paleo

My spidey-sense told me that something I wanted was waiting for me at Half Price Books today. It was correct. I found a copy of The Hawaiian Oracle: Animal Spirit Guides from the Land of Light by Rima A. Morrell, Phd which has been on my wish list for years.

Gods, I wanted this deck to blow me away. I'm a nut for Animal Oracles that break the Wolf-Eagle-Buffalo mold (not that those are always bad). This deck includes critters like Sea Slug, Mullet, and Mud Hen which made me go squee.

Then I noticed that the companion book is nearly as bad as The Medicine Cards in mixing New Age beliefs with traditional tribal ones and claiming that they are one and the same. Which sucks because Morrell *does* seem very well versed in Huna and basic Hawaiian culture, but now I have to take everything said about the myths and belief systems with a grain of salt.

What *really* tanked it for me was her total rewrite of Huna culture based on her vegetarian beliefs/practice. I've seen this a few handfuls of times in books on animal based spirituality and it pisses me off.
To be clear, I have no problem with vegetarians or vegans. And if one wants to write about their *modern* animistic or pagan beliefs and explain why vegetarianism or veganism is a vital part of their beliefs and actions, then cool. Part of the privilege of writing your own book is voicing your opinions and philosophy.
But do not, I repeat, DO NOT rewrite the history and beliefs of past cultures to match your beliefs. It is dishonest, unscholarly, and unethical. Accept that the cultures you revere had aspects to them that you disagreed with and either move on or provide an honest counterpoint as to why you believe those aspects shouldn't apply to us today.

Here was the part that made me doubt the author's authority on Huna and their relation to animals.

"The Hawaiian Islands today, although bright and beautiful, have forgotten some of the original lore: the lesson of respect, where we all deserve to be honoured for who we are; the lesson of 'no harm', where we cause no harm to any living being. If one creature happens to have taken the body of a pig, a fish or a chicken, it doesn't give another with the body of a human the right to kill the first and eat it. Most Hawaiians today have forgotten this, killing a pig, for instance, in the belief that they're being true to 'old ways'. They are not. They're being true to ideas of sacrifice that were imposed upon the island, but aren't true to the old ways of light and love. The Hawaiian Oracle talks of the original knowledge where sacrifice of any kind--whether human or animal--would have been a grave dishonour."

I'm sorry, but there has never been any evidence for the existance of a preindustrial, tribal vegetarian society. Vegetarianism first started in ancient India, China, and Greece. The Polynesian peoples did not bring pigs and chickens with them on their migrations to be pets. And I don't believe for one moment that an island-bound people with limited agricultural practices abstained from eating fish.
I also don't get the reference to ideas of sacrifice being "imposed" upon the island. Missionaries were appalled by any sort of "heathen" practices and moved quickly to stamp them out.
The importance of pig sacrifices in Hawaiian culture is well documented and far from being seen as a "grave dishonour" was seen as a way to honor specific gods, commemorate the building of sea crafts, and settle economic disputes.
Also, if there is any sort of "old ways of light and love" in Huna culture I guarun-damn-tee it that those ways were NOT identitical to New Age or neopagan ideas of "light and love". Here's a hint: if you believe that another culture believed everything that you do, you're probably wrong.
Tribal cultures have tons of great teachings and beliefs that are inspiring and (in my opinion) important to relearn. However, there are also many examples of tribal belief systems that are in no way compatable with the various modern philosophies of animal rights and welfare. That needs to be understood and faced honestly. The legitimacy of animal sacrifice and meat eating is rightfully up for debate. Anthropological and historical facts are NOT.
Rewriting the traditional beliefs of tribal people to turn them into the people you want them to be is the height of ethnocentrism.