ABORIGINAL SPIRITUALITYChapter 2

ABORIGINALS

Aboriginal: people of native ancestry. The people who were there originally

ORIGINS OF ABORIGINAL SPIRITUALITY

Impossible to determine a “Founder” Began before our history. Some Indigenous people believe they sprung

from the ground rather than moved here. We do know they have been here for at least

10,000 years Archaeologists have found artefacts wampum

belts, paintings, bones, and wooden carvings. Aboriginal creation stories or genesis stories

carry a great deal of spiritual power, and are very important to their beliefs.

ABORIGINAL SOCIETIES AROUND THE WORLD

There is a huge diversity of Aboriginal spirituality around the world.

Indigenous people are living on virtually every area of the globe.

80% of the population live in Asia, only 13% live in North and South America

Many Aboriginal people around the world still practice their traditional fate.

ABORIGINAL CULTURAL GROUPS IN CANADA The Subarctic

The Innu, Montagnais, James Bay Cree, and Dene They were mostly nomadic hunters

The Plateau Live in the foothills of the rocky mountains Nomadic hunters Kootenay mountain chain takes its name from one of the

groups The North West Pacific Coast

Haida, Tlingit, and Saliah Depended on the sea, lived in plank houses near the

beach Trapped salmon, used the cedar trees to build houses,

cannoes baskedt. Constructed totem poles, Totems were protective entities

ABORIGINAL CULTURAL GROUPS IN CANADA

The Great Plains There are seven distinct languages and over

thirty nations. Sioux, Cree, and Siksika or Blackfoot. They depended mostly on Buffalo. Lived in cone shaped houses known as tipis

The Arctic The Innu meaning the people Live in the snow covered area above the treeline

for eight months of the year Depend on seals

ABORIGINAL CULTURAL GROUPS IN CANADA

Northeast Woodland Iroquois of the St. Lawrence River and the Great

Lakes Farmer Hunters Lived in Long houses, in villages of about 1500 Six nations Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga,

Seneca, Tuscarora. Displaced by American Revolution, settle in Canada

Algonquin Nomadic hunters who depend on the forest, rivers, and

sea. Include the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Ottawa, Cree, and

Ojibwa. Spiritualism among Algonquin is deeply personal and

varied between community.

ABORIGINAL BELIEFS

Animism: The belief that all things human and not have a soul or spirit and that all things live on after death as part of that spirit.

Most believe in one god, the supreme Creator Power in the universe is also give to personified

spirits who are less powerful that the Creator. It is important to survive in harmony with the

spirits, or at least be on good terms with them.

Algonquin call the sky “Grandfather” Inuit call the sea “Sea Woman” Iroquois call the sky “Sky Woman”

CREATION STORIES

Each cultural group has their own identity and creation story

The Northeast Woodlands Turtle Island A great flood covered the earth. Animals tried to bring mud to the surface Muskrat succeeded Sky woman spread earth on the back of a turtle

that became North America

DEATH AND AFTERLIFE

Reincarnation or rebirth is central to aboriginal spirituality.

There are several beliefs as to how it happens. Sioux: four souls

One takes spirit path and gets judged by an old woman who either allows it to enter the spirit world, or sends it back to earth as a ghost

The other 3 are reincarnated

TOTEMS

Totem: A protective entity. Plant, animal, or mythological being that are used by a person or clan.

Totem groups are identified by the nae of a bird, fish, animal, or reptile.

Persons of the same totem are considered close relatives and may not marry

QUESTIONS

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PRACTICES, RITUALS, SYMBOLS, AND FESTIVALS

Practices and Rituals Aboriginal people are keeping their spiritualism

alive by participating in traditional festivals and through art and symbols.

Some practices have crossed cultural boundaries and are now practiced by many different groups

Many rituals from the great planes are now practiced by many groups

PRACTICES AND RITUALS

The Morning Dance Performed every spring Also known as Wabeno Pays homage to the “tree of the universe” Participants fast, and cleanse themselves first Male elder plays drum, and leads dance around a

tree Children, adults and elderly dance from dawn

until noon They have a big feast at noon

Dance

PRACTICES AND RITUALS The Sun Dance

Part of summer festival that lasts 8-16 days The ritual was so powerful and symbolic that the Canadian

government banned it in the late 1880’s Identifies the circle as an important symbol. Acknowledges the sun as the giver of life. Participants dance around a wooden pole, or “tree of the

universe” Some dancers embed sharp wooden hooks deep into their

chests, then connect them to leather straps that trail from the top of the pole, as they dance the strap pulls the flesh from their chest. The scars are a symbol of their faith.

