Introduction

Different cultures have different stories that explain and clarify their nature. These different stories explaining nature are referred to as myths. The myths have over the years helped uncover unknown secrets in society and are also a source of moral teachings to society. Most communities have used myths to explain and understand the many mysterious mysteries that exist within the community (Smithers, p 8). Although there has been a tremendous rise in modern day scientific explanations, there are some communities where myths are still a major source of explanation. In this chapter, we will discuss how these myths have impacted the culture, values, beliefs and philosophy of the Native Americans.

Myths and their impacts

Community rituals, practices, and beliefs form an important part of life for the Native Americans. The lives of the Native Americans are defined by these rituals and beliefs that define their families and the community as well. The culture of the Native Americans does not allow parents to raise their children just like that. Instead, the community has a role to play in the upbringing of the children (‘Dictionary Of Native American Mythology’). A family is an important part of the Native American community. The people have over the years maintained their traditions where essential information is transferred from one generation to another.

Native Americans have distinct rituals that help them associate with the community. For instance, there is acommon ‘’Body Ritual among the Nacirema’’ that magical beliefs and practices of Native American. This is a ritual that most f the community members carry out daily to get a sense of belonging to the community. The community of Nacirema has a distinct shrine where charms and other magical potions are preserved. These charms form a great part of life since members of the community believe that no member of the family can live without them. Members of this community perform rituals with the charms to offer to heal to the ailing members of the community. The community ensures that the shrine boxes are always overflowing o full of the charms and potions (Cherry, p. 125). An example of a ritual performed by the community is the mouth-rite. This is a ritual where one inserts a small bundle of hog hairs in the mouth together with magical powders. There is also another ritual performed annually or biannually referred to as holy-mouth-man. The ritual uses several objects such as awls, augers,

prods and probes that are used during this ritual. The ritual involves enlarging holes that decay causes in the teeth by inserting the tools into these holes. Clients are subjected to great torture and in cases where no holes resulting from decay, then large sections of one or more teeth are removed to create space for applying these supernatural substances (‘Dictionary Of Native American Mythology’).

Another cultural aspect that has been described by the myths of the Native Americans is the role of women in the community. A Native American woman was always busy in camps, attended household duties, prepared food for the family, carried heavy burdens, and made clothing. The culture of the Native American depicted a woman as a slave to the husband. On the other hand, the man is treated in a special way where he is expected to sit in the shade and smoked the pipe. The woman despite all the duties bestowed on her had the responsibility of being a source of comfort to the husband. It is, however, prudent noting that the man was and is still considered superior as compared to a woman in the Native American culture. On this note, most of the Native Americans have established some sort of relationships either through friendship or a clan system. There are several myths that explain the decadency of these clans from different ancestral backgrounds. For instance, the clan Iksa is a result of subdivision of the Moieties, who formed the nontotemic, matrilineal ‘kindred’ clans and exogamous from the Choctaw nation. Another tribe by the name Cheyenne also traces the ancestry to a lineage related to women (Smithers, p74). This explains the importance of marriage where men married women, and this assures perpetuity of the clan. The Cheyenne tribe has great value for both the nuclear and extended family.

The different tribe has different roles for men and women and varies across the Native Americans depending on the different cultural inclinations of the tribes. Some societies such as the matrilineal and matrilocal societies considered women as an important part of the society. These communities took women as property owners where land, housing, and other tools belonged to the women (Cherry, p. 125). Thus, the women played a major role in the socioeconomic development of the society.The inheritance process required that women should transfer their assets to their daughters. This culture also required that men should join the wife’s family thus making him a stranger and his only source of authority was from the spouse’s eldest brother. It was therefore very difficult for the man to have any authority in the family. In extreme cases such as the people of Cherokee, Iroquois, and Pueblo, a woman can simply divorce their husband and possess all the family belongings at will (Aftandilian, p. 36).

Another impact of these myths is giving women a role in tribal governance, especially in the matrilineal society. For instance, the Iroquois the government and religious offices were kept within the maternal lineages. The women in the community had the rights to remove matrons from office if his conduct is contrary to the expectations of the women from the tribe (‘Dictionary of Native American Mythology’). It is, however, prudent noting that the affairs of the government were a masculine affair, and the females had the role of providing checks and balances to the males in leadership authorities. It is evident that the different cultural backgrounds of the Native Americans had different tasks set aside for the women. Cooking, cleaning, weaving gathering, attending and to children were the major chores that women in most of the Native American were supposed to fulfill. Nevertheless, some areas such as in the Southwest males were involved in basket making, pottery and weaving roles supposedly meant for women.

Different cultures embraced hunting and gathering as the main supply of food to the community (Aftandilian, p. 51). In communities where hunting was eminent, women had the responsibility of building houses, farming, food gathering and preparing hides and skins. Where agriculture was main activity, especially in Eastern Woodlands, men were involved in building frame houses while the women worked in the fields. Preparing of hides and furs was a shared duty between men and women in these communities. On this note, in the Northwest where fishing communities dwell, men had the responsibility of building plank houses while preparing of fur was a shared responsibility. It is, however, prudent noting that in California and Great Britain chores were shared evenly between men and women except tasks defined for females.

