Sacred Respect
Native myths and beliefs change from area to area and they're just as varying as the Native languages. The thread that unites them all is Respect. It goes further than a respect for nature though, and it includes a respect for the sky, rain, storms, mountains, rivers, cliffs, all animals and people. Everything seen or heard has a spirit, and that spirit deserves respect. There is also a respect for joy and humor and an importance is placed on both in many cultures. It is the Native people's duty and obligation to keep the physical world and the spirit world in balance by showing respect and enjoying life. Without this, the world would be thrown into chaos. Everything is like a large circle, with respect holding it all together.
Native mythology serves as a means of explaining what it means to be human and a part of the world. Mythology belongs to the people, but also to the individual storyteller. The emphasis of native myths is on theme, while details will change with time and depend on the storyteller and culture. [Philip 1-2] One myth about the evils of jealousy can feature two brothers, two cousins, or two friends and still have the same point. In the Northwest, myths and stories were considered to be equal to physical property and a sign of wealth to individuals and families. [Philip 111] To tell a story is to gift it to your audience. This is a brilliant example of cherishing knowledge. Stories and myths have changed over time to reflect what the people have encountered, heard, and learned from others.
Creation myths for Native Americans involve a supernatural being who creates the world. This is not the same as the Great Spirit or Creator, which is the force that everything and all spirits come from. The supernatural being is known as a culture hero, and the culture hero was also created from the Great Spirit. The job of the culture hero is to form earth and its many plants and creatures. Sometimes it is a human, like First Man and First Woman for the Navajo. Other times it is a combination of human and animal, like Raven from the Northwest tribes. [Hartz 18-19] Other myths involve the people emerging from underground or underwater with most naming specific places where this occurred. [Zimmerman 41] These place are considered sacred, and serve as physical locations for the connection of the spirit world and the physical one.
Everything has a spirit in this belief system. Spirits can't be seen, and they all come from the Great Spirit or Creator. Gods are also better understood as spirits rather than as superior beings. The God of Thunder is more like the Spirit of Thunder. Even inanimate objects such as rocks and plants have spirits. All spirits are equal and related to one another. [Zimmerman 61] Native Americans see themselves as a part of this cycle of respect. Humans are a part of nature, not the rulers of it. [Zimmerman 40] It is very important to show respect to the spirit world. Not to do so is believed to bring great calamity and destruction to the world. Many rituals for world renewal are done to ensure that the spirit world does not destroy the physical one. All rituals are a way to interact with spirits and solidify the contract between humans and spirits. "By confirming the compact of the seen and unseen, the balance of life is maintained and the world is renewed." [Philip 11]
Native Americans show respect for the spirits not only in ritual and festival, but also in things used everyday. Bones will be carved or painted to depict the animal from which they came from. Pots, blankets, art, and clothing will depict plants, animals, and places as a sign of respect. If the spirits of these things are not respected, then they could withdraw their gifts. This is the source of various taboos the tribes believe in. When taboos are broken, the animals withdraw and hunting or fishing is scarce. The weather will turn to drought or storm, and plants will stop growing or be destroyed. When this happens, it becomes the responsibility of the holy people, or Shamans, of the tribe to go to the spirits to sort out whatever may be bothering them, and to plead or make amends for any offense done to them. In the Arctic, this is exemplified by the story of Sedna, the Sea Woman and Mistress of the Sea Animals.
