Native American Spirituality

[Unveiled Artist]

Spirituality is not religion to American Natives.

Religion is not a Native concept.

It is a non Native word:

with implications of things that often end badly,
like Holy wars in the name of individuals God's and so on.

Native people do not ask what religion another
Native is; because, they already know the answer.

To Native people, spirituality is about the Creator

Period.

~Walkingfox
American Native Spirituality

I read this a long time ago when reading what native american spirituality is in general. I found nothing. Native American spirituality is highly private. Its traditions and customs from various tribes differ. Pow Wows I gone to are just the tip of the iceburg.

This is what I read about NA Spirituality:
Seeking Native American Spirituality and Traditional Religion: Read This First!

There is a overlap in some things with christian beliefs since coloniers came to convert them.

I wish I can learn more about my Cherokee roots on my mothers side and talk to my Blackfoot grandmother on my fathers side. Both grandmas passed on. People are following their way as they grow older. Elders are keeping everything secret.

I like this:
Spirituality is about the Creator. Period.

Very to the point. What does this mean to you?

 

[metis]

If you're interested, and I believe it is a fascinating book, get yourself a copy of "Red Man's Religion" by the anthropologist Ruth Underhill. It is the best I've read thus far on this topic even though the title is hoaky.

 

[Baladas]

Spirituality is not religion to American Natives.

Religion is not a Native concept.

It is a non Native word:

with implications of things that often end badly,
like Holy wars in the name of individuals God's and so on.

Native people do not ask what religion another
Native is; because, they already know the answer.

To Native people, spirituality is about the Creator

Period.

~Walkingfox
American Native Spirituality

I read this a long time ago when reading what native american spirituality is in general. I found nothing. Native American spirituality is highly private. Its traditions and customs from various tribes differ. Pow Wows I gone to are just the tip of the iceburg.

This is what I read about NA Spirituality:
Seeking Native American Spirituality and Traditional Religion: Read This First!

There is a overlap in some things with christian beliefs since coloniers came to convert them.

I wish I can learn more about my Cherokee roots on my mothers side and talk to my Blackfoot grandmother on my fathers side. Both grandmas passed on. People are following their way as they grow older. Elders are keeping everything secret.

I like this:
Spirituality is about the Creator. Period.

Very to the point. What does this mean to you?

I love this!

I also find it very cool that you and I both have Cherokee and Blackfoot roots.
My great-grandpa on my dad's side was a full-blooded Blackfoot.

 

[Baladas]

If you're interested, and I believe it is a fascinating book, get yourself a copy of "Red Man's Religion" by the anthropologist Ruth Underhill. It is the best I've read thus far on this topic even though the title is hoaky.

I will have to pick this up for sure. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Spirituality is about the Creator. Period.

Is there a creation to require a creator? It is only a matter of Baryogenesis. Baryogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Is there a creation to require a creator? It is only a matter of Baryogenesis. Baryogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Who knows. The site has too much jargon. Im but a simple woman ane cant figure through it all. I believe nothing can be created out of thing air and nothing can dissapear out of thing air.

Then OP is beautiful. It strips away the confusion gets to the point even to the point of "native americans dont ask what another native american is"...arahamicw have two many faiths cycling one God.

Shrugs

 

[Aupmanyav]

Who knows. The site has too much jargon. Im but a simple woman ane cant figure through it all. I believe nothing can be created out of thing air and nothing can dissapear out of thing air. Shrugs

You are not alone. Even the best of scientists are in that state. Here is what Enrico Fermi (the creator of the first Atomic reactor) said: "Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused. But on a higher level."

