Burial Rituals of Native American Culture Essay

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Burial Rituals of Native American Culture

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people. Leslie Marmon Silko’s story entitled The Man to Send Rain Clouds describes a funeral service carried out by a Native American Pueblo family. Though many perceive the funeral …show more content…
Many tribes perform ceremonies which can include elaborate and colorful tribal dances. Modern rituals sometimes allow for outsiders to watch the ceremonies. During the burial process there are also practices that are more common to what many people consider to be normal. Bodies are dressed in nice clothing and some of their possessions are often placed next to them. The Native American people prepare food to be given to the families of the dead, members of the community visit to pay their respect to the deceased and at times a religious service is included. When these religious services are conducted, “they are held in churches on their native land” where “they have their native religious beliefs with their own gods” (www.umn.edu). Native American “religious specialists draw wisdom from inherited traditions. Priests bring rain through ceremony and prayer. They are thought to have a special level of communication with the spirits” (www.umn.edu). The Native American culture often frowns upon outside religious rituals such as last rites being included in the ceremonies. This is thought to be partly because of the controversy surrounding the invasion of Catholics

Native American Burial Rituals

differences between Native American burial rituals compared to Christian burial rituals. Whether it be from praying, to only painting their loved one’s face. Christians are very religious and have a lot of different views on how burial rituals should go. Even with such differences it is still possible for both to be integrated. Both Christians and Native Americans have different burial rituals. Not only rituals but also beliefs on why things should be performed during these rituals. “ Before they wrapped…

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The Man To Send Rain Clouds

about a traditional Indian burial, and the Catholic priest’s resentment at not having been called to officiate the service. In Silko’s retelling of this story she shows how two faiths can be brought together through the use of a western object, holy water. Silko accomplishes this feat by depicting a dichotomy between the spiritual rituals of the Native American people and Christianity. Ultimately, this dichotomy is lessened when holy water is integrated into the burial ritual of Teofilo. It is important…

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Growing up I knew nothing of the Native American culture, rituals, or ceremonies. I only knew that my father was a Native American from the Ojibwa tribe. My family practiced Catholicism and went to church every Sunday. I went to a private Catholic School from kindergarten through fifth grade, and I was taught the rituals and ceremonies that are part of the religion. I eagerly studied the scripture and learned all about my faith. However, a pivotal experience occurred after my sophomore year of high…

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The Man To Send Rain Clouds Summary

colors as a symbol to represent the traditions and beliefs of Native Americans and incorporating the use of holy water to highlight the Christian values. Silko reveals the traditional Native American colors through Telifio’s death, expressing the importance of the Native American values and belief system. In a ritual of peace, Leon“ drew a streak of white and.a strip of blue paint” on Telifo’s forehead to show the Native American culture (Silko paragraph 2). The use of the colors white and blue exemplify…

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