Indigenous Religions Flashcards
Indigenous groups of humans (nomads) first worshipped what kind of diety (male or female)?
Goddesses (Mother Nature or Earth Mother)
There are four types of beliefs in God. What are they?
Polytheistic, Trinitarian, Monotheistic, None
What does BC mean for Christians?
BC = Before Christ (time before Jesus’s birth)
What does AD mean for Christians?
AD = Anno Domini (“In the year of the lord”)
Did ancient religions give us the names for our current calendar system?
Yes (Days of the Week based on Old English and a mix of religious mythology; Months of the Year based on Roman Mythology)
How did the earliest Indigenous peoples come to North America?
A land bridge made of ice that covered over the “Bering Strait”. It connected Alaska to Russia 15,000 years ago.
What piece of legislation created controversy and is considered by many today to be racist for indigenous peoples.
The Indian Act of 1876
What is the name of God in Indigenous Culture
The creator, The trickster, Great Spirit or Great Mystery, Shaman
A spiritual leader of a group or tribe who adore to the belief in Shaminism. Both divine and human, they play the role of communicator, educator, healer, prophets and mystic in each indigenous band they belong to.
Shaman
Do indigenous peoples have sacred texts?
No, there are NONE. They pass down their stories orally through tradition. Only the last 100 years have they started to write down their stories.
Who are the people in charge of an Indigenous Bands?
The Elders
What food restrictions to indigenous peoples in Canada have?
They are omnivores. They eat what the land provides them and not over consume.
What do indigenous peoples believe in when it comes to death?
They believe in reincarnation of ones spirit
Religious morals and values that are enforced by the community are called this:
Taboos
These objects are used to describe a connection to nature, spirits and ancestry.
Totems (totem poles)
A written document that sets rules and guidelines for indigenous peoples, and that to disobey them is considered a sin.
Code of Handsome Lake
The religious festival that gives thanks to the creator in the morning
The morning dance
This festival, which is no longer practiced gets adult members to insert hooks into their skin and dance around a pole in the centre to give thanks to the creator.
The sun dance
This religious milestone is used to initiate an adolescent into an adult member of the community by going off into the wilderness to find their purpose in life.
The Vision Quest
This is a religious ceremony that takes place in a tent with rocks heated and steam produced to cleanse the body of spirits
The sweat lodge
This indigenous ceremony has traditional dances and wear masks to connect with the spirits of the community.
The Potlatch ceremony
This ceremony allows the Shaman to connect an individual with the spirits of the past.
The shaking tent
At birth, who names the child?
grandparents
An Ojibwa symbol that was intended to teach natural wisdom. Now, it is used to suppress nightmares
Dream Catcher
This is the most important symbol to the indigenous people
The Medicine Wheel
A human-made stone landmark, used for navigation for various indigenous peoples.
Inuksuk
What are the FOUR (4) core ethics of Indigenous peoples
1) Do not interfere 2) The Community is Important 3) Everything is Shared 4) The Land is Sacred.
What are the three types of indigenous housing?
Wigwam, Igloo, Tipi
What are the three types of indigenous buildings shared by the community?
Longhouse, Plank House, Pit House
In 1999 the Canadian government made this exclusive territory for indigenous Canadians. What is this territory called?
Nunavut
