Aboriginal Rituals and Practices Everything you wanted to know and more!

Keeping Tradition Today, Aboriginal peoples are keeping their spiritualism alive by participating in traditional festivals and by depicting their beliefs through their rituals and symbols. Native Spirituality is closely connected with nature – the land, natural phenomena (wind, sun, earth) play significant roles in rituals and ceremonies.

Sacred Ceremonies Sweet Grass Ceremony: A rite that involves the burning of sweet grass as a sign of purification. Pipe Ceremony: The sharing of a pipe between people is considered a sacred act; sharing represents brotherhood, community and solidarity. Prayer in the 4 Directions: A form of prayer to each of the four directions – north, south, east and west. Eagle Feather – A sacred symbol representing God’s power, transcendence and strength.

Sacred Ceremonies Smudging Ceremony: A purification ritual that includes the burning of sweet grass, cedar, tobacco and sage and involves drawing smoke over the body. The smoke created by these sacred plants is a spiritual way to cleanse one’s thoughts, wash away impurities, and bond with others. The four elements of earth – water, fire, earth and air – are represented in the ceremony as follows: Shell = waterBurning = fire Sacred plants = earthSmoke = air

Ritual Dancing Powwow: A gathering which centres on the community and includes dancing, drumming and chanting. Morning Dance: Also known as the Wabeno, the Morning Dance is performed every spring by the Ojibwa in honour of the ``tree of the universe``.

The Sun Dance: Performed by the Great Plains nations, this dance acknowledges the sun as the giver of life. It is performed in early summer and participants dance around a central pole. Some dancers will embed sharp hooks into their chests that connect to leather thongs that connect to the top of the pole. As they dance the hooks tear out their flesh as an offering to the Great Spirit. The scars that remain prove their devotion to their faith.

Potlatch Ceremony The potlatch ceremony celebrates an important event such as a wedding or birth. It is a large feast with dancing, sharing wealth and singing. The more wealth the host gives away, the greater his or her prestige.

Sweat Lodge and Shaking Tent The sweat lodge and shaking tent are two ceremonies lead by the clan`s spiritual leader, called a “shaman.” The sweat lodge is much like a sauna. The ceremony which takes place inside causes a lot of perspiration (sweat) and cleanses the individual`s body and soul.

The shaking tent is a ritual used to speak to the spirits. The person who wishes to speak with the spirits makes a trade with the shaman who then contacts the spirits and helps the person with their problem.

Vision Quest The vision quest is a rite of passage into adulthood in aboriginal traditions. It starts with a purification at the sweat lodge. Once that is done, the shaman instructs the youth to leave camp for a few days. After several days of meditation, fasting and enduring the elements the seeker receives a vision from a guardian spirit. When the youth returns to the clan the shaman then interprets the vision.

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