Native American Studies > Reference Tools By Topic

Religion

A number of North America’s Native peoples practice some form of Christianity. Many others practice their own indigenous form of religion that may be better defined as following the sacred life of their peoples. Native historians find that the terms “religions” or “myths” do not adequately address how the life of the spirit is conducted. Native peoples generally believe in a relationship of sacredness between humans and animate and inanimate objects. While some Native forms of ceremony and worship are open to view by outsiders, many other peoples have kept their practices private because they have been repressed in the past or subjected to misappropriation. One form of protection, the Public Law 103-344, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, was passed in 1978 and amended in 1994. Issues of relevance in recent writing have touched on the roles of elders in reviving ceremonies, the problem of misappropriation by “plastic shamans,” and the legality of peyote use in rituals conducted by the Native American Church.

Crawford, Suzanne J. and Dennis F. Kelley. American Indian Religious Traditions: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2005. *R- RMRR E98 R3 C755 2005
General overview of disparate belief systems, debunking earlier research.

Dixon-Kennedy, Mike. Native American Myth and Legend. London: Blandford, 1996. *R- RMRR E98 F6 D59 1966
Although Native peoples dislike the term “myth,” this reference tool is well-balanced.

Gill, Sam D., and Irene F. Sullivan. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. Santa Barbara; Denver: ABC-CLIO, 1992.  *R- RMRR E98 R3 G46 1992
Quick access to terms, with cross-references.

Hirschfelder, Arlene, and Paulette Molin. Encyclopedia of Native American Religions. Updated edition. New York: Facts on File, 2000. *R- RMRR E98 R3 H73 2000
Useful for elementary and secondary education research.

I Become Part of It: Sacred Dimensions in Native American Life. Edited by D.M. Dooling and Paul Jordan-Smith. New York: Parabola Books, 1989.  HBC 92-10245

Lyon, William S. Encyclopedia of Native American Shamanism: Sacred Ceremonies of North America. Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO, 1998.  *R- RMRR E98 M4 L98 1998
Helpful in separating fact from fiction in that not all Native peoples employ shamanism, but does explain when it is used for ritual purposes.

Native Religions and Cultures of North America. Edited by Lawrence E. Sullivan. New York; London: Continuum, 2000.   HBC 00-12575

Wall, Steve. Wisdom’s Daughters: Conversations with Women Elders of Native America. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.  HBC 93-10761