Native American Spirituality

1
Native American Spirituality

2
Anishinabe Ojibwa The Original People

• In North America there are many different groups
  of native persons.
• This presentation will focus on the spirituality
  of the Anishinabe, pronounced a-ni-shi-nah-bay,o
  r Ojibwa people.
• Anishinabe means Original People
• They are a prominent native group in Ontario.

3
Kitche Manitou

• The Ojibwa people believe in a great animating
  force that pervaded all existence.
• They called this force Kitche Manitou, which
  means Great Spirit.
• The Ojibwa believe that Kitche Manitou created
  four basic elements from which all other
  substances were made rock, water, fire and wind.
• Kitche Manitou breathed life into them and each
  had its own power and spirit.
• These four spirits created the physical universe
  sun, moon, stars and earth.
• Ojibwa believe that Kitche Manitou created all of
  the plants, which have have spiritual and healing
  powers. Kitche Manitou also created the animals
  and gave them special powers.
• Finally Kitche Manitou created humans as beings
  dependent upon the powers of nature. However,
  the Ojibwa believe that humans received the
  greatest gift the power to dream.

4
Turtle Island

• Native Americans call North America Turtle
  Island.
• The Ojibwa tell the story of how Kitche Manitou
  flooded the earth because its creatures had
  forgotten to love, honour and respect all beings
  in the circle of life. There was no land for the
  surviving creatures to live on, but through the
  pity of the Great Spirit, the creatures repented.
  Makinaak, the turtle offered his back to be the
  foundation of the new land. Other animals would
  swim to the bottom of the water and bring up mud
  to put on Mankinaaks back. Once a small island
  was formed, the animals swam in a circle which
  caused the land to grow. Then plants, grasses
  and trees began to grow on the land and the
  animals began to inhabit the land.
• Eventually, Kitche Manitou brought human beings,
  Anishinabe, the original ones, to play on the
  earth, but they also forgot the original
  teachings as their animal brothers did. Again the
  Great Spirit was going to destroy the earth with
  fire. The white eagle having pity for the
  foolishness of the humans appealed to Kitche
  Manitou to spare them. The eagle asked If I am
  able to find one person who remembers the
  original teachings of loving, honouring and
  respecting all creatures in the circle of life,
  will you spare the destruction for one more day?
  Kitche Manitou agreed and so each day the eagle
  flies out at dawn to see if at least one human
  remembers. When he finds one, he brings the news
  to Kitche Manitou and the earth is spared for one
  more day.

5
The Eagle The Prayer Carrier

• The graceful bird of the skies, the eagle, is the
  prayer carrier and messenger of the Anishinabe
  people. As the eagle soars above the skies, one
  knows he is carrying the prayers to the Creator.
• The eagle has great significance for the
  Anishinabe people when it comes to healing
  ceremonies and ceremonies honouring and
  respecting other people.
• As a person begins to grow more spiritual, he
  learns to respect and honour the graceful eagle
  of the skies. An individual might see himself as
  the eagle when he prays for the people who are in
  need of prayer
• In the healing ceremonies performed by the
  medicine man or woman, the eagle carries the
  sickness out of the body and up to the Creator
  for healing. The person who sick must believe in
  the power of the prayer carrier.

6
The Medicine Wheel

• The Medicine Wheel is the foundation for
  Anishinabe teachings about walking on the earth
  in a good way.
• The term medicine does not refer to drugs or
  remedies.
• The Medicine Wheel and its teachings assist
  individuals along the path toward mental,
  spiritual, emotional and physical enlightenment.
• The Medicine Wheel is a representation of how all
  things in the natural world come in fours four
  directions, four seasons, four stages of life,
  four basic elements.
• Anishinabe believe in a creation which has as its
  centre, the symbol of a sacred circle. The
  Medicine Wheel circle represents a harmonious
  relationship with nature and with all living
  things who are relatives.
• Anishinabe believe that all creatures are
  connected and equal because like the circle there
  is no beginning and no end.
• An Anishinabe wise man said Birds make their
  nests in circles we dance in circles the circle
  stands for the Sun and Moon and all round things
  in the natural world. The circle is endless
  creation, with endless connections to the
  present, all that went before and all that will
  come in the future.

