentioned before, there are upwards of 600 different Native American cultures.
Don’t ask about someone’s “Indian name.” That’s not only insensitive, the name you are referring to in that instance is something sacred, and might not be something that person wants to share with you.
Don’t call yourself silly crap like “howling wolf” or “flying eagle.” That’s also racist and insensitive.
Regardless of whatever you might think you’re doing, or what your intentions may be, if a native person tells you that what you’re doing is disrespectful, STOP DOING IT.
You aren’t honoring us. You’re just mocking us further, demonstrating your continued ability to treat us like shit and get away with it even now, centuries after our colonization began. Your feelings are not more important than our history and survival.
To those doing your best as allies, thank you, keep doing what you do. HOWEVER, don’t let opportunities to educate others escape you. By letting them continue to be ignorant, you are failing. Spread the message.
There will be no “please.” It’s been more than 500 years, and we still are made to be invisible in our homelands. Still we are treated like less. Some even think we all died long ago.
We are still here
We will still be here
Treat us with respect.
Appropriation of Native cultures runs rampant in the pagan/witchcraft community. Remember, it’s just like kindergarten. Be kind, be respectful, and ask before touching something that does not belong to you.
Plume de Lynx 