Native American Religion
Native American religion penetrated every aspect of theirculture. This makes it difficult for a predominantly white, European,secular society to interpret Native Indian spirituality. There is nosingle Native American religion, but rather as many religions as thereare Indian peoples. Religion and ritual were a function of all activity:from the food quest and other survival-related work to technology,social and political organization, warfare and art. Religion and magicwere fused with practical science; for example, prayer was used inconjunction with hunting and fishing techniques, and incantationsaccompanied effective herbal remedies in the curing of disease. Iwould like to elucidate on Native American views in relation to their As stated by Lester Kurtz, "In a structurally differentiatedsociety, every institution is given a specialized task; the task ofreligious institutions is to tend to spiritual and ethical issues" (167).Religion played a prominent role in the interpretation of the universefor the American Indians. It facilitated in the adaptation of humanactivity to the patters of nature. Indians were traditionally a holisticand reverent people, viewing themselves as extensions
Myth was a way of understanding reality. In truth, the Indian equivalentof the word does not appear in any of the hundred of languages andthousands of dialects spoken in North American. Other traits characteristic of mosttraditional Indian cultures was a richness of myths, legends,ceremonies and sacred objects. In the world of Indians, however, Christian notionsof good and evil have been viewed in terms of balance and imbalance,harmony and disharmony. From what tribal populations already know, historians canconclude there are common characteristics that seem to be shared byall of the Native Americans. Hunting and healing rituals and magic, the vision trancesof shamans, and the worship of a Mater of Animals who protects gameand regulates the hunt are all typical features of the Northern Huntingtradition. As the ancient Paleolithic beliefs and rituals were diffusedsouthward, they met and intermingled with the younger SouthernAgrarian tradition, which was moving northward, with the spread ofmaize from the Valley of Mexico. Indian religion generallyalso involved the belief that the universe is suffused withpreternatural forces and powerful spirits. Indian notions ofpersonal success and status hinge on spirituality. In order to obtain moreclarity on the Native American religion, it is necessary to understandthe religious diversity at the time of European contact. They also believe thatcertain individuals possess sacred power and therefore can act asintermediaries between the tribe and the deities. In the words of author George Catlin from his book NativeAmerican Indians, "that he witnessed Indians' sincerity of worship andhe had never seen any other people who spend so much of their livesin worshipping The Great Spirit" (473). After culminating my researchfor this paper on Native American religion, I perceive that Indiansprefer to believe that the Spirit of God is not breathed in man alone,but that the whole universe shares in the immortal perfection of itsMaker. Spiritualityand ordinary life are as interconnected as the strands of a tightlywoven rug.
Common topics in this essay:
Native American,
American Indians,
Indians Christian,
Northern Hunting,
Native Americans,
Diverse Indian,
Lester Kurtz,
Spirit God,
Ice Age,
North American,
native american,
american religion,
northern hunting,
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natural world,
native americans,
northern hunting tradition,
indian religion,
hunting tradition,
ceremonies sacred objects,
sacred objects,
american indians,
ceremonies sacred,
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Acceptance Essays