7
The Medicine Wheel contd

8
The Medicine Wheel contd

• NORTH  Earth - Wisdom
• As we get older our hair turns white, as we come
  to our time of winter.
• White (and purple) also symbolize spirituality. 
  With experience and age we gain wisdom. Now there
  is time to rest and contemplate the lessons
  learned from the spirits and from the elders.
  North is purity and wisdom, a great place of
  healing. 
• North is the place of winter which reminds a
  person to stop and listen and to prepare for the
  long time of winter.
• The animals of the North are the Moose and Bear.
  Each is prepared and has a layer of fat to
  sustain them through the winter. They are also
  the primary source of meat during the winter time
  for people. They rest and take things slow, not
  wasting energy, and with the understanding of
  what winter brings.

9
The Medicine Wheel contd

• SOUTH  - Fire - Passion
• Growth in the South it is the time of Summer.
• South is the time of mid-day, the hottest part of
  the day, the part when the sun is overhead and no
  shadows are cast.
• A person matures from childhood into being an
  adult in the direction of the South.
• It is the time to accept change, to learn and to
  understand.
• Red is for fire, passion, and a time of
  fertility. The South is the place of passion in
  all things, sex, fertility, mating - the fires
  that burn within.

10
The Medicine Wheel contd

• WEST    Water Emotions
• This is the stage of later adulthood, the time of
  Fall, the time of the setting sun - twilight. The
  daylight fades and brings a new awareness in this
  time of gradual change.
• The time of the West is when a person learns
  responsibility for others and for all things. 
• It is the time to prepare, to finish things for
  the time of Winter is coming.  
• As the place of emotions it is the place of
  family, of love and of responsibility
• The Beaver demonstrates the team work and
  preparedness needed for the coming winter. The
  snake reminds us to shed our skin to grow and
  change.

11
The Medicine Wheel contd

• EAST   - Air - FlightBeginnings start in the
  East, from where the sun rises to begin a new
  dawn. Each day is a good new day with a new
  start. 
• East is the direction of the physical body and
  of newness, including
• newborn children.
• East is the time of change for all is a new
  beginning. New ideas and seeing the light. Spring
  is the season when all things begin to grow and
  awaken.
• Yellow is the path of Life, to begin the walk as
  a warrior.
• The sun rising in the east empowers each person.
  The energy to do and to begin the action of the
  mind and heart is there.
• Animals with wings and flight include the
  hummingbird, the owl, and the hawk.
• Words are given to the east that the smoke in the
  air or the voices in the air may be carried to
  Spirit.

12
Symbolism of Animals

• Anishinabe beliefs are animistic which is
  demonstrated by their belief in the powers of the
  non-human beings in nature.
• Turtle represents mother earth sustaining
  creation with constancy and generosity. Turtle
  emerged from the water with earth on its back,
  providing a living place for human beings and all
  creatures between sky and water. Turtle is the
  medium of communication, the emissary of beings
  of this world and time and beings of another
  world and dimension of time. Turtle symbolizes
  thought given and thought received and represents
  clarity of communication between beings
• Crane represents eloquence of leadership and
  direction. The voice of the Crane is unique and
  infrequent. When Crane speaks, all listen. Crane
  is the spokesperson for the clans.
• Eagle received from Kitche Manitou the gifts of
  strong wings, keen sight and proud bearing. Eagle
  symbolizes courage and preknowledge. His sphere
  is the mountains and the heights.
• Rabbit represents Wanabozho, a messenger of
  Kitche Manitou, an intermediary on earth among
  different species of beings rabbit is an
  advocate for the Anishinabe, to whom he imparted
  the gift of knowledge.
• Deer received from Kitche Manitou the gift of
  grace. Deer symbolize love.
• Bear received from Kitche Manitou the gift of
  courage and strength. Bear is representative of
  all medicine powers in creation. Claws dig
  medicine roots. Bear passes on knowledge through
  dreams and visions.

