My understanding is that Sangomas are Indigenous South African healers - elderly Black women raised in the tradition and who, after long apprenticeship and service have inherited songs, lore and ceremonies from their Elders. I think that very occasionally elderly Black men who have also been raised and trained this way have become Sangomas, but I think this is pretty rare. My understanding is that, like with Indigenous ceremonial people here, the real ones live in their communities and help their people.
Under Apartheid, and possibly still now for the rural, tribal people, I think the Sangomas have been the only healers many Black South Africans had access to. I have heard that, like in other brutally-oppressed communities, their spiritual traditions were a source of strength and survival in the face of vicious oppression by the white South Africans.
This is now the third time in the past few months I've come across a young white man online claiming to be a Sangoma, travelling the world, selling ceremony and "teachings" to other white people at nuage centers in the US and Europe.
Can someone who is actually South African, preferably Black South African, help out with this? I find it really disturbing that this young, white South African man, and at least a couple more like him, is leading thoroughly white groups of people, with no connection to Africa, let alone the tribes these ways belong to, in what is allegedly "African Shamanism". Rooms full of white people in Europe and the US, doing pay to pray, claiming to be practicing African religion.
Here's one of them:
http://www.african-shaman.com/He even teaches "African Shamanic Yoga" and "Tibetan Lucid & African Dreaming". That's sure a lot of different traditions for a young man to be able to teach. Tibetans have to work for a very long time to learn those ways. So do the Indigenous Africans.
http://www.african-shaman.com/index.php/events/6/10: African Shamanic Yoga
10 Jun 2012
Experience the merging of African Shamanic healing + yoga. John Lockley will teach heart beat meditation and yoga postures to facilitate heart opening and consciousness expansion.
Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm
Cost: $40/advance, $45/day of
...
Tibetan Lucid & African Dreaming Workshop
16 Oct 2011
A one day workshop working with Dreams using traditional Tibetan & African Techniques.
The talk will take place at the Academy of Dreams in London.
"African Shamans"?
I also found this bit, also from the above-linked events page, particularly interesting:
6/8: NYSC Open Circle
New York Shamanic Circle, 08 Jun 2012
7:30 – 10:00pm
Learn the basic techniques of core shamanism as you journey to meet your Spirit Guides and Power Animals. Deepen your shamanic practice through drumming, chanting, and movement at our monthly Shamanic Circle.
Please bring a drum or a rattle, a pen & notepad, and a bandanna.
You may want to bring a pillow, blanket to use when we journey.
Suggested donation: $20
Core Shamanism... Power animals... If he knows authentic Indigenous African ways, why is he teaching Harner's made-up tradition?
