Spiritual And Religious Practices Of Native Americans

Native Americans also known as Indians were the original inhabitants of the Americas. The way of life for the original Indians has slowly changed over time, and continues to change to this day. Charles Eastman, also known as Ohiyesa, used his childhood teaching to write his book “The Soul of the Indian”. Eastman’s book is about the spiritual and religious practices of the Indians before Europeans arrived in the Americas and influenced Native American culture (Eastman, 1911). Being an Indian means to be connected to the spirits in nature and to be constantly present. In spiritual terms Charles Eastman says being an Indian means In the 1400’s European Although there are some similarities between the Indians and European people, there are far

Although there are some similarities, European and Indian beliefs varied greatly. The Indian’s believed spirits were all around them in the elements and all living things a lived in constant worship, but the Europeans believed in order to have religion there must be a time of worship. Another difference between the Indians and Europeans was their ideas on miracles and the supernatural. In “The Soul of the Indian” it is stated that, “Nothing of the marvelous could astonish him; as that a beast should speak, or the sun stand still. The virgin birth would appear scarcely more miraculous than is the birth of every child that comes into the world, or the miracle of the loaves and fishes excite more wonder than the harvest that springs from a single ear of corn.” (Eastman, 1911). Meanwhile, later in the book its

The Indians did not use warfare to gain land or overthrow another tribe, instead Indian warfare was to develop masculinity through a series of trials that had many rules (Eastman, 1911). Unlike the Indians, Europeans used warfare to gain world power and gain resources such as land, gold, and lumber. An example of this is Spain when Spain explored the new world they were in search for glory, so they killed many Indians and used the rest for labor. (Bishop, 2023) Gender roles were very looked very different in Native American society compared to gender roles in European culture. Eastman states “The wife did not take the name of her husband nor enter his clan, and the children belonged to the clan of the mother. All of the family property was held by her, descent was traced in the maternal line, and the honor of the house was in her hands.” (Eastman, 1911). In European culture the wife took the name of the man, the man owned the