Native Americans Documentary

667 Words2 Pages

Part One (192 words) This documentary talks about the land of the Native Americans and the economical, political, and cultural effects that caused their deprivation of religious freedom. This documentary also introduces three different stories that show how white Americans play a role in stripping the Native’s land away for lucrative and recreational purposes. This involve the Lakato’s Devils Tower, the Hopi’s Colorado Plateau, and the Wintu’s Mount Shasta who all struggle for the right to practice their religion in their sacred land that they originated from long ago. The idea of not allowing these indigenous communities from practicing their right of the First Amendment essentially prevents them from connecting the natural world with …show more content…

They use natural resources in order to pay tribute to the gods that watch of the land and their ancestors that gives them guidance. Some Natives use the mountains as place to worship and visit their shrines. Due to the construction of a federal project, the Natives’ shrines were torn down and corrupts the sacredness of the mountain. The springs and meadows are also a symbol of serenity and healing. The Natives incorporate the land into their rituals and prayers. A location of worship is not limited to a building with walls or how many people attend. Nature is the center of their practice because the animals, trees, rivers, mountains, and more are all factors that make up the “church”. There was an environmentalist in the documentary who tried to help the Natives, but the only option that she could provide was to completely ban the landmarks from all people. This essentially would bring the location back to the wilderness which means that would be no more human interactions. However, the Natives need the interaction with nature in order to carry out their religion. It is within their tradition to climb the mountains, pray in the fields, and feel the soil of the earth so that one day they could pass the tradition to the next generation. Their spirituality grows with nature and without it, there would be no culture or reason to live out their

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