There are some tribes where women had influential roles in tribal councils. In some cases, women are given the responsibility of casting the decisive vote during wars or peace. For instance, there is a myth in the Cherokee tribe where they have a designated female referred to as “Beloved Woman.” The community believed that The Great Spirit spoke has direct communication with the female. As a result, she headed an influential woman’s council and an integral part of the council of chiefs where she had great influence. She also used her authority on prisoners and the community believes that a successor should always be chosen in case of her death. Just like the Cherokee, the Cheyenne regarded women as an important and influential part of the society (Aftandilian, p. 86). The tribe involved women in warfare and at times they fought alongside their men. After the successful war, the community held parties where women danced while waving the scalps exhibited their men’s shields and weapon and enjoyed honors from the men’s success in war.

Food forms an important part of the community, and Native Americans are not an exception. Myths have also influenced food patterns in a great way. There are numerous sacred ceremonies and traditional beliefs among the Native Americans regarding their food. Handling of food, source of food and the way they go getting their foods observes strict provisions of religious beliefs and respect for the ancestors (Smithers, p 164). For instance, the tribe of Eskimo is known for hunting as their primary source of food. Though they carry out hunting to satisfy their physical bodies, the community handles the process in a special way. The Eskimo tribe holds an annual Bladder Ceremony, which has significance meaning to the community. Men

of the tribe have the responsibility of hunting. The community believed that killing an animal also involved killing a body of an ancestor whose soul dwelt in the animal. This implies that the hunting process is not only a source of food but also connects the community to the ancestors. Consequently, extra care is needed in the approach to killing the animal since an ancestor’s soul must be accorded maximum respect.

The ideology of these animals hosting souls of ancestors has great significance to the community (‘Dictionary Of Native American Mythology’). Eskimo believes that their prosperity in the food sector largely depends on their harmony with their ancestors. It is on this premise that the Eskimos will handle the physical body of the prey with the utmost respect. During the Bladder ceremony, the bladder of the hunted animals is supposedly hung in the men’s house. The hanging of the bladder is on the connotation that the ancestors’ souls are held within the bladder. The ceremony ensures that all men are purified during the ceremony. Ancestors are referred to as the Game owners and must be please to ensure that there will be continued availability for something to hunt (Gill and Sullivan, p. 123). After the bladder ceremony, the bladders are returned to their place of origin so that they can regenerate once more ensuring continuous availability of game to hunt. It is a significant ceremony among the Eskimos that ensure that member of the community is at peace with their ancestors. Thus, it connects the Eskimos with their origin.

Just like the Eskimo tribe, the Creek whose main source of food is agriculture has a special way through which they handle food. The crops of these communities receive special treatment that reflects the spiritual order of the world and its creation. The community holds Green Corn Ceremony where the members of the community seek ancestral intervention in crop development. This ritual is performed between July and August when the corn starts gaining color. It is a dangerous period when the crops could suffer from diseases and worms.

The Ceremony involves repairing of the relationship between the community and the ancestors. After preparing the sacred grounds to hold the ritual, fires are extinguished, and men from the community enter in a four-day fasting session (Gill and Sullivan, p. 134). This is followed with lighting another fire that indicates a renewed friendship between the community and the ancestors. The ceremony also involves offerings of corn and other items to the ancestors, actions believed to be critical for bounty harvest in the coming years. In essence, food in most tribes of Native America offered the community a chance to repair their relationship with their ancestors.

Just like there are myths on religion in other cultures, the Native Americans also had their myths on religion and existence of supernatural powers. The Native Americans believe that there is a supernatural power that is in control with of the natural and social world. Different tribes had different ways of appeasing the supernatural beings and spirits through prayers and sacrifices.

Use of different items such as furs, food and tobacco as sacrifices to gods for a bumper harvest, victory in war and a successful hunt was normal among the Native Americans. These ceremonies were led by priests, shamans and in some cases priestesses who were believed to acquire supernatural powers through visions (Smithers, p 114). The religious leaders were believed to have powers to predict the future and influence weather matters which were of great interest to the community. In essence, the myths have to a great extent influenced the culture, religion, values and philosophy of Native Americans.

(Works Cited)

Aftandilian, Dave. ‘Toward A Native American Theology Of Animals: Creek And Cherokee Perspectives’. CrossCurrents 61.2 (2011): 191-207. Web.

Cherry, R. H. ‘Insects In The Mythology Of Native Americans’. American Entomologist 39.1 (1993): 16-22. Web.

‘Dictionary Of Native American Mythology’. Choice Reviews Online 30.09 (1993): 30-4735-30-4735. Web.

Gill, Sam D, and Irene F Sullivan. Dictionary Of Native American Mythology. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1992. Print.

Smithers, Gregory D. ‘A Cherokee Epic: Kermit Hunter’S Unto These Hills And The Mythologizing Of Cherokee History’. Native South 8.1 (2015): 1-30. Web.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?