Native Americans were always surrounded by the charm of enigma; a smooth way to manifest racism. The indigenous in the American continent endured a long exhausting path to guard their heritage fronting fierce military and cultural campaigns to annihilate their memory.
We are not here to provoke “bitterness”, however, interest in such a rich human heritage commenced very recent after decades of despise and neglect.
History:
It is not conclusively identified how or when Native Americans first settled in the Americas. The dominant concept proposes that they journeyed from Eurasia through a land bridge linking Siberia with Alaska during the last Ice Age, and then spread across the Americas over successive generations. Genetic indication suggests that they came from East Asia 15,000 years ago.
It is worth mentioning that Native American society, centuries before the creation of the states, had its own political, economical and social system, which were all characterized with great tolerance and acceptance of the differences among its people.[1]
Religion:
Religion is the key word in tracing all ancient peoples. This makes the mission hard regarding the vast varieties and diversities concerning the native American beliefs; no unified belief, no unified mythology, hence, no unified social and legal system. Each tribe and band have its own heritage. Moreover, each ran as fast as it could, escaping the European trials to thrash it, dropping, while running, lots of memories, souvenirs, trying to erase its traces to keep itself safe.
“Sorceries”, that is how the European missionaries regarded native American beliefs. Efforts were exerted in coercive Christianizing throughout more than four centuries. The religious zeal stalled the way to discover the true belief of those people; mass conversion, banning religious ceremonies, taking children from their “pagan” parents to raise them as “good” Christians, all these and more were measures taken by the new invaders. Nevertheless, there are 9 thousand who are still members of the ancient Native religions.[2]
Mythology:
As it was a society that accepts assortment, there is not a single legend about the indigenous peoples of America, but there are many different standards of accounts associated to religion, ethics, and doctrines. They are profoundly rooted in nature, exploiting symbols of surrounding environment and imagination of spiritual creatures. The common elements are the collective, universal and sagacious Great Spirit principle; an entity that is close to the Abrahamic concept of “God”. Also, a dominant belief in an equivalent world in ecstasy, underground and underwater, connections with ancestors and calls to the “Land of the Dead”.
A friendship with the environment; myths about humans who can correspond with animals, birds and reptiles, a relation that often creates a sort of unification. Sometimes humans get married to certain kinds of animals, notably bears, other times animals nurse human babies; a group of narratives that inspired Hollywood and Disney, though, sources were not only ignored, but also scorned.
Although most North American Indigenous folklores are deep and solemn, some use light humor for entertainment, subtly conveying important spiritual and moral messages. The use of cyphers is common with subjects fluctuating from love and friendship to domestic violence and mental illness.[3]
Some myths are associated with traditional religious rites that comprise dance, music, song (such as the sun dance).
This is supposed to be an introduction to one of the richest and varied human heritage. Later, we are going to display some models of Native American tradition, naming certain tribes that survived a long-lasting battle with the invaders. Giving homage to those who did not go down without a fight.
[1] https://www.history.com/news/iroquois-confederacy-hiawatha-peacemaker-great-law-of-peace
[2] https://slife.org/native-american-religions/
[3] https://www.legendsofamerica.com/native-american-legends/
