culture. This makes it difficult for a predominantly white, European,

secular society to interpret Native Indian spirituality. There is no

single Native American religion, but rather as many religions as there

are Indian peoples. Religion and ritual were a function of all activity:

from the food quest and other survival-related work to technology,

social and political organization, warfare and art. Religion and magic

were fused with practical science; for example, prayer was used in

conjunction with hunting and fishing techniques, and incantations

accompanied effective herbal remedies in the curing of disease. I

would like to elucidate on Native American views in relation to their

As stated by Lester Kurtz, "In a structurally differentiated

society, every institution is given a specialized task; the task of

religious institutions is to tend to spiritual and ethical issues" (167).

Religion played a prominent role in the interpretation of the universe

for the American Indians. It facilitated in the adaptation of human

activity to the patters of nature. Indians were traditionally a holistic

and reverent people, viewing themselves as extensions

of legends, rites and rituals, the core of which remain intact today

cross-fertilization of two indistinct cultural traditions: the Northern

of shamans, and the worship of a Mater of Animals who protects game

Apart from these shared traits, however, Indian religion

community in a harsh and variable wilderness. Indian notions of

Some common words found in the essay are:
Native American, American Indians, Indians Christian, Northern Hunting, Native Americans, Diverse Indian, Lester Kurtz, Spirit God, Ice Age, North American, native american, american religion, northern hunting, native american religion, natural world, native americans, northern hunting tradition, indian religion, hunting tradition, ceremonies sacred objects, sacred objects, american indians, ceremonies sacred,
Approximate Word count = 1056
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)