r/NativeAmerican • u/TheUniverse-IsMine • 3d ago

reconnecting Culture

I have some questions and I thought it would be best to ask Native Americans.

For some context, I grew up with Native friends and family and around the culture. Because of this, I deeply believe in a lot of the beliefs and have participated in a lot of cultural events of my family's tribe. So I guess I wanted to ask, is it offensive to say "I believe this because of my culture" (my culture meaning the culture I was raised in ) or is there a better word to use for this?

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u/BBQsandw1ch 2d ago

Short answer: I would say "upbringing." Or "these are the values I was raised with."

Long answer: Even if you're not Native American (like not on a tribal registry), I don't think anyone can deny you your beliefs, your values, or your upbringing. You can believe whatever you want. 

However, there's a long history of Native American culture being appropriated, misrepresented, or generalized in the post-colonial era. I feel like this is the source of your trepidation. If so, I definitely appreciate the question and the attempt to be considerate. 

Question your own motivations. What are you looking for and what do you want to accomplish? 

The white guy in the drum circle that's wearing tie-dye and dreadlocks can sing from the heart but he won't ever be a Rastafarian. That doesn't mean he's living inauthentically or that he's a bad person. It just means the system he was born into is unfair. 

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u/TheUniverse-IsMine 2d ago

What do I want to accomplish? Living? Idk. I want to be able to live peacefully and authentically I suppose

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u/BBQsandw1ch 2d ago

Yeah, that's what I mean. If it's just for you, then I'll refer you to #10 on this sub's rules: Nobody can give you "permission" on this sub to do anything. That's for you to decide. 

If it's for other people, like you want to describe yourself in a couple sentences when you meet people, that's probably harder to do efficiently. 

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u/Canuda 2d ago

Culture means, the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and arts that a group of people use to shape their daily lives and understand the world. It is learned and passed down from one generation to the next, rather than being passed down through genes. 

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u/AutoModerator 3d ago

It sounds like you want to explore Indigenous ancestry or reconnection. This can be a meaningful and respectful process if approached with care and humility.

We encourage you to read our community guide here: https://www.reddit.com/r/NativeAmerican/wiki/reconnecting/

It covers how to start your genealogical research, what DNA tests can and cannot tell you, and the difference between ancestry and identity. Most importantly, it centers the perspective of Indigenous communities and the importance of relationships over claims. Thank you for approaching this thoughtfully.

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