Certainly a reasonable opinion and one that I'd have shared before living with these people, but now I'm not so sure. There's a peculiar and wonderful connection between a shaman and nature (particularly a shaman from unbroken ancestral lines dating back hundreds of years). It's certainly something special to witness.
"Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm" by Buhner is an eye opening and thoroughly researched book in this area if you felt inclined to explore.
