THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
The People of the Plains believed in a Great Spirit or the Creator. The Great Spirit had
power over all things - the animals, plants, humans, stones and clouds. The Earth was the
mother of all spirits. The Sun, which gave the earth light and warmth,
had great power. Visions in dreams were believed to have come from the
spirits. When game was killed there was a prayer or offering to the spirit
of the slain animal.
The Creator gave the Original Peoples a place to live on Mother Earth and their spiritual beliefs, languages and culture.
MOTHER EARTH - A CONNECTION TO NATURE
Mother Earth provided everything the people needed to survive.
They took only what they needed. They lived in balance and harmony
with all of creation. There was a deep respect for the land, the plants and the animals. They believed they were put on this land to protect and look after
this land.
Animals played an important part in their lives and taught them many lessons.
ANIMALS
THE MEDICINE MAN (SHAMAN)
The medicine man was a holy person who had much power and knowledge.
He healed the sick, interpreted dreams, visions and other signs, and led ceremonies.
He prayed to the Great Spirit, decided when to hunt,
tried to change the weather and foretold the future.
When called upon to help someone who was ill, he
smoked tobacco, performed songs and
dances, burnt sage and sweet grass and prayed to the spirits.
There were also medicine women who knew which herbs and plants to use
for healing. These plants were collected and stored in containers. They
were used to treat many illnesses.
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE (MEDICINE WHEEL)
The Circle of Life has many teachings about the universe and how everything is connected.
Everything has a spirit, from a tiny insect to a very large rock. All things created are included in the circle.
Many things have a circular shape. The circle has no beginning or end.
SACRED NUMBER "FOUR"
The number "four" is a sacred number because the Creator made many entities that contain four elements.
The elements occur in a circular pattern.
four directions - north, south, east, west
four seasons - winter, spring, summer, fall
four elements (of the universe) - earth, air, fire, water
four things above the earth - sun, moon, sky, stars
four kinds of plants - grasses, vegetables, trees, flowers
four kinds of animals - insect life (small life forms), water and sky life, two and four legged animals, humanity
four stages of life - child, adolescent (youth), adult, elder (old age)
THE VISION QUEST
A vision quest lasted from one to four days and involved fasting and going to a
quiet, lonely place. A young man would go on a vision quest. It was believed that
he would receive a vision which would tell of his future.
The vision or dream came as a sign from a guiding spirit. The messenger
often took the form of an animal. Upon return to the camp, the
person was taken to the shaman. The shaman would interpret his vision.
The young man might be given a special name.
A medicine bundle would be prepared with tokens to represent the
guiding spirit.
MEDICINE BUNDLE
The medicine bundle might contain an unusual rock, strand of hair, feather,
bird's beak, animal skin,
sweetgrass, etc.
Each item in the bundle had a special meaning to the owner.
It was a very precious possession which
represented a person's spiritual life and
possessed powers for protection and healing.
As the owner grew older more items might be added. Medicine bundles were buried with the owner or
passed on to a friend.
A tribal medicine bundle was much larger and contained special objects which could
only be handled by certain members. It was opened on special occasions.
PIPES
There were different types of pipes used by the First Nations.
Some pipes were made of wood or of a special kind of stone.
Some pipes were plain with no decorations. Some were painted and trimmed with
fur, quills, beads, and eagle feathers and decorated with carvings.
Tobacco and red willow bark were used to fill the pipe.
more about pipes
SHIELD
Shields were round and made from the
heavy chest skin of an old male bison
It was believed that the shield had great spiritual power. It was very important to the
warrior. Birds, animals or symbols were painted on the shield and served to protect the
owner. Eagle feathers were sometimes attached to the shield.
MANDELLA
Mandellas are similar to the shield and were
made from bison hides, eagle feathers, wool and the furs of wild animals.
A mandella was thought to bring good luck and happiness to the
owner. Hanging a mandella in a home was a form of protection.
Each item that made up the mandella had a special meaning for the
person who owned it.
DREAM CATCHERS
The Dream Catcher was made from a hoop of bent willow with a webbing of sinew.
It was hung from a baby's cradleboard or near the sleeping area.
It was believed to sort dreams. The bad dreams
were caught in the web, while the good dreams flowed
through to the dreamer. Dreams held much meaning to the Plains People.
SWEAT LODGE
The sweat lodge was a dome-shaped tent made of willow branches covered with
hides and blankets. In the center of the lodge was a pit.
The sweat lodge ceremony was used for physical and spiritual purification (cleansing),
for meditation and prayer, or in preparation for other ceremonies.
The ceremony was a combination of fire, wood, water and stone. It ususally took a couple
of hours.
SMUDGING
Smudging was done for physical and spiritual cleansing. Certain herbs were
burnt. Smudging meant taking the smoke in one's hands and rubbing or brushing
the smoke over the body. Three plants used for smudging were
sage, cedar and sweetgrass.
DRUMS
The drum was very sacred and
played an important role in ceremonies and celebrations.
People sang and danced to the beat of the drum.
The drum symbolized the heartbeat of Mother Earth.
more about drums
RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES
Religious ceremonies were a very important part of the lives of the First Nations of the Plains.
They had ceremonies to honour the Great Spirit. Ceremonies were held to name a
baby, a girl's coming of age, a boy's first hunt, marriage, and death. The Plains
Indians wrapped their dead and placed them on high scaffolds or trees.
The bodies were left to decay. Then the relatives returned later to bury the bones.
THE SUN DANCE
The Sun Dance was a very important ceremony.
Each tribe had different variations of
the Sun Dance.
THE POW WOW
The pow wow is a time for people to get together and participate in
singing, dancing, feasting, praying, visiting and storytelling.
Some other dances -
- Grass Dance (Sioux)
- Men's Traditional Dance
(dancers wore a U-shaped bustle made of feathers
and colorful beaded outfits.)
- Women's Traditional Dance
- Men's Fancy Dance
- Women's Fancy Shawl Dance
- Straight Dance and Round Dance
- Victory Dance
- Hunting Dance
- Jingle Dress Dance
STORYTELLING
When the Plains Peoples gathered together and feasted, storytelling played an important part.
Stories were told about the earlier times, about heroic deeds, hunting adventures, battles and about animals.
The stories were entertaining, easy to understand and taught lessons, beliefs and values.
Elders usually told stories because they were wise and know about traditional teachings and spiritual ceremonies.
Some stories were personal property and were passed on to another who could then repeat the story.
(note: hide paintings were made to record important events)
SIGN LANGUAGE
The First Nations Peoples had many different spoken languages so sign language was one way
that they communicated with each other. Signs were used by hunting parties and for
surprise attacks on their enemies. Explorers and fur traders also used sign language.
| index |
introduction |
words |
beliefs |
food |
clothing |
tipi |
bison |
| decoration |
family & daily life |
tools |
transportation |
links |
credits for graphics and information
J.Giannetta, June 2002
(updated April 2017)
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