First Nations – An Ancient Civilization? Part 2 Nov. 9th, 2016

Religion & Spirituality The First Nations were and still are considered to be very religious. Their most important figure First Nation spirituality is the Creator, who is the all-powerful source of life. They demonstrate great reverence and respect at all time to the Creator. This is demonstrated through their Natural Laws we discussed in the government section. First Nations Peoples are taught at a very young age to always show respect and give thanks to all living things on Earth. They give thanks for all things that they depend upon in order to live and survive.

First Nations Peoples also considered themselves to be incredibly frail, because they saw themselves as weak and humble in relation to the Creator’s immense power. Therefore, they will call upon spiritual beings in order to help and guide them in anything they do in life. First Nations People consider all elements of nature to be sacred, because of the spirit every living thing possesses. It was their sacred duty to ensure that they took care of ‘Mother Earth.’

Within the spirituality that they had for all living things, they practiced a variety of rituals and ceremonies that connects to their spirituality. Pipe Ceremonies This was one of the most special rituals practiced by the First Nations Peoples. It was a prayer to the Creator, and all things related to it were sacred. Each part of the ritual was symbolic. For example: the wooden stem of the pipe represented the trees, plants and all growing things. The smoke represented the breath that carried prayer to the Creator. This ritual would be held at the beginning of important and special events to ensure the blessing of the Creator was present.

Vision Seeking As we mentioned before, First Nations Peoples saw themselves as frail before the Creator and used spiritual beings in order to help them, guide them, and in some cases even protect them. The First Nations Peoples believe that they could seek out their spirits and make contact with them through visions. They would go to an elder in order to prepare them for their vision. They would spend days in prayer and meditation waiting for a vision. If a vision appeared, it would often come in the form of an animal, bird, insect or a nature force (fire, wind, rain or snow). This spirit would then instruct them in some way and would provide the individual with a share of its powers only to be used in certain situations.

Economy

The main focus of all First Nations Peoples of all economic activities was simply to survive. They had a strong belief that no one should have plenty while others did not have enough. Meaning they often shared to survive. Therefore, they were always able to maintain the basic necessities in order to survive and were considered to be economically stable for this reason.

The First Nations People way of live was considered to be semi-sedentary. This means that kept to one place during certain times of the year. Often, because of the living conditions in Canada, they were often forced to go with the herds in order to survive. Therefore, most First Nations Peoples lived by hunting and gathering. In regions where it did not get very cold, for example along the coast like (present day British Columbia), they were most sedentary meaning they kept to one place year round. This is largely because they had the means of fishing year round without worrying much about the winter snow. In other regions, like present day Ontario, we see First Nations groups who were settled farmers.

With respect to their economy, men and women had equally important roles. Men were responsible for hunting and fishing, while the women were responsible for processing and refining the meat. Both would gather fruits, nuts, and grains. The women would then be responsible for making the meals.

First Nations Peoples had far-reaching trade networks throughout North America. Trades would take place from band to band and nation to nation. Often these trading events were highly celebrated events with singing, dancing, and storytelling. For the most part, trading was done as fairly as possible.

Culture

What is Culture? - Review Culture refers to the ways in which people live and work together. It includes values, beliefs, knowledge, language, traditions, symbols, dress, food, housing, arts, etc. Culture is what makes the group, society or civilization unique and provides them with an identity of their own.

Now we need to remember that each First Nation band or nation had a unique and possibly different culture. This is because culture is dependent upon where the band or nation lives. But what they all have in common is that their culture was to live in harmony with their environment.

The social life of most First Nation groups centered on/around their spiritual beliefs and cultural traditions. Symbols, traditions & celebrations are all centered on their social, spiritual and cultural life.

In terms of the social organization of the First Nations Peoples the tradition of each person, within a group, is considered to be as equally important with each other. The extended family is essential in the makeup of the social organization of the First Nations Peoples.

Examples of Cultural Traditions common to First Nation Groups

Oral Traditions Oral Tradition was their way of passing on history from one generation to the next. Lessons about life were also passed on in this way as well. As a result, speaking had a special importance to the First Nations Peoples. It is for this reason too, that we don’t see many recordings of written history.

Legends Legends were told as their traditional stories. These are often based on history, explaining the natural world and a people’s traditions. Through the storytelling of legends, values and traditions of the band or nation would come forward. They would gain a sense of knowledge from the values, traditions, and beliefs that existed within their society.

Other Examples.. Dances Smudges Pipe Ceremonies Sweat Lodging Drumming & Singing Large Diversity in Language and Clothing Food – Such as bannock

Gateway #3 Question Now that we have an idea about the 5 components of the First Nations Peoples, can we say that the First Nations People of North America are an Ancient Civilization? Please explain your answer using all five components of a civilization with provided proof and evidence. (3/4 of a page – 1 page in length single spaced)