Canadian Aboriginal Rituals, Worship and Festivals
The Canadian Aboriginal people share the religious theme of animism. This is shown through their rituals and ceremonies which all involve some sort of natural process or ceremonies that worship or pay respect to the interconnection of all things in the world and in nature.
Rituals
The traditional practices of the aboriginal people have a strong connection to the physical environment and landscape. They are performed with the belief that all life is interconnected and each part serves its own purpose. Some rituals are performed daily and others are performed in a seasonal manner or to mark special events in a persons life. Traditional Aboriginal spirituality believes that everything is filled with the power of the spirits. By being attentive to the physical environment, people see the power in the environment. Prayer is also important. In earlier times, time was set aside for praying, fasting, and making sacrifices to charm evil spirits that played havoc with the hunt or caused sudden storms. A daily prayer or prayers could come in the form or order of:
There are many rituals that are completed during the life of a person of Canadian Aboriginal faith. These include the following.
- A variety of sung and spoken forms, usually spontaneously from the heart; some involve offering a gift or sacrifice
- Prayer is done before and after actions such as waking, sleeping, hunting, planting, and harvesting
There are many rituals that are completed during the life of a person of Canadian Aboriginal faith. These include the following.
Smudging
Smudging is a holy act that is the most common as it is completed in most rituals of Canadian Aboriginal faith. Sacred herbs are burned in a shell or earthen bowl (bowl made of compressed earth or earthy materials), and the smoke is brushed over the participants. It is used to purify people and places, such as before a wedding or powwow (ceremony involving feasting and dancing).
Sacred Pipe Ceremony
The pipe ceremony is one of the most sacred and powerful spiritual rituals. A pipe is used to symbolise the unity and harmony of the world. The bowl of the pipe represents truth, and the stem represents the way we live in harmony and balance with all of creation. The pipe is passed around and everyone involved smokes it. By smoking this pipe, the unity of the world and everything in it is stressed.
The Sweat Lodge
When involved in a sweat lodge ceremony, the body, mind, spirit and heart are purified and relationships will all others are restored. The sweat lodge is presented as a sacred space. It is a sealed structure with a pit where heated rocks are placed. When water is poured onto the rocks, steam is released and participants begin to sing, pray, talk and meditate as they spend time in the sweat lodge.
Life Cycle Rituals
Birth and naming rituals
Giving the right name to a child is something that the Canadian Aboriginal people pride themselves upon. The name-giver (child’s grandparent or an elder) fasts, meditates, prays, or dreams, and the name is revealed by the Spirit. The name is given to the child in a ceremony with family, relatives, and friends. This name can change as the person matures.
Puberty
When approaching the age of puberty, Young people of aboriginal religion go on a vision quest. This is an intense, confined spiritual experience for those seeking direction in life and is done alone. They must undertake the vision quest to be accepted as adults in the community.
The Importance of Hair
Many traditional aboriginals consider long, uncut hair to be sacred. The hair is braided in three strands to symbolise the body, mind and spirit of the person. When hair is cut, it is considered to be a sign of mourning.
Death Rituals
Death rituals are some of the most important rituals that a person and their family can experience. Death rituals vary among Aboriginal peoples. In some traditions, a Death Feast is held for the spirit of the person who died. The Ojibwa people celebrate the Feast of Death each autumn to remember all who died the previous year. Each family who has lost someone holds a feast for the entire village and the food is placed in an open area outside. A place is set for the deceased, whose spirit remains with the family.
In Cree tradition, the body undergoes physical transformation, but the spirit remains unchanged and ascends into another realm to join its ancestors. Cree tribes believe spirits have the power to reveal themselves and communicate with humans in dreams or visions. A ceremony called "The Wake" is held for returning the body to Mother Earth if a spiritual sign is revealed.
Giving the right name to a child is something that the Canadian Aboriginal people pride themselves upon. The name-giver (child’s grandparent or an elder) fasts, meditates, prays, or dreams, and the name is revealed by the Spirit. The name is given to the child in a ceremony with family, relatives, and friends. This name can change as the person matures.
