The Wind Is My Mother

[Triner]

I just finished reading that book by Bea Heart. I just have to say that I found it rather sad how some of the Christian teachings had been merged in with the Native American beliefs.

Especially the part in which he described a group of Native Americans singing a song about how wretched (I don't remember the exact word) they all were.

[Silver]

I know Amazing Grace is one of the most popular old Christian songs/hymns, but I always wrinkled my nose at it because I thought how very very sad. It just didn't jibe with what I understood about who and what Jesus was all about. I'll never understand how people can 'get' anything out of that song, that kind of attitude.

Originally Posted by Triner

I just finished reading that book by Bea Heart. I just have to say that I found it rather sad how some of the Christian teachings had been merged in with the Native American beliefs.

Especially the part in which he described a group of Native Americans singing a song about how wretched (I don't remember the exact word) they all were.

read more, the christian teachings weren't merged with their beliefs but more forced into their beliefs. seeing as they were "heathens" in their eyes, they just didn't know any better and had to be taught about God. I think for the most part they took it on the chin and did better than I would today. Thinking of someone forcing their beliefs on my lifestyle because they didn't think I knew anything and refusing to look at the way I saw things. very closed minded.

[Triner]

Originally Posted by earthprowler

read more, the christian teachings weren't merged with their beliefs but more forced into their beliefs. seeing as they were "heathens" in their eyes, they just didn't know any better and had to be taught about God. I think for the most part they took it on the chin and did better than I would today. Thinking of someone forcing their beliefs on my lifestyle because they didn't think I knew anything and refusing to look at the way I saw things. very closed minded.

Yes, I've read other books that demonstrate what you're saying. In other books, the Native Americans have dropped the Christian teachings all together. To me, those express a purer, if not pure, form of Native American beliefs.

I just found it sad in that particular book how the merging of the two expressed itself. Like "Amazing Grace" Silvergirl referred to her post. I would find it terribly sad to hear Native Americans singing "to save a wretch like MEEEEEE".

Originally Posted by Triner

Yes, I've read other books that demonstrate what you're saying. In other books, the Native Americans have dropped the Christian teachings all together. To me, those express a purer, if not pure, form of Native American beliefs.

I just found it sad in that particular book how the merging of the two expressed itself. Like "Amazing Grace" Silvergirl referred to her post. I would find it terribly sad to hear Native Americans singing "to save a wretch like MEEEEEE".

Hi
I'm looking for other good books to read. Please mention some of the books you refer to that express the pure form of Native
American beliefs.
Thanks

Originally Posted by forests

you might want to read the book american genesis, the author a trained anthropologist claims native americans were the first race on the earth, 250,000 years ago before any of the other races and that all inventions were originally made by the native americans but biased western scientists have attempted to cover all this up.

Are you aware that the idea of ethnic groups being categorized by 'race' has fallen out of favor with many anthropologists? Mostly because it comes with a set of assumptions that ethnic groups are radically different. Which is not the case.

What is the author's name? I looked at 'american genesis' and found a book about technology.

Originally Posted by forests

you might want to read the book american genesis, the author a trained anthropologist claims native americans were the first race on the earth, 250,000 years ago before any of the other races and that all inventions were originally made by the native americans but biased western scientists have attempted to cover all this up.

First. Native americans, by the oldest claim are 40 000 years old. They came here in a few migrations from russia, during (mostly after) the last ice age. Native american, and south american natives have almost the same dna as asians, which is the same as north eastern russian and siberian genes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_the_Americas


Second. The modern human, is only 50 000 to 100 000 years old:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens

race is a biological reality, if you study physical anthropology all races look different, have different size brain, skull structure, iq etc etc, no race is the same, only becuase of modern day liberal political correctness and becuase of the holocaust some scientists are scared to admit races exist. book is by jeffrey goodman, hes writing a new book at the moment arguing for a multiregional origin of humans, ie different races have lived in isolation for along time with minor gene flow. hes got evidence tho putting native americans the proto caucasian race 250,000 years in north america.

