Now Playing: Native American Belief Systems
Topic: Native American Mythology
Native American mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org
Like other religions, Native American belief systems include many sacred narratives. Such spiritual stories are deeply based in Nature and are rich with the symbolism of seasons, weather, plants, animals, earth, water, sky and fire. The idea of an all powerful Great Spirit, a connection to the Earth, diverse creation narratives and collective memories of ancient ancestors are common. Traditional worship practices are often a part of tribal gatherings with dance, rhythm, songs and trance. Actual practices vary. Vist the site to review each tribes custom.
- Abenaki Native American tribe located in the falang northeastern United States. Religious ceremonies are led by shamans, called Medeoulin (Mdawinno).
- Anishinaabe located primarily in the Great Lakes
- Aztec. Myths and legends of Mesoamerican culture, recognized many gods and supernatural creatures such as the Aztec.
- Blackfoot tribe of Native Americans who currently live in Montana. They lived west of the Great Lakes and lived in Montana and Alberta and participated in Plains Indian culture.
- Cherokee. Native American culture who mainly live in the southeastern United States and in Oklahoma.
- Creek tribe of Native Americans from the southeastern United States. The shaman was called an Alektca.
- Crow Native Americans live in the Great Plains area of the United States. The shaman of the tribe was known as an Akbaalia ("healer").
- Guarani people of the south-central part of South America, especially the native peoples of Paraguay and parts of the surrounding areas of Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.
- Ho-Chunk and Winnebago are tribes of Native Americans, which were once a single tribe living in Wisconsin.
- Hopi tribe of Native Americans located in the southwestern United States.
- Incan South American culture, with myths and legends which survived amongst the native peoples.
- Inuit similarities to the religions of other polar regions. Inuit traditional religious practices could be very briefly summarised as a form of shamanism based on animist principles.
- Lakota Native American tribe, also known as the Sioux.
- Lenape Native American tribe from the Delaware area
- Mapuche, South American culture of native peoples of Chile and some regions of Argentina.
- Maya, Mesoamerican culture with extensive polytheistic beliefs.
- Miwok mythology, a Native American people in Northern California.
- Navajo tribe of Native Americans who live in the southwestern United States.
- Ohlone mythology, a Native American people in Northern California.
- Pawnee tribe of Native Americans originally located in Nebraska, United States.
- Pomo mythology, a Native American people in Northern California.
- Seneca tribe was one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy from the northeastern United States.
- Wyandot (sometimes formerly referred to as the Huron) are a First Nations/Native American people originally from Ontario, Canada, and surrounding areas.
Tribal Spiritual Practices
Cherokee mythology
This article concerns itself with the mythology of the Cherokee, Native Americans indigenous to the southeastern United States and to Oklahoma
For information on other Native American tribe belief systems vist
http://en.wikipedia.org
Yowa
The Cherokee revered the Great Spirit, called the Yowa (a name so sacred that only a priest could say it), who presided over all things and created Mother Earth.
Signs, visions, dreams
They held that signs, visions, dreams, and powers were all gifts of the spirits, and that their world was intertwined with and presided over by the spirit world.
Other venerated spirits
The Cherokee believed that every aspect and thing had a spirit presiding over it, but did not hold a belief in multiple gods. All figures identified as 'gods' were simply greater beings in the Cherokee belief whose names were so great there were no English words for them, and thus they were recognized as 'gods' by Englishmen. However, the Cherokee paid direct respect to and worshipped only Yowa.
- Sint Holo: A horned serpent
- Tsul 'Kalu: Spirit of the Hunt
- Oonawieh Unggi ("the oldest wind"): Spirit of the Wind
- Kana'ti ("The Lucky Hunter"): The Great Hunter
- Selu ("maize"): The Corn Woman
- Nûñnë'hï: The Spirit People
The thunder beings
The Cherokee held that there were two classes of the thunder beings, those who lived close to the Earth, and the holiest and most powerful of the thunder beings who lived in the land of the west beyond the Mississippi River, and visited the people to bring the rains and blessings from the South.
- Ani Yuntikwalaski: Spirits of thunder and lightning (the thunder beings)
- Asgaya Gigagei (Thunder Beings of the West): Spirit of thunderstorms, also called Asagaya Gigaei
It was believed that the thunder beings who lived close to the Earth's surface could and did harm the people at times. There were three Thunder Beings from the West in the ancient legends, a greater spirit and his two sons.
Green corn ceremony
The thunder beings were viewed as the most powerful of the servants of the Apportioner (Creator Spirit), and were revered in the first dance of the Green Corn Ceremony held each year, as they were directly believed to have brought the rains for a successful corn crop.
Evil
The Cherokee assigned a feminine personality to the concept of the personification of spiritual evil, and named her "wi-na-go" in the ancient language, and believe that mosquitos were created when she was destroyed in ancient legends. There is also Nun'Yunu'Wi, an evil spirit monster who preys on humans, and Raven Mocker, the evil spirit of a witch who steals the souls of the dead.
Animals, plants, and disease
It was also believed that all human disease and suffering originated with the killing of animals for improper purposes, and that for each animal killed for pleasure or without proper ceremonies, it allowed a new disease to enter the physical world from the spirit world. It was also believed that the plants, in response to witnessing the suffering in the world, made a medicine to cure each sickness that entered the world in order to restore the balance of forces between the two worlds, the physical world and the spirit world.
