Native American Religion Introduction

Individuals’ understanding of Native American religions changed substantially at the end of World War II. This book’s introductory understanding of Native American religions creates a basic appreciation of different geographical groups and their views of the natural world. Today, a more spiritual appreciation of Native American achievements creates respect for their convictions and their ultimate spirituality for surviving generations after generations.

Authors Denise Lardner Carmody and John Tully Carmody wrote “Native American Religions an Introduction”, as an introductory textbook for undergraduate students as well as non-specialist historians. The authors’ recount of Native American religions span numerous geographical groups. This book quickly covers Eskimos of the far north territory and the natives of Tierra del Fuego of the southernmost region of South America. The text also includes religions developed in what is the United States, Canada and Mexico. Among the native groups the Carmodys tell of the views of the natural world, social thought, convictions of one’s self and the ultimate reality and spirituality which forms their very existence. This text gives the reader insight into the Native American’s regard for the animal world. In addition, their world thrived in tribal living, the belief of taboos, surrounding spirits, death, the afterlife and several other life styles. …show more content…
Apart from a few anthropologists and ethnographer, most scholars would have considered native religious ways “primitive.” Only with the advent of more sophisticated understandings of myths, rituals, symbols, and social organization that social scientists have developed since World War II has it become clear that native Americans, like native Africans and Australians, have had a genius equal to that of native Europeans or