Religion

Plains religions are typically blended, combining…

Animism & Animatism

Animism

The belief that all things, including nature, possess a distinct spiritual essence or soul

Animatism

the belief that inanimate objects, natural phenomena, and living beings are imbued with an impersonal, supernatural force or "life force" rather than individualized spirits

Plains religions frequently center around concepts of…

Power

Power…

Can be sought and acquired for a number of purposes, often involving fasting, prayer, and the concept of pity

Vision Quest

A rite of passage, seeking supernatural power and blessing. Up to 4 days involving fasting and smoking tobacco.

Sweatlodge

A structure built for ritual purification and prayer, involves sweating out impurities.

___ out of 33 Plains tribes practice some form of Sun Dance

19

Medicine bundles

A wrapped collection of sacred items. Can be observed at the personal, band, and tribal levels.

Uses of Pipes

1) Personal

2) Group Ritual Uses

More elaborate pipes are used for…

Religious ceremonies

Pipe smoking

1) Conveyor of prayer

2) Used to pledge on war parties

The most basic concepts of Plains Indian religions are…

Power & medicine

Mana

Impersonal supernatural power, sacred force.

Native accounts of mana focus on condition apparent when a being is ______ to power or possession of it.

receptive

The Eurochristian concepts of saced/holy best correlate w/ Plains concepts of…

Power & medicine

Spiritual beings

Guides, sources of power.

• Weather phenomena, animals, giants, elves, monsters, ghosts, etc. Interpreted as spirits. Thunder, Thunderbird. Water Monsters. Giants/Ogres. Little People.

Religious customs include…

Ghosts, owls, Dust Devils (associated w/ “Twisting”/Bell’s Palsy), post mortem name taboo, mourning for 1 year.

Animals

Most important, everyday sources of power. Respected, prayed to, offering made, behavior imitated.

Bison

protects family, battle power, healing, stop bleeding, connection to earth, rolling in dust

Bear

Doctors, strength, fierceness

Elk

Love medicine - elk males mate w/ groups of females

Wolves/Coyotes

Stealth, cunning, guidance, omens

Eagle

Power, hunting, messenger b/t Earth and heavens

Crow

Warning, scouting, curing, martial success, enemy to owls and thus ghosts

Eagle hunting

Usually for feathers, sometimes captured and raised

Transcendent spirits

Located farther away in cosmology. Less a source of personal power - but source of goodness for all. Both a Being and a Force, not always a person, but an amorphous entity. Usually active in creation, affairs of universe.

Misfortune

Often attributed to malevolent or offended/neglected spirits; but not structured like good vs. evil characters in Judeo-Christianity

Cosmovision

Where astronomy and religious belief about origins and operations of the known universe intersect

Sun

Usually most powerful manifestation of a Transcendent Spirit, focus of prayers, ceremonies, etc. to reach Transcendent One.

Sun Role

Father

Earth Role

Mother

Moon Role

Female, less prominent

Great Spirit

Introduced term. No native term equal to this, but handy. Often used by Christian to meld Christian and Native ideas together for missionizing.

Circle symbol

Camps, tipis, Sun Dance, lodge, shields, seasons, etc.

Number 4 symbol

Seasons, directions, life seasons

Other significant numbers

5 and 7

Painted symbols

Used to organize and give meaning to the university. Animal parts, feathers, etc.

Medicine Men/Women

Dream inspired or accumulation of knowledge. Women participated before marriage and after menopause.

Sorcery & witchcraft

Believed in, disdained, caused and doctored for by individuals

Anthropological Classifications

1) Individualistic

2) Shamanistic

Forms focus on cultural pattern, yet individual based religious forms- much of basic Plains region.

Lakota Wakan

the Lakota term for the "Great Spirit" or "Great Mystery," representing the supreme, sacred life force that permeates all existence. It is not a personified, singular deity, but rather an overarching creative power present in all things, connecting humans, animals, plants, and elements in a web of relatedness.