"Once, a long time ago, the people left their settlement to find new hunting places. They had to cross the water, so they made a raft of kayaks to get across. There wasn't enough room on the kayaks, and when they began to sink under the weight, the people pushed Sedna overboard. Nobody cared about her since she was just an orphan girl. Sedna tried to grab hold of the edge of the raft, but they cut off her fingers, and she sank to the bottom of the sea. Her severed fingers came to life, and they became the first seals. Now she lives in her house at the bottom of the sea and is the mother of the sea beasts. She has great power over mankind. Whenever anyone breaks a taboo, Sedna knows. And then she shuts up all the sea beasts and the people begin to starve. Sedna can be placated only by a shaman who is brave enough to make the terrifying journey to her house under the sea, pass the fierce dog that guards her, and brush and braid her hair for her, for all of the sins of humankind fall through the sea and collect as dirt in Sedna's hair, and without fingers she cannot brush it for herself." [Philips 130-131]
Shamans act as delegates and messengers for the people to the spirits. They have a special connection to the spirit world. They are healers, but more so they are holy men or women. While Shamans do have extensive knowledge of herbs, there are other herbalists and healers that act as family doctors for every day ailments like an upset stomach or sore muscles. Shamans act more as specialists who deal with serious illness or a sickness from causes unknown. Their other duties of the Shaman are to act as tribe historians and storytellers, seeing into the future, finding lost objects, leading tribal ceremonies, and enlisting the help of spirits. [Hartz 27] They have a sacred duty to hold onto this knowledge and power, using it to help their people.
How one becomes a Shaman largely depends on the culture of their tribe. Some Shamanistic abilities are inherited while others are gifted through a vision. Although some people will seek visions in order to become a Shaman, generally most people who receive visions do not want to take the responsibility. The way to become a Shaman is hard work. There is a lot of information that needs to be mastered, and the spirit world is often times a dark and dangerous place. When one has been chosen, or chooses, to be a Shaman they undergo extensive training. Both men and women can become Shamans. However, women must usually wait until they have passed the child-bearing age, because fertility is a strong power that might interfere with a Shaman's duties. [Hartz 29] Even though Shamans are the professionals who communicate and deal with the spirit world, many native peoples believe that dreams are a personal connection to the spirit world and are not like visions. [Zimmerman 80]
It's also important to note that while Shamans might lead a ritual or ceremony as holy people, participation in these is not limited to them. Song, music, dance, and storytelling are all very important in Native ritual and ceremonies, and are a sacred part of honoring the spirits. The most beautiful and intricate masks and regalia are created for rituals and honoring the spirits. According to a myth from Sagluag from Colville River, these gifts were given to people by an eagle spirit.
"Once upon a time, men and women knew no joy. All they did was work, eat, and sleep. One day was just like another. They worked, they ate, they slept. Next day they rose and did it all again. There was a man and his wife and their three strong sons, who lived by the sea. Every day the sons went hunting and brought their catch home to their parents. They worked, they ate, they slept. But then disaster fell. First the eldest son and then the middle one did not return from the hunt. Now only the youngest son was left, and without his skill at hunting, the man and his wife would starve. So every night they waited anxiously for him to come home.
One day the youngest son, whose name was Teriak, was stalking a caribou when an eagle began to circle above him. It flew right down to the ground, and when it landed, it turned into a young man in a gleaming cloak of eagle feathers. 'What is the secret of life?' asked the eagle.
'The secret of life is to work, eat, and sleep,' said Teriak.
'You are no better than you foolish brothers!' said the eagle, 'I killed them, and I will kill you, too, unless you show more sense. The secret of life is joy, and only when you have learned to sing and dance for joy will I let you return home.'
So Teriak had to go with the eagle. They walked and walked until they came to a high mountain, and they started to climb. As they got higher, Teriak could hear a great rhythmic throbbing that echoed across the mountainside. 'What is that noise?' he asked.
'That is the beating of my mother's heart,' said the eagle. When they reached the eagle's house, they found his mother, sitting all alone. Although her heart was beating so loud, she seemed old and feeble and sad. The eagle said to her, 'This is Teriak. I have brought him here to learn how to sing and dance for joy.'
'First you must build a feast hall that is big enough for many men,' said the mother.
'But we know of no men but ourselves,' said Teriak.
'You are lonely because you have left no room in your lives for joy, ' said the old eagle, 'Let joy in, and others will come.'
And then she taught Teriak how to put words together and make a song, and how to fit those words to a tune. She taught him how to beat out a rhythm on a drum and how to dance. 'Now you are ready to return to your home,' she said, 'You have learned well.'
'How can I repay you for this gift of joy?' asked Teriak.
'Teach others what I have taught you and hold a festival of song,' replied the old eagle, 'In that way you will repay me.' Then the eagle's son told Teriak to climb up on his back, and the eagle launched himself off the mountainside into the cold, clear sky. They flew through the air until they reached the place where they had met, and there the eagle set Teriak safely down on the earth.
