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Native American Traditions

Myth of the “Vanishing Indian”

Native Americans have lived in North America for over 13,000 years. The continued presence and rich diversity of contemporary Native communities in the United States discredits the pervasive myth that there are no more Native Americans.... Read more about Myth of the “Vanishing Indian”

Millennia of Religious Diversity

Many traditions of belief and ceremonial life correspond to shared language families and common geographic areas. However, with more than 200 distinctive languages native to the landmass that is now the United States and a wide diversity of religious beliefs and practices, one cannot speak of a single Native American religion. ... Read more about Millennia of Religious Diversity

Religion as a Way of Life

One of the few common elements within the diversity of Native traditions is the idea that all dimensions of social life are profoundly integrated. Instead of “religion,” the broader term “life-way” is often used to describe the traditions of Native peoples.... Read more about Religion as a Way of Life

Struggle and Survival: Native Ways of Life Today

Many of the historical and contemporary interactions between Native Americans and the United States government have involved material and cultural dispossession. Within the context of dispossession, there have been concerted efforts by Native American communities to maintain and adapt their unique cultural heritages. Native languages in particular are in danger of becoming extinct.... Read more about Struggle and Survival: Native Ways of Life Today

Many Local Traditions

Native American traditions are diverse, but many share strong emphases on oral discourse, orientation toward the land, and the existence of a spirit world. Additionally, all Native traditions have had to respond to colonization, dispossession, and assimilation. Still, the traditions that developed prior to and in response to European colonization are markedly distinct.... Read more about Many Local Traditions

Anishinaabe Ojibwe Ways

The Ojibwe, also known as Chippewa, traditionally inhabit the Western Great Lakes region. Over the centuries, many Ojibwe have converted to Christianity or integrated Christian practices and beliefs into their religious traditions. Ojibwe religious traditions share a respect for the manidoog (the spirits or “mysteries”), upheld by the stories and ceremonies that make connections between the people and the sources of life.... Read more about Anishinaabe Ojibwe Ways

Apache Women’s Initiation and Divine Renewal

The Apache people, based in the Southwest of the United States, have many spiritual rituals, ceremonies, and myths. One prominent rite of passage of the Mescalero Apache, the initiation ceremony for a girl into womanhood, involves the entire community’s participation. Community members take part in a four-day feast and celebration, which ends with a blessing of the community by the initiate.... Read more about Apache Women’s Initiation and Divine Renewal

Sacred Pipe of the Lakota Sioux

The Sioux, or Lakota, people of the American Great Plains are well known for their resistance to colonization and assimilation in the 1870s. Sacred pipe ceremonies of the Lakota Sioux are meant to provide spiritual grounding and power for Lakota as they navigate Native identity in the modern world.... Read more about Sacred Pipe of the Lakota Sioux

Haudenosaunee Iroquois Religion and Politics

The Iroquois nations in the regions of New York, Pennsylvania, and southeastern Canada refer to themselves collectively as the Haudenosaunee, “the people of the Longhouse." In this peace-making government, political positions and relationships are governed by ceremonial interactions and a body of oral literature. Today, in many cases, these traditional governing processes are forced to account for U.S. Indian governing policy and administration.... Read more about Haudenosaunee Iroquois Religion and Politics

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