INTRODUCTION According to the history of the Navajo Tribe, the Holy People lived in the underworld and helped by guiding the First Man and First Woman to earth (McCoy 1988). The Holy People are said to be attracted to songs, dances, and chants during the ceremony along with the creation of Sandpainting. The Sandpainting is used in the healing process of the ceremony to draw a picture that tells a story of the Holy People. The Navajo culture have amazed so many people to how beautifully constructed the rituals are performed. Although, the ritual has been passed on from generation to generation, how the Navajo rituals are ways of communication has been questioned by so many. Many believe that it way for the patient to come into “…harmony… ” with the universe (Klukhohn and Leighton 1962). The hypothesis for the question was presented based on exploration of the culture done by researchers; concluding that, the Navajo rituals are a way of communication to their ancestors/the Holy People, who are worshiped in return of good lucks for the Navajo Community. It is believed that through this ceremony, people are cleansed from bad spirit and good luck is brought upon the family. For example, the rituals are performed on pregnant women, young men going to the army, and sick people. Naturally speaking, the most intriguing part of their belief is the ceremonial concepts of healing people through the performance of these rituals. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Native Americans are known for being the first people on the land before the Europeans and Spanish came and invaded. Although, Native Americans are known for the different tribes, the paper will be focusing more on the Navajo Tribe also known as the largest Native American Society in ... ... middle of paper ... ... In the Navajo ritual, there are two significant parts of the ritual, including: identification and removal. This two symbolizes the procedure where the sacred objects were placed on the body and the “ugly things” are emitted. In addition, the Navajo ritual is a way of communication to the supernaturals (Holy People). The ceremonies are performed in the act of cleansing and curing an ill person. Lamphere (1969) concluded that chants are a symbolic system and actions that expresses a means of dealing with illness through symbolic offerings of man to god. Overall, despite how complex the Navajo ceremony may be, learning about the ritual is an eye opener for those who wish to go further than just learning about the religion. The Navajo rituals are a form of communication to the Holy People, who are believed to be the protector and their guidance through rough times.
The Navajo creation story explains that medicine was brought to the people by an ancient owl. This owl sent down a magic bundle containing the powers of healing to the new world. For thousands of years Navajo people have used this knowledge to heal and live in harmony with each other. As a product of two worlds, Dr. Lori Alvord was one of the first people to combine modern medicine with Navajo beliefs by overcoming cultural differences.
Although the Mandan may differ from other Plains Indians in the fact that they live in a rooted community, they share many traditions with the neighboring tribes. They believe in a great spirit, they use medicine bundles, sacred pipes, have a sweat lodge and conduct many religious and spiritual ceremonies. The Mandan have a ceremony like no other recorded that is exclusive to their tribe called the Okipa or Okeepa.
Rituals are held as a very important part of any society, including ours. They go back to ancient times, or can be as simple as maintaining one’s hygiene. Non-western societies have rituals that may seem very foreign to us, but they have been engrained in their communities and are essential to their social structure. This interpretation will focus on the Great Pilgrimage, a ritual performed by Quechuan communities. We will be looking specifically at a community in the Sonqo area.
John Farella. The Main Stalk: A synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. Navajo Religion. (Tuschon: University of Arizona Press, 1984)
Wheelwright, M. (1942). Navajo Creation Myth. Navajo Religion Series, Vol. 1. Santa Fe: Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art.
Although not much is known about the Anasazi Pueblo religion, it is said that the religion is based on maintaining harmony with the natural world. The Anasazi were said to hold public and private ceremonies, at these different groups were in charge of different portions of events all important to the spiritual well-being of the society. In modern day rituals, villages would divide themselves into 2 separate groups each assuming different responsibilities, this is said to be similar to how the ancient Ana...
Many tribes successfully preserved their art. For instance, local Indians of New Mexico still embroider beautiful blankets that have many geometric figures such as triangles and diamonds, similar to tessellations. See Figure 2 below (“Mathematics Used,” n.d.).
Art is also used for ritualistic purposes. Men's loincloths were painted and decorated with tassels to symbolize falling rain. Men also wore elaborate costumes that include special headdresses, masks, and body paints during ritual ceremonies and dances.
Navajo rugs and weavings have gone through an evolution, the earlier weavings were influenced by legends and represented meaningful events in their lives. The contemporary weavings are more about designs, and demands for the Navajo rug. By taking a look at specific historical events between 1700 and 1900, the reader can discover how this evolution unfolded. Throughout history, the rugs maintained their artistic value, however the intent for their creation was quite different. (meaningful events and legends vs. a growing rug market) These rugs are a very priceless work of art, that have many meanings and an extraordinary amount of time put into them.
Interconnectedness is a theme that flows throughout all aspects of Cherokee culture from spirituality to medicine, as they believe everything within the world is related. They believe spiritual energy courses through all components of the universe that influence their daily life and maintaining a balance between these energies is crucial to being in harmony with Mother Nature and living a fulfilling life. Rather than having a dominant species, group or society, all components of the world are considered to be equal and to have a purposeful role (Garrett 2001 pg 1). Given this perspective, the Cherokee believe they can learn about health and medicine from plants, survival tactics from animals, and spirit freedom from birds. Due to this relationship, it is their duty to respect and revere this continuous flow of energy within the universe as they consider themselves to be brought to this earth as the keepers of Mother Nature (Garrett and Garrett 1996).
Who really are the Cheyenne Indians? According to historians, they were Indian people who became nomadic and moved to the Great Plains in the 18th century (Berkin 366). Another tribe, the Souix, developed the name of "people of a different language" for the Cheyenne. Some people said that the Cheyenne did not exist until the mid-1600s or at least this is when the earliest known records were found. They are one of the most famous and prominent Plains tribes, too.
Shamanism has always been an interest of mine, mainly in the Native American and Celtic Irish forms of medicine. Native Americans as well as Celtics have always held a certain mystique that is worthy of great exploration. From animal spirit guides that aide in healing to the shamans that are often the “go-to” men of the Native American and Celtic communities, the shamanistic tradition of medicine is one that has been admired and practiced by many that do not share the same ethnicity as theses traditional healers. Although the use of animal spirit guides is often ridiculed, as are the sacred spiritual journeys and conversations that these magnificent healers take, there are many unexplainable events that lend credence to the practices and abilities of the Shamans of the Native American culture.
In fact, Native American medicine men belief is firmly grounded in age-old traditions, legends and teachings. Healing and medical powers have existed since the very beginning of time according to Native American stories. Consequently they have handed down the tribe's antediluvian legends, which i...
Many people today know the story of the Indians that were native to this land, before “white men” came to live on this continent. Few people may know that white men pushed them to the west while many immigrants took over the east and moved westward. White men made “reservations” that were basically land that Indians were promised they could live on and run. What many Americans don’t know is what the Indians struggled though and continue to struggle through on the reservations.
Before we look any further into this topic it is probably a good idea to find out why the question of what is a ritual ? Arose in the first place. According to Bell “ the notion of a ritual first emerged as a formal term of anaylsis in the nineteenth century to identify what was believed to be a universal catergory of human experince “ ( catherine bell , ritual theory: ritual practice, pg14). Discipline of antropology by arnold van gennep was one of the first works that addressed the theory of ritual. It is said that Van Gennep laid the groundwork for modern study a...