Native American Spiritualism: An Exploration of Indigenous Beliefs and Cultures (Mystic Traditions, 3)

This was a fascinating book. I was a history major and have an internet in Native American history. I realized how little I knew about their spirituality until I read this book. It’s not super long but packs a lot of information. It piqued my interest and I’m planning on reading the other titles in the series as well as reading more on Native American spirituality.

This is a great text demonstrating great academic rigour and sensitivity to its own subject matter, time, and place. It leads a putatively European-descended reader to understand the impact of colonialism on indigenous peoples of North America in particular, though for as brief a text as it is, obviously not every ethnic group within that demographic is going to have their beliefs represented with equal depth and time given to them. Overall a good read.

Native American Spiritualism documents the spiritual practices and ideologies of a collection of Native American cultures from a Native perspective.I really appreciated how Arroyo instructed the non-native reader to respectfully apply the insights that can be gained from studying Native American spirituality without culturally appropriating. The reflective guides at the end of each chapter allow the reader to evaluate ideas that resonated with them within the context of their own culture so they do not take from native practices. Redirecting the misguided spiritual enthusiasm of non-natives rather than simply warning them not to appropriate is probably the best way to handle that, and I will absolutely be trying that salmon recipe!I'm from Georgia, which is the original home of the Cherokee and the start of the Trail of Tears. So, the Cherokee section is what I was most interested in. What surprised me was that the Chippewa practices were actually what I was most familiar with since so many of them have been stripped of their cultural significance and co-opted by mainstream Western culture.I wish pronunciations were included, either parenthetically after native names or words or at the end in a glossary, because I can't confidently say most of the words out loud. But, I appreciated the list of resources in the back.It is a relatively short read and covers multiple cultures, so it doesn't get too in-depth. However, it is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about Native Americans and it should be available in every middle and high school library.

Update: After reading the entire book, I came back to raise my rating from 3 to 4 stars. I found the information presented to be interesting and informative overall, though my initial reaction was not necessarily the best. I often give books away after reading, but I think I will keep this one for reference, or to read it all again one day.Original review:Overall, I am enjoying this book. But I do have numerous issues. I’m not sure what I expected but I’m not really feeling the spiritual aspect. At times it reads sort of like a textbook. And don’t get me started on the introduction. Whew! That was brutal. I felt as if I was not only being admonished for every horrible thing that was done to Native Americans, but that I should feel guilty for having a dream catcher. My sister purchased that dream catcher directly from a Native American, gave it to me, and it’s been hanging on my bedpost ever since. For decades it’s helped me appreciate a Native American custom. It’s brought me comfort. Now I’m being told that I could be insulting large groups of people by having it. I really don’t understand that. I also felt insulted when the author seemed to claim she knew me (and all the readers) were being judgmental towards the Native Americans. Yikes! Who is actually being judgmental? The author clearly harbors much resentment ( and justifiably so) but I don’t think a book about spiritualism is the proper venue to vent that. In this context, references to the many atrocities committed should only be included as they have affected the spiritual lives and practices of the people referenced. This book shouldn’t be converted into a forum to preach to an audience of unsuspecting readers.The author also seems to go back and forth. One moment it seems she’s telling non Native Americans to mind their own business, then she’s suggesting we need to be more involved. Then the book turns into a journal at times where it’s suggested we document how the customs mentioned parallel our own lives.This book also seems to exist in a vacuum. What are the author’s credentials? What are her sources? Are her only sources the websites listed in the back of the book? She tells us they could be our sources, but what were hers?I admit, it is a beautiful book, absolutely gorgeous. And the tone does settle down after the introduction and the writing gets more to the point. I haven’t finished the book yet. I know it’s a quick and easy read for most. But my eyesight isn’t as great as it once was. I usually do okay reading. But this book has an unusual font. Plus the pages are dark. I’m having a hard time with it.This book hasn’t been that easy for me in many ways, but overall I appreciate the information. I am learning a lot. It’s a good overview of spiritual customs of some of the indigenous cultures. And I still have and love my dream catcher, so all is well.

I adored this book, plain and simple. It was a wonderful read, such an insightful way to understand the many Nations, a bit of their culture and particularities and to enlarge and enrich my understanding on what it means to be on this earth.Along with he beauty of knowledge and the expansion it brings, I appreciate greatly the writing style, the permanent concern for the reader to not appropriate the practice of the Nations and create their own meaningful ones. A fantastic read I highly recommend as a starting point in knowing and respecting the Nations.I received a copy of this book in order to offer my view on it.