Would you clify a person who goes to Pow wow's, believes in color symbolism, and animal symbolism as weird?

No it's not weird. Tell Your proff to take an Anthropology cl once in a while. All cultures on this planet where at one time animistic. Meaning they found reurance in animals and plants, even rocks. Animistic means that you believe, even if the deer is making it obvious that he understands you, he does. This also goes for most inanimate objects. Most cultures still grow up believing the same thing. Remember when you were a kid? Did you dolls "like" certain clothes or even talk to you? See, same difference. Your proff is a Christian? That's the problem. Christians believe if you are not with them than you are wrong and going to their version of hell.