Aboriginal Spirituality Unit Test

more than what number of people in Canada are Aboriginal?

1 million

how much did aboriginal population grow from 1996-2006?

45%

what fraction of aboriginal peoples live in Ontario and Western provinces?

8/10

aboriginal men or women who are recognized for their knowledge, wisdom, experience, and insight

elder

elders are the oldest members of the community t/f

false

what does potlatch mark?

significant events in a family, like the birth of a child, the death of a relative, or a chief taking office

what do potlatches do for the host?

increase thier standing in the community

what do potlatches highlight for the host?

their generosity, wealth, and power

what do potlatches involve?

giving gifts of blankets, bedowrk, or crafts as well as singing and dancing

what did pope benedict do in 2009?

express his sorrow / apologize for abuse aboriginal people suffered in residential schools

who met with the pope?

Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine, aboriginal elders, and residential school survivors

what are the closed structures built around a pit called?

sweat lodges

what are sweat lodges heated by?

rocks

what do they do in sweat lodges?

pray, sing, talk, and meditate in silence

what does the sweat lodge do?

purifies body, mind, spirit, and heart

what does the sweat lodge restore?

the right relationships with self, others, and the creator

long uncut hair is...

sacred

cut hair can be a sign of

mourning

hair is sometimes...

braided

the three strands of the braid signify

body, mind, and spirit

those who have died need to relearn what it is to do what?

be a spirit

time required from death to becoming a spirit is

one year

during the year between death and becoming a spirit, what happens on earth?

a death feast is held for the spirit of the person who passed

are death rituals the same for all aborignal peoples?

no

in cree tradition, the body undergoes _______ transformation, but the _____ remains unchanged and ascends into another realm to join its ancestors

in cree tradition, the body undergoes physical transformation, but the spririt remains unchanged and ascends into another realm to join its ancestors

cree believe spirits have the power to

reveal themselves to and communicate with humans (through dreams or visions)

what is the wake?

a ceremony for returning the body to mother earth

a ceremony to commune with spirits who have passed to the spirit world (important part of cree tradition)

the round dance

what does the round dance let family and friends do?

allow the spirit of the deceased to fly free and dance w the other spirits in the northern lights

what was adopted by non-Aboriginal people who called it thanksgiving?

harvest feast

what is harvest feast

the celebration of the harvest from the field and forest each year

what does harvest feast recognize?

the spirits that acted on their behalf to give them food

harvest feast is a time to...

renew the earth through prayers, chants, and dances

the creator

Highest God; the one

wakan tanka

Lakota name for the supreme reality

the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the catholic church

Kateri Tekawitha

when was Kateri beatified?

1980 (she lived 1656-1680)

What is Kateri informally known as?

Lily of the Mohawks

What does Kateri do now?

Works to improve relations between Aboriginal peoples and the Church and incorporate Aboriginal spiritual traditions into the Catholcic tradition

time is considered

circular

circular shapes are involved in many

rituals and events

residential schools ran by which level of government?

federal government

Siouan people call the Great Spirit

Wakan Tanka or Wakonda

Iroquois call the Great Spirit

Orenda

Algonkian speakers call the Great Spirit

Manitou

who is the sun dance celebrated by

peoples of the prairies

when is the sun dance celebrated

June or July during the full moon

when did the sun dance begin

when a warrior's vision quest showed him a new way to pray to the Great Sprirt

what is the purpose of the sun dance

renewal of dedication to the Great Spirit

four days before the sun dance ceremony, what do the dancers do?

purify themselves

what do the dancers do during the four days of the sun dance?

fast

final stage of the rite of sun dance involves ______ the body and tearing away from the ______ to sumbolize a renewal of the quest for the spirit

final stage of the rite of sun dance involves piercing the body and tearing away from the piercing to sumbolize a renewal of the quest for the spirit

a dance of renewal for restoration of right relationships and healing of all creation

a powwow

a powwow is a community celebration of

singing and dancing

the powwow takes place in a ______ blessed by a spiritual leader so that the place within it is holy

the powwow takes place in a circle blessed by a spiritual leader so that the place within it is holy

dancers and singers enter the circle from where and move in the same direction as what?

the east where the sun rises and move in the same direction as the sun

drumbeat is symbolic of what?

the rhythm of creation, heartbeat of mother earth, and the mothers heartbeat heard in the womb

the objiwa celebrate the feast of death when?

each autumn

the feast of death is held to remember

everyone who died the previous year

who holds a feast of death for the entire village?

each family who has lost someone

where is the food placed in the feast of the dead?

in an open area outside

a place is set at the feast of the dead for who?

the deceased, whos spirit remains with the family

when do aboriginal people go on vision quest?

during puberty

vision quest is what?

an intense, solitary spiritual experience

who is vision quest for?

those seeking direction in life

how long do young people prepare for vision quest?

around a year

only when do young people embark on vision quest?

when parents/elders believe they are ready

young people must partake in vision quest in order to do what?

be accepted as adults in the community?

The Creator for indigenous people is the equivalent of who for Catholics?

God

most powerful and sacred ritual for Canadian Aboriginal peoples

sacred pipe

what does the pipe represent

unity and harmony of the world

to smoke the pipe in a ritual is to give back the world what?

its unity, peace, and harmony

before lighting the pipe, what does the pipe carrier pray?

the whole universe and everything within be transferred to the pipe

when the pipe is lit what is all that it contains delivered to?

the fire, which is the great spirit

what does the stone bowl of the pipe symbolize?

truth

what does the stem represent?

harmony and balance

the bowl represents

the woman

the stem represents

the man

what does the ritual of the sacred pipe emphasize through its use of earth, fire, water, and air?

oneness and unity

how many families might live in one iroquian longhouse?

five to six

broad term that includes first nations, metis, and inuit

aboriginal peoples

inuit means

the people

an ojibwa narrative telling how seven prophets came to the anishinabe

the seven fires

what did the prophets in the seven fires leave the people with?

seven predictions about their future

what act was passed in 1857 to assimilate aboriginal peoples into european culture?

the Gradual Civilization Act

in 1876 what act allowed federal gov to set up residential schools?

the Indian Act

who were residential schools run by?

Anglican, united, Presbyterian, and Catholic Churches

what does the circle of the medicine wheel represent?

the continuous cycles of life and the connection among all species

where does the cross of the medicine wheel point

in the four directions

what do the powers of the four directions organize?

everything; the seasons, the elements of the universe, the stages of life, etc.

the medicine wheel is used by elders to teach younger generations what?

who they are, where they come from, their place in the world, and how theyre related to each other and everything else

the eagle is considered what?

the messenger of the creator

what of the eagle is held in high regard?

the feathers

the eagle feather is what?

the link between the people and the creator

a physical and spiritual healer who peforms ceremonies using knowledge of medicine and herbs

shaman / medicine person

what else does the shaman do?

remembers and tells the spiritual teachings of the community

in the courts of nunavut they allowed aboriginal people to do what rather than sit on opposite sides of the court

sit in a circle

the identification of the spirit within objects it inhabits

animism

a holy act that is part of many rituals

smudging ceremony

what is burned in a shell or earthen bowl, to have its smoke brushed over the participants of the smudging?

sacred herbs