Post by hushasha40 on Mar 10, 2007 19:33:11 GMT 1
Soul of the Indian
by The Rev. Mark Loyal
The soul of a native or indigenous person is not much different from the soul of any other or is it? If we look deep into the soul of each person, we find that there are distinct differences. There are experiences, memories, attitudes, beliefs and values that make up one's spirituality. This is true for the indigenous people of Canada. Whilst there may be differences individually, we find that as a whole there are certain experiences, values, beliefs and attitudes that make up the soul of an Indian. These values and experiences are quite different from those of a non-indigenous person living in Canada. This article will explore the values, beliefs and attitudes of indigenous people of our country that have shaped what the soul of an Indian is.
The starting point is to acknowledge what the past was like for the first nations of this country. What was their experience of God? How did they perceive themselves in the eyes of God? What did their soul look like? What values, beliefs and experiences came together to shape the soul? I will examine some of these questions at the start of this article. Then, one must ask what was the soul of the Indian at the time of the European visitation and contact, and later what took place in that soul as a result of the relationship between these two cultures? We will conclude by asking what the future soul of a native person living in Canada must be if that person is to survive as an indigenous individual.
The original people
The original people lived vastly spread out throughout this land. They were greatly influenced by the environment and this shaped their spirituality and their soul. They became as the environment dictated to them. This environment and determination for survival shaped the soul.
What was the soul of the Indian in the very beginning, when he or she found him or her self on the Great Lakes, or surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, or fishing for salmon from the Pacific Ocean?
Native literature refers to the term of the "Great Mystery" at the very beginning of Indigenous history. The indigenous person saw all of the wonders around him and could not explain it, and thus his soul became defined. He saw the creation he was a part of as a mystery, but this soul decided to enter into this mystery, by trying to explain all that he witnessed. The soul of this Indian attributed creation to a being able to create and bring the wonders around him into being.
This soul developed a deep awe for this great mystery. This awe of his soul led to a deep respect for all creation. Sometimes, this respect was based on fear and perhaps superstition. But I think that this so-called respect and superstition were an attempt by the Indian to unite his soul to that of the great mystery. He developed a spirituality that perceived that all living things depended on the Great Mystery, and in order to survive he attempted to embrace the Great Mystery through relationship.
This relationship involved respecting the life around him and the life within him. The soul yearned so greatly for this great mystery that he began a life of spirituality, seeing life as sacred and attributing all events to this mystery. In his yearning, the Indian soul developed a relationship with this great mystery by calling him "Creator." As the soul cried out to the Creator, the Indian perceived that the Creator was helping him and so his soul developed a deep appreciation for his gifts of help. His soul was filled with thanksgiving, and in order to express it, the soul reached out in sharing with others the things he received from the hands of the Creator.
In the origin of the indigenous person's life this was his soul. A soul filled with wonder and awe at the world around him. His soul saw a connection between his life and the Great Mystery. In his attempt to survive he yearned to connect with the Creator through a relationship with all living things and the source of them.
Once he came to a realization that this life could be trusted, his soul was one, which became thankful to this mystery. His soul could not hold back, and he had to express his thankfulness through sharing all that he had received with those around him.
The great visitation
The native person was forced to examine and question his soul once again. He had questioned the Great Mystery and came to the realization of a Creator governing life. Now, he had to wonder about the visitation of a race of people from a different place and of a different skin colour.
This made the soul fearful. Some were suspicious and afraid. Others were kind and hospitable and welcomed the strangers. Others traded with them in order to embrace newfound treasures and riches. Others were hostile and fought for what was theirs. In all of this, the soul of the Indian was facing confusion. Who were they? And who were these white visitors? As their contact with these strangers became more intense, the soul questioned their own values and ways. Some abandoned them and adopted those of the white stranger. Some retreated and hid from them keeping to their own kind. This struggle in the midst of a strong people brought fear and confusion to the soul.
As time went on, the Indigenous perspective was not appreciated by the stranger, the language, customs and religions were deemed barbaric. Many were forced to give these up. This was all they ever knew, and thus the soul of the Indian was becoming dark. Darkness was setting in because they were being alienated from themselves and their God. This alienation caused the soul of the Indian to start again and question; Who am I? Where did I come from?
