“Men and women are equal in power and leadership within Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR). CR has full and equal participation by sexual minorities -- many of its founders and thinkers are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Feminism and Deep Ecology are seen by many as a vital component in their philosophy, practice and personal work. Though many people of Celtic ancestry are drawn to CR, being of Celtic descent is not required. We give respect to all of our ancestors and teachers, whether or not they were Celts. Knowing that humanity originated on the African continent, we believe that we are all of one blood, all one human family. CR as a whole is strongly anti-racist and welcomes people of all races, ethnicities and colors who wish to follow Celtic deities in a CR style.”

“CR firmly and absolutely rejects racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination that divide people into warring camps.”

- from The CR Essay

“The problem of cultural theft is a serious one, and is rampant in the Neopagan communities. It is largely due to issues of cultural theft that most of us no longer identify as part of the Neopagan community. CR as a whole is committed to respecting the cultures of First Nations peoples, as well as respecting the desires of the traditional peoples of those communities to set their own definitions, boundaries and standards. Many of us actively support the Lakota Declaration of War, as well as doing what we can to help out First Nations groups who work to expose “Plastic Shamans” and other frauds and exploiters of Native American spirituality. We also work in our own communities to educate people about issues of cultural sovereignty, and cultural integrity vs cultural theft.”

“CR was begun as an alternative to the cultural theft that is rampant in the Neopagan communities. Before CR, and still in the Neopagan and Newage communities, all kinds of non-Celtic practices and beliefs were being misrepresented as Celtic. But we were looking for something authentically Celtic, that honored our ancestors without dishonoring anyone else’s, and that respected and honored the living traditions.”

- from The CR FAQ

Caorann (“COOR-uhn”) is Gaelic for Rowan - a sacred tree renowned for its powers of protection, second sight, and connections to the Otherworld. It is one of the trees sacred to the Goddess (and Saint) Brighid - She who turns back the streams of war.

Neo-Nazis, plastic shamans, and other racists have been trying to co-opt Celtic symbolism and recruit people of Celtic heritage into their groups, sometimes by devious means such as the use of front groups and the plagiarizing of materials from Celtic writers who do not share their racist agenda. CAORANN - Celts Against Oppression, Racism and Neo-Nazism - is a group of concerned, anti-racist Celtic Reconstructionists and allies who are determined to not let these bigots steal our traditions, hijack our image or harm other cultures by disguising their thefts as “Celtic”. We join together to strategize, raise awareness, and fight racism and cultural appropriation in our communities and the world at large.

We host a discussion board and banner campaign.

Craobh Caorann is our message board and online community.

Feel free to use the CAORANN banners to spread awareness of the need for anti-racist activism in our communities. Please upload it onto your own server, if possible.

The only requirements for displaying these banners are:
1. You and/or your group are anti-racist and opposed to cultural appropriation.
2. The banner must not be modified in any way.
3. You must include a link back to this webpage.

We'd also appreciate you dropping us a line to let us know you're using the banner. We may want to list you in our resources!

These are the first versions of the banner. Thanks especially to everyone on cr_r for their input and participation.

Resources:

In Sheep's Clothing - Around the US, radical right groups are staging “European” festivals in a bid to draw ethnic whites into their movement. For many years they have targeted those of Nordic descent, and now they are trying to recruit Scottish-Americans, Irish-Americans and others of Celtic heritage. Be aware, and find out more about any “Ethnic European,” “Celtic” or “Gaelic” festivals or groups before making ties or commitments to them.

Klan Knights Cash in on Celtic Racism - “The Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacist movement known for racial murders and cross-burning in the American deep South, has set up a network of activists in Britain. It is believed that the Klan aims to capitalise on the growth of Scottish and Welsh nationalism - areas it sees as truly white, Celtic and “untainted” with Jewish, black or Asian blood.”

Irish Famine Unit II: Racism - It is ironic that the Irish and Irish Diaspora, who the White Supremacists would like to recruit to their racist cause, actually have more in common with the other ethnic groups the Neo-Nazis revile. Such as when “young Irish peasants were hunted down as men hunt down game, and were forcibly put aboard ship, and sold to plantations in Barbados” where they suffered in slavery alongside the Africans. As recently as the fifties, in England and America, the Irish were still referred to as “White Negroes” and subjected to hatred, violence and discrimination.

