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			THE SPLIT HORN: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America

Tell us what you think about THE SPLIT HORN: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America.

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06/30/2009

i am doing a summer project about religion.N stumble into this site.Never knew there was such a site like this haha. i been reading a few thing on this page.so i just wan t to say a few things.iam hmong 17. i do all those shaman things but u know some times i dont think i really beleive it. the way i grew up with no father only mom. there was no one to teach it to u.i was even considering to be christian once.i respect shaman .

01/30/2009

I believe we should turn back and view our old style. I believe it will be in our blood but it all depends on if u want it in your blood or not. When u get married it is a form of a hmong culture and we have to learn from that. If you are chistian you can still turn back but it is your choice. I as a hmong american would like us hmong to look back and see how it relates to us now. It is very important that we know our culture even if you are christian. When you go to school they ask and some of us dont know how to explain to them.

04/25/2008

it was kinda weird to look around this website because in my opinion today the hmong culture is split. you have one group of hmong who are still staying with shaman and the second group converted to christianity. i would call shaman more of a religon than a tradition. for myself i am christian. so watching some of the videos and reading all the information was kinda weird for me and different. but i just wanted to make a comment on this because there IS a split in hmong today. i think the group of hmong converting to christianity makes them more modernized and the shaman hmong group are still very strict and triditional. just some comments and facts that i want to strighten.

04/10/2008

I'm involved in school activities, I'm going to college, and I live seven hours away from home; however, I still participate in all the ceremonies that my family do. What's so hard about helping your family or friends during ceremonies? In addition, my father is a shaman and my brother is next to be. My entire family is like any average American family. We are part of many sports and are actively involved with extracurriculars; however, we don't sit around and watch T.V while my father does his thing; we get up and help, even if some of the elders are a pain in the butt. People do you recall the WAR that the people died for us to be here today to continue our traditions. I'm dating a non-Hmong guy and I plan to continue my traditions because love is only half the battle; the other half is your willingness to do the things to show your love, your affection.

04/08/2008

I think this is great. First time I have ever heard of a Hmong documentary. I too am a Hmong and know first hand about shamans. It\'s cool and all but what it really comes down to is the fact that doing rituals doesn\'t help sickness. I like to keep the culture going because I am proud to be a Hmong. But, at the same time I also want to change the ways we think. Jumping on a table and banging gongs will not make a person with illness feel better. It\'s the truth, but I guess people believe what they want to believe. Can\'t wait to see it.

02/19/2008

Someone commented on my note, Christianity did not begin in Europe or America, or whatever you believe. There was a comment on Christianity being a European or White man, or even American religion; and that's not true, in regards to my family, my grandparents and parents were Christians long before they came to America. This is not an argument on which religion is more valid or true. I'm just stating that Christianity has nothing to do with being American; and lastly, the Hmong-American generation is not 'lost' as noted in some opinions.

Regardless of religion, we all view life from our own set of lenses; and we can not change each others' minds, but as you learn more about life, your perception of culture/religion/reality will change. And lastly, remembering, practicing and participating in the Hmong culture is important in our generation; and I assure you we are doing the best we can, juggling between Hmong & American cultures.

01/28/2008

Wow, it's been a while since i came back to this site...Guys......in the end...it's love that really matters...Lets just love more...it's easier. Religion will always be a topic of passion and controversial. We can have our passionate debate about religion all day long, but at the end of the conversation, i can still look at you and love you anyways because you are still a person of soul. And i know there is still goodness in you despite our disagreement or agreement in regards to our differences (religion)...so the challenge is........Can you love me anyways????????

