Native American Spirituality

[InspiringRaine]

As the title suggests, this is about Native American spirituality.

I really don't know hardly anything on this topic but am very interested in learning, so, does anybody have any resources reguarding this? Links, book reccomendations, general knowledge, share it all please! I have the general idea that it sort of goes by tribe, so if you're willing to share and it's based on one or two tribes, that's fine with me.

Really, any help reguarding this topic is massively appreciated! I need a starting point.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Native American Spirituality

That is a difficult question to answer as there are roughly 562 recognized Nations that make up Native American peoples. Figure each nation will have it's own beliefs and spirituality and any specifics that maybe reflective of that nation. Thus the Lakota (Sioux) will have one spiritual / religious belief system, the Apache will have another, the Nez-Peirce will have yet another, etc. While there maybe some similarities between them they will also be completely different in many aspects or how something is constructed. For instance nearly all will have some form of Sweet Lodge ceremony or Vision Quest but the manner each is utilized may differ quite a bit as potentially will the material used. Consider that White sage is used for purification in the South Western nations, Cedar was used in the Canadian North-West or along the Atlantic coastal regions while some other thing was used in the mid-western area's or along the Great Lakes regions for instance. The layout of a Medicine Wheel and even the guardians of each segment and the colors assigned will differ from nation to nation.

Today if you find a Medicine Wheel on line it probably is reflective of Sun Bears Medicine Wheel which is not guarented to actually be Native American in origin. One also will encounter many plastic Medicine people who profess to be connected to a nation or tribe but are not recognized nor claimed by said nation or tribe.

One also has to consider that there is no Native American Pantheon such as one finds with the Greeks or Romans or even the Celts. Again some gods / goddesses or spirits may be found through out all of them such as Grand Mother Spider or a Coyote type trickster again they may very greatly from nation to nation or even tribe to tribe. One also has to consider that for most nations their spiritual beliefs and religious beliefs are tied to the whole mindset of the people so one can not pull various aspects out and have them retain what they mean to the native peoples.

So take the Sioux for instance there maybe difference between the Uglala, Dakota, Lakota, Teton clans that make up the Sioux or Lakota nation. Then figure that the term Sioux is what was used by their enemies to identify them as they themselves would go by Lakota, Dakota, Uglala, etc. Same could be said of the Cherokee (Tsagli) peoples not even considering there is today a Western and Eastern tribe with associated reservations and such plus those who do not live on a reservation.

Some things have made it into the modern pagan mythos such as White Buffalo Calf Woman Comes Dancing which I believe hails mostly from the Lakota nation. Pipe ceremonies are common to many nations as is the concept of being a Pipe Carrier but again there are some difference between the various nations though all of them get the material from Pipestone I think it is named and one location in the US.

It really is best to know the nation or its sub-tribes that make up a nation and look into their spiritual practices. Yet it's also very common for Native American practices to be closed or hidden and one has to be accepted by a nation to be taught their spiritual practices and how the whole thing ties into a complete mindset.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Native American Spirituality

This may not be terribly helpful, but my thoughts are that if you want to truly learn about it, then you need to go to the source.

The unfortunate reality is that most of the published authors out there who claim to be Native American spirituality or whatever, are NOT, and have simply culturally appropriated certain popular practices and beliefs and hashed them together into something that they claim is 'Native American Spirituality'. As Monsno says above, there are hundreds of different Native American Nations and they don't all practice exactly the same thing. Thus there is no one single 'Native American Spirituality'. Just like there is no one single 'Australian Aboriginal Spirituality'.

Cultural appropriate is more important when we're talking about a set of peoples who are still living their faith. Some would argue that modern Heathenry is doing the same thing... taking common practices from multiple different countries and hashing them together into one idea of what 'Northern European' faiths were as a whole. But the difference is that the Native Americans are still alive, still practicing, still evolving and still believing their faith. We aren't reconstructing their ancient practices so that we can have guidance on our own faith... we would be claiming their name when we don't deserve to be.

I actually have no problem with people being inspired by Native American beliefs and practices, and incorporating certain things into their practice, as long as it's done respectfully and with proper research and care. I don't think that anyone who is not immersed in that culture has a right to claim the name though. I actually don't like the term 'Native American Spirituality' for that reason. It's a misnomer, and I'm a stickler for semantics.