13
Ojibwa Totemism

• The Ojibwa Clan System was created to provide
  leadership and to care for food, shelter,
  protection, medicine, education and leadership.
• There were seven original clans and each clan was
  known by its animal emblem, or totem.
• The animal totem symbolized the strength and
  duties of the clan.
• The Crane and the Loon Clans were given the power
  of Chieftainship. By working together, these two
  clans gave the people a balanced government with
  each serving as a check on the other.
• The people of the Fish Clan were the teachers and
  scholars. They helped children develop skills and
  healthy spirits.
• The Bear Clan members were the strong and steady
  police and legal guardians. Bear Clan members
  spent a lot of time patrolling the land
  surrounding the village, and in so doing, they
  learned which roots, bark, and plants could be
  used for medicines to treat the ailments of their
  people.

14
Ojibwa Totemism contd

• The people of the Hoof Clan were gentle, like the
  deer and moose or caribou for whom the clan is
  named. They cared for others by making sure the
  community had proper housing and recreation. The
  Hoof Clan people were the poets and pacifists,
  avoiding all harsh words.
• The people of the Martin Clan were hunters, food
  gathers and warriors of the Ojibwa. Long ago,
  warriors fought to defend their village or
  hunting territory. They became known as master
  strategists in planning the defense of their
  people.
• The Bird Clan represented the spiritual leaders
  of the people and gave the nation its vision of
  well-being and its highest development of the
  spirit. The people of the Bird Clan were said to
  possess the characteristics of the eagle, the
  head of their clan, in that they pursued the
  highest elevations of the mind just as the eagle
  pursues the highest elevations of the sky.
• For the Ojibwa, the honouring of animal totem
  helps them to love and to commune with Mother
  Earth and with Kitche Manitou better.

15
The Philosophy of the Seven Sacred Teachings

• These Seven Teachings Of Inspiration exist to
  maintain the sacredness of life, and to ensure
  survival as living beings on this Earth. They are
  reminders that all beings are one - we are all
  connected - regardless of racial, cultural,
  religious, socio-economic, or political
  background..
• Love
• Courage
• Wisdom
• Truth
• Respect
• Honesty
• Humility

16
The Philosophy of the Seven Sacred Teachings

• The eagle is a symbol of love
• The First Peoples of Turtle Island (North
  America) were to always carry out actions in
  love. To feel true love is to know the Creator. A
  persons first love is to the Great Spirit. For
  the Ojibwa, a person expresses love for the Great
  Spirit by loving himself/herself. Only then can a
  person truly love others. Children are to be
  loved, for children are gifts from the Great
  Spirit.
• The bear is a symbol of courage
• To have courage is to have the mental and moral
  strength to listen to the heart. It takes courage
  to do what is morally right. First Nations people
  were told to be proud of who they are and never
  to deny the way of life the Great Spirit gave to
  them.

17
The Philosophy of the Seven Sacred Teachings

• The beaver is a symbol of wisdom
• To live in wisdom is to know that the Great
  Spirit gave everyone special gifts. Wisdom is
  shown by building a peaceful and healthy family
  and community. Wisdom is an instrument of the
  Great Spirit, helping to bring peace to the
  world.
• The turtle is a symbol of truth.
• Always seek the truth. The truth lies in spirit.
• Prayer was to be done every day at sunrise to
  give thanks to the Great Spirit for the gift of
  life. Each of the gifts and ceremonies were given
  by the Great Spirit to the Original human beings
  to help them find the truth and the true meaning
  of their life on Earth.

18
The Philosophy of the Seven Sacred Teachings

• The buffalo is a symbol of respect.
• First Nations people were told to always respect
  all life on Mother Earth. To show real respect is
  to share and give of yourself for the benefit of
  all life. Respect the Elders from all races of
  people who uphold the sacred teachings of the
  Great Spirit.
• The sabe or sasquatch is a symbol of honesty.
• To be honest with yourself is to live in the
  spirit of how you were created. Never lie or
  gossip about each other. The more honest you are
  the bigger you become as a person.