This time, however they were surrounded by unfamiliar circumstances and situations. Freedom had been taken away from them. They were no longer allowed to roam or hunt or fish, or farm wherever they wanted, but were confined to small areas of land in places where others refused to live.
The soul of the Indian was now confronted with despair, and life became unbearable for many. In order to dull the pain some turned to pleasures and addictions, which destroyed their families and their souls. The fear, which once loomed so boldly within this soul, was now swallowed up by despair. Some escaped and assimilated into modern culture, but there was still a sense of loss and despair within the soul.
The future
The future of our soul lies in pride for our heritage, for who we are as children of the Creator. This must be a healthy pride, one which says God has made me the way I am and accepts me and so I too can accept my past, my heritage and my future. My future as an indigenous person lies in developing a solid relationship with God, creator, Jesus. This is the way back for native people. It is the way back to a life of fulfillment and peace.
The soul of the Indian must be deeply rooted in a relationship with God to fulfil who one is as a native person. The soul of the Indian rests in taking responsibility for life. First to embrace life by developing a deep relationship with God and second to master one's life by taking responsibility for the past, present and future.
Conclusion
When our ancestors looked at the sun they saw God's face, when they walked in the moonlight they felt God's presence, and when they carried out daily tasks they knew God's guidance. Since that time, many things have happened to our people which have driven us away from this experience of the soul. Through pride and acceptance in who one is as a native person and embracing the culture, through deepening your relationship with God and Jesus, Creator and through being proactive in daily life, the native person will be able to see once again God's face in the sun, and feel his presence in the moonlight, and to know his guidance every step of the way.
The soul of the Indian will find rest and refreshment, justice and peace as the soul seeks out it's Creator like the ancestors. The soul of the Indian will live and not die as it embraces all that is good and noble and helpful in its indigenous traditions. Lastly, the soul of the Indian will find perfect harmony in all life when it claims proper responsibility for its life.
The Rev. Mark Loyal is of the Seneca Nation (Turtle Clan), Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Adopted by the Kainai Reserve, Alberta, and given the name Makoytoh oo mi (Wolf Caller), he is serving as the incumbent of the Anglican parish of St. Paul's and St. Thomas, Blood Reserve in Alberta.
[This article is reprinted, with the author's permission, from First Peoples Theology Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1 - July 2000.]
by The Rev. Mark Loyal
The soul of a native or indigenous person is not much different from the soul of any other or is it? If we look deep into the soul of each person, we find that there are distinct differences. There are experiences, memories, attitudes, beliefs and values that make up one's spirituality. This is true for the indigenous people of Canada. Whilst there may be differences individually, we find that as a whole there are certain experiences, values, beliefs and attitudes that make up the soul of an Indian. These values and experiences are quite different from those of a non-indigenous person living in Canada. This article will explore the values, beliefs and attitudes of indigenous people of our country that have shaped what the soul of an Indian is.
The starting point is to acknowledge what the past was like for the first nations of this country. What was their experience of God? How did they perceive themselves in the eyes of God? What did their soul look like? What values, beliefs and experiences came together to shape the soul? I will examine some of these questions at the start of this article. Then, one must ask what was the soul of the Indian at the time of the European visitation and contact, and later what took place in that soul as a result of the relationship between these two cultures? We will conclude by asking what the future soul of a native person living in Canada must be if that person is to survive as an indigenous individual.
The original people
The original people lived vastly spread out throughout this land. They were greatly influenced by the environment and this shaped their spirituality and their soul. They became as the environment dictated to them. This environment and determination for survival shaped the soul.
What was the soul of the Indian in the very beginning, when he or she found him or her self on the Great Lakes, or surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, or fishing for salmon from the Pacific Ocean?
Native literature refers to the term of the "Great Mystery" at the very beginning of Indigenous history. The indigenous person saw all of the wonders around him and could not explain it, and thus his soul became defined. He saw the creation he was a part of as a mystery, but this soul decided to enter into this mystery, by trying to explain all that he witnessed. The soul of this Indian attributed creation to a being able to create and bring the wonders around him into being.
This soul developed a deep awe for this great mystery. This awe of his soul led to a deep respect for all creation. Sometimes, this respect was based on fear and perhaps superstition. But I think that this so-called respect and superstition were an attempt by the Indian to unite his soul to that of the great mystery. He developed a spirituality that perceived that all living things depended on the Great Mystery, and in order to survive he attempted to embrace the Great Mystery through relationship.
