A Person Or Animal Lives on After Death Through That Spirit

Aboriginal Spiritual Beliefs

Animism

Many aboriginals believe everything is alive – all living things are in close connection with each other

Animism – a belief that all things, human and non-human have spirits and souls

A person or animal lives on after death through that spirit

Although there is belief in one Creator, other spirits who are less powerful than the creator also guide human activity

They turn to many spirits because of the various needs in life

Existence of a supernatural force that connects humans to all other living things

Many Aboriginal legends include reincarnation, or rebirth – some believe spirits return as stars (“The Lion King”), as animals, or in man-made objects

The Circle of Life

'You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days, when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living centre of the hoop and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The East gave peace and light, the South gave warmth, The West gave rain and the North, with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion. Everything the Power of the World does, is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard the earth is round like a ball and so are the stars. The Wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is in everything where power moves. Our Teepees were round like the nests of birds and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children. "

(Black Elk Speaks, pp. 198-200) Spiritual Advisor to the Oglala Sioux in 1930.

The Medicine Wheel

Understanding the Medicine Wheel requires an understanding that a person’s life consists of conquering four hills: Infancy, Youth, Maturity and Old Age.

The Four Hills
South: Infancy, a time of innocence and trust where the reception into life occurs.

West: Youth, is a time of introspection. The time of solitary vigil and quest for vision. This youth seeks a sign of the Great Spirit’s continuing presence. This is the time when a power animal attribute enters a Native individual’s soul becoming a part of his or her name. (Sitting Bull, Black Elk, Crazy Horse and so on).

North: The hill of maturity, represents the successful realization of ability and ambition. Sympathy with life itself grows in this quarter.

East: Old age, represents a quiet, reflective and meditative segment where the old one now can pass on their knowledge to youth as they have mastered the meaning of joy and sorrow and the many other trials and tribulations encountered over the course of their existence.

The Four Powers

Each of the four directions represents a particular way of perceiving things. No one direction is considered superior to the other. We should seek and explore each of the four great ways in order to gain a thorough understanding of our nature in relation to the surrounding world. The four directions embody four powerful natural forces representing seasonal influences.

North: represents Wisdom. Its colour is white, its power animal is the buffalo and its gift is strength and endurance.

South: gives the gift of warmth and growth after winter is over. Its colour is green (or sometimes red), its power animal, the mouse.

West: is the place of introspection (looking within one’s spirit). Its colour is black, its gift is rain and its power animal the bear.

East: is marked by the sign of the Eagle. Its colour is gold for the sun’s illumination, the new dawning sky and enlightenment. Its gift is peace and light.

The Seven Grandfathers Teachings
LOVE, RESPECT, BRAVERY, HONESTY, HUMILITY, WISDOM, AND TRUTHFULNESS

The Seven Grandfathers are traditional teachings given by the Creator to the
Ojibwe to teach them what is important so that they know how to live The
Seven Grandfathers are traditional teachings on LOVE, RESPECT, BRAVERY, HONESTY, HUMILITY, WISDOM, AND TRUTHFULNESS. Each of the Grandfathers is a lesson that is viewed as a gift of knowledge for the learning of values and for living by these values.

Although each teaching represents a wealth of wisdom on its own, collectively they represent what was needed for community survival. The Ojibwe were taught that the Seven Grandfathers could not be used in isolation. To practice one without the other would amount to practicing the opposite of that teaching. Therefore, to not love is to be fearful; to not be humble is to be egotistical; to not be honest is to be dishonest; to not be courageous is to be cowardly.

Central to this philosophy, or worldview, is the emphasis on the larger perspective, the effects on others, the family, the community, the region and the universe, as the Ojibwe (and other Aboriginal peoples) believe that all beings are connected, like links in a chain. A belief in the interdependence of all living things frames Aboriginal value systems. Animals are no less important than humans, and plants are no less important than animals. Water and wind, sun and moon and the changing of the seasons are all related to each other and to humans. We are all part of one great whole. As this awareness dictates a vision of the world as a whole, traditional Aboriginal thinking concludes that life forms maintain their health and balance through the focus on harmony as opposed to individual wants or needs. The Seven Grandfathers were designed to achieve harmony.

Love ... is a feeling that has no boundaries. Give it... Accept it... and feel its power.

Respect It must come from within. It is not to be demanded, it is to be earned and given freely from the goodness of your heart!

Bravery“Let the Great Spirit bless us with the courage to keep the circle strong. Never give
in. Never give up.

HonestyKeep your life simple....speak the truth, choose honesty and kindness as your guide and happiness will follow you.

HumilityReach out ... Let Peace and Harmony unite all Nations!

Wisdom It is to be discovered on your journey through life.., in a wild flower, in the face and words of an elder. If you listen you will hear it in every sound, if you look you will see it in all things!

Truthfulness Telling the truth means you don’t tell lies to protect yourself or anyone else, Show others who you are without exaggerating or trying to impress!