Popular Misconceptions

[Chrysaetos]

Christians around the world have interpreted native religious beliefs in a christian fashion as a clever means to convert people. In South and Central America you had female deities who were 'transformed' into the virgin Maria by the Catholic church. I would not be surprised if these stories about 'the Great Spirit' are mostly a christian fabrication as well. Some early pilgrims said that the native Americans they came across had no such abstract beliefs in gods, they were very down to earth.

If christians hear tales about an old hero in a native setting they will also say ''oh Christ was here too.. praise the Lord!'' etc. It's all meant to convert people. They do the same with local stories about river floods. It's awful.

Originally Posted by Chrysaetos

Christians around the world have interpreted native religious beliefs in a christian fashion as a clever means to convert people. In South and Central America you had female deities who were 'transformed' into the virgin Maria by the Catholic church. I would not be surprised if these stories about 'the Great Spirit' are mostly a christian fabrication as well. Some early pilgrims said that the native Americans they came across had no such abstract beliefs in gods, they were very down to earth.

If christians hear tales about an old hero in a native setting they will also say ''oh Christ was here too.. praise the Lord!'' etc. It's all meant to convert people. They do the same with local stories about river floods. It's awful.

Greetings Chrysaetos.

My favorite is the claim that we American Indians are descendants from the lost tribes of Israel.

Hi Wisa'ka that one made my guide laugh thanksxxxxxx

[Chrysaetos]

Yeah it's a good one. To think that all of humanity came from Israel a few thousand years ago, just how bizarre do you have to be to believe that?

Native Americans have been in the Americans since at least the end of the last Ice Age, and some evidence suggests they were around even much earlier..

Originally Posted by Chrysaetos

Yeah it's a good one. To think that all of humanity came from Israel a few thousand years ago, just how bizarre do you have to be to believe that?

Native Americans have been in the Americans since at least the end of the last Ice Age, and some evidence suggests they were around even much earlier..

How bizarre is that concept? As unreal as believing that all of humanity was begotten by Adam and his cloned female counterpart Eve. She was made from his rib, remember. Oy...

Thanks for the breath of fresh air, Wisa'ka. While many will hold on to their illusions of what it is to be native american, others are open to the truth of the traditions and respect them. I think the best advice I was ever given years ago, on an N.A. forum was - 'look to your own traditions for answers, don't try to sit by our fire and feed from our flames - you'll never deeply understand a culture unless you are born into it.'

Then again, Christianity, an offshoot of Judaism which seems to have evolved from earlier Semitic religions, all borrowing bits of neighboring beliefs, has in turn incorporated some of the old European Pagan beliefs and traditions which include holidays, sacred places, some Pagan deities and spiritual leaders that were reinvented into Saints.

I’ve no doubt the same holds true for the different American Indian tribal beliefs. From what anthropologists, archeologists, and historians have reminded us, we came over the Bering land bridge from northern and other parts of Asia. Arriving upon this continent, we already had our time in the wilderness and were looking forward to thousands of more years doing the same. Certainly these individual bands migrating into what is now North America, had their core animistic beliefs, but along the way to places they settled, these people encountered other bands and either borrowed bits of culture, or else merged into larger tribes thus allowing a blending of spirituality. Throughout the many centuries, until the European conquest, we remained primitive animists, living with nature instead of stewards over the land.

Although there were supernatural human-like beings and legendary flying creatures, there was no all powerful male deity or angels similar to those descriptions and images found in the Judeo-Christian faiths. Not being such, they had no guardian angels. I am sure there are Christianized and blended faith Indians who would dispute these facts while attempting to walk upon two paths at once. If that is their path/s, I’ve no problem with them, but will dispute anyone who attempts to present such as ancient, traditional Indian spirituality. Although we can live in peace with and have some understanding of other faiths, some of us do not want to have our ancient beliefs absorbed into already large blended Religions, old or new. Our spirituality is one of the few things left we have held on to and now that is under assault.

Shawano ie kella. Hachimo ie niepeatoo.