'Farewell,' he said, 'Remember, when you hold a festival of song, you will repay all you owe.'
When Teriak arrived home, he told his parents all that had happened. 'So you see,' he finished, 'what has been lacking from our lives is joy. We must invite all men to a festival of song, so that I can teach them all how to share this wonderful gift.' Teriak's parents could not understand what he was talking about.
'Nothing is missing from life,' they said. 'Work, eat, sleep. That was good enough for our parents, and their parents before them, so it is good enough for us.' But they were frightened that the eagle would come back and kill Teriak, leaving them to starve, so they agreed to hold the song festival.
They built a feast hall and filled it with good things to eat. And then Teriak taught his father and mother how to make songs. 'Look through your memories,' he said, 'and find the most precious moments. Take them and polish them until they shine like the rays of the sun, and then sing them out on your breath. Let your thoughts break over you like a wave over the sea.'
And so they were ready to hold the song festival. Teriak went out into the world to invite people to the festival, and he discovered that he and his parents were no longer alone. Everywhere he went, he met people. They were always in pairs and clad in animal skins. Some wore wolf skins, some the furs of the wolverine, the lynx, the red fox, or the silver fox, all the animals. Teriak invited them all to the festival. Soon the feast hall was full of the sounds of laughter and merriment. Guest after guest danced and sang, and of all of the songs the one that caused the most laughter and cheer was the one that Teriak sang and it only had one word:
'Joy, joy! Joy, joy!'
Teriak's heart beat in time to the drum. It seemed to him that his joy was booming out across the world. And so the night passed, and it was dawn. As the first light came, the guests dropped down onto their hands, and sprang away on all fours, turned back into wolves, wolverines, lynxes, red foxes, silver foxes and all kinds of animals that roam the land. For the power of joy is so strong that it can even turn animals into humans.
That day Teriak met the eagle once more. He climbed without fear onto the eagle's back and flew to the top of the mountain to meet the eagle's ancient mother and tell her about the song festival. But when he reached the eagle's home, he could not see the feeble old eagle anywhere. For the sound of joy rising up from the earth had made her young and strong again. And so it is that men and women must always keep a light heart and share in the gift of joy, for the sounds of our merrymaking will make old eagles young again, and repay the eagle's gift." [Philip 131-135]
So joy is an important part of the Native religion. Laughter is a form of prayer, just like music and dancing. Many traditions make use of 'sacred clowns.' The purpose of the sacred clowns is to demonstrate how humankind if fallible and makes mistakes, as well as to teach by bad example. They exemplify the ridiculous and sometimes dangerous things that may happen if taboos are broken and society roles are not played properly. The sacred clown is charged with making mistakes on purpose during a ritual or ceremony. They may miss a dance step, or sing and say the wrong words. They also might drum, sing, or speak too fast or too slow. They will behave poorly by acting out such things as gluttony. They will do things backwards, such as ride a horse or speaking. They also act in contradictory ways like saying they are freezing while in great heat. They are chosen in different ways. Some, like the Heyoka of the Lakota are chosen because of dreams having to do with thunder and lightning, associating them with the Thunderbird. The same is done with the Windigokan of the Plains Ojibwa, who dream of thunder or windigo creatures. The Zuni, however, appoint ten sacred clowns called Koyemshi at the beginning of each year. The sacred clowns are important because they cause people to think of their actions as well as causing laughter. They also have strong powers for healing. [Lynch 24] The actions of a sacred clown might seem disrespectful, but in truth they are honoring humor and laughter in their actions.
Treatment of the dead is different for each culture, too. Some believe the recently departed are dangerous, especially to their close relatives. Houses and dwellings of the deceased were burned down or abandoned. Possessions were given away to non-relatives or destroyed. Other groups cherished the dead and would hold long and elaborate ceremonies before burial. They believed the deceased remained close to the ones they loved and had to be taken care of still in the spirit world before burial. Sometimes after a year of mourning, feasts would be held to honor the departed. Elaborate mounds were created for some burials. [Zimmerman 32] The Mandan allowed tribal members to choose between a burial or being placed in a scaffold. [TLI 212] Some corpses are left for nature to decompose on high platforms or in trees. The bones are either left where they fall, or gathered for burial after. [Zimmerman 33] Some taboos are as simple as not speaking the deceased's name for a year. Death and the afterlife require a great deal of respect.