"A widely supported scientific theory in modern physics is the zero-energy universe which states that the total amount of energy in the universe is exactly zero. It has been argued that this is the only kind of universe that could come from nothing. Such a universe would have to be flat in shape, a state which does not contradict current observations that the universe is flat with a 0.5% margin of error." Ex nihilo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The theory originated in 1973, when Edward Tryon proposed in the Nature journal that the universe emerged from a large-scale quantum fluctuation of vacuum energy, resulting in its positive mass-energy being exactly balanced by its negative gravitational potential energy. Zero-energy universe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[psychoslice]

Belief systems are just that, no matter where they come from, there is beauty in all belief systems if one knows how to see it, my choice is Buddhism, but I would not place that over all other beliefs, that would be arrogance.

 

[Curious George]

Spirituality is not religion to American Natives.

Religion is not a Native concept.

It is a non Native word:

with implications of things that often end badly,
like Holy wars in the name of individuals God's and so on.

Native people do not ask what religion another
Native is; because, they already know the answer.

To Native people, spirituality is about the Creator

Period.

~Walkingfox
American Native Spirituality

I read this a long time ago when reading what native american spirituality is in general. I found nothing. Native American spirituality is highly private. Its traditions and customs from various tribes differ. Pow Wows I gone to are just the tip of the iceburg.

This is what I read about NA Spirituality:
Seeking Native American Spirituality and Traditional Religion: Read This First!

There is a overlap in some things with christian beliefs since coloniers came to convert them.

I wish I can learn more about my Cherokee roots on my mothers side and talk to my Blackfoot grandmother on my fathers side. Both grandmas passed on. People are following their way as they grow older. Elders are keeping everything secret.

I like this:
Spirituality is about the Creator. Period.

Very to the point. What does this mean to you?

Hmm, what are you trying to figure out?

I wrote a long post, but it amounts to go get involved in the community and make friends. Be prepared that some people will never accept you. But most will. I don't think anyone is hiding anything.

 

[Curious George]

Oh, and you can find websites run by your specific tribes: for instance use this for contacts and questions: regarding your piikani/kanai/sikasika questions:
Cultural and Language Division - Blackfeet Community College

And regarding Cherokee: Cherokee nation has an extensive informative website. You should be able to glean information there and hopefully find contacts.

If you can travel to the area you are likely to find much information. But if not, academic understanding is probably the best route for you to find information.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Spirituality is not religion to American Natives.

Religion is not a Native concept.

It is a non Native word:

with implications of things that often end badly,
like Holy wars in the name of individuals God's and so on.

Native people do not ask what religion another
Native is; because, they already know the answer.

To Native people, spirituality is about the Creator

Period.

~Walkingfox
American Native Spirituality

I read this a long time ago when reading what native american spirituality is in general. I found nothing. Native American spirituality is highly private. Its traditions and customs from various tribes differ. Pow Wows I gone to are just the tip of the iceburg.

This is what I read about NA Spirituality:
Seeking Native American Spirituality and Traditional Religion: Read This First!

There is a overlap in some things with christian beliefs since coloniers came to convert them.

I wish I can learn more about my Cherokee roots on my mothers side and talk to my Blackfoot grandmother on my fathers side. Both grandmas passed on. People are following their way as they grow older. Elders are keeping everything secret.

I like this:
Spirituality is about the Creator. Period.

Very to the point. What does this mean to you?

I am a contemporary animist. My view of the world has been influenced significantly by information from Native Americans, but also others. When I read or hear the words about spirituality from indigenous sources (and rarely from Westerners), it resonates within me. My response to this statement is that Spirituality is about our relationship with the other, specifically, the other-than-human persons in our world, which may or may not include a "Creator."

Spirituality of this sort is not, "Oooh! Ahhh! Aren't we impressed with some distant deity that created our world!", but walking in awe amongst our brothers and sisters and grandmothers and grandfathers and other kin, in a wondrous world that requires us to engage in honorable social relationships with each other, if we are to survive and thrive. At the center is the recognition of the great mystery, which permeates each of us and all aspects of our existence. Spirituality asks us to recognize and honor the mystery that exists in us all--human people, and all the other categories of people: the four-legged people, the six-legged, the flying, the swimming, the burrowing, the rock, the soil, the water, the air...

