Native Americans did not have one distinctive religion; they had many different beliefs. One main belief of the Native Americans are spirits. Spirits are people who have passed and are not feared, but embraced. "We believe that the spirit pervades all creation and that every creature possesses a soul in some degree, though not necessarily a soul conscious to itself. The tree, the waterfall, the grizzly bear, each is an embodied force, and as such an object of reverence." - Ohiyesa, Sioux 1902 (aka Charles Eastman). One particular spirit that the Native Americans worship is the Great Spirit.The Great Spirit is essentially their God, or the one they worship. Native Americans believed that the Great Spirit gave life to them and life to the land. They also believed that all the animals and clothing were given to them by this God. All Native Americans believe in the Great Spirit. However, different native tribes have different "Great Spirits." For example, the Iriquios’s Great Spirit was the Ha-wen-ne-yu, which was shown through different spirits that controlled lesser things such as: weather and hunting.
Another belief is the totem pole. Although not all tribes had totem poles, the totem pole is a symbol of the Native American life. The totem pole is a large sculpture made out of wood that can act as a symbol of a tribe or family. Each animal that is carved in the totem pole represents a person, either in the tribe or family. That animal is then said to be that persons “guide." Different animals represent different things. For example, the beaver represents determined, strong-willed, builder, overseer, and protector.
What did Native Americans do in their everyday life?
hunted: they hunted buffalo, deer, and other wild game.
spiritual-took time out of their day to be “one with the earth”: the Natives valued the earth and respected it.
medicine- used natural resources such as plants to cure diseases.
arts and crafts: pottery, baskets, blankets, clothing, jewelry.
music: music was a big part of Native American life. They sang and danced in religious ceremonies and also for fun.
Fighting has been going on since the beginning of time. Whether it’s between foreign people or people in our own family, the Native Americans had many conflicts with many different people while having settled in North America. Native Americans fought to settle disputes (that's why they sometimes fight other tribes). One of the most famous conflicts is when the European settlers came to America. The European settlers came to America for free land and more opportunities.
The Native Americans were very nice to the new settlers until they told them to kindly leave. However, the European’s stayed; they lived in there tipis and tried to “wo” the Native American women. Still, the Natives were civil. But one day, the European’s started building their own homes and roads. This is when the Natives realized that they were here to stay. The Native Americans wanted them gone, and they would do anything to make that happen, but they were outnumbered by them. The population just kept growing, larger and larger. The Europeans brought alcohol, weapons and diseases that killed the Native Americans. Europeans were also taking advantage of the land and ended up driving the Natives out.