Beliefs in the afterlife vary as well, and usually come down to the belief in souls. Some tribes think humans have more than one soul. Dreams are proof of one of many souls that is able to travel to another world where the things that have happened in the dream are real. The Quileute believe in a complex system of five souls. At least one soul is believed to journey to the spirit world after death. [Zimmerman 134] Many cultures believe in reincarnation, and for them the afterlife is a brief resting period before being reborn. Chief Seattle said, "There is no death. Only a change of worlds." The Navajo in particular believed that a dead person's inner evil or the bad parts of their soul could remain after death and cause problems and strife. [Hartz 89] No matter the opinion on what happens in the afterlife, it is widely accepted that death is a part of the cycle of life. It is inevitable to return to Mother Earth, just as we came from her. Death completes the cycle of life.
The Native religion is a daily sacredness. There is a recognized holiness to everything seen, tasted, heard, and felt. Every action is accompanied by prayer. The concept of time to the Native religions is circular, not linear. [Philip 11] The creation myths are happening now. Sedna is being pushed from the raft now and Teriak is learning joy now because these things are happening now for different people in different places. The Cherokee word "eloheh" means land, history, culture, and religion. [Zimmerman 44] All of these things are the same in the Native religion. They aren't worshiped, they are respected. They are real, and their effects and powers are real. Native Americans have always felt close to Divinity. How could they not, when a part of their Great Spirit was in every breath they took, in everything they ate, in every song they sang, every story told, everything their eyes could see? It has survived because it is very real to the people who practice it. It is every day, every thing, and everywhere.
Sources:
Hartz, Paula R. Native American Religions. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Lynch, Patricia Ann. Native American Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Philip, Neil. The Great Mystery: Myths of Native America. New York: Clarion Books, 2001.
Time Life Inc. The Way of Spirit. Hong Kong: TLI, 1997.
Zimmerman, Larry J. American Indians The First Nations. Native North American Life, Myth, and Art. London: Duncan Baird Publishers Ltd, 2003.
Native mythology serves as a means of explaining what it means to be human and a part of the world. Mythology belongs to the people, but also to the individual storyteller. The emphasis of native myths is on theme, while details will change with time and depend on the storyteller and culture. [Philip 1-2] One myth about the evils of jealousy can feature two brothers, two cousins, or two friends and still have the same point. In the Northwest, myths and stories were considered to be equal to physical property and a sign of wealth to individuals and families. [Philip 111] To tell a story is to gift it to your audience. This is a brilliant example of cherishing knowledge. Stories and myths have changed over time to reflect what the people have encountered, heard, and learned from others.
Creation myths for Native Americans involve a supernatural being who creates the world. This is not the same as the Great Spirit or Creator, which is the force that everything and all spirits come from. The supernatural being is known as a culture hero, and the culture hero was also created from the Great Spirit. The job of the culture hero is to form earth and its many plants and creatures. Sometimes it is a human, like First Man and First Woman for the Navajo. Other times it is a combination of human and animal, like Raven from the Northwest tribes. [Hartz 18-19] Other myths involve the people emerging from underground or underwater with most naming specific places where this occurred. [Zimmerman 41] These place are considered sacred, and serve as physical locations for the connection of the spirit world and the physical one.
