The Indians of Iowa

A Closer Look: Native Spirituality

A CLOSER LOOK Native Spirituality Traditional Indian spirituality was closely tied to accepted norms within the family, clan, and tribe and was based upon connections to ancestors and traditional territory. Native spirituality was not concerned with converting others; it was specific within the group. Within one’s lineage, there was a strict covenant between the people, the Creator, and the spiritual forces of the land. The center of religious life was the clan, which for most tribes in Iowa was traced through the father. Depending on the tribe, clans were generally identified with animals like the bear, wolf, fox, or buffalo or through other natural elements, such as thunder. Clan religious life was centered on ceremonies, feasts, and rituals and one or more sacred bundles. Bundles were like portable altars and were handed down for generations. Inside were materials used in the ceremonies , such as whistles, pipes, and war amulets. It was usual for a boy to seek a vision before he entered puberty, to gain from animals and other spirits special spiritual help in war, healing, or other tasks. He would blacken his face with charcoal, go to an isolated spot, and wander about alone, fasting. This activity was dangerous, not only because of enemy tribes but because not all spirits were good or friendly. The Creator gave tobacco to native people for specific use in prayer. Only native tobacco was used, sometimes mixed with dogwood or willow bark shavings. No other substances were used in pipes. Smoking was communion with Creator, prayers in one’s breath mingled with the smoke, which was pleasing to the spirits. Another ancient rite was that of the sweatlodge, used for purification and healing. In some ways the sweatlodge was like a sauna, a small covered lodge where water was poured over very hot rocks to produce steam. Extremely hot, in a small dark space, and accom- Native Spirituality 37 panied with prayers and songs, the experience was felt to be like being reborn from the womb. Traditionally, men and women used the sweatlodge separately. Besides the clans, there were other associations such as warrior societies, each with its own dress, rules, and songs. The tribes of Iowa did not perform the Sun Dance, a Plains ceremony; rather, their main tribal ceremony was the Medicine Dance. This secret ceremony in a long lodge centered on the use of adoption, initiation, and feats of spiritual power such as “shooting” each other with invisible “darts” from otterskin bags. Originating among the Ojibway, it was most popular among Iowa’s tribes during the 1700s and 1800s. Another ceremony was the Drum Dance or Dream Dance, not to be confused with the popular powwow. However, the powwow does carry spiritual significance for many people today. Many have heard of the Native American Church, in which peyote , a type of cactus from Texas and Mexico, is used. Peyote is not smoked but is most commonly eaten as a button or powder or drunk as tea. It usually makes participants throw up impurities, and visions can come but not always. It is mostly a medicine for healing, especially effective against alcohol, but it is traditionally used only within a proper all-night ceremonial context, in a group, with a special form of water drum, rattle, and singing. It is treated very seriously by native people. Today, native spirituality is still connected to ancestral bloodlines and sacred places. However, many of the larger tribal celebrations are no longer held, and traditions are often carried on privately within the family. Many families combine elements of traditional spirituality with Christian worship. Still, the connections must be maintained with the tribal community. Some families still pray with tobacco and pipe or cigarette, participate in clan or healing ceremonies, use the sweatlodge, attend Native American Church meetings, and reconnect through powwows. These ways are held sacred and private, shared only with family members and the closest of friends. They are never for display. 38 Native Spirituality Unlike Christianity, Indian religion was never about conversion or attracting new believers. The Creator had given each tribe its own set of laws and beliefs, which that tribe accepted as a covenant for itself only. Also, while elders were respected and looked to for guidance , ultimately every person made his or her own relationship with God. The Indian way was to follow the rules of the community and when necessary go right to the source—the ancestors, the land, and the Creator. Often through dissatisfaction with their own...