Chiefly, Native Americans believe in a Creator and view all of life as sacred. They do not see time as linear but rather cyclical, like the rhythms of nature. Their creation stories typically involve either an earth diver bringing up land from water or people emerging onto the current world from lower layers. All things have a spirit and are interconnected in a three-tiered cosmos of an upper, middle, and lower world.

1. March 31, 2021
by Chris L. Verschage
Native American
Spirituality
“Walking in a Sacred Manner”

2. O’siyo!
2
Welcome page
Tsilugi. Osiyo, daquadoa Chris Verschage. Dtohitsu?
I belong to the Ani-Yunwiya (aka, Tsalagi; Eng. “Cherokee”)

3. 3
• “Behold, a sacred voice is calling you;
All over the sky a sacred voice is calling” – “a sacred song” (19).
• “We do not want schools, they will teach us to have churches.
We do not want churches, they will teach us to quarrel about God.
We do not want to learn that.
We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth,
but we never quarrel about God.
We do not want to learn that.”
-- Chief Joseph, Nez Perce Leader
• “They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept
but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it.”
– Red Cloud, Lakota Leader.
Famous Quotes

4. Native American Religions
4
Some Truths about Native Americans Religions

5. 5
• Native Americans do NOT have a word for “religion” in their
languages. What they believe and practice is just part of their
way of life.
• Not every Native American adheres to or follows traditional
beliefs for their particular tribe. Some do, some don’t. Their
beliefs vary from person to person.
Native American Spirituality

6. RACIAL STEREOTYPES
6
Correcting the Mainstream Stereotypes of Native Americans

7. 7
• “All Indians live in tipis.” Native Americans lived in a variety of
different types of housing, dependent upon where they lived, such as
longhouses (Iroquois), Grass Houses (S. Part of the Great Plains),
Adobe Houses (SW), Tipis (Plains), Hogans (Navajo), or igloos
(Alaskan).
• “All Indians wear clothes with fringes and have feathers in their
hair.”
This is not true. Native American dress like most Americans today,
but they may dress in traditional clothing if competing in a Pow-Wow
or for some special tribal occasion.
• “All Indians say ‘How” and speak in broken English. This is also
not true. Most Native Americans speak English as well as most
other Americans.
Racial Stereotypes

8. Basic Native American Beliefs
8
What do Native Americans View about the Creator and the Creation

9. 9
• Traditional Native Americans do not believe in cutting their hair.
This is because they believe they need to have their whole body
in order to make it into the next life.
• Scalping was not started by Native Americans – but by the
French who wanted to torture the Native Americans they killed
by keeping their spirits trapped here on earth.
• The Lakota tribe believes that if you turn the body over onto its
stomach so its face is in the dirt, then its spirit will be trapped
here on earth. (movie: Thunderheart)
• A Personal Story – about an ASU Navajo student.
A Traditional Belief

10. 10
• Native Americans believe that all of life is “sacred” and that we
are to “live in a sacred manner.”
• To Native Americans, the word “sacred” refers to something
intensely personal, whether an experience with the spiritual that
we do not normally experience in life, or some other intensely
personal experience, or something special that one possesses.
• But the sacred is also something that is shared, and this
sharing or “collective experience” is necessary to keep the tribal
oral traditions and the sacred ways alive.
What is “Sacred”?

11. 11
• The sacred can be –
• Some experience – like a vision, ceremony, rituals, or prayer
• Some possession – like a Medicine bag, rattle or Chanunpa (lit.
“sacred pipe”; aka, “peace pipe”), or a weave (Navajo).
• Some place – like a mountain, valley, river, or sweat lodge;
• Some specific time – like times of prayer, i.e., right before the
sun rises, or during a pow-wow.
• The term “sacred” can also be used to describe how one lives
his or her life – “to live in a sacred manner.”
What is “Sacred”?

