Native American Beliefs Essay

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Tyler Lindsey Period 5 10/30/13 The differences between European and Native American beliefs The Native Americans and the Puritans had different beliefs but they had a similarity. They had the same idea of the dead passing over to a spiritual world. In my readings of puritan and Native American literature, I learned that they have a lot of different beliefs. The Puritans are a religious group who broke away from the Church of England to practice their religion freely. The Puritans believe that everything happens because of God. They believe that everything is because it is God's will. For example, in the historical narrative on Cabeza de Vaca a Spanish explorer in the 1500's he says, "The lord willed that we should find embers while…show more content…
They believe there is a judgment on what you did while the person was alive and is assessed by God to determine whether you live in "Heaven". This is where the good people go. Or they got to "Hell". This is where all the bad people go. That is the Puritans view on death. The Native Americans believe in many things. The thing is with Native Americans there are different tribes and with different tribes have different cultures. For example, in the Taos Pueblo Indian poem “I have killed the Deer" the native American says, "In my life I have needed death so my life can be." This shows that he believes that life and death are intertwined. This reminds me of the Yin-Yang symbol. Then he says "When I die I must give life." This shows hos belief in what death is. It’s not a losing of your spirit or soul. He believes that dying is giving back to nature for all the killing he has done. In the poem "Funeral Oration" the Naudessie tribe believes in death a similar way like the Puritans. They believe in the "Great Country of Souls" and the "Great Country of Spirits". The souls go to one of these Great countries after death. This shows that there is no judge of them, they choose where they
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