BOOK REVIEW by Sharon G. Mijares PhD
Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community is a very significant book for our time. It challenges current trends toward borrowing and using Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and related practices, and points out that this tendency further precipitates colonial thinking and intrusion upon the ways of Indigenous people. Eyers lays out her case against these ongoing colonial-thinking practices, describing the many ways that white Europeans have intruded into Indigenous societies, particularly those of North America. She challenges the booming trend “to borrow identities from other cultures.” Given the number of white people re-creating sweat lodges, presenting ceremonies (where permitted by Indigenous peoples) and so forth, Eyers challenges these behaviors and asks why people are not, instead, cultivating their own Indigenous roots. For example, why not learn more about the European Indigenous Knowledge traditions of Nordic and Celtic Paganism as well as a host of other EIK traditions from the UK, Baltic, Russian or Siberian lands? In short, Eyers discusses the current quest toward ancient ways of reverencing with ancestral practices and re-connecting to the earth and its spirits, but also asks readers to replace what she illustrates as an intrusive continuance of colonial thinking with practices related to one’s own genetic history.
One excellent quote supporting this theme notes that, "Our post-modern culture finds itself in a desperate need for Ancestors right now. The greatest threat today is the unraveling of the Web, which connects us to one another. Tracing the stories of our Ancestors allows us to reach beyond our cultural borders to worlds and not our own. The future may try to monopolize our attention, but some of our most fruitful lessons may come from connecting to our past. May your journey to the Ancestors yield both wisdom & compassion, which are their truest gifts to us." [1]
Ancient Spirit Rising is filled with excellent, supportive quotes that add a lot to the author’s points. It is also filled with terms and acronyms, noting the differences between IK (Indigenous Knowledge) and EIK (European Indigenous Knowledge), settler re-indigeneity and indigenous mind, as well as the ravages of Empire, patriarchy, hierarchy, ethnocide, capitalism, ecocide, racism and white privilege, to name a few. Then each of the topics are addressed in depth with significant scholarly support, causing the reader to examine their practices and beliefs. Do we support true unity, or do we contribute to ongoing intrusion into Indigenous people’s communities and lives?
One excellent quote supporting this theme notes that, "Our post-modern culture finds itself in a desperate need for Ancestors right now. The greatest threat today is the unraveling of the Web, which connects us to one another. Tracing the stories of our Ancestors allows us to reach beyond our cultural borders to worlds and not our own. The future may try to monopolize our attention, but some of our most fruitful lessons may come from connecting to our past. May your journey to the Ancestors yield both wisdom & compassion, which are their truest gifts to us." [1]
Ancient Spirit Rising is filled with excellent, supportive quotes that add a lot to the author’s points. It is also filled with terms and acronyms, noting the differences between IK (Indigenous Knowledge) and EIK (European Indigenous Knowledge), settler re-indigeneity and indigenous mind, as well as the ravages of Empire, patriarchy, hierarchy, ethnocide, capitalism, ecocide, racism and white privilege, to name a few. Then each of the topics are addressed in depth with significant scholarly support, causing the reader to examine their practices and beliefs. Do we support true unity, or do we contribute to ongoing intrusion into Indigenous people’s communities and lives?
 Review in CWS Fall 2018 |  Pegi Eyers |
This is a timely book in that humanity is in the midst of a mass migration, as well as the exposure to other cultures supported by modern technologies of the internet as well as travel. It is an unsettling time, and this has probably initiated the widespread urge to connect with nature traditions using ritual practices more connected to spiritual ancestry. The world religions no longer have the appeal of the past.
There are differing beliefs and responses within Indigenous communities to this movement. Some are capitalizing on it by earning an income, for example, an Indigenous person teaching students how to build and conduct a sweat lodge as well as other native practices for a fee. There are those who prefer to protect their tribal ways and not allow further appropriation or intrusion by Settlers who, without thoughtfulness, bring the crimes of the past into the present. Then there are also other tribal peoples who go beyond ideas of further segregation and are, instead, joining with all races, nationalities, spiritual backgrounds, and so forth, for the future of all life. Increasing numbers of people are recognizing the important role of Indigenous people in teaching us how to protect the well-being of all life and the future of the planet. Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community brings up many controversial and important issues, and stimulates significant thought. To what extent are we as human beings all connected?
The book also brings up the question of whether we are more influenced by our genes or the land to which we are born. Although this is discussed in her book, Eyers does not fully answer the question - primarily because it is an unknown factor. The author directs our intention to knowing our individual ancestral roots, and asks that we quit appropriating those of Indigenous peoples. In addition to formulating our own ethnoculture and eco-identity as connected to place, this appears to be the driving message of the book.
In summary, after reviewing Ancient Spirit Rising it is my opinion that it is an important, significant and timely read. I highly recommend reading it, and also recommend keeping it as a resource toward further exploration, thought and referencing on problems of cultural identity, and solutions as found in practices of ecospirituality and the ancestral arts. Eyers has gone to great depths in presenting her thesis. It is well thought out, well written and referenced. Most importantly, Ancient Spirit Rising presents significant issues for the era in which we are living - a time in which all of humanity is confronted by tremendous change.
NOTES
[1] Niven, Anne Newkirk. “Living the Dream: Letter from the Editor,” Sage Woman: Celebrating the Goddess in Every Woman, Issue 43, “Ancestors" Autumn 1998
This review of Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers originally appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of Canadian Woman Studies "Sexual and Gender Violence in Education" available >here<
 | Sharon G. Mijares, PhD Sharon is a psychologist, author and international speaker. She is Associate Faculty at National University, has been a visiting professor at the UN University for Peace, Core Faculty at the California Institute for Human Science and Adjunct Faculty at Brandman University. Sharon is the author/editor of six books focused on psychological and spiritual development. |
Her most recent book (edited) A Force Such As the World Has Never Known: Women Creating Change brought women together from around the planet to share their concerns and efforts to better their communities and the world. Her first edited book, Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom: Psychological Healing Practices from the World’s Religious Traditions (revised 2016) brings experts representing various religious and spiritual traditions together to demonstrate deep transformative practices inherent within spiritual practices, and has led workshops empowering women in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, Scotland, Uganda, United States and Venezuela. She has earned Shodan rank in Aikido. On a personal level she is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother currently living in New Mexico.
For more info see www.psychospiritual.org
For more info see www.psychospiritual.org