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Native American Spirituality

I am only responding tentatively, because I am pretty much parrotting what has been said before. Most of the books that you will find are indeed just appropriations of different tribes, into amalgums that have no real basis in truth, or are only partially understood by authors. The best way to learn is directly from active tribes, and proper direct descendants, many spiritual elements are kept within the tribe, and some things you will just not be able to learn, again depending on the tribe.

Is there any particular region of the US you want to focus on? finding out which tribes were part of which places isn't too hard, at least to give you a starting point. For example, some tribes within nations tend to have some connecting threads, and finding out some of the commonalities aren't too hard. When you start getting into some of the nitty gritty it can be difficult, peoples who lived in the landlocked parts of the US will have different world views than coastal peoples. Plains peoples will live and believe diffent things than peoples who lived in heavily forrested areas... Many of the tribes and peoples were even rather isolated in places, some tribes had enemies within their nations over beliefs, things vary quite a lot...

[Agel]

Re: Native American Spirituality

I've found that most of the intimate knowledge is something that you need to go to an actual tribe for. And you will have to prove to them you are serious about learning and using that knowledge in your life.

Though for general stuff I've found this site that seems to be good. http://nativeamericanencyclopedia.com

[InspiringRaine]

Re: Native American Spirituality

Firstly, Thank you guys very much. This has helped me a lot already, to understand more about a broad topic. Secondly, I can't really reply with quotes and directly address stuff you guys have said, because my iPod is being sort of ridiculous..

Monsno_Leedra; Ok, this makes a lot of sense, and I can completely see what you mean.


Rae'ya; I am looking to incorporate Native American practices into my daily practice, but I would like to do it respectfully, which is mostly why I started this thread to begin with. I didn't have a starting point, and I knew that y'all would help give me one.

Maria De Luna; I actually am very interested in the more Southern tribes, but I made my post very general in order to get any sort of information. If that makes much sense.

[thalassa]

Re: Native American Spirituality

Along with what has already been mentioned is that in some cases, very little is known. I favor looking at Native practices as a source of inspiration, precisely because their practices are the native practices to this land, incorporating its flora and fauna and genus loci. Because my practices are bioregional in nature, they need to work in conjunction with the land. Unfortunately I live in one of the first areas settled by Europeans, and very little remains of Native religious beliefs and practices.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Native American Spirituality

.. I actually am very interested in the more Southern tribes, but I made my post very general in order to get any sort of information. If that makes much sense.

We're still in the same situation here though. Which area are you calling Southern? The Yaqui are Southern Arizona and along the border, The Apache are a Southern Nation that crossed into Mexico as well, The Navajo are also Southern. The Commanche I believe were also considered South Western for instance. The Sequoyah are Southern Florida and Everglades for instance. One could claim the Cherokee are both a Southern Nation (Oklahoma) and an Eastern Nation (North Carolina) Then you had many nations that rotated to Southern Lands during the winter months then back to more northern lands during the summer months or in following the herds that migrated.

What makes it even harder is that the Eastern and Southern Gulf Coast area wiped out many of the early nations or so assimilated them that the native culture basically vanished.

[Rick]

Re: Native American Spirituality

We're still in the same situation here though. Which area are you calling Southern? The Yaqui are Southern Arizona and along the border, The Apache are a Southern Nation that crossed into Mexico as well, The Navajo are also Southern. The Commanche I believe were also considered South Western for instance. The Sequoyah are Southern Florida and Everglades for instance. One could claim the Cherokee are both a Southern Nation (Oklahoma) and an Eastern Nation (North Carolina) Then you had many nations that rotated to Southern Lands during the winter months then back to more northern lands during the summer months or in following the herds that migrated.

What makes it even harder is that the Eastern and Southern Gulf Coast area wiped out many of the early nations or so assimilated them that the native culture basically vanished.

And let's not forget the many displaced tribes that were moved from somewhere to somewhere else. Choctaw, Chickasa, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole (so-called 5 Civilized Tribes), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Otoes, Muskocee, Osage, Kiowa and other tribes were brought to Oklahoma from all over the Midwest-Southwest-Southeast. Spiro, OK was the center of a vast ancient trade empire of Mound Builders that rivalled the Aztecs, and who traded with people from the Rockies to the Atlantic and from Mexico to Canada.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Native American Spirituality

And let's not forget the many displaced tribes that were moved from somewhere to somewhere else. Choctaw, Chickasa, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole (so-called 5 Civilized Tribes), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Otoes, Muskocee, Osage, Kiowa and other tribes were brought to Oklahoma from all over the Midwest-Southwest-Southeast. Spiro, OK was the center of a vast ancient trade empire of Mound Builders that rivalled the Aztecs, and who traded with people from the Rockies to the Atlantic and from Mexico to Canada.

