The main teaching in cultures where spirits visit frequently and the world itself is a bridge—such as those of Haiti, West Africa, Melanesia, and the circumpolar peoples we group together as Eskimos—focuses upon knowing the distinct nature and name of the different visitors, their rank, their powers, their spheres of action. These cultures have

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From my perspective as a Native American woman, I have always been taught from an early age by my parents, grandparents, and relatives to respect all beings. I have been taught that I am part of everything that exists—from the elements of air, fire, water, Mother Earth, and the ethers, the stones, and the stars in the heavens.17 This

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