This relationship involved respecting the life around him and the life within him. The soul yearned so greatly for this great mystery that he began a life of spirituality, seeing life as sacred and attributing all events to this mystery. In his yearning, the Indian soul developed a relationship with this great mystery by calling him "Creator." As the soul cried out to the Creator, the Indian perceived that the Creator was helping him and so his soul developed a deep appreciation for his gifts of help. His soul was filled with thanksgiving, and in order to express it, the soul reached out in sharing with others the things he received from the hands of the Creator.
In the origin of the indigenous person's life this was his soul. A soul filled with wonder and awe at the world around him. His soul saw a connection between his life and the Great Mystery. In his attempt to survive he yearned to connect with the Creator through a relationship with all living things and the source of them.
Once he came to a realization that this life could be trusted, his soul was one, which became thankful to this mystery. His soul could not hold back, and he had to express his thankfulness through sharing all that he had received with those around him.
The great visitation
The native person was forced to examine and question his soul once again. He had questioned the Great Mystery and came to the realization of a Creator governing life. Now, he had to wonder about the visitation of a race of people from a different place and of a different skin colour.
This made the soul fearful. Some were suspicious and afraid. Others were kind and hospitable and welcomed the strangers. Others traded with them in order to embrace newfound treasures and riches. Others were hostile and fought for what was theirs. In all of this, the soul of the Indian was facing confusion. Who were they? And who were these white visitors? As their contact with these strangers became more intense, the soul questioned their own values and ways. Some abandoned them and adopted those of the white stranger. Some retreated and hid from them keeping to their own kind. This struggle in the midst of a strong people brought fear and confusion to the soul.
As time went on, the Indigenous perspective was not appreciated by the stranger, the language, customs and religions were deemed barbaric. Many were forced to give these up. This was all they ever knew, and thus the soul of the Indian was becoming dark. Darkness was setting in because they were being alienated from themselves and their God. This alienation caused the soul of the Indian to start again and question; Who am I? Where did I come from?
This time, however they were surrounded by unfamiliar circumstances and situations. Freedom had been taken away from them. They were no longer allowed to roam or hunt or fish, or farm wherever they wanted, but were confined to small areas of land in places where others refused to live.
The soul of the Indian was now confronted with despair, and life became unbearable for many. In order to dull the pain some turned to pleasures and addictions, which destroyed their families and their souls. The fear, which once loomed so boldly within this soul, was now swallowed up by despair. Some escaped and assimilated into modern culture, but there was still a sense of loss and despair within the soul.
The future
The future of our soul lies in pride for our heritage, for who we are as children of the Creator. This must be a healthy pride, one which says God has made me the way I am and accepts me and so I too can accept my past, my heritage and my future. My future as an indigenous person lies in developing a solid relationship with God, creator, Jesus. This is the way back for native people. It is the way back to a life of fulfillment and peace.
The soul of the Indian must be deeply rooted in a relationship with God to fulfil who one is as a native person. The soul of the Indian rests in taking responsibility for life. First to embrace life by developing a deep relationship with God and second to master one's life by taking responsibility for the past, present and future.
Conclusion
When our ancestors looked at the sun they saw God's face, when they walked in the moonlight they felt God's presence, and when they carried out daily tasks they knew God's guidance. Since that time, many things have happened to our people which have driven us away from this experience of the soul. Through pride and acceptance in who one is as a native person and embracing the culture, through deepening your relationship with God and Jesus, Creator and through being proactive in daily life, the native person will be able to see once again God's face in the sun, and feel his presence in the moonlight, and to know his guidance every step of the way.
The soul of the Indian will find rest and refreshment, justice and peace as the soul seeks out it's Creator like the ancestors. The soul of the Indian will live and not die as it embraces all that is good and noble and helpful in its indigenous traditions. Lastly, the soul of the Indian will find perfect harmony in all life when it claims proper responsibility for its life.
The Rev. Mark Loyal is of the Seneca Nation (Turtle Clan), Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Adopted by the Kainai Reserve, Alberta, and given the name Makoytoh oo mi (Wolf Caller), he is serving as the incumbent of the Anglican parish of St. Paul's and St. Thomas, Blood Reserve in Alberta.
[This article is reprinted, with the author's permission, from First Peoples Theology Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1 - July 2000.]