Knowra Native American religions Native American religions Native American religions are the distinct spiritual traditions of Indigenous peoples of North America, shaped by particular communities, homelands, histories, and relationships with the living world.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas : The diverse peoples descended from populations that inhabited the Americas before European colonization. These traditions belong to Indigenous nations and communities, not to one continent-wide religious institution.
Diné religion : The spiritual traditions of the Diné, centered on relationships, ceremonial practice, and living in harmony. Diné teachings and ceremonies illustrate a distinct tradition rooted in a particular people and homeland.
Indigenous ceremonies of North America : Ritual practices maintained by Indigenous communities across North America for distinct spiritual and communal purposes. Ceremonies enact teachings and responsibilities, though their forms and meanings vary by community.
Cultural assimilation of Indigenous peoples in the United States : Policies and practices intended to replace Indigenous cultures with those of the dominant society in the United States. Assimilation campaigns targeted languages, ceremonies, and community institutions that sustain spiritual life.
Pan-Indianism : Movements and identities that unite Indigenous peoples across distinct nations through shared political or cultural aims. Pan-Indian solidarity can coexist with, but does not erase, distinct religious traditions.
Indigenous land-based knowledge : Knowledge formed through long-standing relationships among Indigenous communities, their territories, and other beings. Homelands shape sacred relationships, practices, and responsibilities in many traditions.
Haudenosaunee religion : The spiritual traditions of the Haudenosaunee peoples, expressed through ceremonies, teachings, and communal responsibilities. Haudenosaunee traditions offer a distinct example shaped by confederacy, community, and place.
Vision quest : A term used for certain Indigenous practices of seeking spiritual insight through disciplined solitude; forms differ among nations. Some communities include solitary spiritual seeking, but the term does not describe a universal practice.
Indian boarding schools : Institutions that separated many Indigenous children from their families and sought to assimilate them into Euro-American society. Boarding schools disrupted intergenerational transmission of language, teachings, and ceremonial knowledge.
New Age : A diverse spiritual movement that combines practices and ideas drawn from multiple religious and esoteric sources. Some New Age practices borrow Indigenous symbols or ceremonies outside their community contexts.
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