Of course race is real, but it depends on the context. If you mean race as in biological terms, then yes. This is adaptarion and varation in species. Proof is in the plant world where we hone the "best" or most wanted traits that randomly pop up. W exploit this and breed only that type. The proof is in your garden

It isnt really real, in terms of a social context, becasue they are things we make up, and ar eusually though of as contries of people of a specific region, reather then genetics, and adaptations.


Lastly, just because one anthropologist says its legit, does not mean it is. I cannot find one legit article to corroborate what you state. I can only go with the most logical theory, and that is usually conrived by many scientists agreeing in a sort of democracy, not only one unproven theory.

[Triner]

Originally Posted by Time

First. Native americans, by the oldest claim are 40 000 years old. They came here in a few migrations from russia, during (mostly after) the last ice age. Native american, and south american natives have almost the same dna as asians, which is the same as north eastern russian and siberian genes.

I've read that there's now doubt being cast on that theory because they've found Native American archaeological sites in North American from times before the land bridge to Asia existed.

[Triner]

Originally Posted by precchar

Hi
I'm looking for other good books to read. Please mention some of the books you refer to that express the pure form of Native
American beliefs.
Thanks

I'll dig through what I have and let you know.

Well, things are the way they are and we can empower the native youth of today, allowing them to have voices, and teaching them about their culture and traditions.
There are a lot of ancestors who did not give up without a fight, and there are a lot of my people today that still hold onto the sacred way. The native way is not dead, or lost, or mixed up with christianity. I know native people who choose to go to christianity these days, do so with their own obligations, but most times, they still have their traditions. There are also some who are very lost and dislocated. There are some very bad things going on today, even. The government is still killing my people, you just will never hear it in the media, you only hear about the bad things we do.

In the end, what is the difference, between calling the Creator "GOD", instead of "wa kan tan kan"? There is no difference.
We have a creator, just like christians do, in fact, there are many similarities between that religion and our spirituality, even the stories. The difference is, christianity became a tool of destruction and was changed over the years from its original context. Native beliefs and creation stories were never changed, they were passed over generations through elders, medicine people and story tellers, and to this day, they remain untouched, unchanged. It takes strict regulations in order to become a person who has the sacred and respectful job of preserving these things. We don't write down our traditions and ways, for that reason.

When christianity was introduced, it was a lot more than just a "we don't understand your beleifs thing" it was just another tool of genocide, and they banned our beliefs as being evil. They took away all our sacred objects, and would kill those who they found practicing it, even if they found you holding a sacred mask.
And my elders to this present day, were there to witness it, they remember the Christian residential schools they were in, and terrible memories of what happened, you see, it was not that long ago, and these horrible things were still happening. All sorts of white people would come to preach and open up their little religious schools, and people were forced into it, these same people that preached about God were also hurting people, raping the women, and killing innocent children and persons. This continued to happen into the generation of my elders.

But to this day, i look at my elders and relatives who still have not forgotten it, and i feel ashamed. Why? Because they are allowing the sickness to harvest their futures, and they are living in hatred. It was terrible, but we should be coming together and working on helping the youth.
On the day there was a mass apology for the residential schools all over the news, a lot of first nations people did not know what to expect, or how to react. I had to witness my elders being brought into terrible memories, having horrible traumatic breakdowns. Some people were pleased, yet others still lived by "how could an apology make up for what happened?"
The only two places of first nations decent that have ever received an apology by white man, is Australia, and here, in Canada. My people in the US have not a thing, and it is not very big on multicultural living like it is here. But even here, it is hard. A lot of mass suicides happen on the reserves. A lot of mass die outs. Alcohol addictions. Lots of my people have lost the old ways. But on the other hand, a lot of my people have not lost the old ways, and we are striving to unite and resurrect the culture, teach the youth, help the elders, and build strong communities. With native pride.