Everything has a spirit in this belief system. Spirits can't be seen, and they all come from the Great Spirit or Creator. Gods are also better understood as spirits rather than as superior beings. The God of Thunder is more like the Spirit of Thunder. Even inanimate objects such as rocks and plants have spirits. All spirits are equal and related to one another. [Zimmerman 61] Native Americans see themselves as a part of this cycle of respect. Humans are a part of nature, not the rulers of it. [Zimmerman 40] It is very important to show respect to the spirit world. Not to do so is believed to bring great calamity and destruction to the world. Many rituals for world renewal are done to ensure that the spirit world does not destroy the physical one. All rituals are a way to interact with spirits and solidify the contract between humans and spirits. "By confirming the compact of the seen and unseen, the balance of life is maintained and the world is renewed." [Philip 11]
Native Americans show respect for the spirits not only in ritual and festival, but also in things used everyday. Bones will be carved or painted to depict the animal from which they came from. Pots, blankets, art, and clothing will depict plants, animals, and places as a sign of respect. If the spirits of these things are not respected, then they could withdraw their gifts. This is the source of various taboos the tribes believe in. When taboos are broken, the animals withdraw and hunting or fishing is scarce. The weather will turn to drought or storm, and plants will stop growing or be destroyed. When this happens, it becomes the responsibility of the holy people, or Shamans, of the tribe to go to the spirits to sort out whatever may be bothering them, and to plead or make amends for any offense done to them. In the Arctic, this is exemplified by the story of Sedna, the Sea Woman and Mistress of the Sea Animals.
"Once, a long time ago, the people left their settlement to find new hunting places. They had to cross the water, so they made a raft of kayaks to get across. There wasn't enough room on the kayaks, and when they began to sink under the weight, the people pushed Sedna overboard. Nobody cared about her since she was just an orphan girl. Sedna tried to grab hold of the edge of the raft, but they cut off her fingers, and she sank to the bottom of the sea. Her severed fingers came to life, and they became the first seals. Now she lives in her house at the bottom of the sea and is the mother of the sea beasts. She has great power over mankind. Whenever anyone breaks a taboo, Sedna knows. And then she shuts up all the sea beasts and the people begin to starve. Sedna can be placated only by a shaman who is brave enough to make the terrifying journey to her house under the sea, pass the fierce dog that guards her, and brush and braid her hair for her, for all of the sins of humankind fall through the sea and collect as dirt in Sedna's hair, and without fingers she cannot brush it for herself." [Philips 130-131]
Shamans act as delegates and messengers for the people to the spirits. They have a special connection to the spirit world. They are healers, but more so they are holy men or women. While Shamans do have extensive knowledge of herbs, there are other herbalists and healers that act as family doctors for every day ailments like an upset stomach or sore muscles. Shamans act more as specialists who deal with serious illness or a sickness from causes unknown. Their other duties of the Shaman are to act as tribe historians and storytellers, seeing into the future, finding lost objects, leading tribal ceremonies, and enlisting the help of spirits. [Hartz 27] They have a sacred duty to hold onto this knowledge and power, using it to help their people.
How one becomes a Shaman largely depends on the culture of their tribe. Some Shamanistic abilities are inherited while others are gifted through a vision. Although some people will seek visions in order to become a Shaman, generally most people who receive visions do not want to take the responsibility. The way to become a Shaman is hard work. There is a lot of information that needs to be mastered, and the spirit world is often times a dark and dangerous place. When one has been chosen, or chooses, to be a Shaman they undergo extensive training. Both men and women can become Shamans. However, women must usually wait until they have passed the child-bearing age, because fertility is a strong power that might interfere with a Shaman's duties. [Hartz 29] Even though Shamans are the professionals who communicate and deal with the spirit world, many native peoples believe that dreams are a personal connection to the spirit world and are not like visions. [Zimmerman 80]
It's also important to note that while Shamans might lead a ritual or ceremony as holy people, participation in these is not limited to them. Song, music, dance, and storytelling are all very important in Native ritual and ceremonies, and are a sacred part of honoring the spirits. The most beautiful and intricate masks and regalia are created for rituals and honoring the spirits. According to a myth from Sagluag from Colville River, these gifts were given to people by an eagle spirit.
"Once upon a time, men and women knew no joy. All they did was work, eat, and sleep. One day was just like another. They worked, they ate, they slept. Next day they rose and did it all again. There was a man and his wife and their three strong sons, who lived by the sea. Every day the sons went hunting and brought their catch home to their parents. They worked, they ate, they slept. But then disaster fell. First the eldest son and then the middle one did not return from the hunt. Now only the youngest son was left, and without his skill at hunting, the man and his wife would starve. So every night they waited anxiously for him to come home.