I've learned a lot about that in the last few years. I have close friends here (adopted family, really) who go to the annual pow wow in Tahlequah, OK.

[Rick]

Re: Native American Spirituality

Tahlequah, the capitol of the Sa La Gi nation (um, Cherokee for Cherokee). And a pow wow like that would be an excellent place to start one's search into First Nations ways and customs.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Native American Spirituality

And let's not forget the many displaced tribes that were moved from somewhere to somewhere else. Choctaw, Chickasa, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole (so-called 5 Civilized Tribes), Cheyenne, Arapaho, Otoes, Muskocee, Osage, Kiowa and other tribes were brought to Oklahoma from all over the Midwest-Southwest-Southeast. Spiro, OK was the center of a vast ancient trade empire of Mound Builders that rivalled the Aztecs, and who traded with people from the Rockies to the Atlantic and from Mexico to Canada.

For sure. The Indian Territory existed until at least the 1910's though I think it started being broke down into counties just prior to the 1900 census records where it was recorded as both Indian Territory and Oklahoma in places. Definitely still Indian Territory during the 1880 and 1890 census recordings though the 1890 no longer exist for the most part.

I know there is a lot of the Mississippian culture that is spread out along the Gulf Coast area and right up the Mississippi river basin / delta that date back to various mound building periods. I find you can occasionally gets hints about them from 1st nation or 1st peoples stories that are told as part of the creation stories through many of the various nations. I think Rattle Snake mounds (think that's the name anyway) goes way back into antiquity as well which shows a lot of earthen structures were built all over the Midwest and Eastern / Southern areas of the US. Not sure where the Anastasi and earlier culture's fall in with regards to 1st peoples and such.

A Pow Wow would be a good place to get an introduction to culture and customs though you will also encounter a lot of for sale aspects pointed at tourist.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Native American Spirituality

Tahlequah, the capitol of the Sa La Gi nation (um, Cherokee for Cherokee). And a pow wow like that would be an excellent place to start one's search into First Nations ways and customs.

The matriarch of my adopted family is Cherokee. They have relatives there in the Tahlequah area. One year they called me from the pow wow - even over the phone, hearing the drums was spiritually moving.

[Rick]

Re: Native American Spirituality

1889- Land Run that established Oklahoma City and vicinity. Territorial capitol established, replaces military governors.
1890(?)- Cherokee Strip Land Run in eastern OK.
1892(?)-Cimmaron Strip Land Run in Panhandle-NW OK.
1907- Statehood (46th).

There are pow wows all over the country every weekend. Shouldn't be too hard to find one nearby.

- - - Updated - - -

The matriarch of my adopted family is Cherokee. They have relatives there in the Tahlequah area. One year they called me from the pow wow - even over the phone, hearing the drums was spiritually moving.

Yeah, that one great damned big drum that several people sit around and beat simultaneously (Heart Drum, I've been told) will rattle your teeth and vibrate your soul...

[Rae'ya]

Re: Native American Spirituality

lol I'm now out of my depth in this thread because I'm not American and I know very little about the actual nations and practices. I just have strong views about how to incorporate indigenous or native practices (I feel exactly the same way about Australian Aboriginal practices, for example)

I do, however, want to highlight this...

Along with what has already been mentioned is that in some cases, very little is known. I favor looking at Native practices as a source of inspiration, precisely because their practices are the native practices to this land, incorporating its flora and fauna and genus loci. Because my practices are bioregional in nature, they need to work in conjunction with the land. Unfortunately I live in one of the first areas settled by Europeans, and very little remains of Native religious beliefs and practices.

I really like the idea of starting with the local nations who were native to your particular piece of the country. If the Native Americans are anything like the Aborigines, then most of their individual beliefs and practices will be rooted in land, the local landwights and nature spirits, and what is important to your bioregion. If this is a core part of their belief and practice, then it's one of the most fundamental foundations of the spirituality. For example... one can't really consider oneself inspired by Australian Aborignal spirituality and practices if one doesn't have an intrinsic spiritual link to the local land (or lands, in the case of nomadic tribes).