There have been some stories of note concerning indigenous faith and politics that have been popping up recently that might be of interest to my modern Pagan audience. Starting off, Reuters has a wonderful article about the Bolivian celebration of Alasita (which, according to some, translates as “buy me”), the festival of abundance that takes place on January 24th.

“Bolivians are crowding the steep cobbled streets of La Paz these days to pay homage to Ekeko, the squat mustached Andean god of abundance. They load down colourful Ekeko statues with tiny items representing prosperity, something elusive in South America’s poorest country. It’s the annual festival of Alasita, the time when Bolivians like to buy trinkets representing their wishes for the new year in the hope Ekeko will make them come true.”

In addition to giving symbolic offerings to Ekeko, people also have their gifts blessed by a local shaman or Catholic priest (and very often, both). Evo Morales, the first fully indigenous president of Bolivia, was given a tiny hen so he can find a partner during the coming year, and a tiny copy of the controversial new constitution he is proposing.

Back in August I reported on how the presidential front-runners seemed to be avoiding taking a stand on issues directly affecting minority faiths in America. This indifference seemed to culminate with the seminal “Prez on the Rez” Democratic debate, in which all the presidential front-runners declined to attend, all stating “scheduling conflicts”.

“If they won’t come talk to us now, they certainly won’t be responsive to us if they get in the White House,” said Kalyn Free, a Choctaw from Oklahoma who is organizing the Democratic forum, called “Prez on the Rez.”

But now that several “Super Tuesday” primaries are coming up that could be swayed by votes from Indian Country things are a bit different, most notably, Barack Obama has been making great gains among American Indians despite doing “everything wrong”.

“He hasn’t attended the annual National Congress of American Indians meet, or rolled out a comprehensive Native American agenda, or even addressed the rumors of his own Native heritage – but he has still, somehow, managed to capture the imagination of Indian Country, say Native American commentators and community activists. Whether that wave of goodwill is enough to carry him to “Super Tuesday” primary victories in the states of Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Arizona, remains to be seen. ‘Obama represents a break from the old – something fresh and new,’ says Paul DeMain, managing editor of the Northern Wisconsin-based newspaper News from Indian Country. ‘Native people are looking at him as someone who can empathize with other people of color.’”

Obama’s rising star among Native voters seems to have made the candidate more receptive to issues within Indian Country, as evidenced by a recent Q&A in Nevada.

“Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) said he would meet regularly with tribal leaders if he were elected president … Obama said he would work to improve the health and welfare of Native Americans. He is a co-sponsor of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act that is being debated in the Senate this week.”

None of this means that Obama has a lock on the Native vote, many American Indian leaders look fondly on the Clinton years and support Hillary Clinton. One thing is for certain, American Indians will play a crucial role in this year’s primaries and candidates ignore them at their own peril.

In a final note, initial announcements have been made for the 4th Amazonian Shamanism Conference held July 19th – 27th in Peru. Guests include writer Peter Gorman, noted ayahuasca researcher Luis Eduardo Luna, 15 different native curanderos/shamans, and two Brujos.

“During the Conference Presentations you will have ample opportunities to hear the many shamans speaking alone as well as in panel discussions. It is during this time that you will get a sense of which healer you would like to be in Ceremony with. Especially during the question and answer times. There are three evenings set aside for you to be in Ceremony with the shaman – curandero or your choice. All Ceremonies are held outside of Iquitos, either up or downriver or way out on the Iquitos to Nauta highway and then a short 15 minute walk into the various Compounds.”

The conference is sponsored by Soga del Alma (“vine of the soul”), a church that advocates for the use of “power plants” (entheogens like ayahuasca) in a religious context.