Puberty
When approaching the age of puberty, Young people of aboriginal religion go on a vision quest. This is an intense, confined spiritual experience for those seeking direction in life and is done alone. They must undertake the vision quest to be accepted as adults in the community.
The Importance of Hair
Many traditional aboriginals consider long, uncut hair to be sacred. The hair is braided in three strands to symbolise the body, mind and spirit of the person. When hair is cut, it is considered to be a sign of mourning.
Death Rituals
Death rituals are some of the most important rituals that a person and their family can experience. Death rituals vary among Aboriginal peoples. In some traditions, a Death Feast is held for the spirit of the person who died. The Ojibwa people celebrate the Feast of Death each autumn to remember all who died the previous year. Each family who has lost someone holds a feast for the entire village and the food is placed in an open area outside. A place is set for the deceased, whose spirit remains with the family.
In Cree tradition, the body undergoes physical transformation, but the spirit remains unchanged and ascends into another realm to join its ancestors. Cree tribes believe spirits have the power to reveal themselves and communicate with humans in dreams or visions. A ceremony called "The Wake" is held for returning the body to Mother Earth if a spiritual sign is revealed.
Seasonal and Community Rituals
Harvest Feast
Each year Aboriginal people celebrate the harvest that they have taken from the field or the forest. It recognises that the spirits have blessed them with food. The tribes participate in the acts of prayers, chants and dances. It is the Canadian Aboriginal version of the Thanksgiving holidays held in North America and Canada.
The Powwow
The Powwow is a song and dance held within a circle of people which celebrates and hopes for the restoration of all relationships and the healing of all creation. Dancers and singers enter the circle from the east, where the sun rises and then move in a clockwise direction just as the sun does during the day. Drummers drum a slow, solemn rhythm which is symbolic of the heartbeat of creation and of the mothers heartbeat from the perspective of a baby in the womb.
Sun Dance
The sun dance is celebrate by the people that occupy the prairies of Canada. It is celebrated during June or July depending on the occurrence of a full moon. Traditional myths suggests that it began when the great spirit showed a warrior a new way to pray to him through a vision. Four days before the ceremony of the sun dance, participants purify themselves by fasting. The final stage of the sun dance involved the piercing of the body and then the tearing away of the piercing to symbolise the renewal of the quest for the great spirit.
Giveaways and the Potlatch
This festival accompanies a special event such as a birth or wedding, as well as the commemoration of a death. This involves the giving of gifts such as blankets and crafts. After the giving of gifts, there is a ceremonial dance and song called the Potlatch. The ceremony highlight the generosity and power of the community when in union with one another.
Each year Aboriginal people celebrate the harvest that they have taken from the field or the forest. It recognises that the spirits have blessed them with food. The tribes participate in the acts of prayers, chants and dances. It is the Canadian Aboriginal version of the Thanksgiving holidays held in North America and Canada.
The Powwow
The Powwow is a song and dance held within a circle of people which celebrates and hopes for the restoration of all relationships and the healing of all creation. Dancers and singers enter the circle from the east, where the sun rises and then move in a clockwise direction just as the sun does during the day. Drummers drum a slow, solemn rhythm which is symbolic of the heartbeat of creation and of the mothers heartbeat from the perspective of a baby in the womb.
Sun Dance
The sun dance is celebrate by the people that occupy the prairies of Canada. It is celebrated during June or July depending on the occurrence of a full moon. Traditional myths suggests that it began when the great spirit showed a warrior a new way to pray to him through a vision. Four days before the ceremony of the sun dance, participants purify themselves by fasting. The final stage of the sun dance involved the piercing of the body and then the tearing away of the piercing to symbolise the renewal of the quest for the great spirit.
Giveaways and the Potlatch
This festival accompanies a special event such as a birth or wedding, as well as the commemoration of a death. This involves the giving of gifts such as blankets and crafts. After the giving of gifts, there is a ceremonial dance and song called the Potlatch. The ceremony highlight the generosity and power of the community when in union with one another.
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