Preview

Socials essay

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
316 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Socials essay
Native American Religion Before

Native American religion revolved around believing in many spirits. Many of them shared some basic belief about the hidden and mysterious forces of the world around them. There religious beliefs of American Native people touched every area of their lives. There are many types of religion in Native American culture but they mostly believed in “spirits” or “mythology” they believed that everything had a spirit and that each “spirit” touch their lives in some way. Each tribe had its own set of religious observances devoted to there culture. Individuals tried to appease powerful spiritual with private prayers or sacrifices of valuable items such as tobacco (consider the most sacred plant) but when entire communities sought to ensure a successful hunt, a good harvest, or victory in warfare they turned to shamans or priests because they believed they had special powers that made it possible to communicate directly with the “spirits”. For an example most Native cultures before honoured a great spirit known by a host of a different names including Gitche Manitou (the Micmac, Objiwbe (people from the South Arctic) and many others.

Native American Religion Now

Many Native Americans still follow there beliefs in spirits but there culture of religion has changed slightly. Though many tribes back then had there own set of religion they still have the common religion of believing in the spirits. Though now as we fast forward into the future not much has change with the religion of the first Nations; however it mainly depends on what type of tribe/group you are in, because many tribes or groups follow different types of religions that vary from place to place and time to time. Though some our unique to an individual Native American tribes, while others our practiced by a wide range and variety, the most recognizable church for them would be the pan-Indian Native American Church.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    APUSH Chapter 1 RQ

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages

    5. Most Native American religion was based around the natural world that the tribes depended on, such as agriculture. Their gods were associated with earthly elements such as crops, game, forests, and rivers.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are seven sacred rites the Lakota abide by. These rites came to the Lakota people through the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. The sacred pipe has been passed down from generation to generation. Only those with the intentions to do good may handle the pipe and hold the knowledge regarding how to use it properly. A holy spirit brought the pipe to the Lakota people in the hopes of peace and spirituality. Lakota people today pray for the spirit who brought the pipe asking her to watch over their loved ones, feeding them and providing shelter (Dooling, 2002).…

    • 1517 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The tribes were made up of sub-tribes, which then were divided into other clans and bands of Sioux Indians. Each tribe was assigned a chief, who was chosen by their successfulness in war and by their ability to gain the public’s acceptance. The issues were dealt by the council in the tribe, which was made up of the community and elders. The moral codes of these Natives Americans were immensely important. The single act of being morally right could elevate a man into higher position of leadership. In each village, there were a set of “holy people” often called medicine man or priests. There were two different kinds of holy man; one could heal, bring good weather, or make the days hunt prosperous. The others could communicate with the spirits, andforesee the future, called shamans. Unlike the chiefs (that were always men) shamans or healers could be women. (galafilm.com). Popular culture has affected the governance system of the Sioux by spreading out the idea of “holy man” and “shamans” as uncommon or unreal. This could be seen as bad, because they lose some their earliest governance beliefs that were once the foundation of the…

    • 978 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The main supernatural being was known as the Great Spirit, who was responsible for the creation of human beings, plants, animals, and the forces of good in nature. They believed that the Great Spirit influenced the lives of many people and indirectly guided their decisions. Aside from the main Great Spirit, other important deities included the Thunderer, Three Sisters, and the spirits of Maize, Beans, and Squash, who were said to specialize in specific prayer requests. If there were any conflicts with The Great Spirit, they believed that diseases and other misfortunes were the results and visible consequences of the disputes. According to the Iroquois, Communication with the Great Spirit could not be done directly by an ordinary human. However, through burning tabbaco, they believed that “the smoke carried their messages skyward to the creator” (http://elearning.la.psu.edu/anth/146/lesson-5/lesson-page-2). Another aspect of their religion was their reliance on dreams. “Dreams were regarded as supernatural messages that had to be addressed for continued health” (http://elearning.la.psu.edu/anth/146/lesson-5/lesson-page-2). The Iroquois regarded dreams as very important signs, and a lot of attention was given to interpreting dreams. At festivals, many people enjoyed participating in the activity of dream guessing to show the value they placed on…

