Primal religions appear on the surface to be polytheistic, but in fact usually suppose one High God or Ultimate Power or Supreme Being. The ordinary world is thought to be obviously a manifestation of the Great Power. Obviously, to the primal mind, the world of the senses is not the whole story. Western philosophers find the primal approach intriguing but problematic, especially in its rejection of ordinary metaphysical categories. But there lies its attraction for other Western minds.
Curious reversals abound.
In the American colonial times and through the 19th century, white Americans were fascinated with the natives. The hero of the recent film Dances with Wolves is another. I will close on that note, because I seem to have come full circle. Rodriguez's example illustrates exactly the same merging of cultures I described in Section I.1. There are deep and difficult questions here.