One day the youngest son, whose name was Teriak, was stalking a caribou when an eagle began to circle above him. It flew right down to the ground, and when it landed, it turned into a young man in a gleaming cloak of eagle feathers. 'What is the secret of life?' asked the eagle.
'The secret of life is to work, eat, and sleep,' said Teriak.
'You are no better than you foolish brothers!' said the eagle, 'I killed them, and I will kill you, too, unless you show more sense. The secret of life is joy, and only when you have learned to sing and dance for joy will I let you return home.'
So Teriak had to go with the eagle. They walked and walked until they came to a high mountain, and they started to climb. As they got higher, Teriak could hear a great rhythmic throbbing that echoed across the mountainside. 'What is that noise?' he asked.
'That is the beating of my mother's heart,' said the eagle. When they reached the eagle's house, they found his mother, sitting all alone. Although her heart was beating so loud, she seemed old and feeble and sad. The eagle said to her, 'This is Teriak. I have brought him here to learn how to sing and dance for joy.'
'First you must build a feast hall that is big enough for many men,' said the mother.
'But we know of no men but ourselves,' said Teriak.
'You are lonely because you have left no room in your lives for joy, ' said the old eagle, 'Let joy in, and others will come.'
And then she taught Teriak how to put words together and make a song, and how to fit those words to a tune. She taught him how to beat out a rhythm on a drum and how to dance. 'Now you are ready to return to your home,' she said, 'You have learned well.'
'How can I repay you for this gift of joy?' asked Teriak.
'Teach others what I have taught you and hold a festival of song,' replied the old eagle, 'In that way you will repay me.' Then the eagle's son told Teriak to climb up on his back, and the eagle launched himself off the mountainside into the cold, clear sky. They flew through the air until they reached the place where they had met, and there the eagle set Teriak safely down on the earth.
'Farewell,' he said, 'Remember, when you hold a festival of song, you will repay all you owe.'
When Teriak arrived home, he told his parents all that had happened. 'So you see,' he finished, 'what has been lacking from our lives is joy. We must invite all men to a festival of song, so that I can teach them all how to share this wonderful gift.' Teriak's parents could not understand what he was talking about.
'Nothing is missing from life,' they said. 'Work, eat, sleep. That was good enough for our parents, and their parents before them, so it is good enough for us.' But they were frightened that the eagle would come back and kill Teriak, leaving them to starve, so they agreed to hold the song festival.
They built a feast hall and filled it with good things to eat. And then Teriak taught his father and mother how to make songs. 'Look through your memories,' he said, 'and find the most precious moments. Take them and polish them until they shine like the rays of the sun, and then sing them out on your breath. Let your thoughts break over you like a wave over the sea.'
And so they were ready to hold the song festival. Teriak went out into the world to invite people to the festival, and he discovered that he and his parents were no longer alone. Everywhere he went, he met people. They were always in pairs and clad in animal skins. Some wore wolf skins, some the furs of the wolverine, the lynx, the red fox, or the silver fox, all the animals. Teriak invited them all to the festival. Soon the feast hall was full of the sounds of laughter and merriment. Guest after guest danced and sang, and of all of the songs the one that caused the most laughter and cheer was the one that Teriak sang and it only had one word:
'Joy, joy! Joy, joy!'
Teriak's heart beat in time to the drum. It seemed to him that his joy was booming out across the world. And so the night passed, and it was dawn. As the first light came, the guests dropped down onto their hands, and sprang away on all fours, turned back into wolves, wolverines, lynxes, red foxes, silver foxes and all kinds of animals that roam the land. For the power of joy is so strong that it can even turn animals into humans.
