Religious Study

Grant's peace policy:

(1871) made statement that they'd bring all Indians to reservations and educate them, "civilize" them, and Christianize them believed he was improving their lifestyle Significance: Grant hoped that this policy would minimize military conflict with the Indians but this actually further suppressed Native Americans with their religion and lifestyle. They were slowly losing their language, religion and traditions.

. Non-violent resistance

(or nonviolent action) is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, Satyagraha, and other methods, without using violence.

The Good Samaritan and excessive altruism

A Samaritan in different ethnicity. What a true neighborly love looks like. Goes out of the way to help the beat up person. (Universal) Significance: Further supported MLK's view on segregation and dealing with white supremacy

Ritual

A behavior designed to help one feel the unseen order of the u0niverse. i.e. Sacrifice Significance: Rituals keep myths alive.

Peyote:

A drug consumed by the Native American people. Significance: It was a very spiritual drug. It helped Lame Deer and many other Native Americans explore their mind and have very meaningful religious and spiritual experiences. It was also used in the Ghost dance to help revive native spirituality.

Yuwipi:

A healing ceremony used by the Lakota's in which they tie the person who needs healing and pray until the animal spirits enter the tipi in order to heal him. After, they untie the man. When someone would lose something, they would go to a medicine man to perform a Yuwipi. it was more expensive than a regular ceremony because you had to buy food and other ceremonial items. No lights exposed, dressed the medicine man kind of like a mummy, sacred stones found on anthills and place them in the tepee, the spirits associated with the stones, and the spirits themselves were the Yuwipi. 2 medicine men. all of a sudden a bunch of lights would go on. the medicine men would line the floor and then they would go to to another dimension/world/geographical place and it would lead them to the lost item? or to the remedy that would cure the sickness. The healer can be an ancestor spirit or an animal spirit(in most cases a dove/4 legged animal).Significance: example of a ritual that helps connect to the earth and nature. It was meant to find someone or heal someone it's in the chapter lights from nowhere.

Myth

A story describing the unseen order of the universe. A story being retold in a new context. Significance: (Example): The "Stone Boy" story in Lame Deer. Exodus story being told by MLK in a new context

Earth Diver Legend

According to my notes from the Professor's lecture, the earth diver legend started with the world once being covered in water. The spiritual beings, who lived above the water, held a council meeting. During this meeting, a number of attendees complained about the lack of food without land, while others chose otherwise. The Eagle, who was the chief, decided that land was essential to their livelihood. Then came the dove who presented himself to the Eagle stating that he would go and find land. He came back unsuccessful. The crawfish then decides to take on the task. He dives into the water and after 4 days (Native Am. sacred number) came back with dirt as proof of discovering land. They go to live on this small island, and as time went on, water began to recede and land started to take over which then brought us to where we are today. Significance: It is possible that the Indians were trying to make their own creation of this story. Sense of an unseen order. It has a representation of death process and creation of earth with death in the middle. Relevant to the Fairgrounds Circle in Ohio.

Fairground Circle/ Ceremonial Mound

Ceremonial mound 3 stories tall, 400 yards across. Circle is surrounded by water. Significance: Its structure mimics the enactment of the Earth-Diver Legend

Elijah M

Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 - February 25, 1975) was an African-American religious leader, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. In his teaching he said that black people were the original people and that whites were the subgroups. they Myth is that Dr. Yacub was exiled and began genetic experimentation and managed to create white people by cross breeding black people and white race emerged from blacks.

Obama's race speech

For the first time in the history of the United States, issues regarding race were being openly talked about in a presidential campaign. Professor Alexander pointed out the story of Obama's first experience at church. Where he relates David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den and Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Stating that those stories were the stories of triumphs, survival, hope and faith of the black community today. Trials and triumphs related with Christians and stories that help rebuild. The trinity services the black community-- church contains struggles and success' that make up experiences of the black community.

