Spirituality

Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories and Ceremonies by Bobby Lake-Thom is one of the research materials that I want to include in my bibliography. This book simply explains, as the title inform, the importance of nature and its spirituality which, without a doubt, is a part of Native Americans Culture. Here, I would like to analyze the first chapter of this book called : 

A Spiritual Understanding of a Nature.

In this section, author gently suggests that Europeans who came to American continent, simply misunderstood American Indians when it comes to worshiping the Creator. Actually, new-comers assumed that they did not believe in the same God, but, strangely enough, uttered their prayers to living creatures (animals), stars or plants. This experience made Europeans arrive at a conclusion that those red-skinned people are undoubtedly pagan. However, they were totally wrong, because what they saw, was just the way Native Americans were showing their respect and praising the God, namely, by glorifying His creation.

No matter how strange it appeared to Europeans, the reason why Indians prayed to Nature (to put it simply) is the assumption that every little thing created by God (or Great Spirit) has its own ubiquitous spirit connected to this Great Spirit whose life -giving force emanates from them. What is more, there is mutual connection between human being and Nature that is why it is of importance to worship it.

Native Americans established communication with natural world. Observing the natural processes, phenomenon or behavior of plants and animals, and thanks to human instinct, they discovered the ability to forecast the weather, changing of the seasons, the onset of natural disasters and many, many others. This constitutes a great harmony between Nature and mere mortals.

All of this may seem a bit confusing and implausible, but as the author of the book informs readers in the Introduction, it might be difficult to understand the material if one is not raised among Native Americans.