Native Spirituality

RitualsSome images taken from Encounter World Religions

Morning Dance

• Performed by Ojibwa of southern Ontario• Also known as “Wabeno”• Pays homage to the “tree of the universe”• All fast and cleanse themselves

beforehand• Male elder plays the drum, leading the

dance around the tree

Morning Dance (cont’d)

• It lasts from dawn to noon• The drummer signals each dancer to

touch the trunk of the tree and give thanks• At midday, the ritual ends with a large

feast of meat and fish

Potlatch Ceremony

• Made illegal by the Canadian government in 1884 – they believed it contributed to idleness and seemed “backward” and wasteful. This ban was lifted in 1951.

• Includes feasting, distributing wealth, sharing songs and dances.

• It is used to celebrate an important event (such as marriage, naming an heir, etc.)

Potlatch Ceremony (cont’d)

• The more wealth that a host gives away, the more status the host will gain.

• The Great Spirit is honoured through songs and dances.

Potlatch Dancers A Potlatch Today

A carving depicting a potlatch

The Sweat Lodge

• The purpose is to renew the soul and regain focus.

• The ritual cleanses both the physical and spiritual body.

• The Shaman directs the building of a sweat lodge: a dome made of saplings, covered with animal skins, cedar or tarpaulin to make it airtight.

The Sweat Lodge

• Heated stones are placed in the center and water is sprinkled on the stones (like a sauna).

The Sweat Lodge

The Sweat Lodge

• Intense heat causes perspiration and cleanses the body.

• Prayers and sacred pipe are shared.• Elder or Shaman coordinates the

ceremony.

Sun Dance

• Banned by the Canadian government in the late 1880s

• Identifies the circle as an important symbol, acknowledging and respecting the sun as the giver of life.

• Performed in the early summer.

Sun Dance

• Dancers dance around the “tree of the universe” (often a wooden pole)

• Some dancers embed sharp wooden hooks deep into their chest and connect the hooks to leather straps that lead to the top of the pole.

Sun Dance

• They dance, pull back, and tear their flesh.

• The scars become a witness/ symbol of their faith

Sun Dance

• The body becomes an offering/ sacrifice to the Creator

• They believe that if they suffer, others will not (from famine, disease, etc.)