Significance of Ritual in North American Indian Re Essay Example For Students

Significance of Ritual in North American Indian Re Essay ligionSignificance of Ritual in North American Indian ReligionSubmitted by: Dan Xxxxxxxx,November 12, 1996Submitted to: Dr. John X. XxxxxxxRELST 110.6.01When scholars study religion, the tendency exists to focus on themythological aspects of the religion in an attempt to understand the majorunderlying concepts present. However, an equally rewarding study often can beaccomplished through the careful analysis of the religions ritual aspects. This is especially true when studying North American Indian religions wherethere is an abundance of elaborate rituals that play a significant role in theirculture. By closely examining the details and symbolism of ritual movements, wecan gather some basic understanding of what is seen to be of value in a certaintheology. While most Native American rituals tend to be mono-cultural, thereare a few rituals that frequently appear in many different regions and tribesacross North America. Two of these widespread rituals are the ritual of thesacred pipe, and sweat lodge ceremonials. The sacred pipe ritual is loadedwith symbolic meaning, and offers a generous insight into Native American beliefsystems. This essay will first look at the dynamics of the sacred pipe ritualand offer some explanation into its religious significance, then draw someparallels to the more common sweat lodge ceremony. If a recurring spiritualtheme appears in separate rituals, it can be considered evidence of a consist ent,structured belief system. The use of smoking pipes in Native American cultures is a popular andvery ancient practice. Direct predecessors of the modern pipe appear 1,500years ago, and other less relevant pipes can be found as far back as 2,500 yearsago. The distinguishing characteristic of the sacred pipe is that the bowl isseparable from the long stem, and the two parts are kept apart except duringritual use. The pipe is seen as a holy object and is treated with much respect. This type of ceremonial pipe was used by tribes ranging from the Rocky Mountainrange to the Atlantic, and from the Gulf of Mexico to James Bay. It did notpenetrate into Pacific coast or Southwest cultures, where tubular pipes werepreferred. Inter-tribal trading helped the practice of this particular ritualspread rapidly, because in order for peaceful trade relations to take place someform of ritual had to be observed. Respect for the sacred pipe ritual, as wellas a gift exchange, was central to peaceful trade in North American culture. The whole sacred pipe ritual revolves around the pipe itself, and as thepipe passes around the circle, so passes the center of attention. Fundamentalto the spiritual understanding of the ritual is the pairing of female and malepowers which when combined, results in creation. The pipe itself consists oftwo parts; the bowl which is symbolically female, and the stem which is male. The pipe is potent only when the two components are fitted together, and forthis reason it is only joined at the beginning of the ceremony, and itsseparation indicates the end of the ritual. With only a few exceptions, thepipe bowl is made of stone or clay, because the Earth and all things Earthen arealso seen to be of a female nature. Similarly, the stem is usually wooden, madefrom trees that were procreated by the joining of the male Sky and the femaleEarth. The pipe stem can be decorated with a striped design symbolic of thetrachea, and eagle feathers may be hung from the stem to further symbolize thesending of the smoke, songs, and chants to sacred ancestral and nature spirits. EU Law: The Council of Ministers and the European EssayThe sweat lodge is a dome-shaped structure, and every part has asymbolic significance. The number of poles that are used to form the dome isalways a multiple of four, which is derived from the four horizontal directions. There is a low entrance facing the East, the direction of the rising sun, whichis symbolic of the beginning of life and understanding. In the center a roundpit is dug, and the earth that is removed is used to build an altar east of thesweat lodge. A fire, symbolic of the Sun, is built between the altar and thesweat lodge, and is used to heat the rocks that are needed for the sweat lodge. The sweat lodge is then covered in such a way that the interior is completelydevoid of light. The participants sit on evergreen branches or sage laid on the Earth. If enough people are participating, four of them are delegated as gatekeepersof the Four Directions. The pit is symbolically the womb of the Earth, and inthe very center of the pit the red-hot rocks are placed. Even though rocks arefrom the Earth and traditionally a female symbol, in this ritual they arethought of as the Grandfathers. This is easily explained by the fact that theystore the energy from the fire, which is a very masculine symbol representingthe Sun. The rocks are then sprayed with water, which is traditionally a femalelife-giving element of nature. The coupling of the male energy and the femalewater results in the spiritual regeneration of the participants. When theritual is complete, the participants crawl from the symbolic womb, and considereach other to be reborn individuals who have been spiritually cleansed. In these two ancient Native American rituals there is evidence ofrecurring spiritual symbolism which suggests that there was a structured,consistent belief system. For this reason, these two ceremonies make fairlygood examples of how knowledge of a cultures religious aspect can be gainedthrough the analysis of not only its myths and legends, but also of its rituals. In both rituals there is evidence of great respect for nature, and the tendencyto give natural objects and forces a specific gender. Much significance isplaced on directions, especially east and west which is obviously derived fromthe path of the sun. Also important are the upward and downward directionsrepresenting the male sky and the female earth, and the joining of the two togive life. The simple fact that these symbols are so widespread and evident inseparate rituals suggests that the North American Indians had a strong religiousfoundation long before Europeans arrived and attempted to teach them religion. WORKS CITED LISTBrown, Joseph Van Epes. The Sacred Pipe: Black Elks Account of the SevenRites of the Oglala Sioux. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1953. Coorigan, Samuel W, ed. Readings in Aboriginal Studies Brandon, Manitoba:Bearpaw Publishing, 1995. Hultkrantz, Ake. Belief and Worship in Native North America. Ed. ChristopherVecsey. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1981. Robicsek, Francis. The Smoking Gods: Tobacco in Maya Art, History, andReligion. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1978. Steinmetz, Fr. Paul B., S.J. The Sacred Pipe in American Indian Religions.American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 8(3): 27-80, 1984. Religion