Shaman and Healer Communication: Understanding Different Religious Beliefs

The Importance of Mythic Narratives in Indigenous Cultures

As you read in Ch. 2 there are many ways a shaman or healer will communicate with the spirits.For Australian Aborigines, the didgeridoo and the bull-roarer help to communicate with the spirits.Getting the attention of the god/gods or communicating with the spirits is an important part of many religions.While you watch and listen to the aborigines communicate with the spirit realm, consider how other religions use "instruments" to communicate with the divine. 

-For this discussion assignment I'd like you to write a summary paragraph explaining what you learned from these films about shamans

-Next, write a paragraph that goes deeper:  Explain what surprised you, and what lessons you could apply to your own life or the world at large 

-Then after reading through your classmates responses, find one who taught you a different perspective and write a response explaining what you learned from them.  

After watching these films on shamans, it showed me just how important it is for their Mythic narratives to be passed down and taught. Shamans are very important for tribes, especially those to indigenous peoples because they rely on shamans to find answers on sickness, as well as being healers. 

I am a skeptic of everything, so I really had to put myself in a sympathetic perspective. I found it really surprising for people who practice Santeria offer different objects ancient dieties, but also combine it with Catholic practices. I can apply this to my own life by understanding that I can truly be a heretic because I can choose to practice more than one religion. 

1. "The sacred lodge of the Algonquin people of North America embodies the essential structures of the universe. The construction itself is
the cosmogony: the doors and windows are the four cardinal directions, each with its own color. The roof is the vault of heaven, the floor the earth."How does understanding the sacred lodge help you better understand the religious beliefs of the Algonquin people.  Explain.

2. The tipiis a typical structure of the tribes of the Great Planes that has religious significance.  Which of the following correctly explains the religious symbols of the tipi?

-Each tipiis an image of the universe.

-The perimeter of the tipiis the edge of the universe,

-The lit fire in the center represents the center of all existence.

-all of the above

3. Navajo hogansare built to represent the Navajo lands.

4. Chantways: retell stories of creation, used for marriages, births, puberty, and healing.  These ceremonies normally take place in  Why is this significant?  Explain.

5. How does healing rituals using sand painting create a sacred space?  Explain.

6. In the "Center of the World" article, it says "On every plane, the significance of the symbolism of the center of the world underlines the fact that at the heart of existence lies an experience and a mode of being entirely different from the ordinary world centered on it".  As an outsider looking at another religion's sacred space, how can you better show respect for its sacredness?  Explain.