Pan-Native American Religion

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For centuries, scholars have created many definitions to define religion. One such scholar was William James, a philosopher, who defined religion as “the belief that there is an unseen order and our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.” (Lecture 1). James’ definition of religion claims that religion consists of two primary narratives: an unseen order dictates the ways of life and “supreme good” is achieved by arranging one’s beliefs to follow this order. These two narratives are the foundation of what people consider a central “American religious experience” in the United States. However, as America is composed of dozens of cultural communities, it has become apparent that different communities relate to the unseen …show more content…
If these children were raised in an educational environment that was American ideals, then as the older generations died, only American manufactured Indians would remain (Lecture 3). One particular part of Native American culture that “the white man” wanted to end in the following generations was participation in spiritual rituals. Participation in divine rituals was a cornerstone of all Native American religions; following years of integration between different tribes, a pan-Native American movement began. As one of the most important concepts within Native American culture, the restriction of Native American rituals was an integral part of “the white man’s” plan to demolish Native American religion. In 1883, the federal government passed the Religious Crime Codes which allowed them to forbade the religious activities of the Native Americans (Lecture 4). Under the guise of the Religious Crime Code, the federal government banned one of the Native American’s most sacred rituals: the Sun Dance. The Sun Dance celebrated the life that the Great Spirit (Nature) bestowed upon the Native …show more content…
Native Americans also used rituals as a way to cope with the destruction of their culture. Amidst the mistreatment of Native Americans by “the white man”, a Sioux Medicine Man had a vision of the natural world being restored and “the white man” being buried by a new layer of soil (Lame Deer, P. 228). This vision became a source of hope for many Native Americans, and from this, the Ghost Dance was formed. The Ghost Dance consisted of the tribe linking hands and singing traditional chants to connect with the Great Spirit. However, once the government had learned about the Ghost Dance, they felt that it was a war dance and wanted to put a stop to it immediately. The restriction of the Ghost Dance was facilitated by a much more violent approach than the Sun Dance. The War Department of the United States sent 3,000 troops to stop the Sioux people from completing their Ghost Dance on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, on December 28, 1890 (Lecture 4). This event was known as the Wounded Knee Massacre as it resulted in the death of over 200 Native Americans. This massacre also put an end to the Ghost Dance of the
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