Religion of the Native American Indians

Religion of the Native American Indians are primarily spiritual practices and can vary widely among the many different tribes in North America. Traditional ceremonies and rituals, based on differing beliefs and/or histories of individual tribes, clans and bands, also have distinct variations. Theologies of the various tribes may be monotheistic, polytheistic, henotheistic, pantheistic, animistic, or some combination thereof. While it is impossible to name all the North American Indian bands, as blog space does not allow room, the following are the top three (3) largest tribes [according to the 2010 American Federal Census] and their religious practices:   

Navajo Indian Gourd Dance

1) Navajo (population: 308,013): This particular tribe is classified as pantheistic and the most important figures are the Changing Woman, the consort of the Sun God and her twin sons, the Monster Slayers. Navajo believe in good and evil and conceives everything in the universe has a purpose. This clan firmly believes it is important that the universe remain in balance or evil could take over. Their ceremonies are designed to restore harmony. Hosteen Klah was credited with documenting aspects of the Navajo religion and related ceremonial practices in the early 20th century. For more information, please visit Navajo - Religion and Expressive Culture       

"My children, education is the ladder to all our needs. Tell our people to take it." 
~ Manuelito, Navajo Chief

Cherokee Indian Sun Worship

2) Cherokee (population: 285,476): This tribe holds strong belief that certain beings came down from the skies and formed the world, the moon and the stars. The sun is held in great esteem and is the principal object of worship; prayers for abundant crops and good health was their primary focus. According to Robert Shaw [an author from the late 19th century], the religion of the Cherokee could be classified as both polytheistic (incorporating systems of Pagan Greece and Rome) and monotheistic (instilling some beliefs of Christianity). The Cherokee also believe in an afterlife. Those who were "good" went to a place that was light and pleasant; those who were "bad" were sent to a place to face torture. It is believed there are seven (7) heavens associated with the Cherokee, with the Supreme Being (aka: Ye ho wah) residing in the first heaven. Redbird Smith, a renowned Cherokee, was a traditionalist and political activist during the late 1800s-early 1900s. He sought to return to the original Cherokee religion and revitalize traditional spirituality. For more information, please visit Religion of the Cherokee 

"Don't forget the legacy we passed on. Don't let it lapse. Pass it on, stronger and stronger to your children. Let the Cherokee language laugh, speak and sing again. Let our history be known and discussed." 
~ Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith, Principal of the Cherokee Nation

Sioux Indian Grass Dance

3) Sioux (population: 131,048): For the Sioux Indians, religion was a part of everyday life and everything had a spirit (humans, animals, plants, etc.). According to Carl Jung, the Sioux were both polytheistic and animistic; their beliefs resembling those of the indigenous Scandinavian people known as the Sami. Besides the Great Spirit, who was the most powerful of all spirits, the Thunderbird came in a close second when it came to power. The Thunderbird was considered a single, intelligent entity that could also be wrathful. Another spirit, known as the White Buffalo Woman, gave each Sioux clan a sacred pipe, which were  called "Medicine Pipes". These sacred pipes, when smoked could entail a person to have a vision. Visions, as well as dreams, were sometimes prophetic in nature. Most bands of Sioux Indians had one medicine man per tribe who performed the ceremonies, which was held at various times throughout the year. For more information, please visit Sioux Religion. 

"A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky" ~ Crazy Horse, Sioux Chief

The early European explorers described individual Native American tribes as each having their own religious practices and traditional beliefs, which were commonly passed down in the forms of oral histories, stories, and allegories. Most (if not all) bands, clans and tribes relied on teaching from one's family and even the community when it came to learning about the spiritual and religious side of their lives.

From the early 1600s, European Christians (both Catholic and Protestant) sent missionaries to convert the Native American tribes to Christianity. These efforts intensified during the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s as the US government and Christian churches joined efforts, forcibly registering Native Americans as Christian. This caused contemporaneous official government records to show "Christianity" as the major religion of the Native American Indians, which was based on false claims. When Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and installed in American Indian boarding schools to be indoctrinated in European Christian beliefs, as well as the English language, many bands and tribes reluctantly converted to Christianity. (Note: this happened to many Jews, such as Nostradamus' family, when King Louis XII - in the 16th century- decreed that all Jews renounce their religion and convert to Christianity or leave the area). Sadly enough, this forced conversion of the Native American Indian continued up until the late 1970s and for over 80 years (1898-1978) the government suppressed Native ceremonies and rituals associated with the traditional indigenous religions through a series of US Federal laws! However, that did not stop the devout American Indian from continuing to practice their sacred spiritual rituals in secrecy.

Today, in the 21st century, most Native American tribes have reverted to their religious beliefs, under the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. The Native American traditional ceremonies, such as the sun dance and sweat lodge (among many other rituals) were also reinstated with this government bill. Even though modern Native American Indians do not usually have public organizations or membership rolls, it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of people [if not more] in the United States who are members of a traditional Native American religion and participate in traditional ceremonies.        

"Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours."

~Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief