Never got around to reading Castaneda, but shamanic/tribal knowledge can be as developed as anything around. There's definitely nothing archaic about it. I would say that the smaller scale of village life offers many benefits in learning as well.
I personally feel that what's being described in the Ra material is in alignment with indigenous belief. Tribes live the sacramental life daily, expressing the interconnectedness of all things..how the earth, sun, moon etc. are all telling a story about life and ourselves. Myths as well may seem silly at first, but if they teach us something about ourselves that allows us to grow then they're real on some level. There's consciousness in everything, and we're taught that the universe is holographic. Afterall, Ra did build the pyramids by talking to rocks.
I personally feel that what's being described in the Ra material is in alignment with indigenous belief. Tribes live the sacramental life daily, expressing the interconnectedness of all things..how the earth, sun, moon etc. are all telling a story about life and ourselves. Myths as well may seem silly at first, but if they teach us something about ourselves that allows us to grow then they're real on some level. There's consciousness in everything, and we're taught that the universe is holographic. Afterall, Ra did build the pyramids by talking to rocks.