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Native American religious beliefs and practices
Native American religious beliefs and practices
Native American religious beliefs and practices
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Hundreds of years ago the Zuni people created and told stories of human and world creations, tales of love and lust, and just about anything
"that gave people an explanation for something they could not understand" (Gaarder 25). They made up all these legends or myths before there was anything called science. The stories came from the heart and soul of these native people. Legends are not just silly stories that were told for amusement they are like magic lenses, they allow us to have a glimpse of social orders and the daily life of how the Indians interpreted things long ago. One legend of the Zuni tribe tells the tale of the sun and the moon and how these two heavenly bodies came into being. The legend is called "Coyote Steals the Sun and Moon."
The story begins when an out of luck Coyote can never seem to kill anything. He watches Eagle catch rabbit after rabbit with all the ease. He decides to go to Eagle with a proposition. Coyote told Eagle that they should hunt together, Eagle accepts, so they begin to hunt in partnership. Still all Coyote catches is just a couple of grubs, while
Eagle is far ahead with many rabbits. At the time the world was still dark, the sun and moon had not been placed into the sky yet. So coyote blamed his hunting problems on the fact that he could not see and eagle if he knew where they could find light. Eagle was not really sure, but he figured it was somewhere on the west. So they set out to find it.
They soon came to the Kachinas' village, where the villagers were busily going all out in their sacred dances. The Kachinas invited Coyote and
Eagle to rest and have a bite to eat while they continued to dance.
Eagle observed the people and could sense all the power they bestowed within. He began to wonder if they were the ones who had control of the light. Coyote pointed to two boxes, a large one and a small one. They noticed that when the people wanted light they opened the lids of the boxes. In the smaller box was the moon, it contained little light. In the larger one was the sun and it gave off a lot of light. Coyote told
Eagle that they should go and steal the big box. So when all the
Kachinas went home to sleep, Eagle put both the sun and the moon into one box and flew off. After a while Coyote wanted to carry the box
Zitkala-Sa was extremely passionate with her native background, and she was adamant on preserving her heritage. When Zitkala was a young girl, she attended White’s Manual Labor Institute, where she was immersed in a different way of life that was completely foreign and unjust to her. And this new way of life that the white settlers imposed on their home land made it extremely difficult for Native Americans to thrive and continue with their own culture. In Zitkala’s book American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings, she uses traditional and personal Native stories to help shape her activism towards equality amongst these new settlers. Zitkala’s main life goal was to liberate her people and help
The Zuni Indians were and are a group of Indians in the southwest area of the United States and Northern Mexico. It seems that they have lived in this area for nearly 4000 years, and maybe more if their ancestry can be traced as they seem to believe to the Mogollon group of Native Americans who grew out of the first prehistoric inhabitants of that area of America. The name Mogollon comes from the Mogollon mountain range named by the first Spanish explorers in the early 1500’s such as Coronado. There is also a good possibility that they may be able to trace their existence to the Anasazi culture from around the same time as the Mogollon peoples as well.
where they lived. They chose to dwell in cliffs faced to catch the winter sun
This example of making social order continues to be challenged throughout our lives when these basic rules are forgotten and when people are reminded of them, social order is remade and without social order, everyday lives will become volatile, unpredictable and dangerous.
The idea that society, which is created by people, can in turn act upon people is a difficult concept for humans to grasp. Instead, it is easier for humans to realize that actions happen by forces external to themselves and...
The Zuñi Indians live, today, on the Zuñi Reservation in west-central New Mexico. They occupying the north bank of the upper Zuni river valley of western New Mexico and Eastern Arizona since at least 700 A.D. (Theodore Frisbie; Encyclopedia), Resisters, is the best word to describe the Zuni people. They resisted acculturation. They resisted change to their ceremonial cycle. They are a complex people. They have survived because they have resisted (Arizona Rocks Tours), and unlike many other Native American tribes, the Zuñi Indians were never forced to leave their homelands and are even still living there today. (Bigorrin; Learn for today). Now the Zuñi are the more popular name of the Pueblo tribe, though the natives do not call themselves by this name. They have been known to call themselves by Ashiwi, which means flesh. (The Catholic Encyclopedia.). They are a strong matrilineal clan and start young when it comes to family and clan relations. They hold amazing traditions and religious system with priest and women being involved in political situations and men holding more rank in what they have knowledge and skill in. Many things all coming to a head in religion and holding its main roots there. (Theodore Frisbie; Encyclopedia). The Zuni call their home the Middle Place and they believe it is located at the center of the universe. (Arizona Rocks Tours)
This leads to the first example of human duality which is the good and bad side to conforming to societal ...
Macionis, John J.. Society: the basics. 12th ed., Annotated instructor's ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2013. Print.
There comes a point in everyone’s life when they are pressurized by society’s demands. One is given the option to either conform or challenge these social norms in order to suit one’s life.
... and what society dictates. To begin understanding this complex problem is the key to individualism and breaking free from societies constraints.
Social norms are really important to our society’s functioning. If certain norms were not followed it is almost certain chaos would ensue. Not only do we follow social norms in order to prevent chaos, we also follow them to avoid the consequences of not following them, especially if the functional perspective is accurate. On occasion though, breaking subtle norms that we may not think about often can prove to have interesting results.
I did a lot of research on that one question. (A LOT OF RESEARCH!!!). I also did some observation of the sky while I was driving home. I took note of the colors, how cold it was and how the sky looked when the Sundogs appeared.
In order to better comprehend and adjust to the dynamics of principles that are applicable to everyday life, we must consider that the reality of social influences
Our society stresses individuality and competition, to be the best you can be for yourself first. This works well for the structure of life that has developed in this country. I value my independence and privacy, something that has stemmed from living in this society. Trying to be the best often has rewards, whether prestigious or monetary, and is a good survival technique for...
Like many Indian arts, Indian dance also has its root in religion. Without the religious and cultural background of India, the growth and beauty of Indian dance is not possible. In ‘Natya Shastra’, there is a small story about the origin of Indian dance. According to Hindu mythology, dance first existed in heaven. There was always a constant conflict between the Asuras and the Devas for wealth and power. The Devas were tired of the Asuras’ greediness and jealousy.