19
The Philosophy of the Seven Sacred Teachings

• The wolf is a symbol of humility
• Always carry out actions in humility. Think of
  family, fellow human beings community before you
  think of yourself. Humility is knowing and
  understanding that you are not more or less
  important than anyone else. Being humble is
  surrendering to the Great Spirit, who has created
  and who directs all life.

20
The Pow Wow

• Pow wow is derived from the Algonguian word "pau
  wau". It means, "He dreams". The pow wow is a
  living cultural expression of song, dance, and
  art which brings people together, and through the
  drum, reminds Anishinabe of their connection to
  Mother Earth.
• The pow wow is used to preserve the culture and
  heritage of the Anishinabe people.
• Singing and dancing are the highlight of the pow
  wow.
• Dances include Round Dances or Circle Dances,
  performed in a circle by facing the center of the
  pow wow arena.
• The Grass dance is one of the oldest dances and
  is still used in pow wow. Religious in nature, it
  evolved from warrior society dances. It portrays
  a warrior in search of a proper ceremonial place.
  The dancer moves in imitation of tall swaying
  prairie grass.
• Dreams or visions were the basis of the Jingle
  Dress dance. The dress for this dance is
  fashioned with such items as small hawk bells,
  shells, or sewing thimbles to give it sound. The
  dance was originally used as medicine. Movements
  have undergone several transitions, and today's
  dancers twist their feet in unison to the right
  and left while moving sideways.

21
Pow Wow Images
22
The Anishinabe Drum

• Without the drum there would be no Pow wow. It is
  the center of the Pow wow celebration that can be
  used to heal and unify all people. The drum
  represents the circle of life.
• The Pow wow drum is a large drum, approximately
  one metre in diameter. A drum is made of wood and
  hide, both natural materials. These materials
  represent honesty and sharing.
• The wood comes from a tree. The tree gives life
  so that the drum can be built. The tree is also
  telling us where life comes from. Without the sun
  and the earth there would be no trees - no life.
  The Anishinabe, the people, were lowered to this
  earth by the hand of the creator. The tree grows
  up toward the creator, the source of its life and
  all of the life on this earth. The hide is from
  an animal who gives its life for the drum and in
  this way, represents the gift of sharing.
• Once a drum has been made, it is usually given to
  an individual or a group. Certain people are
  given the responsibility or instructions in the
  making of the drum. It is never created as a
  craft or a toy. Before the drum can be sounded at
  a Pow wow it must be blessed through a special
  ceremony led by a elder or a group of elders.
  Once the ceremony has been completed the drum may
  be sounded at any Pow wow.
• There are usually four or more singers around the
  drum. A person is usually given the
  responsibility of caring for the drum. He is
  called the drum keeper or the drum carrier.
• The drumbeat is described as the heartbeat of the
  people. The drum itself is regarded as a sacred
  object to be treated with respect. Each drum has
  a keeper to ensure that no one approaches it
  under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or shows
  disrespect by reaching across or setting things
  on it.

23
The Smudge Ritual

• In the time of spirit, ceremony and belief, the
  Great Spirit gave to Turtle Island's Original
  People four sacred plants sweetgrass, cedar,
  sage and tobacco.
• These medicines were meant to be used in prayer
  and for other peaceful purposes.  When combined
  the smoke carried our prayers to Great Mystery.
• Today, what is often called a 'Sweetgrass
  Ceremony' opens many gatherings, powwows,
  meetings, conferences anywhere people are
  gathered together in a good way. 
• The word 'smudge' is a bit of a slang term when
  describing the four plants as a group 'smudging'
  means the action of fanning or pushing the smoke
  over you.

24
The Smudge Ritual

• SWEETGRASS - literally is sweet grass and often
  grows in dark, marshy places. It is braided to
  signify unity and strength. A single blade of
  grass can be broken, but when braided it cannot
  be broken. It soothes the emotions, calms the
  nerves, brings down the heart rate. Its perfume
  drops your shoulders and you move into the rhythm
  of the Earth.
• CEDAR - the sweet smell and healing properties
  are used in physical healing. Bathing in a cedar
  bath or the occasional cup of cedar tea helps to
  cleans the internal and external body.  Feel its
  power seep into your pores. Feel the pulse of
  your heart as your body embraces its own health
  and well-being.