Hopefully we are all understanding enough here to know when an Indian talks about these matters it is not to make other spiritual people upset, but to call attention to those who misrepresent our cultures or try to sway or rip-off people who are genuinely interested in American Indian spirituality.

Actually it was my intention to share this and perhaps make new friends.

Now I can see those who do misrepresent our cultures and spirituality getting upset about what I've written, but that is their bag and they can either hold on to it, or let it drop.

Originally Posted by Wisa'ka

....Sometimes I can’t decide whether to laugh or be offended by the way Indian spirituality and culture have re-imagined by non-Indians, popular culture or sometimes by Indians themselves. To me there is nothing more bizarre than going to a Nottoway or Pamunkey powwow and seeing plains style war bonnets, feather bustles and clothing. I have to ask myself - Did they forget their own culture, or are they living up to someone else’s concept of ‘Native America’ ?

My father (Tuscarora) felt the same way.

He moved us to Australia when I was little, but found the same thing happening here, with, particularly Americans, flocking to these shores seeking to 'become Aboriginal', romanticising Dreamtime practices as though it were a toy.

Aside from the 'silliness' of it, I'd question the fire people are playing with, but then again, lessons are always available to be learned the hard way for those so inclined.

The other thing that always got my father's goat was peoples assumption that he was a 'Shaman', merely because he was Native American. I can't count the number of times he patiently explained that there's no such thing as a Native American 'shaman'; there are only medicine men and women.

Sometimes I think the pop culture of the New Age has a lot to answer for.

MorningMist

Soothful words MorningMist. It is a good thing that the Tuscarora were adopted by their Haudenosaunee kin to the north or else they would of met the same fate as the Conestoga who are now no more. It is good to have kin and friends.

Assumptions long held by many whites that Indians would either die out, continue their existence in stoic silence or eventually be absorbed into American society have proven to be untrue. We are still here, still affirming our ancient beliefs and not afraid to speak up for our rights as the original inhabitants of America. Traditional Indian beliefs have survived both European conquest and America’s manifest destiny. So far surviving the ravages of the Christian church, now our traditional beliefs are under assault by so called non-Indian charlatans looking to turn a fast buck off our genuine spirituality. Our spiritual paths are much more complex than just sweats, vision quests and how to find a spirit animal. I don’t care what anyone says, one cannot find out what his or her spirit animal is by taking an online quiz. No one can become a medicine person by attending a costly weekend seminar. Personally I’ve no problem with non-Indian people who sincerely want to learn more about our spirituality, but those who are just looking for job training as later to make a mint should look back to their own animistic past for such and hope they do not offend the spirits of their ancestors. This knowledge should never be prostituted out or used to attain high status over those who are sincerely searching.

It would indeed be a good thing if all people of different spiritual paths could find common ground to converse and treat each other in a humanly manner, but that requires, patience, mutual respect and understanding. This cannot ever be a joyous path as long as greed and cultural bias attempts to charge a toll. Weighed down by too much gold, how can one ever hope to ascend steep stretches of that path in a good lighthearted way ?

Native American Spirituality ? Some of us hold on to our ancient beliefs in a way that would deemed mentally ill by modern society. Rituals and ceremonies deemed so unconventional, they were banned in the United States for thirty years. Now much of those beliefs have been blended in with foreign faiths or else modified as not to break any laws.

To me it has been greed, disrespect and infringement that drives an Indian activist. The radical or militant ? Fear, anger, the struggle to survive and a will to overcome those who strive to push them into the rocks. Sadly enough these activists are often looked upon with scorn as troublemaking hostiles to be belittled, punished, or silenced just as Russell Means, Dennis Banks, Tatanka Iyotanka and Tecumseh. A far better fate than to be re-invented by the misconceptions of others intent on our cultural genocide or else a basis of their quick cash schemes.

You may ask why some of us are so long winded, well since the first non-Indians arrived here over five hundred years ago we attempted to make normal talk with them, but to no avail as what we had to say was mocked, blown off, or ignored completely. Our speeches became longer as to draw the non-Indians a better picture.