12. 12
• The greatest of all sacred mysteries is that of the Creator.
Although all tribes believe that there is a Creator, they do vary
on their belief about the Creator.
• Generally speaking, Native Americans believe that there is a
High God who is superior to all other deities and spirits, and is
considered wise, ancient, and benevolent.
• Sometimes this High God is male, sometimes female, or neuter
or androgynous, and in some Native beliefs, there are two
complementary High Gods, characterized as male/female,
brother/sister or bad/good.
Native Views of the Creator

13. 13
• Views may vary, even among the same tribe. For example,
Wallace Black Elk refers to the Creator, Wankan Tanka and
Tunkashila as different names for the same Being, whom he
just calls, Tunkashila or “Grandfather.”
• However, according to Frank Fools Crow, a Lakota medicine
man and nephew of Black Elk, he says, “We have three Chief
Gods like the Christians do. Wankan-Tanka is like the Father,
Tunkashila is like the Son. The Powers and Grandmother Earth
together are like the Holy Spirit, and I call the five of them,
‘Wankan-Tanka’s Helpers’ or the “Higher Powers.” (33-34)
Native Views of the Creator

14. 14
• Another sacred mystery is Mother Earth. Native peoples
believe that all things were made by the Great Spirit and Mother
Earth.
• Mother Earth is a spiritual life that will guide and care for those
who care for her and walk in her ways.
• Those who ignore her ways will only bring calamity and
destruction upon themselves.
• Native people also connect their tribal and spiritual identities to
the land. To be removed from the land is to have that identity
removed from them.
Another Sacred Mystery

15. 15
• A TABOO is a strong social prohibition. They are there to
protect the individual and to safeguard the natural order of
things.
• Some areas of life that TABOOS regulate are the following:
death, social behavior, food/food sources, and anti-social
actions.
• What must be done once a TABOO has been broken? The
person or group must atone, often through sacrifice, when a
taboo has been broken or a spirit must be placated.
What is a “Taboo”?

16. 16
• Since all things were made by Father Sky, another name for the
Great Spirit, and Mother Earth, all things are their children.
• Since all things come from them, all things have spiritual energy
and importance. All things are connected, all things have life,
and all things are worthy of respect and reverence.
• The belief that all elements of nature possess a spirit or spirits
that can communicate with one another is called “ANIMISM.”
• They also “believe that since everything was created with a
specific purpose to fulfill, no one should have the power to
interfere with or to impose upon others which path is the best to
follow.
Native Views of Creation

17. 17
• 1. Traditional Native Americans believe in a Creator, sometimes
referred to as Great Creator, Great Spirit, or Great One, among
other names
• 2. Human beings are made up of spirit, mind, and body
3. Plants and animals, like humans, are part of the spirit world.
The spirit world exists side by side with, and intermingles with, the
physical world.
4. The spirit existed before it came into the physical body and
will exist after the body dies.
5. Illness affects the mind and spirit as well as the body.
Ten Basic Native Beliefs

18. 18
• 6. Wellness is harmony in spirit, mind, and body
• 7. Natural unwellness or “sickness” or disease (“dis-ease”) is
caused by the violation of a sacred social or natural law of
Creation.
• 8. Unnatural unwellness is caused by conjuring (witchcraft)
from those with destructive intentions.
• 9. Each of us is responsible for his or her own wellness.
Ten Basic Native Beliefs

19. CREATION STORIES
19
How were things created?

20. 20
• The two types of creation stories often told by Native American
tribes are Earth-Diver Stories and Emergence Stories.
• Earth-Diver Stories: The earth-diver stories explain how the
world was formed in the midst of a great body of water. Often in
these stories, the Creator sends a variety of animals down into
the water to bring up a piece of earth, and from this mud, land is
formed. Also, in these stories, the animals co-exist with the
Creator and assist Him in the creation process.
Native Views of Creation

21. 21
• The other type of creation story is the Emergence Stories.
• Emergence Stories: In these stories, the universe consists of
many layers, some above and some below. For example, in the
Zuni creation story, the cosmos consists of seven layers or
spheres. In these stories, people come to this present world by
emerging, or climbing up, from the lower levels to the present
level where people live today.
Native Views of Creation

