Native American Indians
" Death Rituals "
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Vol XCIII, No. 311
$99.99
North American Indians
Coyotero Apache Tribe
Death Rituals:
The Dakota Tribe:
Haunting:
The Navajo Tribe
- The Dakota had various death customs and rituals, burial customs and rituals, and ways of mourning for their dead. One dance the Dakota would perform for their dead is called the Ghost Dance.
- When an Indian died the Indian was not buried. Instead, the Indian's body was wrapped in buffalo hide and placed where wild animals could not get to the body. When a warrior died, his weapons, pipe, and medicine pouch was hung beside him. His horse was either painted with red spots or killed and placed near his body.
- When a wife died, her personal items from the house were hung beside her. Relatives of a lost family member would mourn along side the body of the dead.
- Apache people believed that the ghost of the dead can haunt the living, some even burn the body and even their house and all of his belongings. Members of the deceased's family often moved away to avoid being haunted.
- The Coyoteros, upon the death of a member of the tribe, partially wrap up the corpse and deposit it into the cavity left by the removal of a small rock or the stump of a tree.
- After the body has been crammed into the smallest possible space the rock or stump is again rolled into its former position, when a number of stones are placed around the base to keep out the coyotes.
The deceased being burned
Platform: So the body can decay naturally
The Ojibwa Tribe
Doll Of Sorrow:
Seminole Tribe
Choctaw Tribe
"He who shall not be named":
"Chickee":
- The Ojibwe believe that birch bark is sacred and protects the body from harm. It is used to wrap the body of a loved one before being buried.
- If the deceased was a child The Ojibwa people would cut his or her hair and make a small doll out of it. They called it the "doll of sorrow". The mother of the deceased would carry the doll for a year.
- The Ojibwe believe that spirits are fearful of snakes and displaying this symbol will let them know they are to journey alone. A spirit may also communicate with family through dreams.
The Seminole people put the body of the deceased in what was called a "chickee". It is an open sided building with a roof made of cypress poles and palm fronds. When the body was left there the community left the place and settled somewhere else. After someone died, their loved ones collected all of their belongings and threw them into a swamp.
- The Choctaw people also put the body of the deceased on a plate and left it to decompose naturally. Later they take the skull and some long bones those bones are presented at the feast orginized in honor of the deceased two or three years after his death.
The Navajo
Death Trees and Platforms:
Ghost Dance: From The Wounded Knee
- The Navajo people believed that if you hear an owl at night, it may predict death. The cry of a coyote is a certain sign of imminent evil or death. The Navajo never completely closed the coffin to allow the sprit to be released. No foot prints should be left in or around the grave. The deceased was put on a tree.
- The Choctaw people never mentioned the name of the deceased. They believed that they will call the deceased back and make his spirit restless.