. MLK on love

Forgive everyone even if they have done something bad. Nonviolence (Agape)-love because they are fellow human being more like friendship love. Significance: this idea is what lead his movement and appealed to many people suffering from white supremacy Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. By bringing love rather than hate, the individual will recognize that his hate derives out of fear, pride, ignorance, prejudice, and misunderstanding. (From the MLK reading)

Jefferson Virginia Religious Freedom Bill:

Freedom of religion not being forced to practice a religion. Response to the U.S. wanting to have a set religion. Freedom of conscience basic of democracy Significance: becomes basis for Bill of Rights

Oceanic Feeling:

Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. Feeling you are part of something bigger than yourself. Fusion/ flow feeling is foundation of religious experience. (Part of Earth) ex: tripping on peyote in Lame Deer Ex: Ghost dance participation feeling part of the Indian culture as a whole Significance: A feeling achieved through religious ritual.

Chickens come home to roost

How its sins come back to you and haunt you. EX: Malcolm X how JFK assassination was America's fault. Obamas priest said that 9-11 was America's fault.

Establishment clause

In the bill of rights (1st amendment), there cannot be an establishment of a sole religion. "Congress shall make. No law respecting an establishment of religion..." Significance: the state cannot get involved in making religion. Important part of the American revolution/identity & different point of view from how they were doing things in Europe

Marcus Garvey

Jamaican political leader, who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association. He popularized it. Significance: Exile. He wanted all blacks to return to Africa and reclaim their land.

Sun dance

Lakota practiced the sun dance as a prayer and a sacrifice. It is not voluntary but as a result of a dream or a vision. it lasted for 12 days, four days for preparing the campsite, four days for the medicine men to teach the participants the many things they had to know, four days for the dance itself. It began with choosing the sacred pole (cottonwood tree). it stood for the renewal of life. They held piercing ceremonies. they also get a tattoo that represents a kind of baptism. Significance: a chance to actualize their vision; they believe that their flesh is the only thing they truly own and offer it to the land and their Creator. The cottonwood is a sacred tree for the natives. It serves as the center pole of the ceremony and was thought of as the center of the world-holy symbols for the native American people and through it they feel connected to all aspects of nature

Wakan Tanka

Means "the Great Spirit" and also means divine and sacred. For Lame Deer, it could apply to some living things; would give them a vision and a power. All things in nature have wonka tanka and it creates a mix of all things. All things are part and come from wonka tanka Significance: An unseen power/ order. Relevant to religion demonstrating an undertone to Christianity.

Free exercise clause

One of the 2 clauses that make up the "Religion Clauses" of the 1st amendment.Government can't tell you what to believe religiously "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" Significance: Not applicable to non-citizens & didn't apply to everyone. Through its free exercise clause, the 1st Amendment protects the individual's right to freedom of conscience and free expression of religious beliefs.

Religion crimes Code

Outlaws certain religious practices: banned the sun dance and other Native American rituals. No ceremonial dancing. Significance: deprived Indian's from first amendment rights and enforcement of this eventually led to the massacre of Big Foot's band on Wounded Knee. American Religious Experience: forbade Native Americans from practicing any religion that wasn't approved by the white nation. It was a way of using Christian denomination as a form of assimilation.

Massacre at Wounded Knee

Pine ridge reservation in South Dakota where the ghost dance was performed. The government sent out the war department because they felt threatened by the dance. Soldiers killed Indian men, women and children. It was the end of their ability to practice religion freely; the government suppressed it

. Heyoka:

Sacred Clown". It is the trickster spirit in Native American mythology usually in the form of a sacred clown. This character is usually thought of as contrary by nature and uses satire to give a message; they reenact their dreams. Is this title also given to the homosexuals who can foretell the future? No Significance: example of a myth. Makes the right of a situation from the control of the white man. Escape from the norm and have a little fun with their own culture.

