Reddit mentions of The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology

> What makes you entitled to ask?

I am curious what your basis is for acting as a defender against "cultural misappropriation" of indigenous practices. Are you protesting these things because you are Native American and you feel it is misuse of your culture? Or did you just read a few articles about misappropriation of Native American culture by white people and decide that you should speak out against smudging at every opportunity?

It seems like you are speaking from a place of almost complete ignorance. Previously, you criticized another poster for asking the "Corn Planting Moon" (which has been part of popular American culture for 100 years, thanks to the Boy Scouts and Farmer's Almanac) on the basis that:

> "Corn Planting Moon" comes from Native American calendars around the Spring Equinox which begins the season of the East Wind spirit, Wabun.

That bit about the moons and the East Wind spirit comes from The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology by Sun Bear/Vincent LaDuke. It was popular with the new age crowd in the 1980s. Although it was written by a Native American, it did not have much to do with existing indigenous calendars. It was a correspondence system he created based on visions from his spirit guide, Wabun. It linked Farmer's Almanac style "Indian" moon names with crystals and colors and whatnot. A lot of people have criticized Sun Bear as a plastic medicine man. Some have accused him of cultural theft, since he packaged and sold spirituality from multiple indigenous belief systems out of context.

So, by referencing Sun Bear's correspondence system and conflating it with much older moon names, you were perpetuating new age misunderstandings at the same time you were criticizing them. Were you were trying to be ironic?

> Are you?

I am white. I have indigenous American ancestors, but their cultural heritage was lost when my great-grandmother decided to pass as white.