Native American Spirituality

— A Different Lens—

Native American spirituality is not a single set of doctrines or ideology but rather it represents a quilt of diverse tribal-specific practices across indigineous Nations in North America.   While every tribe has its unique creation stories, languages and ceremonies, there are several core foundational indigenous beliefs. Here are a few of them. Everything in existence, humans, animals, trees, plants, rivers, fire, wind, etc. possess a living spirit.   There is no separation between the sacred and the secular.   The Creator or Great Spirit is not a human-like deity but a vast cosmic mystery and energy.   Humanity is part of nature and not the master of it.   Humans take only what they need to survive and offer prayers, gratitude and thanks thereby insuring proper cosmic balance.   Time is not solely perceived as linear but rather circular.   Thus we have the changing of the seasons and the sacred circle of life, death and rebirth.

Native American spiritual traditions are vibrant, evolving, and actively practiced today by millions of Indigenous people across urban and reservation communities.

Historical colonization of North American systematically attempted to suppress or eradicate Indigenous spirituality. Traditional ceremonies, languages, and dances were legally banned in this country for decades. Thankfully, Native Americans are now guaranteed by law the right to practice their traditional religions freely. A primary focus of contemporary Indigenous spirituality is the preservation of ancestral lands. They are living sanctuaries vital to specific tribal ceremonies and creation narratives.

There is often an unique spiritual and ceremonial role played by lgbtq Native Americans . Rather than viewing sexuality and gender through a strict binary lens, Native American nations traditionally recognize a third or fourth gender role that encompasses both masculine and feminine traits. Because these individuals carried the spirits of both genders, they were believed to have the ability to see the world from multiple perspectives simultaneously—a concept often described as “seeing twice.” This dual nature made them ideal intermediaries between the physical and spiritual worlds, as well as between men and women within the tribe. A person’s path into these roles was typically triggered by supernatural intervention, such as powerful dreams, visions, or spiritual signs during puberty.

Many Americans today can proudly claim Native American ancestry, if not by blood then some link in their family’s history. My friend David has an interesting story about his family’s link.

For as long as I can remember, I believed I had Native American ancestry. My family passed down the stories and my cousins echoed them. When my DNA results came back showing zero Native American ancestry, I was crushed and confused. But having that DNA report in hand became the key to unlocking my true family history. That single test opened up a completely new story: I discovered sisters I never knew existed, and I finally tracked down the real origin of our family’s connection to Native history. It turns out that during the French and Indian War, one of my ancestors’ wives was captured. Because Maine was still a frontier district of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, colonial Puritan laws heavily restricted non-Christian burials. Because she was non-Christian, she was either denied a Christian burial or chose not to have one. The history was real, even if the DNA wasn’t what I expected. Uncovering the truth didn’t take away my family’s past—it gave us the full story.

David’s assumption it that because his relative had been captured and then returned to the land of her husband which was surrounded by Native lands, she was assumed to be a Native herself and denied a Christian burial, or maybe she made it known she did not want one in solidarity with the Natives she lived with in captivity. Important stories and troubling times in America’s history.

In conclusion I would like to share a short reflection by Black Elk, a renowned Oglala Lakota medicine and holy man and second cousin to the war leader Crazy Horse. Born on the Little Powder River (in modern-day Wyoming), Black Elk experienced a foundational spiritual vision at age nine that shaped his life’s work and his deep concern for the unity and survival of his people. He died in 1950.

Here are his words: “The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers; and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit; and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.”

A wise man, indeed.