Native American Spirituality Leo R Sandy Native American

Native American Spirituality Leo R. Sandy

Native American Prayer for Peace Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot; the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees; the allseeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of Peace.

Prayers O Great Spirit of our ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things you provide for us on this earth.

Prayers cont’d Prayer for the White Man And now, Grandfather, I ask you to bless the white man. He needs your wisdom, your guidance. You see, for so long, he has tried to destroy my people, and only feels comfortable when given power. Bless them, show them the peace we understand; teach them humility. For I fear they will someday destroy themselves and their children as they have done so Mother Earth. I plead, I cry. After all, they are my brothers. . .

Shared Cross-Tribal Beliefs A deity (Wakan-Tanka) created the world, teaches culture and proper behavior, and provides sustenance – There also some spirits that control weather, interact with humans, and inhabit the underworld In the beginning many people existed but were turned into animals, hence the close bond with animals. Every species has a master – a master deer for deer and the Creator for humans

Native Americans The emergence of the tribe began with ancestors crawling out of a hole in the earth (the world’s navel) after going through several layers Cave writings and oral tradition are used to pass on beliefs and experiences Life after death has diverse views from reincarnation to a return as ghosts to moving to another world to just not being sure The cosmos has multiple layers. The natural world is the middle part. All the layers are linked to a World Tree the top of which resides in the sky

Native Americans cont’d The Shaman has spirits enter his body during lodge ceremonies facilitated by drum beating and chanting The spirits are asked to depart and perform needed acts. Sometimes Shamans go into a trance and go into the underworld or within this world to seek healing or lost possessions Young boys become men by fasting, meditation, and going into the wilderness alone to prove themselves The sun dance is used to give thanks, pray for renewal, promote health, and socialization

Native Americans cont’d Sweat lodges (like Finnish Saunas) are used for purification and readiness for fasting and dancing Hunting ceremonies ritualize the hunt, appease the spirit, and convince other animals to be willing to be killed in the future Prophets are few but there are some like White Buffalo Woman of the Lakota and Dakota tribes Housing design often represents the model of the cosmos Animism is a common belief with the Great Spirit living within trees, rocks, animals, etc.

Quotes The Indian loved to worship. From birth to death, he revered his surroundings. He considered himself born in the luxurious lap of Mother Earth, and no place was to him humble. There was nothing between him and the Big Holy (Wakan Tanka). The contact was immediate and personal, and the blessings of Wakan Tanka flowed over the Indian like rain showered from the sky. Wakan Tanka was not aloof, apart, and ever seeking to quell evil forces. He did not punish the animals and the birds, and likewise, he did not punish man. He was not a punishing god. For there was never a question as to the supremacy of an evil power over and above the power of Good. There was but one ruling power, and that was Good. " -Chief Luther Standing Bear Teton Sioux, Born 1868

Quotes cont’d "Native American isn’t blood; it is what is in the heart. The love for the land. The respect for it, those who inhabit it; and the respect and acknowledgement of the spirits and the elders. That is what it is to be indian. " White Feather Navajo Medicine Man

Quotes cont’d Love of the Land The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew in the air came to rest upon the earth, and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soul was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing. This is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him. - Chief Luther Standing Bear Teton Sioux, Born 1868

By Chief Seattle Quotes cont’d "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, Man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts soon happens to man. "

Quotes cont’d What is Life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset. - Crowfoot Blackfoot Indian

Commandments American Indian Commandments Sacred Instructions Given By The Creator To Native People At The Time Of Creation: >Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect. >Remain close to the Great Spirit. >Show great respect for your fellow beings. >Work together for the benefit of all Mankind. >Give assistance and kindness wherever needed. >Do what you know to be right. >Look after the well being of mind and body. >Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good. >Be truthful and honest at all times. >Take full responsibility for your actions.

Native American Code of Ethics 1. Each morning upon rising, and each evening before sleeping, give thanks for the life within you and for all life, for the good things the Creator has given you and for the opportunity to grow a little more each day. Consider your thoughts and actions of the past day and seek for the courage and strength to be a better person. Seek for the things that will benefit others (everyone). 2. Respect: Respect means "To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy". Showing respect is a basic law of life.

Ethics cont’d 2. cont’d. Treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder with respect at all times. Special respect should be given to Elders, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders. No person should be made to feel "put down" by you; avoid hurting other hearts as you would avoid a deadly poison. Touch nothing that belongs to someone else (especially Sacred Objects) without permission, or an understanding between you. Respect the privacy of every person, never intrude on a person's quiet moment or personal space. Never walk between people that are conversing.

Ethics cont’d 2. cont’d. Never interrupt people who are conversing. Speak in a soft voice, especially when you are in the presence of Elders, strangers or others to whom special respect is due. Do not speak unless invited to do so at gatherings where Elders are present (except to ask what is expected of you, should you be in doubt). Never speak about others in a negative way, whether they are present or not. Treat the earth and all of her aspects as your mother. Show deep respect for the mineral world, the plant world, and the animal world. Do nothing to pollute our Mother, rise up with wisdom to defend her. Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others.

Ethics cont’d 2. cont’d. Listen with courtesy to what others say, even if you feel that what they are saying is worthless. Listen with your heart. Respect the wisdom of the people in council. Once you give an idea to a council meeting it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the people. Respect demands that you listen intently to the ideas of others in council and that you do not insist that your idea prevail. Indeed you should freely support the ideas of others if they are true and good, even if those ideas are quite different from the ones you have contributed. The clash of ideasbrings forth the Spark of Truth.

Ethics cont’d 3. Once a council has decided something in unity, respect demands that no one speak secretly against what has been decided. If the council has made an error, that error will become apparent to everyone in its own time. 4. Be truthful at all times, and under all conditions. 5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, your best blankets, the best part of your house, and your best service to your guests.

Ethics cont’d 6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all, the honor of one is the honor of all. 7. Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as members of the human family. 8. All the races and tribes in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow. All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected. .

Ethics cont’d 9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget your most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others. 10. Observe moderation and balance in all things. 11. Know those things that lead to your well-being, and those things that lead to your destruction.

Ethics cont’d 12. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends.

Chief Seattle

References Religious Tolerance. Retrieved at http: //www. religioustolerance. org/nataspir 3. htm Native American Beliefs. Retrieved from http: //www. home. earthlink. net/~tessia/Native. html The Intertribal Times – October 194