This is a wonderful question that we all face at some point. There have been some helpful discussions here in the past about this topic and I will share a few before sharing my thoughts.
Spiritual Practices and Cultural Appropriation
Familiar Spirits and Power Animals: What is the difference?
I shared the following with a friend one time. It is slightly edited for this discussion.
I am sensitive to the issues surrounding Native Americans - their unique cultures, their histories, and the persecution they faced. I know about the horrible treatment they received from European governments, including the offspring of those governments like Canada’s and the United State’s. I also know about the higher suicide rates, the higher unemployment, and the missing and exploited women. These are all complex issues that intertwine with history and politics.
I am against corporations using names like Chiefs, Redskins, etc., for entertainment/marketing/financial reasons. It’s scary we are close to putting white sage on the endangered list.
But… (You knew there would be this, instead of a full stop.)
Practices are not created in a vacuum. For example, there are temples and pyramid structures all over the world. While some of this can be explained with the technology people had at the time, some can also be explained by the simple fact homo sapiens came from African and spread across the world, appropriating the practices of other homo species within the homo genus. Cultures are tied to their religions, which are tied to their governments. These religions/governments interact with each other and co-opt what they like from each other. A perfect example of this is the adoption of an evil being in Judaism from Zoroastrianism found in during the time of Babylonian rule.
I don’t want to minimize any culture so please understand what I am trying to say. (I might not say it in the right way.) Native Americans came from Siberia. South American Natives found their way from islands off of Asia. Yes, they were the first people we know of on these continents, but first doesn’t mean exclusive rights to land or beliefs held in the west. If that was true, Africans would have some strong claims superseding much of the world’s population.
We need to be mindful of the damage we can perpetuate by careless/mindless actions. We need to educate the majority on trying to reach out, understand the complex issues, and work with Native Americans and other minorities to save their cultures and equalize the treatment they receive under the law. We also need to be better stewards of the resources we have on this planet. I try to personally examine each practice to be sure where I stand and in some cases I stop certain practices - like smudging with white sage.
This is long but I hope it is helpful. I know others will have opinions on this topic and I can’t wait to learn from them.