22. 22
• In many of these Emergence Stories, the cosmos is viewed as three-
tiered reality.
• The Upper World – This is the world beyond the sky that is
inhabited by spiritual powers and departed souls. This world is
associated with order, permanence, and clarity.
• The Middle World – This is the world where humans live, and it
exists in a precarious balance between the Upper and Lower Worlds.
• The Lower World – This is the world below the sky, earth, and
waters. This world is also inhabited by spiritual beings, but these
beings express qualities opposite to those of the Upper World:
chaos, fertility, and madness.
Native Views of Creation

23. TIME AND SPACE
23
What do Native Americans believe about time and space?

24. 24
• In Native American thought, the Western concept of linear time
appears foreign and unnatural. Instead, it is like the rhythms of the
natural world.
• In other words, time is cyclical, where there is no beginning or end,
only transitions, from one world to the next.
• There are two distinct spiritual advantages to this view of time:
• 1. Seamless, cyclical time encourages people to focus on the
present rather than to consume their lives with guilt over the past or
in worry about the future; and
• 2. Cyclical time also locates humanity in sacred space. Unlike linear
time, which is fragmented and lacks a center, cyclical time orients
people with reference to all other times in the cosmos.
Native Beliefs about Time

25. 25
• Since there is no division between the spiritual and the
physical, “Sacred space” is the doorway through which the
“other world” of gods, spirits and ancestors can connect with us
and we can connect with them.
• b. “Sacred space” is also associated with the center of the
entire universe, where power and holiness are strongest and
where we can go to renew our own strength.
Native View of Sacred Space

26. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
CIRCLE
26
Why are Circles important in Native American Life?

27. 27
• Native Belief is that like time, the seasons, or even life itself, all
things happen in cycles; therefore, the circle becomes a very
important image in Native life and belief.
• The camp was arranged in a circle, and ceremonies all
happened within the circle.
• During meetings, they would have a “Talking Circle.” It
symbolizes an entire approach to life and to the universe in
which each being participates in the Circle and each one serves
an important and necessary function that is valued no more or
no less than that of any other being.
Why are Circles important in Native
Life?

28. 28
• The Circle is even important when ceremonies or healings were
to happen. According to Traditionalists, healing and
transformation should take place in the presence of the group
since we are all related to one another in very basic ways; we
can always use the support and insight of our fellow brothers
and sisters as we move away from something and toward
something else. In this way, the ceremonial Circle has served a
very sacred function through the ritual healing or cleansing of
body, mind, and spirit, while also serving as a way of bringing
people together.
Why are Circles important in Native
Life?

29. THE IMPORTANCE OF
RELATIONS
29
The Critical Nature of All Relationships to Life

30. 30
• Central to the spiritual tradition is the importance of “relation” as
a total way of existing in the world. This power of relation is
symbolized by the Circle of Life, represented by the customs,
traditions, and artforms of the native people.
• This Circle of Life is believed to consist of spirit, nature, body
and mind, referred to as the Four Winds of Life (or the Four
Directions). The Circle thus reflects not only the inter-
relationship of all living beings, but the natural progression or
growth of life itself.
• Therefore, HARMONY AND BALANCE are necessary for us to
have a good life and for us to walk in a sacred manner, and it
cannot be emphasized enough in the traditional way.
The Importance of Relation

31. 31
• Being in harmony means being “in step with the universe;” being in
disharmony means being “out of step with the universe.”
• If we fail to respect our relations (with all living beings, the Creator,
Mother Earth, ourselves, and the Four Directions) and to keep
ourselves in step with the universe, we invite illness by falling out of
harmony and balance, much like a dancer failing to move in step
with the rhythm of the drum.
• Every person or being has Medicine or “power” (two-leggeds, four-
leggeds, winged ones, trees, plants, the Creator, Mother Earth, or
even one of the Spirit Beings).
• Each person must choose how to use that Medicine or power,
whether for creative purposes or destructive purposes – either
contributing to or taking away from the greater Circle of Life.
The Importance of Relation

32. THE MEDICINE WHEEL
32
What is it, and why is it used?

33. 33
What is the Medicine Wheel?
The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the
Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of
various Native American tribes for health and
healing.
The Medicine Wheel can take many different
forms. It can be an artwork such as artifact or
painting, or it can be a physical construction on
the land. Hundreds or even thousands of
Medicine Wheels have been built on Native lands
in North America over the last several centuries.
Movement in the Medicine Wheel and in Native
American ceremonies is circular, and typically in
a clockwise, or “sun-wise” direction. This helps to
align with the forces of Nature, such as gravity
and the rising and setting of the Sun.

