by Rick Romancito

About the author: Rick Romancito, a Taos and Zuni Indian, is the arts and entertainment editor for the weekly Taos News in Taos, New Mexico.

The quest for spiritual enlightenment and knowledge is a worthy pursuit and should be encouraged. But something is happening within the New Age movement that has many American Indian people very concerned. It has to do with a misconception that their native religions are openly accessible to non-Indians.

No Single Religion

To begin, the beliefs held by the widely varied group of indigenous tribes throughout North America are not part of a single religion. The concept of spiritual entities called Kachinas is not part of the same religion as the belief in a spirit road as pursued by followers of the Native American Church, nor is the Plains Indian Sun...