Primacy of Possibility

The beginning or origination myth within a religion. Significance: Explains how life/earth began (not present in all religions) hidden in the western tradition realm from which all things derive and may be possible in Western religion; it's debated whether God is the PoP or derived from it. Ex: The earth diver story My understanding of this term is that there are rules that even gods must abide by.

Transformed Nonconformist/ Conforming and religion

You go with the flow. Nonconformists rebel but have a cause to do what they are doing, similar to the MLK bus boycott.

The United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA):

a religious Black Nationalist movement. It was a very sophisticated and organized movement. Africa used to be divided into Spanish, Europeans, and a bunch of other nations.

Stone Boy and Sweat lodge (inipi):

a story about a woman who lost her 5 brothers and was left alone without knowing how to live on her own. She tried committing suicide by swallowing a rock, but the rock made her feel better. She got pregnant and gave birth 4 days later to a boy (Stone Boy) who grew really fast. The boy went on a quest to find his uncles. He saw smoke, followed it, and found an ugly old lady who had 5 bundles inside a circle. He realized they were the bodies of his dead uncles; he killed the lady, and brought the uncles back to life by creating a sweat house with red-hot stones and threw water over them. After this the sweat lodge and the stones became sacred to them and this is why they always purify in an inipi before a ceremony. Significance: reason why the stones and the sweat lodge are sacred to them

. Sacred Pipe

ancient legends say that the pipe is made out of red pipestone rock, which according to them was solidified blood and bones from a flood that had killed many people. "The stem is our backbone, the bowl our head. The stone is our blood." Significance: This was their way of communicating with the Great Spirit and ancestors. The smoke from the pipe rises up and connects with the spirit world.

Religion

belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously our own lives with that unseen order Significance

Satyagraha

developed by Mahatma Gandhi this is a practice of nonviolent resistance Significance: MLK used this practice throughout his movement

Pan-Africanism

early African American nationalists believed themselves to be a separate group had right to their own separate state & leave the conditions of slavery to return to Africa. (Marcus Garvey)

Sacred Hoop

it is the circle of life, continuance, fire without an end. Represents community Significance: Because they have numerous symbols revolving around circles it connects to generations and unity.

MLK I have a dream/I've been to the mountain top speech

parallel to exodus & leading his people (blacks) into the promise land in America. Through working together we could all reach the promise land.F

Ghost dance:

reenactment of Wovoka's (known as the Paiute prophet or Indian messiah and was the ghost dance originator) vision 1889 (late 19th century). He had a vision in which he talked with God, if he performed certain rituals all Indians will live without invaders, diseases (white settlers, smallpox), and ghost dance was used as the ritual. Created a pan unified vision of all tribes. Revitalizing movement. They would dance for 4 days without stopping. They would fall on the ground from exhaustion, trance, or faint, then get up and say they had been dead but are now alive again. Significance: Many saw him as the messiah where he was leading them to salvation and freedom from all the troubles that white settlers brought. Its an example of how ritual and myth work together in religion life and it also led to wounded knee massacre

White Buffalo Woman/Maiden

she was a woman who introduced the pipe and all of the religious ceremonies that the Indians held such as smoking the pipe and praying with the pipe. She told a hunter to tell his people to prepare for her arrival. She arrived the next morning holding the sacred pipe and introducing it to all the people. After she showed them the purpose of the pipe she went away and turned into a white buffalo. And a buffalo is a sacred animal to them. The pipe, man, and buffalo are all one. Significance: example of a myth

Vision quest/Hanblechia

traditionally, adolescent males of the Lakota Sioux as well as many other tribes were prepared to seek a vision. Lame Deer, as commonly done, was left four days in a vision pit without food or water but just a blanket, a sacred gourd rattle, and pipe. There he received his name in a vision of his great grandfather and learned he would be taught to be a medicine man by the bird spirits. Significance: This vision would be a special insight into his life, destiny, identity, and purpose that would transition him into adulthood. (This is what my TA wrote in a handout, if you have anything to add or correct please do so)