Native Americans and Death and Dying

Cultural Beliefs and Rituals of Death and Dying

Ashley Yoder

Tawana Patterson

Jill Patterson

Brice Jenkins

Camella Beale

Inuit

Amish

Native American

American Inuit (Alaska)

Traditions

Realms of Existence

•The Inuit believe there are three realms of existence: the sky, an underworld immediately below earth’s surface, and the deep underground

oThe sky and the “real underworld” are almost the same as earth but it was a mirror image and the seasons are flip-flopped

oThe Angakok could travel between the three realms while in a trance-like state

Inuit’s belief of the soul

•Inuit believe anua, or souls, exist in all people and animals

•They believe the soul is the true “owner” of the body and that the

body is merely an instrument for the soul

•After death, souls may be reborn as either a man or an animal

oTypically, souls of men are reborn as men

The Name of Soul

•The name of a deceased individual is not mentioned until

a child is born to take on the deceased’s name

•When a new child is born, the “old soul” can leave the corpse

and go to the land of the departed

o A variation of this is that when the child is born,

the soul of the deceased relative enters the child’s body to guard and protect the child

oThe “old soul” essentially controls the child’s body until

the child reaches a certain age

oIf there were many miscarriages or a difficult pregnancy,

the child may have many guardian spirits

Inuit Shaman

•The Inuit Shaman is called an Angakoq, (as well as Angakkuit, or Angalkuq)

•The Angakoq is known as a healer/diviner/contactor of spirits similar

•The angakoq is also a pathfinder or guide and is the primary contact between the spiritual and human realms

Death/Suicide Rituals of the Inuit

•The Inuit people must avoid a strict set of taboos in order to maintain favor with the gods and goddesses of nature

•The deceased was placed on a raised area within the home while the villagers gathered and had a feast

•If everything was done properly,

the soul could move on to the afterworld

•Suicide was practiced among older Inuit people

o The elder will announce their decision to commit suicide,

some family members might intervene but typically not

o On the day of the suicide, the elder will dress in the clothes of the dead (clothing that has been turned inside out)

o The suicide takes place in public with the community

coming to pay last respects and “take part”

o The community brings the dead person’s possessions

to a public area and they are destroyed

Amish Traditions

A Taste of Amish Life!

• Origin
• Society
• Major patterns of life

Amish Way of Death

• Community Role
• Family Role

Funeral Arrangement

• Body
• Visitation
• Service
• Graveyard

Native American

Death Rituals

Cyclical view of life and death

• View time through nature and the seasons
• Time is not measured through calendars
• Possibly shapes views of death and seeking support during a crisis
• All creation is sacred
• Separation of living and dead
• Drive away spirits to the afterlife
• Autopsy is usually forbidden

Navajo Culture

• Relatives cleans themselves thoroughly
• After 4 day ceremony, do not speak the name of the deceased
• Gave alternative names for those that have passed

Notes about funerals:

• Elaborate ceremony
• Prepare and bury the body
• Families mourn and give away personal

belongings

• Deceased hair is tied to an eagle feather

• Longer experience, not rushed
• Large group involvement
• Ensure cultural and physical survival

Hopi Culture

• Deceased offered new

names to carry into afterlife

• Cry day of death
• Cry annually to mourn death

• Cyclical
• Each person has duality of soul and body

Tree Burial

• Used by several northwestern native tribes
• Bodies were raised from the ground

Some Native Americans smoke a sacred pipe

• Very spiritual
• Used in mourning the dead and dying

Odawa Culture

Spirituality

• spirit goes to the westward,

across the river

• "walking on”
• don’t say name for 1 year
• circles around eyes, mouth, ears
• pray over the bones, rarely cremate

Funeral Service

• like popular US culture with changes
• drums and farewell songs
• a lot of christianity mixed in

• death bed
• four day period after death
• fire marks the home of the family
• don’t have to follow embalming rules

References

• "Almanac: Native American Medicine Wheel". Penn State Solar Decathlon. Web. 12 Apr. 2011
• "Bear Creek Odawa Homecoming 2010 w/Eagle by the drum". 12 Nov. 2010. Video still. retrieved 31 Mar. 2011
• Boyle, K. H. (1995). Death and Dying from a Native American Spirituality Perspective. , 29-36. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from PubMed.
• Bryer, B. K. (1979). The amish way of death: A study of family support systems. American Psychologist, 34(3), 255-261. doi: 0003-066X/79/3403-025500.75
• Cacciatore, J. (2007). Appropriate Bereavement Practice After the Death of a Native American Child. The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 90(1). Retrieved April 6, 2011

Eskimo mythology - life and death. (1900). Old and Sold, Retrieved from http://www.oldandsold.com/articles26/eskimo-5.shtml Inuit. (2010)

• Latimore, Jo. Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership. Michigan State
• Morrow, A. (2006, October). Amish death, dying, and funeral traditions. Palliative Care. Retrieved fromhttp://dying.about.com/b/2006/10/07/amish-death-dying-and-funeral-traditions.htm
• University Extension. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
• Parent, K. (2010, April). How does the amish culture deal with death and grieving? eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_amish-culture-deal-death-grieving_.html
• Peterson, Maggie. "Native Americans". The Graphic. 03 Jul. 2007. Web. 31 Mar. 2011
• Religion and expressive culture - Asiatic Eskimos. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Asiatic-Eskimos-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
• Things you may not know (2010). In Spirit House: Native Caskets. Retrieved April 6, 2011, fromhttp://spirithousemn.com/

Things_You_May_Not_Know.html

• Understanding Cultural Issues in Death. (2003). . Retrieved April 6, 2011, from NASP Resources.

Mourning