That day Teriak met the eagle once more. He climbed without fear onto the eagle's back and flew to the top of the mountain to meet the eagle's ancient mother and tell her about the song festival. But when he reached the eagle's home, he could not see the feeble old eagle anywhere. For the sound of joy rising up from the earth had made her young and strong again. And so it is that men and women must always keep a light heart and share in the gift of joy, for the sounds of our merrymaking will make old eagles young again, and repay the eagle's gift." [Philip 131-135]
So joy is an important part of the Native religion. Laughter is a form of prayer, just like music and dancing. Many traditions make use of 'sacred clowns.' The purpose of the sacred clowns is to demonstrate how humankind if fallible and makes mistakes, as well as to teach by bad example. They exemplify the ridiculous and sometimes dangerous things that may happen if taboos are broken and society roles are not played properly. The sacred clown is charged with making mistakes on purpose during a ritual or ceremony. They may miss a dance step, or sing and say the wrong words. They also might drum, sing, or speak too fast or too slow. They will behave poorly by acting out such things as gluttony. They will do things backwards, such as ride a horse or speaking. They also act in contradictory ways like saying they are freezing while in great heat. They are chosen in different ways. Some, like the Heyoka of the Lakota are chosen because of dreams having to do with thunder and lightning, associating them with the Thunderbird. The same is done with the Windigokan of the Plains Ojibwa, who dream of thunder or windigo creatures. The Zuni, however, appoint ten sacred clowns called Koyemshi at the beginning of each year. The sacred clowns are important because they cause people to think of their actions as well as causing laughter. They also have strong powers for healing. [Lynch 24] The actions of a sacred clown might seem disrespectful, but in truth they are honoring humor and laughter in their actions.
Treatment of the dead is different for each culture, too. Some believe the recently departed are dangerous, especially to their close relatives. Houses and dwellings of the deceased were burned down or abandoned. Possessions were given away to non-relatives or destroyed. Other groups cherished the dead and would hold long and elaborate ceremonies before burial. They believed the deceased remained close to the ones they loved and had to be taken care of still in the spirit world before burial. Sometimes after a year of mourning, feasts would be held to honor the departed. Elaborate mounds were created for some burials. [Zimmerman 32] The Mandan allowed tribal members to choose between a burial or being placed in a scaffold. [TLI 212] Some corpses are left for nature to decompose on high platforms or in trees. The bones are either left where they fall, or gathered for burial after. [Zimmerman 33] Some taboos are as simple as not speaking the deceased's name for a year. Death and the afterlife require a great deal of respect.
Beliefs in the afterlife vary as well, and usually come down to the belief in souls. Some tribes think humans have more than one soul. Dreams are proof of one of many souls that is able to travel to another world where the things that have happened in the dream are real. The Quileute believe in a complex system of five souls. At least one soul is believed to journey to the spirit world after death. [Zimmerman 134] Many cultures believe in reincarnation, and for them the afterlife is a brief resting period before being reborn. Chief Seattle said, "There is no death. Only a change of worlds." The Navajo in particular believed that a dead person's inner evil or the bad parts of their soul could remain after death and cause problems and strife. [Hartz 89] No matter the opinion on what happens in the afterlife, it is widely accepted that death is a part of the cycle of life. It is inevitable to return to Mother Earth, just as we came from her. Death completes the cycle of life.
The Native religion is a daily sacredness. There is a recognized holiness to everything seen, tasted, heard, and felt. Every action is accompanied by prayer. The concept of time to the Native religions is circular, not linear. [Philip 11] The creation myths are happening now. Sedna is being pushed from the raft now and Teriak is learning joy now because these things are happening now for different people in different places. The Cherokee word "eloheh" means land, history, culture, and religion. [Zimmerman 44] All of these things are the same in the Native religion. They aren't worshiped, they are respected. They are real, and their effects and powers are real. Native Americans have always felt close to Divinity. How could they not, when a part of their Great Spirit was in every breath they took, in everything they ate, in every song they sang, every story told, everything their eyes could see? It has survived because it is very real to the people who practice it. It is every day, every thing, and everywhere.
Sources:
Hartz, Paula R. Native American Religions. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Lynch, Patricia Ann. Native American Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Philip, Neil. The Great Mystery: Myths of Native America. New York: Clarion Books, 2001.
Time Life Inc. The Way of Spirit. Hong Kong: TLI, 1997.
Zimmerman, Larry J. American Indians The First Nations. Native North American Life, Myth, and Art. London: Duncan Baird Publishers Ltd, 2003.