PEGI EYERS
Recently there has been an outpouring of recognition of our status as "cultural orphans" from very privileged white women in the matriarchal studies, feminism, new age and ancestral arts communities. But instead of the humility and "taking a beat" this positionality would imply, spiritual white women continue to make egregious mistakes such as the "we are all one" theory (out of Africa currently being debunked), talking over BIPOC, keeping our privilege front-and-center, and offering elaborate consultations on the theme with commodified "packages" (some very expensive).
Almost entirely disconnected from our root cultures (and in Europe for centuries before), white women in the Americas admittedly had no role models to follow, when it became clear that we needed to reconnect with land and ancestors beginning in the 1960's. But instead of focusing and linking to our own European heritage(s), we created a huge and growing belief system in "all ancestors" that encourages connectivity to ANY ancestor from any culture, within an amorphous spirit world that is constantly shifting to accommodate anyone-anywhere-anytime.
White women cannot take charge of this conversation. Without deeply considering our Euro-colonial past and the fallout from Euro-coloniality that is still experienced AT THIS MOMENT by BIPOC groups worldwide, we have no right to claim access to the ancestors of those same groups. To use our privilege wisely means staying in our own lane, celebrating our *own* ancestors, NOT appropriating from other cultures alive or dead, establishing and crediting all source material we may use, not arguing with or talking over BIPOC, and just generally not trying so hard to shape the conversation and commodify this learning. For people who are "cultural orphans," the ancestral arts - and all matters of interacting with Our Beloved Dead - should be approached reverently, carefully, and without ostentatious presentation.
Do our ancestors seriously care how many "followers" we have? I don't think so.
Almost entirely disconnected from our root cultures (and in Europe for centuries before), white women in the Americas admittedly had no role models to follow, when it became clear that we needed to reconnect with land and ancestors beginning in the 1960's. But instead of focusing and linking to our own European heritage(s), we created a huge and growing belief system in "all ancestors" that encourages connectivity to ANY ancestor from any culture, within an amorphous spirit world that is constantly shifting to accommodate anyone-anywhere-anytime.
White women cannot take charge of this conversation. Without deeply considering our Euro-colonial past and the fallout from Euro-coloniality that is still experienced AT THIS MOMENT by BIPOC groups worldwide, we have no right to claim access to the ancestors of those same groups. To use our privilege wisely means staying in our own lane, celebrating our *own* ancestors, NOT appropriating from other cultures alive or dead, establishing and crediting all source material we may use, not arguing with or talking over BIPOC, and just generally not trying so hard to shape the conversation and commodify this learning. For people who are "cultural orphans," the ancestral arts - and all matters of interacting with Our Beloved Dead - should be approached reverently, carefully, and without ostentatious presentation.
Do our ancestors seriously care how many "followers" we have? I don't think so.
Pegi Eyers is the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for social justice, uncolonization, ethnocultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change. www.stonecirclepress.com |