12/05/2007

It saddens me that the younger generations these days have no interest in their Hmong culture. I feel that future generations of Hmong Americans most likely won't embrace their ancestors' culture until situations arise. Sort of like, last minute, no one to turn to thing. I feel this because, I've noticed that the generations these days, unless their parents are strict traditional Hmong parents, have no care as to what the Hmong culture entails. They assume no responsiblity as a "Hmong child". They feel that by being born here in America, that allows them to talk back to their parents and carry out their own wishes, as oppose to helping their parents and household. I remember growing up, my dad was extremely traditional and very strict. We were taught Hmong etiquettes when we had company at the house, when family members came and departed, what a child's duties are, how to respect your elders. Keep in mind that was 16 years ago. These days when I accompany my parents on a visit to see
relatives, I noticed that their children were no where in sight. Only the parents were there to welcome us through the entrance, offer beverages, snacks and a meal. When my parent's asked about their childeren's whereabout, they'd simply answer in the bedroom, outside playing, or who knows.. I feel that some parents are to blame for allowing their children to "throw away" their culture and most everything associated with it. But at the same time I can understand why, most parents here in the U.S. yearn to be able to go back home(Laos), and when their children talks back and doesn't want to help them they become that much more in dispair and wished how much differenty their children would have turned had they been in their homeland.
I feel that shamanistic ceremonies do have the abilities to heal, if the Shaman performs the ritual correctly and the family perpares everything as needed. I think knowing and caring about a patient's religious background is absolutely neccessary. For sham anism to be used alongside with traditiona medicine, would be a wonderful alternate to those situations that are seen as non-medically related. BUT, keep in mind that shamanitic ceremonies are anything but quiet. :) Goodness! It is EXTREMELY important to perserve our cultural traditions of our parents and ancestors. To deny the existence of what our parents and ancestors believed would not only be a great insult to them but to ourselves. It is so important to know your roots, your culture, whether you agree with certain things or not doesn't give you the right to not acknowledge where your parent's and ancestors' values, morals, way of living came from. It's funny how much love I have for my Hmong culture now, for when I was younger I wanted to stray from it all. Maybe it had to do with at that time, their were so many Hmong people on welfare, and that was embarrassing, and my parent's weren't educated like my American friends. It had to do with humilty and that want for social acceptance. But as I've grown and started a family of my own, I ye
arn for my culture, for I don't feel truly an American. I know ways of an American, and I also know ways of being Hmong. As a mother now and my husband is Japanese, we share our cultural backgrounds not only with ourselves but our son,families and friends around us. I do feel fortunate to have been born and raised here in the U.S., through many struggles to find who I am, I've found that I'm Hmong-American. Though I may not perform the duties of a Hmong daughter as well as one born in our homeland, I am not opposed to learning to become a better hmoob daughter for my parents, and as an example to my sisters, brothers, cousins and community. I embrace being, Hmong, Japanese and American and I couldn't see myself leaving any behind, for I've picked some qualties from all three. Needless to say my Hmong heritage is deeply rooted in me. :)

12/05/2007

How do I embrace Hmong tradition and culture in America? I think it is hard to carry a tradition over generations in America. Every people and culture that had set foot in this country has lost some aspect or "true" meaning of the culture from the "mother" land. Hmong is a young culture in America that will, sadly, follow the same footprints of other traditions before it. I and my children would embrace our culture base on respect and moral of the humanity side of it. Keep the best aspect of our tradition and apply them to our modern (American) lives. Preserve the culture through accepting, acknowledging, respect, and celebrating it with other communities. A new generation of Hmong-Americans cannot carry or live the same tradition our parents have (animal sacrafice for example)because of the modern American culture we embrace and celebrate as well. Preserving Hmong )or other cultures) in America is somthing that will not be easy. However, discussing about it has already started a process of preserving it. Hopfully more people out there will share their thoughts. In the mean time, go and celebrate the Hmong New Year.

