Free Essays on Native American Religion

Through out history, historians have had the ability to pass on the knowledge of the past because of written documents and other forms of evidence that acknowledge the existence of past civilizations and cultures. When there are no written documents, whether lost or never created, it can be more difficult for historians to explain past civilizations. The Native Americans were a group that kept no written records. The information that we know today was passed down from generation to generation through oral traditions. Despite the information we have, there is much more that researchers don’t know about because a considerable amount of information has either been lost or has been impossible to obtain. But from what we already know, historians can conclude there are common characteristics that seem to be shared by all of the Native Americans. I will also include the creation myth of the Osage Indians and the afterlife beliefs of the Lakota Sioux. Although there are many points of contrast, the beliefs of Native Americans are distinguished by some common characteristics (p.54 Nigosian). Some of these characteristics are that they all seem to believe in the existence of a high god or vital force along with lesser gods and spirits and that certain individuals possess sacred power and therefore can act as intermediaries between the tribe and the deities. In the ceremonies associated with ritual and initiation, they engaged in certain traditional rites that were designed to perpetuate the smooth operation of the natural order, including human society, and they all believed that by repeating stories or by storytelling they kept the world alive (p.54 Nigosian). Therefore, the Native Americans viewed life evolving around a holy force that holds all things together, which leads to the basic goal of staying in â€Å"harmony with all natural and supernatural powers (p.62 Nigosian).† This leads me ... Free Essays on Native American Religion Free Essays on Native American Religion Through out history, historians have had the ability to pass on the knowledge of the past because of written documents and other forms of evidence that acknowledge the existence of past civilizations and cultures. When there are no written documents, whether lost or never created, it can be more difficult for historians to explain past civilizations. The Native Americans were a group that kept no written records. The information that we know today was passed down from generation to generation through oral traditions. Despite the information we have, there is much more that researchers don’t know about because a considerable amount of information has either been lost or has been impossible to obtain. But from what we already know, historians can conclude there are common characteristics that seem to be shared by all of the Native Americans. I will also include the creation myth of the Osage Indians and the afterlife beliefs of the Lakota Sioux. Although there are many points of contrast, the beliefs of Native Americans are distinguished by some common characteristics (p.54 Nigosian). Some of these characteristics are that they all seem to believe in the existence of a high god or vital force along with lesser gods and spirits and that certain individuals possess sacred power and therefore can act as intermediaries between the tribe and the deities. In the ceremonies associated with ritual and initiation, they engaged in certain traditional rites that were designed to perpetuate the smooth operation of the natural order, including human society, and they all believed that by repeating stories or by storytelling they kept the world alive (p.54 Nigosian). Therefore, the Native Americans viewed life evolving around a holy force that holds all things together, which leads to the basic goal of staying in â€Å"harmony with all natural and supernatural powers (p.62 Nigosian).† This leads me ... Free Essays on Native American Religion Native America Religion â€Å"Native Americans practice some of America’s most spiritually profound, historically resilient, and ethnically demanding religions.† Joel Martin. Many Native American stories of creation talk about how the first humans were birthed from the earth’s surface. The earth, in this instance, resembled the â€Å"mother†. The oldest tales talk about how â€Å"she† nurtured the proto humans in her womb until they were ready to emerge and become full fledged humans. Native American spirituality can affect many aspects their lives. It can affect things like what stories they can tell, what they can eat, wear, paint, marry, make love, and even design their homes. A symbolic quote used by many Hopis (a form of religion) is Our land, our religion, and our life are one. This is still used by many Hopis today. In Alaska there is a tribe called Koyukon they followed the same quote, though gave it different meaning. To them the sacred dimension of life was unlike those of the Hopis, theirs was to hunt and observe the animals. Before the elders left the underworld, it is said that they were asked what type of life they wanted to live and they chose a hard life of harvesting blue corn, and the god Masaw, taught the to do this. They lived for years, and some still do believing that this is their calling and a natural way of life. More than 210 years ago a European named John Heckewelder wrote this: â€Å"the hunter, a member of the Delaware Indian nation, shot a bear and the musket ball broke its backbone The animal fell and set up a most plaintive cry, something like that of a cougar when he is hungry. The hunter instead of giving him another shot, stood up close to the bear, and addressed him in these words â€Å"Hark ye! bear; you are a coward and no warrior as you pretend to be. Were you a warrior, you would show it by your firmness and not cry and whimper like an old woman. You know, bear, that our tri...