A BORIGINAL S PIRITUALITY Chapter 2

A BORIGINALS Aboriginal: people of native ancestry. The people who were there originally

O RIGINS OF A BORIGINAL S PIRITUALITY Impossible to determine a “Founder” Began before our history. Some Indigenous people believe they sprung from the ground rather than moved here. We do know they have been here for at least 10,000 years Archaeologists have found artefacts wampum belts, paintings, bones, and wooden carvings. Aboriginal creation stories or genesis stories carry a great deal of spiritual power, and are very important to their beliefs.

A BORIGINAL S OCIETIES AROUND THE WORLD There is a huge diversity of Aboriginal spirituality around the world. Indigenous people are living on virtually every area of the globe. 80% of the population live in Asia, only 13% live in North and South America Many Aboriginal people around the world still practice their traditional fate.

A BORIGINAL C ULTURAL G ROUPS IN C ANADA The Subarctic The Innu, Montagnais, James Bay Cree, and Dene They were mostly nomadic hunters The Plateau Live in the foothills of the rocky mountains Nomadic hunters Kootenay mountain chain takes its name from one of the groups The North West Pacific Coast Haida, Tlingit, and Saliah Depended on the sea, lived in plank houses near the beach Trapped salmon, used the cedar trees to build houses, cannoes baskedt. Constructed totem poles, Totems were protective entities

A BORIGINAL C ULTURAL G ROUPS IN C ANADA The Great Plains There are seven distinct languages and over thirty nations. Sioux, Cree, and Siksika or Blackfoot. They depended mostly on Buffalo. Lived in cone shaped houses known as tipis The Arctic The Innu meaning the people Live in the snow covered area above the treeline for eight months of the year Depend on seals

A BORIGINAL C ULTURAL G ROUPS I N C ANADA Northeast Woodland Iroquois of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes Farmer Hunters Lived in Long houses, in villages of about 1500 Six nations Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora. Displaced by American Revolution, settle in Canada Algonquin Nomadic hunters who depend on the forest, rivers, and sea. Include the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Ottawa, Cree, and Ojibwa. Spiritualism among Algonquin is deeply personal and varied between community.

A BORIGINAL BELIEFS Animism: The belief that all things human and not have a soul or spirit and that all things live on after death as part of that spirit. Most believe in one god, the supreme Creator Power in the universe is also give to personified spirits who are less powerful that the Creator. It is important to survive in harmony with the spirits, or at least be on good terms with them. Algonquin call the sky “Grandfather” Inuit call the sea “Sea Woman” Iroquois call the sky “Sky Woman”

C REATION S TORIES Each cultural group has their own identity and creation story The Northeast Woodlands Turtle Island A great flood covered the earth. Animals tried to bring mud to the surface Muskrat succeeded Sky woman spread earth on the back of a turtle that became North America

D EATH AND A FTERLIFE Reincarnation or rebirth is central to aboriginal spirituality. There are several beliefs as to how it happens. Sioux: four souls One takes spirit path and gets judged by an old woman who either allows it to enter the spirit world, or sends it back to earth as a ghost The other 3 are reincarnated

T OTEMS Totem: A protective entity. Plant, animal, or mythological being that are used by a person or clan. Totem groups are identified by the nae of a bird, fish, animal, or reptile. Persons of the same totem are considered close relatives and may not marry

Q UESTIONS Page Page

P RACTICES, R ITUALS, S YMBOLS, A ND F ESTIVALS Practices and Rituals Aboriginal people are keeping their spiritualism alive by participating in traditional festivals and through art and symbols. Some practices have crossed cultural boundaries and are now practiced by many different groups Many rituals from the great planes are now practiced by many groups

P RACTICES AND R ITUALS The Morning Dance Performed every spring Also known as Wabeno Pays homage to the “tree of the universe” Participants fast, and cleanse themselves first Male elder plays drum, and leads dance around a tree Children, adults and elderly dance from dawn until noon They have a big feast at noon Dance

P RACTICES AND R ITUALS The Sun Dance Part of summer festival that lasts 8-16 days The ritual was so powerful and symbolic that the Canadian government banned it in the late 1880’s Identifies the circle as an important symbol. Acknowledges the sun as the giver of life. Participants dance around a wooden pole, or “tree of the universe” Some dancers embed sharp wooden hooks deep into their chests, then connect them to leather straps that trail from the top of the pole, as they dance the strap pulls the flesh from their chest. The scars are a symbol of their faith. The performers do this because they believe the body is the only thing they can control, and so they offer it to the creator. This is still practiced today SundanceSundance

