The indigenous practice of shamanism has been under siege for as long as Western European societies have practiced colonialism and Christian missionary work.

Only very recently has there been a backlash condemning our cultural chauvinism toward "the primitive." Increasingly, shaman-centered cultures are respected for values of community, environmental consciousness, and first-hand spiritual experience.

What is not widely known is that Western Civilization itself--beneath layers of Christianity and industrialism--stands upon its own shamanic foundation.