34. THE MEDICINE MAN/WOMAN
34
Their special role and place within the tribe

35. 35
• Diviners
• Healers
• Rainmakers
• Malevolent sorcerers
• Witches
What are the 5 spiritual roles common to
most Native American tribal beliefs?

36. 36
• You must love everyone;
• You must put others first;
• You must be moral;
• You must keep your life in order;
• You must not do anything criminal; and
• You must have a good character.
• The greatest miracle: Changed Lives.
What are the basic rules for becoming a
medicine man/woman?

37. 37
• The “Medicine Man/Woman” (or “Singer”) is the one that the members of
the tribe go to for guidance, teaching, when something is wrong, when
people need healing, or when it is time for a ceremony, or for something to
be blessed.
• In performing his or her role, this individual needs to continually grow in
the ways of Mother Earth and in the ways of the Spirit.
• One way they do this is by spending a great deal of time in prayer, by
seeking to empty themselves out – like “an empty bone” or a funnel –
allowing the Great Spirit and the “Higher Powers” to work through them to
heal others, speak a needed word to them, or to warn them about
something that may be coming.
What is a “Medicine Man/Woman”?

38. 38
What is a “Medicine Man/Woman”?
• In the Navajo tribe, the
“Singer” will spend hours
doing a sandpainting retelling
a story about a particular
Spirit Being, and the person
will sit on the sandpainting so
that he or she will have direct
contact with the deity or
deities illustrated there so that
they may be “healed.”

39. 39
What is the purpose of the ceremonies?
• To renew the partnership
between humans and the spirit
world. In these rituals, it is
believed that sacred power is
released that recreates and
sustains the cosmos, and
humanity again is re-centered
within sacred time and space.

40. 40
What is a “Medicine Man/Woman”?
• At times, the Medicine Man/
Woman will be able to “spirit
journey.” This is when their
spirit leaves their physical
body, goes to other places,
learns what is happening
there, and then comes back
into their body, so he or she
can then tell others what
he/she saw or experienced.

41. 41
The Four Souls of the Lakota
• The Lakota tribe believes that each of
us have four souls:
• 1. Niya – the life-breath that infuses all
forms;
• 2. Nagi – the ghost or mirror image of the
physical form that carries the personality
of its possessor. The nagi understands the
spirit language and thus can communicate
with the nagi of other beings. When
going on a vision quest to seek the
guidance of spirit guardians, it is a
person’s nagi that speaks with the nagi of
the animals or forces that come to the
seeker’s aid. After death, the nagi lingers
for awhile and then departs on a journey
to the spirit world via the Milky Way.

42. 42
The Four Souls of the Lakota
• The Lakota tribe believes that each
of us have four souls:
• 3. Sicum – the power within all
beings. A person can acquire the
sicum of others
and become powerful, or loan his or
her own sicum to those in need. The
sicum is what makes the sacred
medicines effective. Paradoxically,
the sicum in the cosmos is finite. The
more an individual shares, the more
sicum he or she gives away and the
less power he or she maintains.
• 4. Nagali – the cosmic energy that
causes all things to move. It is the
original source of all things, the
essence of life.

43. 43
What is a “Medicine Man/Woman”?
• The purpose of the “Spirit (or
nagi) Journey” can show
them things that others may
never see, due to their closed
minds. It is used for curing,
healing, prophesying, solving
problems, and finding lost
people or objects.