12/05/2007

I just want for you who dont yet know to know that Christianity started in Asia. In the Middle East where it is classified as Asian. And from there, it spread in every direction. The people in China worshiped the God of the Bible prior to the introduction of Buddhism in 50 BC. This fact is supported by the writings of Chinese characters themselves! 4,500 years ago (when the Chinese characters were created), the characters told the stories that are also found in the Bible! But how could that be? Easy. At that time, they worshiped the same God as the God explained in the Bible! The Bible is not a "Western" book. It is historical fact that it took 1,600 years to put the whole thing together. And science has ALWAYS supported it and proven it to be true! Other ancient religions say that the Earth is on a turtle's back, or on some other kind of support. The Bible is the only book to say "God sets the Earth over NOTHING"... and when we sent people into space, they saw that the Earth is actually over NOTHNG!The Bible tells that in the last days, there will be weapons that will melt out the eyeballs. This was written thousands of years ago. In the last century, such a weapon was created and used over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bomb was so powerful, people's eyeballs literally melted by just looking at the flash of the explosion! There are so many things that the Bible has contributed to science, proving it to be true, and that even the Chinese people worshiped this God. It's just too cool!! I am a Christian, not because I don't believe that animistic practices cannot heal me. Because I am a Christian, I totally believe that. I totally believe in spiritual beings! But I am a Christian, because I have found a method far better than animism. And if you really want to be "ancestrial", the Bible(a book that has never failed in historical facts) says that the original religion was the worship of the God of the Bible! Christianity yog peb yawm koob pub koob txujkev
ntseeg!

10/24/2007
touyxiong

My religion is shamanism not because i truely believe in spirits and those kinds of things but because my parents are shamanism. I think religion is all in the head, if you truly believe that shamanic ceremonies have the ability to heal than obvisouly you'll feel safer after the ceromony is done wether it worked or not. If you truly believe that praying to god will help than you'll feel better after you pray wether it really work or not. Correct me if i'm wrong but I think that no matter what religion I believe in, as long as I'm a good person than I'll end up in heaven (if there is really an actual heaven) like every other good person.

09/24/2007
Hnub Ci Yaj (Nou Chi Yang)

I am very sad that our young generation starts to fade away. I know that there are a lot to blaim and things you knew the way live in this country. In this country, it is prety sad that most of our parents as "Hmong Parents" did not even have the key education to teach or lead their kids to the right path and our kids seems to pretend to be too smart to listen. All our parents in this generation, it is prety sad that they have been through a lot of painful memories from time-to-time and place-to-places like having any burning charcoals under their feets without standing on it's true land, and yet, now they even start to lost truth in this "Hmong" generation which seems to be fading away like a tree without branches and leaves. It seems to be soon that our coming generations will be all lost because they might not be so real any more, its' true "self". They will carry nothing but themselves without "pride" and "tradition" which need to cary on. I don't that this is bad or against what is being to be lost or change because I think that as a human being you can do whatever you desired as like your true wish. I can become no one if I want to but it will hurt when I am so lost and when I turn back to see others stand for their own. I can't just blaim both our parents and child but the third one beside and so on. I totally agree that we still need to change or correct the wrong-doing back then such having more than one wife but not to change yourself as a "Hmong" into "African". To me, I think this is how the weak really become and this how their lives changing. At least but no last, I am proud with my skin.

05/17/2005
Dr. Xiong

Shamanism or Christianity we are still Hmong and we need to love one onother as Hmong people.

01/11/2005
eMkAy pHaB

mInIsOtA

i really think that it doesn't matter what kind of religion we do here in this world. we are still hmong and that is all it matters. its not just that were hmong we all are human and this is the whole point of this problem, they want us to believe what we were taught to believe. people are different.i know both religion, and i didn't stop myself from learning it, b/c it doesn't hurt to be who you are. so i agree with Ana Vang. gurl you so right. "so quit judging others if you don't like to be judge. stop the people that are judging you, were suppose to love one and other!" we are one kind, one race!

08/12/2004
Fue Thao

California

It's quite interesting what people has to say about the religions of our people "HMONG"...as a Christian and as a friend to MANY nonchristians-I have seen that the new trend many younger Hmongs are partaking is not Shamanism nor Christianity, but in betweens...many times I see Hmongs being reluctant to do anything; except stay clear of everything else...yah the older generations (by that I mean older parents) seek the Shaman and the Church for guidance, but the youths as i see is too caught up with our materialist society - As far as i know it...Shaman will soon die out gradually within a couple or at most a few decades in United States. BUT FOR NOW: As a hmong youth of america, i would just like to address the cultural lost that we are now loosing to the violence of gangs and stupidity of guys not stepping up to the plate... value EDUCATION alongside with OUR HMONG CULTURE- full of morals and values

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