The term "white shamanism" may be an unfamiliar one to many readers of this poem, but its significance as a theme in the work is unmistakable. First coined by Rose and fellow poets Geary Hobson and Leslie Silko, white shamanism has been misinterpreted over the years, especially by non- Native American writers who may feel a personal affront by the term. In an interview with fellow poet and author Joseph Bruchac, published in Survival This Way, Rose tried to explain what it really means:
It's assumed that what we're saying is that we don't want non-Indian people to write about Indians. That's not it. Many non-Indian people have written beautifully and sensitively about Indian people. . . . The difference is that there are those who come out and say that they.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 888 words. This
study guide contains 18,442 words (approx. 61 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our For the White poets who would be Indian Access Pass.