44. 44
• A “holy man” or “holy woman” should not argue, fight, hate,
gossip, swear, chase after the opposite sex, take advantage of
people, drink alcohol or take drugs, or charge for his or her
curing, healing, or advice.
What Should a Medicine Man/Woman
Not do?

45. NATIVE VIEW OF SPEECH
45
What do Native Americans believe about speech?

46. 46
• Spoken words are transmitted by breath, which in many Native
American languages is the word for life, soul, and poetry. When
sounds through breath or wind are released, they are free to be
received by the total environment. All of creation…is surrounded by
the sound. Speaking is a sacred act that carries within it many
responsibilities. To name or speak of a person is to call forth the
spiritual essence of that which is named. To Native Americans, names
and words are not simply metaphors of concepts, but rather they are
conveyors of spiritual realities.
What is the Native American concept of
speech?

47. 47
• Because spoken words contain powers that can be used for good or
evil, it is important that these singers and storytellers must be
cognizant of the proper time and place to relate their stories. To name
and thus to call forth a dangerous power at an inauspicious time invites
disaster.
Why can’t sacred stories and prayers be
said outside of the ceremonial rituals?.

48. AIM – A Modern Movement
48
About the American Indian Movement

49. 49
What is “AIM”?
• AIM stands for the American Indian
Movement.
• A Native American advocate group in the
United States, founded in July 1968 in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an agenda
that focuses on spirituality, leadership,
and sovereignty.
• AIM was initially formed to also address
incidents of police harassment and racism
against Native Americans who were
forced by 1950's federal government
termination policies, created in the 1930's
but never enforced, to move off of the
reservations and away from tribal culture.

50. US LAW & NATIVE AMERICANS
50
Five Laws that have impacted Native Americans

51. 51
• The Indian Removal Act of 1830. This law forced the
displacement of southeastern peoples onto reservation lands in
Oklahoma territory, commonly called “The Trail of Tears.”
• Dawes Severalty Act of 1887. This law empowered the
president to convert Indian tribal lands into parcels of 160 acres
(the same acreage that had been given to non-Indians in the
Homestead Act) and to allow each Indian head-of-household to
receive title to this land. After this allotment, the remaining
reservation lands were sold to non-Indians.
5 Important Laws to Native
Americans

52. 52
• Snyder Act of 1926. This law extended citizenship rights to all
Native Americans.
• American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. This law
was passed to guarantee the continued free expression of
religion for Native Americans. In 1994, it was amended to
permit the use of peyote in Native American ceremonies. (e.g.,
Native American Church)
5 Important Laws to Native
Americans

53. 53
ADD A FOOTER
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. This law requires
federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funding to return Native American
"cultural items" to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native
Hawaiian organizations. Cultural items include human remains, funerary objects, sacred
objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. A program of federal grants assists in the
repatriation process and the Secretary of the Interior may assess civil penalties on museums
that fail to comply.
NAGPRA also establishes procedures for the inadvertent discovery or planned excavation of
Native American cultural items on federal or tribal lands. While these provisions do not apply
to discoveries or excavations on private or state lands, the collection provisions of the Act
may apply to Native American cultural items if they come under the control of an institution
that receives federal funding.
Lastly, NAGPRA makes it a criminal offense to traffic in Native American human remains
without right of possession or in Native American cultural items obtained in violation of the
Act. Penalties for a first offense may reach 12 months imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.
5 Important Laws to Native
Americans

54. 54
• In the 20th and 21st century, Native Americans traditionally
respond in one of three ways to the U.S. government’s attempt
at forcing assimilation on them:
• 1. Some resist these pressures by reviving the sacred customs
of the past;
• 2. Others have struggled to encourage the formation of a Pan-
Indian Identity that blends and mixes together their old tribal
ways while adopting new trans-tribal ceremonies (i.e., annual
pow-wows); and
• 3. Others have embraced the idea of assimilation, dispelled
their traditional religious ceremonies, and joined Christian
churches.
Native Americans Today

55. THANK YOU!
CHRIS L. VERSCHAGE
Phone
405-437-7984
Email
CLVFreelance@gmail.com