P RACTICES AND R ITUALS The Potlatch Ceremony Northwest Pacific Coast nations Canadian government made this illegal in 1884 Seemed to contribute to “idleness” and seemed wastfull Ban lifted in 1951 Feasting, dancing, distributing wealth, and sharing songs. Host gives feast to celebrate an event, marriage, in memory of a loved one, naming their heir, or to get forgiveness. The more the host clan gives away the better they regain status. The host grows in prestige. Tlingit Potlatch Scene from Potlatch

P RACTICES AND R ITUALS The Sweat Lodge From the Great Plains nations Renews the soul, helps regain focus Cleanses both physical, and spiritual body Shaman directs the ritual Sauna like tent dome made of saplings and covered in animal skins, tarpaulins or cedar. These make it dark and airtight Heated stones are placed in the middle, and water is sprinkled on them The steam causes participants to sweat, cleansing them. Prayers and sacred pipes are shared Sweat lodge

P RACTICES AND R ITUALS The Shaking Tent Used by groups from the subarctic to the Great Lakes region Shows the relationship between the supernatural world and the living world, and how close they are Through the shaking tent one can communicate with spirits Cylindrical shape tent left open to the sky to allow spirits to enter Individuals who have requested ceremony make a trade with the shaman Shaman enters tent and converses with spirits over such things as lost objects, or communicating with ancestors, missing persons or predicting events. Always takes place at night

M ILESTONES The Vision Quest: Rite of passage to adulthood Common ceremony to most Aboriginal religions How vision quest work 1. Seeker is first purified (sweat lodge) 2. Shaman tells seeker to go to some location far from camp. 3. Seeker fasts, and prays for days awaiting vision. 4. Once seeker receives message from guardian spirit, in animal form he returns. 5. Shaman interprets vision. A modern vision quest

S ACRED W RITINGS Oral Teachings: Prayers are passed to new generations by the telling and retelling of events Elders, or shamans memorize the stories to pass them on Form of Oracy The “good message” of Handsome Lake

G ROUPS AND I NSTITUTIONS Elders: Man or woman who is recognized as a wise person Pass on practical knowledge, and traditions Tell the stories of the religion The False Face Society Iroquois group whose members know about the natural power of herbs and who perform ritual prayers Called the False Face Society because they wear masks carved from living trees.

C ULTURAL I MPACT The Europeans sand the Aboriginal Peoples. Positive and negative impacts on each other Aboriginals gave explorers knowledge to live in new world Europeans gave tools that helped the Aboriginal people shape a way of life By 1900 many cultures were nearly extinct due to disease carried by Europeans Europeans also brought their government and rules with them. “White ways” that the aboriginal population was forced to live by

C ULTURAL I MPACT Residential Schools By the mid 1800’s the Canadian government was funding residential schools for Aboriginal peoples. These schools would place children far from their communities. Children were taught it was wrong to practice their culture Punishment was often tough, needle stuck in toung for speaking native language. These schools operated into the 1960’s Sleeping Children Awake

C ULTURAL I MPACT Standoff at Oka Sometimes the cultural impact on aboriginal life ends in violence Mohawk reserve of Kanehsatake, borders the town of Oka Golf course built in 1959 Want to expand in 1989 The land they wanted to expand on was an ancient burial ground, considered sacred by the Mohawk The Mohawk erect a barricade across the road, and start an 11 week standoff Oka Crisis part 1

C ULTURAL I MPACT National Aboriginal Day: Cultural revival is now growing Surviving parts of Aboriginal religion play an important role in the culture of Canada In 1996 Canada declared June 21 to be National Aboriginal day Aboriginal people celebrate their past and future together in pan-Aboriginal activities

C ULTURAL I MPACT Reconciliation In 1998 the Canadian government issued a statement of regret for how it treated Aboriginal peoples The statement included a plan of action for healing the damages caused by residential schools, and to improve the health conditions, and speed up land claims. In recent years Christian Churches have also accepted some of the guilt for their actions

C ULTURAL I MPACT Nunavut: Means “Our Land” 85% of the population is Inuit Allows the population to govern their own land.