The performers do this because they believe the body is the only thing they can control, and so they offer it to the creator.

This is still practiced today Sundance

PRACTICES AND RITUALS

The Potlatch Ceremony Northwest Pacific Coast nations Canadian government made this illegal in 1884

Seemed to contribute to “idleness” and seemed wastfull Ban lifted in 1951

Feasting, dancing, distributing wealth, and sharing songs.

Host gives feast to celebrate an event, marriage, in memory of a loved one, naming their heir, or to get forgiveness.

The more the host clan gives away the better they regain status.

The host grows in prestige. Tlingit Potlatch Scene from Potlatch

PRACTICES AND RITUALS

The Sweat Lodge From the Great Plains nations Renews the soul, helps regain focus Cleanses both physical, and spiritual body Shaman directs the ritual Sauna like tent dome made of saplings and

covered in animal skins, tarpaulins or cedar. These make it dark and airtight Heated stones are placed in the middle, and water

is sprinkled on them The steam causes participants to sweat, cleansing

them. Prayers and sacred pipes are shared Sweat lodge

PRACTICES AND RITUALS

The Shaking Tent Used by groups from the subarctic to the Great Lakes

region Shows the relationship between the supernatural

world and the living world, and how close they are Through the shaking tent one can communicate with

spirits Cylindrical shape tent left open to the sky to allow

spirits to enter Individuals who have requested ceremony make a

trade with the shaman Shaman enters tent and converses with spirits over

such things as lost objects, or communicating with ancestors, missing persons or predicting events.

Always takes place at night

MILESTONES

The Vision Quest: Rite of passage to adulthood Common ceremony to most Aboriginal religions

How vision quest work 1. Seeker is first purified (sweat lodge) 2. Shaman tells seeker to go to some location far

from camp. 3. Seeker fasts, and prays for days awaiting

vision. 4. Once seeker receives message from guardian

spirit, in animal form he returns. 5. Shaman interprets vision.

A modern vision quest

SACRED WRITINGS

Oral Teachings: Prayers are passed to new generations by the

telling and retelling of events Elders, or shamans memorize the stories to pass

them on Form of Oracy The “good message” of Handsome Lake

GROUPS AND INSTITUTIONS

Elders: Man or woman who is recognized as a wise person

Pass on practical knowledge, and traditions Tell the stories of the religion

The False Face Society Iroquois group whose members know about the

natural power of herbs and who perform ritual prayers

Called the False Face Society because they wear masks carved from living trees.

CULTURAL IMPACT

The Europeans sand the Aboriginal Peoples. Positive and negative impacts on each other Aboriginals gave explorers knowledge to live in

new world Europeans gave tools that helped the Aboriginal

people shape a way of life By 1900 many cultures were nearly extinct due

to disease carried by Europeans Europeans also brought their government and

rules with them. “White ways” that the aboriginal population was forced to live by

CULTURAL IMPACT

Residential Schools By the mid 1800’s the Canadian government was

funding residential schools for Aboriginal peoples.

These schools would place children far from their communities.

Children were taught it was wrong to practice their culture

Punishment was often tough, needle stuck in toung for speaking native language.

These schools operated into the 1960’s Sleeping Children Awake

CULTURAL IMPACT

Standoff at Oka Sometimes the cultural impact on aboriginal life

ends in violence Mohawk reserve of Kanehsatake, borders the

town of Oka Golf course built in 1959 Want to expand in 1989 The land they wanted to expand on was an

ancient burial ground, considered sacred by the Mohawk

The Mohawk erect a barricade across the road, and start an 11 week standoff

Oka Crisis part 1

CULTURAL IMPACT

National Aboriginal Day: Cultural revival is now growing Surviving parts of Aboriginal religion play an

important role in the culture of Canada In 1996 Canada declared June 21 to be National

Aboriginal day Aboriginal people celebrate their past and future

together in pan-Aboriginal activities

CULTURAL IMPACT

Reconciliation In 1998 the Canadian government issued a

statement of regret for how it treated Aboriginal peoples

The statement included a plan of action for healing the damages caused by residential schools, and to improve the health conditions, and speed up land claims.

In recent years Christian Churches have also accepted some of the guilt for their actions

CULTURAL IMPACT

Nunavut: Means “Our Land” 85% of the population is Inuit Allows the population to govern their own land.