25
The Smudge Ritual

• SAGE - The power of spiritual healing - as the
  sage wafts across your body, breathe it into your
  soul. Let your spirit find its balance with the
  emotions and the physical body.  Feel its power
  raise your spirits, feel yourself stand taller
  and stronger. There are holes in the spirit when
  it is sad, the sage fill those holes with good
  thoughts and positive attitudes.
• TOBACCO - The most powerful of all because it
  gives thanks to the Great Spirit and to the
  Ancestors. Often considered to be the oldest
  plant on Turtle Island, it was never meant to be
  smoked for commercial purposes! Tobacco is given
  to Elders or Traditional Teachers when requesting
  assistance or information. Tobacco is sprinkled
  in thanks to the Earth Mother, to the Great
  Spirit and to the Ancestors for gracing us with
  their presence. Tobacco should be held in the
  left hand, closest to the heart. Raise your hand,
  it should be offered to the four directions
  before being scattered.
• HOW TO SMUDGE  Place cedar, sage, sweetgrass
  into a clay bowl. Light it carefully and let the
  smoke start to rise. Rub your hands in the smoke,
  scoop the smoke into your hands and bring it to
  your body - head, heart, solar plexus.  Listen
  carefully, for the Ancestors have come along with
  the spirit of the plants.  They are here to help
  you heal.  As is the way with all things sacred,
  great respect must be given to the process of
  smudging for a relationship is being formed
  between you, the plant spirits and the
  Ancestors.  It is powerful and must be respected.

26
The Sacred Fire

• For most tribes, fire symbolizes the heart of the
  people.
• It is present as all ceremonies.
• Fire cleanses and renews the spirit. It
  symbolizes a rebirth of being.
• The smoke from the fire is used to send prayers
  to Kitche Manitou.
• Fire is used to cleanse sacred items before they
  are used in a ceremony.

27
The Pipe

• The pipe is used for spiritual healing.
• Not everyone has a pipe. It has to be earned.
• A pipe is normally received after years of
  learning under the following circumstances (a) A
  legitimate Elder or Traditional Teacher who is a
  pipe carrier and who has earned the right to give
  pipes and who does or does not know you, yet has
  had at least four profound experiences about you
  (dreams, visions).  (b) the pipe was inherited
  through the family and the current owner has
  "earned" the right to smoke it.
• Generally Sacred Pipes consist of two parts a
  tobacco holding bowl made of bone, wood, stone,
  or metal and a stem, usually made of wood.
• The pipe is held in the left hand because it is
  closer to the heart.
• Tobacco is used because its smoke rises high
  toward the Great Spirit and it represents both
  the sacred and profane realms.
• Once the tobacco is lit, the smoke is drawn down
  the stem of the pipe, but it is not inhaled. For
  a moment the smoke merges with the persons
  breath and creates the unity of the sacred and
  profane realms.
• The smoke is released and prayers are sent toward
  Kitche Manitou.
• The pipe is passed in a clockwise direction
  because it represents the direction of the sun.

28
The Vision Quest

• A vision quest is a rite of passage or
  initiation.
• Vision quest preparations involve a time of
  fasting and the guidance of a tribal Medicine
  Man.
• This quest is undertaken for the first time in
  the early teenage years.
• The quest itself is usually a journey alone into
  the wilderness seeking personal growth and
  spiritual guidance from the Spirit.
• Traditionally, seekers find a place that they
  feel is special. They sit in a 10 foot circle and
  bring nothing in from society with the exception
  of water.
• A normal Vision Quest usually lasts two to four
  days within this circle, in which time the seeker
  is forced to look into his soul.
• It is said that a strong urge to leave the Quest
  area will come to the seeker and a feeling of
  insanity may set in. However, the seeker normally
  overcomes this by reminding him or herself of the
  overall outcome of the quest, which causes the
  mind to stop wandering on random thoughts. The
  individual can generally find solace in the fact
  that he or she will not die in just two to four
  days.

