Indigenous Spirituality Test Review Flashcards
1
Q
Sacred
A
considered holy or connected with God/The Creator
2
Q
Animism
A
the belief that all people, animals, nature, and geography are inhabited by a spirit
3
Q
Cyclical Worldview
A
Time has no definable beginning and no end, reincarnation
4
Q
Interconnectedness
A
- Everything in the world, both living and nonliving, is interconnected and forms a single whole.
- Humans need to live in balance with the Earth and all of Creation. Paying attention to the physical environment helps one see the power in all of nature’s resources.
- No single person knows all there is to know.
- People are connected within a social structure and by the various roles and responsibilities they fulfill in their families and in their community
5
Q
Eagle Feather
A
- A symbol of power
- Used in many religious, cultural, and political ceremonies
- Flies close to creator
6
Q
Wampum
A
- The Wampum belt represents the relationship between the Indigenous peoples of North America and the “white man” (traditional belief)
- The meaning is also that parallel lines should live in equality forever, side by side
- Wampum are like a treaty contract
7
Q
Dream Catcher
A
- Represent spider webs
- Can be hung on bedroom doors
- Act as filters to “catch” and prevent nightmares that disturb sleep
8
Q
Totem Pole
A
- Totem: a protective being (animal, natural object, or plant)
- Most totem poles display beings, or crest animals, marking a family’s lineage and validating the powerful rights and privileges that the family held
9
Q
Sweatlodge
A
- A structure low to the ground made with saplings bent into a frame and covered in hide/tarp/blankets so it is dark/airtight
- Heated stones are brought in and sprinkled with water
- Like a spiritual sauna
- Participants sweat profusely - physical purification = spiritual purification
- Drumming, chanting, praying, and sharing burdens
- What is shared is held in confidence
- Believed to be womb of mother earth
10
Q
Powwow
A
- Special Indigenous dance that promotes the renewal and restoration of right relationships and the healing of all creation
- Community members come together to sing, dance, and celebrate their identity, heritage, and language
11
Q
Vision Quest
A
- Often a coming of age
- After purifying in the sweat lodge, participants go to a ‘high place’ or hilltop plane alone and without food or water and endure the elements
- They await a vision - bird, animal, or other natural feature of the landscape
- Vision helps them make sense of their life: Who am i? What am I supposed to do in my life?
- 3-4 days
12
Q
What is the Wheel of Life?
A
- Provides a graphic representation of the concept of wellness.
- To attain and maintain harmony and balance in your life you must focus on each of the eight dimensions of wellness
13
Q
What is the Medicine Wheel
A
- Teaches us about equality and respect for all people of the four colours and the four directions on Earth
- Reflects the four directions as creation, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things
14
Q
Drumming
A
- The heartbeat of the universe - the heartbeat is the earliest sound we hear
- Drum construction is wooden frame, cow/deer hide, and a striker made from a switch
- Drum is used in all ceremonies
- Never to be played in anger
- To be treated like the face of one’s Grandmother
15
Q
Smudging
A
A holy act of purification. The cleansing smoke can purify people and places before important events.
16
Q
Residential Schools
A
- Started around 1870s, to assimilate Indigenous culture
- Federal law passed in 1920 made attendance at residential schools mandatory for Indigenous children
- Churches stopped operating in 1984. Last residential school closed in 1996.
- More than 150 000 children, some as young as 4, attended federally-administered residential schools
17
Q
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
A
- They are cherished virtues within many Indigenous communities.
- Virtues = good habits.
- The Indigenous People of North America have different stories and traditional teachings amongst the different tribes and nations
- The Ojibwe teaching tells us that there were seven grandfathers who were given the responsibility from the Creator to watch over the people on Mother Earth
- The 7 Grandfathers were powerful spirits, and recognized life was not good for the people of Turtle Island
18
Q
Courage
A
- The Bear
- Courage to face the foe within integrity.
- Though gentle by nature the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage
19
Q
Honesty
A
- The Sabe
- Honesty to be sincere when facing a situation
- The Sabe which represents this law and teaching symbolically reflects the understanding of honesty
- When you lie or do something bad and hide it from the people, it affects your spirit, not allowing it to grow strong
20
Q
Truth
A
- Turtle
- Truth to know all of these things and live them
- Since the beginning of time the turtle has not changed
- The turtle has been able to adapt to change without changing; thus he represents truth
21
Q
Humility
A
- Wolf
- Humility to know oneself as a sacred part of creation
- The wolf lives within a pack of other wolves
- Each animal has a role within the pack to play
22
Q
Wisdom
A
- Beaver
- Wisdom to cherish knowledge
- The teaching of wisdom is taught to us by the beaver
- The beaver reminds us that we all have gifts and a purpose in this world. It is through the love of knowledge that we find wisdom
23
Q
Respect
A
- The Buffalo
- Respect to all of creation
- No animal was more important to the existence of Indigenous families than the buffalo
- A single buffalo could provide, shelter, clothing, and utensils for daily living
- The buffalo, through giving its life and sharing every part of its being, showed the deep respect it had for the people
24
Q
Love
A
- Eagle
- Love to know peace
- It is the one that can see the farthest and it is the animal that carries the prayers of the people to the spirits
- The eagle is truly loved and respected to the utmost degree and loved unconditionally
- Love is considered the greatest and most powerful medicine and healing agent; love and to love yourself truly
25
Q
Common Threads
A
- Sacredness
- Interconnectedness
- Cycles
- Relationship with Mother Earth
- Beliefs - Animism
- Creation Stories
