Native American Religion Research Paper

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When the Native Americans encountered the Europeans in the New World they began a new religious journey. Although, the Native Americans arrived before the Europeans, they came in contact with Europeans and they shared their practices with one another. Some Native Americans resisted European missionaries by claiming that the Bible talked about a world that was not like the one which they lived in. The Native American religion was one that had a main purpose to live in harmony with the natural world. The religious experiences of Native Americans included various practices, rituals, and traditions that allowed them to have a better understanding of the world.
 Native Americans faced adversity from the colonizing of the Europeans. In response to…show more content…
However, Native American groups did not have an actual word for religion. Religion in Native American societies is viewed as a culture. Each Native American tribe had its own origin story that explains their upbringing and background. Along with this, each Native American tribe had community rituals they would practice. Native Americans believed that every tribe had its own sacred stories and rituals on which the world was based (Lecture 1). There were also similarities within different Native American groups. All Native Americans had the understanding of the old and new world. They believed that our world and an outer world were interwoven (Lecture 1). They believed that they were tied by kinship, ancestors, and gods. The Native Americans also saw timing as a principal in their culture. The diversity and similarities in Native Americans religion demonstrate how culturally diverse the Native Americans were in the face of adversity from the…show more content…
The reason that Native American religions began to change was because they encountered Europeans. It was due to syncretism, millennialism, and conversion. Syncretism was the mixing and harmonizing of elements from different religions. Next was Millennialism which was the variety of new religions. Lastly, was conversion and how Native Americans could convert to various denominational forms of Christianity (Lecture 1). When it came to these three ways, Native Americans had a choice of what they wanted to practice. By Native Americans encountering Europeans, it allowed for a change in their religious experience and contributed to the changing of their practices, rituals, and
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