Indigenous Sacred Ways September 2011

Keep In Mind… This section will attempt to provide an overview of some general characteristics of indigenous sacred ways What may be true for one culture may not be true for others Indigenous sacred ways are subject to change over time and in response to different situations

Indigenous Peoples As an adjective, the term “indigenous” refers to the original inhabitants of a geographic area “Indigenous Peoples” is a term used to describe cultural groups distinct from the nation in which they live, who often have limited political influence Indigenous peoples have often found their traditional ways of living disrupted by colonialism

Definition of Indigenous Peoples It is difficult to formulate a definition of “indigenous peoples” that fits all who would identify as indigenous In 1972, the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous populations put forward the following definition: Indigenous populations are composed of the existing descendants of the peoples who inhabited the present territory of a country wholly or partially at the time when persons of a different culture or ethnic origin arrived there from other parts of the world, overcame them, by conquest, settlement or other means, reduced them to a non-dominant or colonial condition; who today live more in conformity with their particular social, economic and cultural customs and traditions than with the institutions of the country of which they now form part, under a state structure which incorporates mainly national, social and cultural characteristics of other segments of the population which are predominant.

Definition of Indigenous Peoples In 1983, the following criteria were added: (a) they are the descendants of groups, which were in the territory at the time when other groups of different cultures or ethnic origin arrived there; (b) precisely because of their isolation from other segments of the country's population they have almost preserved intact the customs and traditions of their ancestors which are similar to those characterised as indigenous; (c) they are, even if only formally, placed under a state structure which incorporates national, social and cultural characteristics alien to their own. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples does not include a definition of indigenous peoples

Indigenous Peoples of the World Many distinct populations around the world can be described as “indigenous peoples” in the modern sense In the Americas, indigenous peoples are those who can trace their ancestry to pre-Columbian cultures, such as Inuit, First Nations, and Métis peoples in Canada In Africa, with its wide ethnic and cultural diversity, some hunter-gatherer and herding societies have found themselves politically marginalized In the Middle East, some Arab tribal societies such as Bedouin tribes can be considered indigenous peoples Many different indigenous peoples exist in Asia, particularly in India and Asian Russia Europe also has indigenous peoples in the modern sense, including the Basques, Sami, and peoples of the Caucasus Oceania has a large indigenous population, including the Māori, Indigenous Australians, and others

Diverse Indigenous Cultures Great diversity exists within indigenous cultures of the world Many indigenous peoples have no direct cultural connection with other indigenous peoples As such, it is difficult and often misleading to make generalizations about “indigenous culture” as a whole

Colonialism From the 16th century onwards, European nation-states established colonies in many parts of the world Through these colonies, European powers exercised political, economic, and cultural domination over local populations This often included missionary efforts to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity Colonialism often proved extremely disruptive to traditional ways of life; diseases and violence led to significant percentages of some indigenous cultures being wiped out Colonialism also led to indigenous peoples being displaced from their ancestral homelands

Colonialism in 1914

Nation-States and Indigenous Peoples Historically, many indigenous peoples around the world have fallen under the political control of larger empires Today, indigenous peoples exist within larger nation-states In both cases, attempts are sometimes undertaken to assimilate indigenous cultures This may include attempts to replace traditional sacred ways with the religion of the dominant power

Indigenous Sacred Ways Indigenous sacred ways are often part of an oral tradition preserved by trained specialists Due to the disruption of traditional ways of life, these specialists have become rare in some societies As a result, much traditional knowledge has been lost Some indigenous peoples are working to recover their sacred ways

Understanding Indigenous Sacred Ways It can be difficult for outsiders to understand or learn about indigenous sacred ways Some indigenous cultures preserve their sacred ways in a secret, esoteric oral tradition that is not shared with outsiders May be passed on through narrative, myth, music, art, etc Indigenous sacred ways do not always correspond to “religion” in the Western sense In many cases, no distinction is made between sacred and profane, natural and supernatural Sacred ways are an all-encompassing way of life that form a complete worldview Sacred ways are often community-based, rather than individualistic

Terms To Know Oral tradition: knowledge passed by word of mouth, rather than through writing Animism: the belief that spirits (or some similar life-force) exist within humans, animals and plants, and other physical objects or natural phenomena Taboo: an act that is forbidden by a culture for moral or religious reasons

Syncretism Syncretism: a combination of different religious or spiritual traditions Some indigenous peoples practise syncretistic traditions, blending traditional sacred ways with larger religions In the Caribbean and Americas, West African beliefs were blended with Christianity to form traditions such as Vodou (Haiti), Santería (Cuba), and Candomlé (Brazil) In Asia, Buddhism was often blended with indigenous beliefs

Indigenous Sacred Ways And Nature Many, but not all, indigenous peoples traditionally lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers, herders, or subsistence agriculturalists Indigenous sacred ways are often closely tied to these ways of life, and to the land and natural cycles When indigenous peoples are displaced from ancestral lands or adopt new ways of living, these traditions may change

Right Relationships In some indigenous traditions, maintaining right relationships with nature and the spirit world is essential to the prosperity of the community The totality and unity of these relationships is sometimes expressed with the symbol of the circle Life and time can be seen as being cyclical Rituals may be undertaken to maintain continuity within these cycles Often, humans are not seen as being separate from natural cycles, but an integral part of these cycles with specific responsibilities

Relationships With Spirit Some indigenous peoples believe in a “great spirit” – a supreme being or high god who may be seen as creator of the world The Lakota worship a “Great Mysterious” called Wakan Traditional Buryats of Russia believe in the spirit of the sky, Tengry Some indigenous African groups acknowledge a high god who is called by attributes (“all-powerful,” etc). Creator spirits are not always worshipped; they may be seen as remote from the world Supreme beings may have male characteristics, female characteristics, both, or neither Not necessarily analogous to Abrahamic monotheistic understandings of God

Relationships With Spirits Animistic indigenous traditions see nature as being imbued with spirits These spirits may be capable of helping and/or harming human beings, or controlling or embodying natural processes Many indigenous traditions have rituals to contact spirits, request help, or banish evil spirits Correct observance of these rituals may be seen as the means of maintaining right relationships with spirits, thus ensuring human prosperity Some indigenous peoples, especially in some African traditions, understand the spirits as being departed ancestors who continue to affect the lives of their descendants

Kinship With Nature Because the life of indigenous peoples is traditionally closely tied to nature and the land, a culture’s identity and beliefs may be closely tied to specific geographic areas Certain areas or geographic features may be seen as having particular power Some indigenous peoples have recently drawn on traditional wisdom to combat industrial environmental destruction