    • 1508 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Culture is the unifying ideology that unites and brings people people together within the spectrum of similar backgrounds and notions that are held to various extents. Native Americans have their own distinct culture and identity in the United States; which leads to self-expression and a sense of community among many people. There are a vast quantity of spiritual ideologies and forms of identity among the diverse Native American tribes that are established within the United States. For example, tradition such as art or formal rituals create spiritual values that are unique to certain tribes and the values they withhold. In determining the divergent spiritual attitudes of Native Americans, one must assess the cultural values that are held through…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The difference of religion is important where the Native Americans religion is based on nature as well as how natural landscapes and natural object contained super-natural meaning and “power”. For example, the Jesuits have “power” to cause illness, which gained respect from the Native…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the Navajo, this meant requiring the help of traditional medicine man and the practicing of some of their old traditions and dances. One of them is the old Squaw Dance which targets all vets who had seen combat, who were captured, or wounded(NMAI). Some Native American tribes also had traditions that were intertwined with influences from Christianity. For example, the Native American Church was an important form of spirituality for many Comanches and other tribes(NMAI). Some of their traditions included eating various plants such as the Peyote, a spiritual plant that is sacred to the members of the church(NMAI).…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cultural Immersion Project

    • 2312 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Spirituality is evident throughout the Native American culture as they believe in the Creator. Bill stated that “all Indians honor the Creator regardless of their spiritual walk or religious preference” (B. Snell, personal communication, February 20, 2015). The Bible says that before the world there was the Word. Similarly, a common theme among the Native American culture is that the “spirit existed in the spirit world before it came into a physical body and will exist after the body dies” (Hays and Erford, 2014, pg. 358). Just like Jesus Christ, who existed in spirit, came to Earth in the form of a man, and returned to Heaven in…

    • 2312 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Second, the religion of the Native American is remarkable. The religious of Native American is syncretism. All tribes made their centre of life is spirituality to keep a connection to religious principles through verbally. Indians believed in a mysterious force in nature or the power of Gods. It is said that the Native American can't live without the Shamans who had close contacts with the spirits. They are religious people and can treat sick people by medicine method or plant while singing and dancing around the room. If Indians would like to have enough food and rain, they would hold many ceremonies such as harvest festivals and organised rain dances. Ceremonies may be performed by feasts, music, dances, and other activities. Animals also…

    • 143 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Native American culture has a very rich history and its healing rituals have been practiced in North America for up to 40,000 years and shares roots with ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions. Native Americans were influenced by the environment, plants, and animals in the areas in which they settled. Some practices were influenced over time by migration and contact with other tribes along trade routes. Many tribes used herbs and seeds gathered from their immediate environment and from hunting excursions for healing rituals or ceremonies.…

    • 1578 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The social structure of Britain has been highly influenced by the concept of social class. In sociology, the term ‘social class’ is most often used to refer to the primary system of social stratification found in modern capitalist societies. Social stratification refers to ‘the presence [in society] of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth’.…

    • 1749 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Europeans were usually Christians , but Native Americans believed more in the existence and powers of many other spirits .…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Indigenous Religions

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Indigenous religion refers to those religions which are native to indigenous peoples around the world. They are “descendents of the original inhabitants of lands now controlled by larger political systems in which they may have little influence.” In the second chapter of her book, Living Religions, Mary Pat Fisher takes the position that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways and not religions. Lifeways are “a particular approach to all of life.”…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are 196 countries in the world, and each country has anywhere from 10 to 20 different cultures. Native Americans are just one of the many different cultures that are in this world. Native Americans are different than other cultures, they have their own beliefs, perception of time, the way they socialize, their diets, traditions, the way they communicate, heritage and even concerns that are they deal with in today’s…

    • 71 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Social Science Essay

    • 2057 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Most of the things we know about human´s behaviour has come out because of the different psychological theories. We may question why there are so many different psychological perspectives, which one is right and which one is wrong. Most Psychologists nowadays would say that none of the theories are correct. However, in the early days, the Psychologists would agree that all the theories were the only truly scientific one.…

    • 2057 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays