Further brief comment to Stuart Lawrence [Navajo witchcraft]

["Hunter Gray" <hunterbadbear@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Your own comments, Stuart Lawrence,  really prove my point very well:  that
it's flatly impossible for non-Natives, or any non-tribal people, unless
they're willing to spend a great deal of objective time in a setting like
the Navajo nation [or that of any tribal nation], to even begin to
comprehend the complexity of something like, say, Navajo witchcraft [a very
real matter indeed -- as is the far more prevalent " very good medicine" of
the medicine men] -- and the context, deep and high and wide, of an ancient
and vigorous and vital and very healthy culture with a very primary emphasis
on Harmony  as necessary to individual and social health and life.

This is, frankly, something beyond your ken.  This is not a "Salem" thing at
all: i.e., flaring, collective hysteria.  Navajo witch-craft is a matter so
fundamentally deeply rooted and sensitive that many Navajo will not even
discuss it with other Navajo.  I taught many sociology and related courses
at Navajo Community College.  We did not discuss this particular topic --
even remotely or implicitly.

When you emerge with something accusing me of a " wholly anti-Marxist,
spiritualist view of Navajo witchcraft," I can only say that that sort of
ethnocentric twaddle does no constructive service to the advancement of
anything.  And, if you're not prepared to defend yourself and your family
and friends, I feel very sorry for you -- and for them.

In a word, Stuart Lawrence:  I don't know where you're sitting -- but it
obviously isn't in the cedars and pinons and yellow pines and sage in the
middle of the night.

On the matter of my considerable concern about the film, Skinwalkers: It's
already being touted in some Hollywood circles as a "Navajo werewolf"
production.  My point proved, once again.

Yours,
Hunter Gray  [ Hunterbear ]
www.hunterbear.org  ( social justice )
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´




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