Deep Roots
A Spiritual Calling or Appropriation?
We face a rampant, worldwide cultural theft of indigenous traditions by people who co-opt these traditions as their own. As you discover in Deanna's story shamans, medicine carriers, wisdom holders and spiritual leaders have recognized her calling Deanna; this wasn't something she decided would be "neat" to do, instead it has taken years to learn. Deanna speaks of her Wixarrika (Huichol) calling as, “My life was invaded by many dreams and visitations of beings I had never seen before. Taking years to discover who the invaders were, it was determined that I am part of a prophecy." The prophecy, revealed by a group of Wixarrika mara'akame, said that some people outside the traditional homelands were invaded by their gods. Those invaded would share their teachings and healing ways around the world. It is not uncommon to see Wixarrika traveling in the United States and Europe, bringing healing gifts to all people. They know our world needs the help this ancient medicine offers.
Deanna was invited to learn traditional medicine ways
from traditional elders to help our people.
She honored their invitation and her calling.
The annihilation of ancient indigenous traditions throughout the world threatens every human being's existence. Unbroken lineages hold the key to restoring balance. Ancestral knowledge and wisdom is the seed for the future. Losing these traditions is a threat to our ecosystem.
Deanna became ordained as an Animist Minister in 2024 to be an emissary for mother earth, joing a new movement called Eco-Ministry.
"As a modern-day shaman of an ancient tradition, a student of medicine, anthropology and indigenous traditions, I've chosen the road less traveled. I want to bridge wisdom and animism, the natural world and the modern world and the world’s ancient spiritual traditions. This is a new era in the scheme of humanity. I want to marry science with ancient wisdom and spirit, between soul and knowledge, calling on my brothers and sisters from many parts of the world and traditions, to guide me to coalesce a medicine that helps many." ~ Deanna
Spiritual leaders and healers of indigenous traditions recognize the calling of non-indigenous people to be a bridge between the world of traditional earth based knowledge and the modern world, science and psychology.
Through the traditional work of many,
we may save ourselves from our own destruction.
My teachers were First Nation's People. I was born and raised among the Confederated Salish Flathead and Kootenai people. I grew up as a wild child, in a wild land with Big Medicine white buffalo. I still live with wild land and my medicine hails from these lands, grounded in learning from my teachers of ancestral traditions of the Americas.