Yesterday and Today: Nazis and the Righteous Right - “History is tapping us on the shoulder and pointing. The sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz followed so closely by the popification of an ex-member of the Hitler Youth combine to force our attention back to the Nazi catastrophe. ... If we take a look at pre-WWII Germany, we notice it has some things in common with the United States now.”

The Celtic League - An inter-Celtic organisation that campaigns for the social, political and cultural rights of the Six Celtic Nations.

- Hosts the Declaration Of War Against Exploiters Of Lakota Spirituality, So You're A Shaman? What A White Person Can Do, and other resources for fighting cultural appropriation. (These are archived versions. Hopefully they'll get the site back up soon.)

Looking Horse Proclamation on the Protection of Ceremonies On March 8th and 9th, 2003, Spiritual Leaders and Bundle Keepers of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation, Cheyenne Nation and Arapaho Nation were called together to discuss the protection from the abuse and exploitation of their ceremonies. This is the 2003 follow-up to the Declaration of War, ratified by authorized representatives of even more Nations. Anyone interested in participating in Native American ceremonies needs to read this.

New Age Frauds and Plastic Shamans - New Age Frauds and Plastic Shamans (or NAFPS) is a group of Native American activists and their supporters, dedicated to fighting cultural misappropriation, and other abuses and misrepresentations of First Nations religions and cultures.

On the Word-Salad and Acronym-Fest of Contemporary Celtic Spiritual Traditions - One effort at clarifying some of the terminology in use by the various Celtic spiritual groups you might encounter.

The CR FAQ - An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism - Co-authored by a diverse collective of CR practitioners, including some of the founders of the tradition, it is the most thorough introduction to Celtic Reconstructionism. It was written by consensus and represents a milestone for our communities. As the CR community is so large now, with a number of distinct branches, we will probably never be able to agree on this much again. Note: We took people at their word when they signed off on these principles. But just as we have no control over the behaviour of those who self-identify as CRs or Gaelic Polytheists, we did not thoroughly check out everyone who participated in this project. Do not take anyone's name on the FAQ, or even their use of the CAORANN banner, as a guarantee the person lives by the principles they swore to in public.

The Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR) Tradition Essay - We have mixed feelings about continuing to include an archive of this document. Also co-authored by a (slightly different) collective, this earlier document is much shorter and less thorough than The CR FAQ, and as it had one editor rather than a collective editorial process, the consensus was not as strong. There are some sections that could have been done better, and have been misinterpreted, but hopefully those problems have been rectified in the FAQ. It also suffers greatly from being written for a Neopagan website, and some of the failings come from using language that is most understandable to that community (but inappropriate for a more traditional audience). We include it here for its relevance as an historical document as, before the FAQ was written, it was at one time the only statement that spoke for more than one group's vision.

Craobh Caorann - The CAORANN discussion group on LiveJournal.

Pàganachd agus Págánacht - LiveJournal Gaelic Polytheism community (Ioma-Dhiadhachd Ghàidhealach / Ildiachas Gaelach) - preserving what lives, reconstructing what was fragmented, remembering what had been forgotten.

Óenach - A Celtic Reconstructionist Assembly. Another LiveJournal Gaelic Polytheism forum.

The Anti-Racist Alliance - Educational materials, and home of White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

The Do's and Don'ts of Being a Good Ally - Helpful hints for anti-racist work, and just being a respectful, tolerable (and maybe even likeable) human being. Page down, it's there below the graphic.

More links and news can be found on Kathryn's Blog: Pàganachd Bhandia - Occasional musings on spirituality and culture, Gaelic Polytheism (Ioma-Dhiadhachd Ghàidhealach / Ildiachas Gaelach), language and cultural preservation, protecting sacred sites, etc.

copyright ©2009 kathryn price nicdhàna for big electric celt productions.
Background: Naoi Tonnan copyright © 1998 kpn / katharsis ink. Based upon George Bain's photograph of the Aberlemno Stone
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