native american Shaman Calling?

[MetaMorpheus]

Hello all! Ive always been interested in shamanism.
I learned my great grandmother was a shaman in the crow tribe. I was wondering how you know if your being called to be a shaman.Do shaman ancestors have the same totem as you? Any input would be greatly recieved thank you :)

[Rfrost]

I have found that I'm meant to be a Shaman myself.
Then again, looking at my energy, its who I am.

I have felt really connected to Native American spirituality and Shamanism, but I'm looking to study different forms of Shamanism as well.

I am going to connect with a Shaman who has a bit more experience than me, and I think that is the best advice I can give anyone.

[Belle]

I didn't connect with myself as a shaman in any way until I went on a course that taught how to journey and from there I have been very consicous of the spirits of the hills and totem animals plus many other things. I had been working with a lady who works shaminically and that was my inspiration to find out more.

So yes, as Rfrost says, go learn to journey and see how you feel about that. I think we all have the ability to connect with our shaman sides.

[WhiteWarrior]

There are no native american shamans, any more than there are jewish popes or african (culture) bishops. The native american tribes have always had medicine men (and occasionally medicine women) for various spiritual areas. One medicine man might be a great healer by herbal means, another might be good at speaking with the spirits. Consider also that this name might be translated differentially into each of the tribal languages. Shaman is a title for a spiritual figure in the mongolian and nearby cultures of the steppes of the northern asia, and even though the responsibilities and talents of medicine men and shaman are somewhat similar their methods and tools and even tribal situation are to a great degree different. In fact, anyone who calls themselves a native american shaman could be pretending to be something they are not. Consider yourself warned.

[MetaMorpheus]

thanks guys! i will definately start to look into shamanism!

i didnt know why my grandmother didnt use medicine woman or any term like that but then again she doesnt know a lot about native american culture.