Native American Religions: Initial Reconsiderations - Essay Example

?Native American Religions: Initial Reconsiderations. The myth of the Native American and prominent stereotypes of Native American religion have often led to misrepresentations and misunderstandings of Native American people and their religious history. In what ways have these prevalent conceptions been challenged by historical data? As a result, and religion in general? Why is this significant? In the twentieth century America grew to be a world power with great influence in both economic and cultural affairs across the whole world, and many cultural artefacts were produced to celebrate and record American history and achievements. A big part of this was the narrative of how Europeans came to the new continent and tamed the so called “Wild West,” through their pioneering spirit and their courage in tackling the climate, the territory and the Indians who lived there when they arrived. Books and films about cowboys and Indians cemented stereotypes of oppression, since they presented a view of Indians as primitive and savage, while the settlers were fine, upstanding Christian people. Any American child of the classical age of American cinema would see images of Indians in films dancing around a campfire, smoking a peace pipe and conducting ceremonies in elaborate robes and feathers, to unspecified gods. This exotic and superficial view of Indian religion is contrasted with the “civilized” little white wooden churches of the monotheistic European settlers. The other side of this story, namely the oppression and exploitation of Indian nations and their lands, was at first suppressed, since in this case as in so many historical encounters, the history books are written by the victors, while the victims are left without a voice. Very few scholars took a serious interest in Indian culture and religion, and those who did remained largely confined to academic circles. An exception to this was the work of John Neihard, who realised the historic importance of recollections that were held by Indian peoples. He noted down the life and times of an Indian called Black Elk who was directly involved in some of the most important battles in American history, including the killing of Crazy Horse and the Battle of Wounded Knee. The book was published in English in 1930 but only reached a wider audience in the 1960s and it immediately changed the perspective that ordinary Americans had on their recent history. One of the most striking aspects of the book is the way that the names of natural objects and beings denote an entirely different world view. On the one hand there are quite graphic and cruel descriptions of violence, committed by both white men and Indians in their bitter struggles. On the other hand there are loving descriptions of the animals, and most especially the birds which inhabit the homelands of the Indians. Black Elk refers to humans and birds as “us two-leggeds” as if they belong to the same fundamental category. This reflects an Indian sensibility, and the distinction between beings that can be eaten, which have four legs, and those which are on a higher plane, which have two. The Indian appreciation of nature is thus shown to be not some superstitious idolatry, but a much deeper worship of all that creation gives. Even people are given names that symbolize their individual and distinctive nature such as “Hard to Hit” which signifies the skill of the warrior in evading attacks or “Sitting Bull” which signifies power and determination. The importance of the Black Elk narrative is that it records, however imperfectly and at second or third hand through translation, the actual religious practices of the Lakota tribe from the area around modern day North and South Dakota. It shows the ceremonies such as the sweat baths as social conventions which aid group cohesion and meditation. Many of the practices that the hunter gatherer peoples took for granted, such as respect for the earth and sustainable living, are nowadays being hailed as more flexible and ecologically sound principles of good stewardship than the colonialist Christian tradition which destroys all in its path and uses economic coercion persuade people to drop their own religious beliefs and adopt the more rigid and dogmatic religion Christianity. Another key historical book which uses the testimony of Indian peoples to present a deep understanding of Indian religious beliefs is Dee Brown’s important work Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Like the Black Elk narrative, this collects memories of events which had hitherto only been known through the somewhat biased perspective of white colonizers. The narratives here focus on the late nineteenth century and they succeed in preserving an authentic indian voice which points out a few hard truths about the religion of the white people, as perceived from the peace-loving Indian peoples. One typical conversation from 1873 is cited, for example, in which Indian spokesman Young Joseph is asked why his people do not want schools, and replies “They will teach us to have churches.” When he is asked why they do not want churches, he replies “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.” 1 The historical data collected by Brown reveals that contrary to the prevailing opinion among white historians, the Indians were far more monotheistic and a great deal more familiar with the Christian virtues than many of the Christians who were so keen to teach them new religious doctrines. Another very important contribution that was made by Brown and others who collected genuine data was the demonstration of the great diversity of different approaches to the detail of religious belief in the many tribes and peoples that were erroneously labelled “Indian.” The truth is there is no one Indian religion, but many different practices which may or may not be included under the term religion. Since many nations practised a holistic way of life, where family, environment and spirituality were part of a harmonious continuum, even the definition of what constitutes religion could be debated. The finds of archaeologists which demonstrate the technical expertise of older societies can be interpreted more accurately thanks to the reminiscences which have survived from the last century. Some of these ideas have also been transmitted to modern generations through the medium of fiction. A good example of this is Leslie Marmon Silko’s short stories entitled Ceremony. As the title suggests, the book explores what happens to people when their whole ethnic identity is under threat, and how the old ways can still influence the present when they are passed on from older generations. This book conveys some of the symbolism of Indian beliefs, and highlights the emotional value that they had and can still have. It has a contemporary setting, but by applying key lifestyles and approaches from the ethnic American past, it illustrates their relevance to the modern world. The ceremonies that are described through stories, songs and poems are like a metaphor for the transformations that individuals or whole nations can experience if they accept and forgive the past. All three of these books prompt the reader to look behind superficial and biased stereotypes about Indian religions that have been passed down by white oppressors. They show a surprising amount of congruence between old Indian beliefs and modern inclusive religions, with care for our own heritage through family, for other people, the animals and the environment all coexisting at the heart of spirituality. These insights challenge narrow sectarian beliefs and encourage us to seek unity instead of conflict in our different searches for religious truths. References Brown, Dee. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. New York: Henry Holt, 2001 (first published in 1970). Neihardt, John. Black Elk Speaks University of Nebraska Press, 2000. Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. London and New York: 1997. Read More