Ancient Hawaaians
Native American
Medicine Wheel
Inuit (Eskimo)
Aborigines-Austrailia
Maori of New Zealand
African Religions
Obstacles of Appreciation Aaappreciation
scholars concentrated on written texts
stories, rituals, ceremonies, sandpaintings, songs
prayers, dance, masks, wood sculpture
permanence vs. impermanence
Modern recovery of indigenous religions
Efforts of scholars in anthropology - experience
Ecological movement-David Suzuki, Wisdom of the Elders, insightful lessons of human/nature relationship
Ecologist-Paul Ehrlich-quasireligious approach
Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson proposes biophilia, a love of life “We must rediscover our kin, the other animals and plants with whom we share the planet.”
learning from patterns
Human Relationship With the Natural World
Sacred Time and Sacred Space
Respect for Origins, Gods, and Ancestors
Human relationship with nature
Respectful relationship with nature
Animism-everything is alive
Life force is in every-thing--trees, plants, animals, humans
One reality-wakan
Sacred Time
Time of eternity; dream time (Aboringenes); distant time (Koyukon-Arctic)
Sacred time is cyclical, returning to origins for renewal-ancestors and myths
Sacred space
Doorway to the other world of gods, ancestors, wisdom, strength and power
May encompass a great mountain, volcano, valley, lake, forest, single large tree
respect for origins, gods, ancestors
ORIGINS-cosmic tales of origins
GODS-in stories and nature; altars and imagery dedicated to deity are not common
ANCESTORS-com-munication w/ dead
Sacred Practices in Indigenous Religions
• Rituals are basic way to live in harmony with each other and nature
• Life Cycle Ceremonies
• Taboo and Sacrifice
• Shamanism, Trance, and Spiritual Powers
Threats to Indigenous Religions Today
• Global spread of popular culture
• Loss of natural lands and environments
• Loss of native languages
• Conversion to other religions
Resolution of Apology to Native People
• The Faith & Politics Institute and the National Congress of American Indians, reps from six tribes
• acknowledged the wrongdoing of the Federal Government
• signed by President Obama, January 2009
President Obama Signs Tribal Law and Order Act
of 2010• end rape and sexual
assault of Native and Alaska women
• more than 1 in 3 Native women will be raped; 86% by non-native perpetrators
• restores authority, resources, and info to Tribal governments
Indigenous Communities Held Hostage in Brazil
• In 2009 the Guarani Kalowa Y’poi was violently evicted from ancestral land
• kidnapping/murder
• In April 2010 the tribe members managed to reoccupy land, but immediately deprived of movement - gun threats