False!

The great number of nations that populated the Americas were extremely diverse. Their clothing, languages, lifestyles, and spiritual traditions were extremely varied. Trying to classify all of these peoples into only one stereotype is inaccurate.

Many Native Americans get insulted by being called “shamans” because this is a foreign word and does not necessarily define what they are. Just because a tribe has a similar spiritual practitioner in their culture, does not necessarily make them a shaman. Do we worship the same gods? What happens when we die? What other major differences do we have that should give us the right not to be clumped together in a “generic-primitive-religion category”? I have even heard it said that all of us aboriginal people are the same and that our cultural differences, our sacred traditions and legends are just “cultural baggage”.

To take the shaman out of his Siberian cultural context is arrogant and disrespectful to both the Siberians and the Native American person that you choose to label. If you are going to label any aboriginal person, at least have the decency to choose a word from their own language.

If you want to learn about a particular Native American tribe, contact them directly and ask them if they have any information that they can share or books that they have written for public education.