That is my response. Best of luck in your seeking.

 

[metis]

Just a word of caution about dealing with N.A. "spirituality", namely that my experience is that most now tend to be monotheistic, whereas they were pretty much polytheistic with typically one more dominant deity during pre-Colombian times. Christianity has had a major impact with its monotheistic approach.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hmm, what are you trying to figure out?

I wrote a long post, but it amounts to go get involved in the community and make friends. Be prepared that some people will never accept you. But most will. I don't think anyone is hiding anything.

Figure out? What are you refering to?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Just a word of caution about dealing with N.A. "spirituality", namely that my experience is that most now tend to be monotheistic, whereas they were pretty much polytheistic with typically one more dominant deity during pre-Colombian times. Christianity has had a major impact with its monotheistic approach.

That sounds about right. They told me the young NA are leaving their homes for a "more fun life." Tradition is probably near but zero without influence of Christianity. You can see the expressions on the chief's face I spoke with. Its sad.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I hit a brick wall with learning about my NA ancestary. I dont want to be the many "americans" who are wanting to be a part of tribal affiliations or taking traditons that I dont own. Many reservations are like third world countries. To be accepted as a NA (technicality) you have to have a specific percentage of blood from ones mother side. The Lokota Chief also said each tribe have different percentages they look for and how far back your NA family member is.

Also, it is heavily rich in culture. I assume like Jewish, Asian, and African American (AfA this I know a fact) culture is important. In AfA its more your ethnicity and where you were raised.

Everyone is passing away. Im not getting younger, so

 

[metis]

I hit a brick wall with learning about my NA ancestary. I dont want to be the many "americans" who are wanting to be a part of tribal affiliations or taking traditons that I dont own. Many reservations are like third world countries. To be accepted as a NA (technicality) you have to have a specific percentage of blood from ones mother side. The Lokota Chief also said each tribe have different percentages they look for and how far back your NA family member is.

Also, it is heavily rich in culture. I assume like Jewish, Asian, and African American (AfA this I know a fact) culture is important. In AfA its more your ethnicity and where you were raised.

Everyone is passing away. Im not getting younger, so

A study done decades ago found that the preferred tribe to fake it are the Cherokee.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

A study done decades ago found that the preferred tribe to fake it are the Cherokee.

For people to fake being Cherokee? (If so, that and Blackfoot... I keep hearing that often too)

 

[goodhunter819]

You are talking about the terminology of religion, meaning the concept of the creator yes in the Christian sense, to an extent your right yes, it is as I said and I am not being offensive just saying it as it narrated, there is no giant sized white bearded man with white flowing hair, like the Viking gods or Wicca god Nuada, or Greeks and Romans with Zues or Apollo, which is also termed in the similar way , they belief in the personification of the creating gods in the form of a man, however for the plains Indian culture and religion so as to speak are one, prayer is effectively a essential part of the plains Indian belief, the variations of belief differ from tribe to tribe at times, the story of creation in the Blackfoot belief talks of the Great Spirit giving power and moving through the earth and footsteps making indentions which created the seas and lakes and formed the mountains and hill and from the earth man and woman was moulded in the midst of a dispute. I think the social tags of conventional belief cause the response of refusal however theirs is religion not as it is known to the Christian with the creating god obviously, for the modern term it is an effective term for social identification, the tribes dislike such things as hippies who like to get high or any kind of get high usage because the religious practice demands prayer in which ever state the mind is in, the modern term of religion yes

 

[Twilight Hue]

I love this!

I also find it very cool that you and I both have Cherokee and Blackfoot roots.
My great-grandpa on my dad's side was a full-blooded Blackfoot.

My friend when in the military was Sioux. I have a great respect and admiration for native peoples.

 

[Curious George]

Figure out? What are you refering to?

You said, "I wish I could learn more."

This usually means someone is trying to figure out something.