29
The Vision Quest

• Some have claimed grand visions on their first
  Vision Quest while others have not. It is an
  individual experience and often subject to the
  emotional, spiritual, and physical make-up of the
  person.
• Native American totems are said to be capable of
  speaking through all things, including messages
  or instructions in the form of an animal or bird.
  
• Generally a physical representation of the vision
  or message such as a feather, fur or a rock is
  collected and placed in the seeker's medicine bag
  to ensure the power of the vision will stay with
  the individual to remind, protect or guide him.
• Since the beginning of this cycle of time,
  humanity has returned to nature to connect with
  spirit and to seek answers to problems of the
  physical realms, especially in this timeline when
  the messages of prophecy reveal themselves to the
  seeker.
• There is something about being alone in the
  wilderness that brings a person closer and more
  aware of the 4 elements and our connection to a
  creational source. We go to seek truths and
  divine realization, just as many of the ancient
  prophets did in their time.
• In its own way - the vision quest is an
  Initiation not unlike the days of the ancient
  mystery school teachings where one learns about
  themselves and the mysteries of the universe are
  often revealed to them. It is a time of internal
  transformation and renewal. Who am I? Why am I
  here?
• In a vision quest, conditions are set up that
  allow the soul to move beyond the illusions of
  the little self and enter the unity of the inner
  whole. It is a time of fasting - praying - and
  being in nature.

30
The Vision Quest

• It is a period of solitude in which we seek an
  inner revelation - a vision -which grants
  profound meaning and direction to our life.
• This initiation leads to maturity and an
  understanding of our responsibility to ourselves,
  our society, our natural environment, and our
  soul.
• In Native American traditions these times of
  inner trial are marked liked passages. Time is
  set aside to honour them.
• It might take a day, a week, a month - whatever
  is necessary to complete the transformation and
  get the answer one seeks.
• Today, there are companies which sponsor vision
  quests. They provide a wilderness area in which
  it is to occur, and they give instructions and
  guidance before and after the event.

31
The Sweat Lodge

• With the help of Medicine Men and Women the sweat
  lodge is an opportunity to repair the damage done
  to the spirits of men and women.
• It is a place of refuge and of healing but it is
  also a place to get answers and guidance by
  asking spiritual entities, totem helpers, the
  Creator and Mother Earth.
• The ceremony of the sweat lodge begins with the
  Fire Keeper preparing a fire to heat up the
  stones called Grandfathers.
• The participants prepare by smudging themselves
  and by offering tobacco to the fire.
• The sweat lodge is also smudged and prayers are
  offered asking that the sweat lodge be used in a
  good way.
• The fire stones are carefully brought into the
  sweat lodge at four different times to signify
  the calling of the spirits from the four
  different directions.
• The stones are placed in the pit that symbolizes
  Kitche Manitou.
• Medicine water (water and cedar, sage or
  sweetgrass) is splashed on the red hot rocks.
• The ancestors are summoned in prayer and the
  participants share the wisdom of the original
  teachings.
• The healing ritual usually takes three to four
  hours and is followed by a feast.

32
The Dream Catcher

• The dream catcher is based on the legend of how
  the trickster spirit in the guise of a spider,
  spoke to the spirit leader.
• During the conversation the spider spoke about
  the four stages of life and how there were good
  and bad forces in the universe.
• The spider spun a web within the spirit leaders
  willow hoop.
• When the spider was finished he had created a web
  in a perfect circle with a hole in the centre.
• The spider gave the web to the spirit leader and
  he told him to use it to help his people reach
  their dreams, if they followed the teachings of
  Kitche Manitou.
• The web will catch the good thoughts in their
  dreams while the bad thoughts will go through the
  hole in the centre.
• The spirit leader taught his people to make dream
  catchers, so that they would lose their evil
  ideas.
• The people believe that the dream catcher holds
  the destiny of their dreams.