The Native American culture is vastly different from "white eyes" culture and each tribe or Nation differs from each other. This Post is not a critique of their long and rich tradition. Perhaps at another time I will give you more of my impressions, This Post deals with the way some tribes and Nation deal with death. There are about 200 tribes and/or Nations in Oklahoma. I am personally familiar with about 10 of them.
One Nation, The Citizens Potawatomi Nation lists obituaries in their newspaper under a heading---Walking On. I personally like that term because the Bible tells us that physical death is not the end.
Some of the more traditional tribes and/or Nations have funeral ceremonies without a church or chapel. Graves are for the most part all hand dug.
Many light a campfire from the time of death until the burial. A Wake can last a few hours or until the next sunrise. Some burials consist of what we would call a Christian service followed by an Indian ceremony.
When the body is placed in the grave, and Elder or Chief directs a cadre of men with shovels to start filling it in. Older men, women, and children are provided a handful of dirt from one of the shovels which they sprinkle into the grave.
Let me be very clear---some of the most Christ -like and dynamic Christians are Indians who have broken from the traditional Indian ways. I pastor several of those wonderful people.
There is much I do not understand. What I do understand is the stereotype of Indians is for the most part very, very wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment