Native American Religion Essay - 2452 Words

When Europeans first set foot upon the shores of what is now the United States they brought with them a social structure which was fundamentally based around their concept and understanding of Western European Christianity. That the indigenous peoples might already have a thriving civilization, including religious beliefs and practices, that closely paralleled the beliefs and practices of European civilization, was a concept not considered by these early explorers and settlers. This European lack of cultural understanding created tensions, between Native Americans and Europeans, and later between Native Americans and Euro-Americans, that eventually erupted into open warfare and resulted in great bloodshed between cultures. For the Lakota†¦show more content†¦The Europeans, therefore, described the indigenous people as savage, polytheistic pagans and heathens, who were doomed to damnation for the worship of animals and nature. The Europeans, within their understanding of th e will of God, believed it their duty and their responsibility to teach these indigenous people the â€Å"correct† way to live, and were determined to impose their own religion upon the indigenous people by enforcing the worship of the God of the Christian Bible through any means deemed necessary, including slavery, coercion, and the threat of, or actual maiming or death. Europeans chose to dismiss the religious and cultural practices of the indigenous peoples because the indigenous peoples did not engage in scheduled worship services as the Europeans did, or call their deities by the names that the Europeans used, nor did the indigenous peoples perform their worship ceremonies in the same manner as the Europeans. Lakota scholar and author Vine DeLoria Jr. defines this fundamental difference in ideologies as the European philosophical concept of time and linear thinking conflicting with the Native American philosophical concept of space and the importance of place or places, and explains that these concepts conflict because each becomes incomprehensible when removed from the context in which it was originally conceived and understood. The rigid doctrine of Western European Christianity allowed no variance from the teachings of the church, makingShow MoreRelatedNative American Religions1160 Words   |  5 PagesOver the century Native American religions have been repressed and misunderstood. There has been little room for them to actually be able to explain their rituals and why it is important to them as a society. This ignorance’s has resulted in the loss of land, false practices with sacred objects, and a lack of education within the rituals of indigenous religions. 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The basis of their religion also, in some ways, epitomizes modern day religion such as rites of passage. Their differences are shallow in context when it comes to what they view as sacred and holy and including religious rituals that are performed for a specific reasonRead MoreBenjamin Franklins Red Jacket Defends Native American Religion770 Words   |  4 Pagesspeech â€Å"Red Jacket Defends Native American Religion, 1805.† Ethos, logos, and pathos, along with other rhetorical devices are used by both Red Jacket and Benjamin Franklin, which is very important and can help with informing people, and even persuading them into side with a person during their speech. In â€Å"Red Jacket Defends Native American Religion, 1805.,† Red Jacket uses several rhetorical devices in his speech, where he defends the Native American and their religion. Red Jacket states in his speech