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Jun 10, 2018 · If living within one’s culture and being involved in the rituals associated with ceremonies and traditions is the essence of Indigenous identity, health, and well-being, it can be argued that losing one’s culture or being disassociated from it can contribute to a breakdown of health and wellbeing.
Sep 28, 2021 · The restoration of balance, harmony, and healthy relationships within the community through storytelling on the one hand, and through accepting responsibility and being accountable for the crime on the other, is a fundamental step in Indigenous pathways towards healing and justice.
- Francesca Mussi
- 2021
Nov 16, 2021 · While early relationships between Europeans and First Nations were largely based on trade and military alliances, following the war of 1812, former allies like the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy or Anishinaabeg were increasingly displaced by colonists’ demand for land.
- Definition
- Creation Stories
- Tricksters, Transformers and Culture Heroes
- Religious Institutions and Practices
- Great Spirit and Worldviews
- Shamans
- Guardian Spirit and Vision Quests
- European and Christian Influence
There is no definitive and overarching “Indigenous religion.” Spiritual beliefs vary widely, as do the cultural practices of contemporary Indigenous peoples in Canada. However, there are commonalities among Indigenous spiritual traditions, including the presence of creation stories, the role of tricksters or of supernatural beings in folklore and t...
Creation stories describe the origins of the cosmos and the interrelations of its elements. Among these tales is what scholars often refer to as the “Earth Diver myth.” This is a story where a Great Spirit or cultural hero dives, or orders animals to dive, into the primeval water to bring back mud, out of which the Earth is fashioned. In some versi...
Tricksters take on a variety of forms in Indigenous cultures. They can be male or female, foolish or helpful, hero or troublemaker, half-human-half-spirit, old or young, a spirit, a human or an animal, depending on the area and the specific nation. Some examples of tricksters include Coyote (Mohawk), Nanabush or Nanabozo (Ojibwe) and Raven (Haida, ...
Different Indigenous nations have their own religious institutions and sacred practices. Many Plains Indigenous peoples participate in the Sun Dance, while Coast Salish peoples typically engage in sacred winter ceremonies. The Haudenosaunee celebrate the Green Corn Ceremony, and some follow the False Face Society. Among the Ojibwe, the Midewiwin is...
Many Indigenous peoples subscribe to the idea of a Creator, Great Spirit or Great Mystery — a power or being that has created the world and everything in it. These beings are often described as good or well-intentioned, though dangerous if treated carelessly or with disrespect. Great spiritual power is also found in the spirits of all living things...
Shamans are the most notable of the multiple religious figures present in traditional Indigenous religion. They function as healers, prophets, diviners and custodians of religious mythology, and are often the officiants at religious ceremonies. In some societies, all these functions are performed by the same person; in others, shamans are specialis...
Vision quests (sometimes referred to as guardian spirit quests) once occurred throughout most Indigenous cultures in Canada; it has undergone a revival in many communities. Males, especially at puberty but also at other times of life, make extended stays in remote areas while fasting, praying and purifying themselves by washing in streams and pools...
Contact with European religious systems — through settlers, missionaries, church- and government-sponsored residential schools, and direct and indirect government policy — brought change to all Indigenous religious forms. In areas where sustained contact occurred relatively early — in the 16th and 17th centuries — many Indigenous peoples were bapti...
Oct 30, 2020 · Today, Indigenous communities continue to reclaim oral histories and traditions that have been lost or threatened by colonization. Outside Indigenous communities and cultures, the use of oral histories serves as a way to decolonize Canadian history.
Nov 6, 2008 · Traditional knowledge provides the best way of identifying Indigenous (Aboriginal) cultural landscapes. An on-going oral tradition and continuing traditional practices sustain interaction between people and the land.
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Aug 9, 2019 · Learning to understand Indigenous cultures, histories and languages can open the door to enriching partnerships and relationships—and respectful engagement. Indigenous cultures and the protocols that arise from them can vary widely and take some persistence to fully grasp.
