Native American beliefs

The mystery of the Great

The Sioux, a Plains tribe, relied on nature to keep them alive, so they tried to live alongside nature, trying not to cause too much damage to the environment.

Sioux men and women believed that success and failure in hunting or farming were sent by the Great Spirit. They believed that the changes in the seasons or weather were made by this mysterious Great Spirit.

This Great Spirit was called ‘’ by the Sioux. They believed that everything around them possessed a spirit which they should worship. All of these spirits were controlled by the Great Spirit. ‘Wakan Tanka’ literally means ‘great mystery’.

Religion

The Sioux tribe believed in spirits which could bring good or evil to their tribe. They feared floods, believing that the waves were evil spirits. Unlike the white settlers, the Sioux only killed animals for food. They believed that killing animals for fun (which the white settlers did) was an insult to the Great Spirit!

The Sioux tribe spent much of their lives trying to please the spirits to get their help. For this reason, prayers, offerings and religious ceremonies were very important. They began the day by praying and giving thanks. The Sioux made offerings (to the Great Spirit) of their best dog and horses or their most beautiful possessions, to show their thanks and keep the spirits happy.

The

The Sioux believed that some people in their tribe were especially good at dealing with the spirits. Each tribe had a special medicine man, who was second only to the chief. He was in charge of all ceremonies (weddings, funerals etc.) and was believed to have strong magical powers.

The Medicine Man was expected to do many things, including to protect the tribe from evil spirits. For example, Medicine Men explained thunderstorms by telling ancient legends about the Thunderbird, which shot deadly arrows of lightning from its clawed feet.

When people fell ill, Medicine Men asked the spirits help them make people better. Most medicine men tried medicines based on herbs and plants. They all had good knowledge of plants that could cure illness, so it wasn’t all based on !

Ceremonies and the Sun Dance

The Sioux tribe performed many dances and for the spirits. The most holy of their ceremonies was called ‘Looking at the Sun’. This is what became known as the Sun Dance.

The Sun Dance was very painful for those taking part. The ceremony was carried out to make sure that the power of the sun would come back each day.

It involved torture. Dancing in front of a central pole, men danced around it on tip-toes for up to four days and nights. Men had wooden skewers placed through their chests (usually on their nipples). These were tied with rope to the central pole. The men had to dance until the skin had been ripped free.