Indigenous Religions and Their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature

Indigenous Religions and their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature Kimberly Kitterman Barstow Community College Abstract Many indigenous religions and cultures viewed the earth with great respect and reverence. This can be seen through their kinship with the land, their belief in animism, their hunter/hunted relationship, and their origin stories. Indigenous Religions and their Sacred Reverence Toward Nature Most indigenous cultures had a profound respect for their environment. They believed that their relationship with nature was very sacred, they believed the earth needed to be treated with dignity and reverence, they believed in harmony with their surroundings. Speaking of indigenous religions, Lewis (1995) wrote, They defined†¦show more content†¦Molly related an experience with four Oglala Sioux shamans: When asked about what was wakan (holy, mysterious), said, Every object in the world has a spirit and that spirit is wakan. Thus the spirit[s] of the tree or things of that kind, while not like the spirit of man, are also wakan. (2005, p. 41) Believing that each tree has a spirit, each animal is a brother or sister, each rock and hill has a life force would alter your perception of the world. Your feelings toward those things might be changed a bit, knowing that they have as much life in them as you do. Black Elk, a Native American, said, We should understand well t hat all things are the works of the Great Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and all the four-legged animals, and the winged peoples. (Goffman, 2005) Whether a tribal culture believed in a Great Spirit, or Mother Earth, or felt that a certain tree held a powerful spirit, many of the native religions worshiped the earth and held it in a highly sacred regard. To say that nature is full of spirits can be a way of affirming the presence of both a universal life force and an essential, underlying sacredness. (Molly, 2005, p. 41) Molloy continues: In a world that is animated by spirits, human beings must treat all things with care. If a spirit is injured or insulted, it can retaliate. Human beings must therefore show that they respect nature, especiallyShow MoreRelatedNative American Religions1160 Words   |  5 Pagesthe century Native American religions have been repressed and misunderstood. There has been litt le room for them to actually be able to explain their rituals and why it is important to them as a society. This ignorance’s has resulted in the loss of land, false practices with sacred objects, and a lack of education within the rituals of indigenous religions. The indigenous population deserves support to preserve their practices and language. Since most of these religions have been repressed for soRead MoreThe Challenges Faced By Sengwer Community1856 Words   |  8 PagesCHAPTER 4 The challenges faced by Sengwer community in using indigenous beliefs and practices in conserving natural environmental resources in Embobut forest This chapter seeks to find out the various challenges that the Sengwer people have faced in their attempt to conserve the natural resources within Embobut forest. This chapter will use both primary and secondary sources to discuss the challenges that this community face. Later on the chapter will draw recommendations on the possible ways ofRead MoreA Brief Note On The Ethiopian Church Of Egypt991 Words   |  4 Pagestheir rejection of the Council of Chalcedon 451 AD(Ethiopian) This council was convened in an effort to create uniformity in regards to doctrine amongst varying christian sects. One of the many decisions agreed upon was that God had  Ã‚  two distinct natures in Christ. Ethiopian orthodox christianity  vehemently  disagreed with the council   and instead decided   that Christ s humanity cannot be separated from his divinity.(Encyclopedia britannica)   The Ethiopian church was for most of its existence placedRead MoreCultural Perspectives On American Expansionist, Colonial And Slave Society1628 Words   |  7 Pagesto undermine white hegemony. Building off of these indigenous efforts to reclaim lost territory, many Southern black slaves adapted to the ongoing tolerance of church ministries and loopholes in slave masters’ restrictions to slightly advance African beliefs atop Christianity and syncretically empower black rituals. While white expansionists engaged in brief, unbalanced negotiations to judge and then exploit Native Americans, certain indigenous people broke out of the ongoing Eurocentric decorumRead MoreWorld Religion5936 Words   |  24 Pages1-Understanding Religion STUDY QUESTIONS (Pages 1-29) Group A 1. What are some of the questions religion seek to answer? List some of the human needs served by religion? 2. Discuss a theory on origins of religion by one of the thinkers in the reading (Tylor, Frazer, Freud, James, Otto or Jung) that makes sense to you at the present time. 3. List and describe the eight elements that are developed in varying degrees in most religions? 4. Define what is meant by sacred in religion and give some examplesRead MoreNative Americans And Western Culture2900 Words   |  12 Pagesto western culture. For centuries before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans lived off the land in North America, without claiming ownership or creating massive environmental destruction. They have both a deep love and fear for the power of nature, and try to live as one with the environment. Because of this common value among tribes, Native Americans are often stereotyped as being the first environmentalists, which is not entirely true. Native Americans do value and treasure the environmentRead MoreThe Deep Spiritual Connection Between Nature And Humanity3205 Words   |  13 Pages Nature writers explore the deep spiritual connection between nature and humanity. Recently, writings have suggested that humanity is experiencing a disconnection with nature and this important bond. As a result, it has been suggested that humans are losing th eir spiritual connection with each other and that this is a source of social unrest. This research explores the hypothesis that humans have become alienated from nature. It explores counter arguments and examines how to reestablish this importantRead MoreMarx, Weber and Religion2182 Words   |  9 PagesReligion, as defined by the High Court of Australia, is ‘a complex of beliefs and practices which point to a set of values and an understanding of the meaning of existence’ (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005) and can be studied either substantively or functionally (Berger 1974:126). Substantive studies of religion fall predominantly in the realm of theology and are more concerned with defining religious beliefs; their historical accuracy; and the existence of supernatural entities (Holmes, HughesRead More Shintoism in Japan Essay2210 Words   |  9 PagesJapan Shintoism is the indigenous and national religion of Japan. The word Shinto means the way of the gods. Shintoism is a nature worship based religion. Shintoism is a unique religion with its own concepts on deities, ethics and life. Shintoism is based on the beginning of the race when the trees and the herbs had speech(Underwood 16). At the beginning of the Earth, Shinto followers believed, that the animals acted and spoke like men. The religion does not directly deal with commonRead MoreReligious Pluralism Is Too Much And Not Enough1873 Words   |  8 Pageschallenge the only one true way ; while other groups welcome religious pluralism as the mean to religious freedom, where everyone can practice their religion without being judged. Religious pluralism can be understood as the manyness of religions, where there is a free existence of many faiths(Albanese 2013:11), coexists of different religion where everyone respect others ways of life. Whereas the World s Parliament and the World s Fair did showed a faint sign of religious pluralism, it was