Talk:Siksika Nation
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The following text was added to the article by 69.158.14.205 on 15:23, 22 October 2006
The Plains Indians believed in a Great Spirit. The Great Spirit had power over all things - the animals, trees and clouds. The Earth was the mother of all spirits. The Sun , which gave the earth light and warmth, had great power. Visions in dreams were believed to have come from the spirits. When game was killed there was a prayer or offering to the spirit of the slain animal. THE MEDICINE MAN (SHAMAN) The medicine man was a holy person who had much power and knowledge. He healed the sick, interpreted dreams, visions and other signs, and led ceremonies. He prayed to the Great Spirit, decided when to hunt, tried to change the weather and foretold the future. When called upon to help someone who was ill, he smoked tobacco, performed songs and dances, burnt sage and sweet grass and prayed to the spirits. There were also medicine women who knew which herbs and plants to use for healing. These plants were collected and stored in containers. They were used to treat many illnesses (headache, fever, cough). THE VISION QUEST A vision quest lasted from one to four days and involved fasting and going to a quiet, lonely place. A young man would go on a vision quest. It was believed that he would receive a vision which would tell of his future. The vision or dream came as a sign from a guiding spirit. The messenger often took the form of an animal. Upon return to the camp, the person was taken to the shaman. The shaman would interpret his vision. The young man might be given a special name. A medicine bundle would be prepared with tokens to represent the guiding spirit. MEDICINE BUNDLE The medicine bundle might contain an unusual rock, strand of hair, feather, bird's beak, animal skin, sweetgrass, etc. Each item in the bundle had a special meaning to the owner. It was a very precious possession which represented a person's spiritual life and possessed powers for protection and healing. As the owner grew older more items might be added. Medicine bundles were buried with the owner or passed on to a friend. A tribal medicine bundle was much larger and contained special objects which could only be handled by certain members. It was opened on special occasions. PIPES There were different types of pipes used by the Indian nations. Some pipes were made of wood or of a special kind of stone. Some pipes were plain with no decorations. Some were painted and trimmed with fur, quills, beads, and eagle feathers and decorated with carvings. Tobacco and red willow bark were used to fill the pipe. SHIELD It was believed that the shield had great spiritual power. It was very important to the warrior. Birds, animals or symbols were painted on the shield and served to protect the owner. Eagle feathers were sometimes attached to the shield. MANDELLA Mandellas are similar to the shield and were made from bison hides, eagle feathers, wool and the furs of wild animals. A mandella was thought to bring good luck and happiness to the owner. Hanging a mandella in a home was a form of protection. Each item that made up the mandella had a special meaning for the person who owned it. DREAM CATCHERS The Dream Catcher was made from a hoop of bent willow with a webbing of sinew. It was hung from a baby's cradleboard or near the sleeping area. It was believed to sort dreams. The bad dreams were caught in the web, while the good dreams flowed through to the dreamer. To the Plains Indians dreams held much meaning. SWEAT LODGE The sweat lodge was a dome-shaped tent made of willow branches covered with hides and blankets. In the center of the lodge was a pit. The sweat lodge ceremony was used for physical and spiritual purification (cleansing), for meditation and prayer, or in preparation for other ceremonies. was a combination of fire, wood, water and stone. It ususally took a couple of hours. SMUDGING Smudging was done for physical and spiritual cleansing. Certain herbs were burnt. Smudging meant taking the smoke in one's hands and rubbing or brushing the smoke over the body. Three plants used for smudging were sage, cedar and sweetgrass RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES Religious ceremonies were a very important part of the lives of the Plains Indians. They had ceremonies to honor the Great Spirit. Ceremonies were held to name a baby, a girl's coming of age, a boy's first hunt, marriage, and death. The Plains Indians wrapped their dead and placed them on high scaffolds or trees. The bodies were left to decay. Then the relatives returned later to bury the bones. THE SUN DANCE The Sun Dance was a very important ceremony among the Plains Indians. The purpose of the Sun Dance varied depending on the Nations. Each tribe had different variations of the Sun Dance <sund.html>. THE POW WOW The pow wow is a time for people to get together and participate in singing, dancing, feasting, praying, visiting and storytelling. Some other dances - Grass Dance (Sioux) Traditional Dance (dancers wore a U-shaped bustle made of feathers; and colorful beaded outfits.) Straight Dance and Round Dance Victory Dance Hunting Dance Jingle Dance STORYTELLING When the Plains Indians gathered together and feasted, storytelling played an important part. Stories were told about the earlier times, about heroic deeds, hunting adventures, battles and about animals. Storytellers were in great demand. Some stories were personal property and were passed on to another who could then repeat the story, also. (note: hide paintings <count.html> were another way that important events were recorded) SIGN LANGUAGE The Indian nations had many different spoken languages so sign language was one way that they communicated with each other. Signs were used by hunting parties and for surprise attacks on their enemies. Explorers and fur traders also used sign language. A CONNECTION WITH NATURE THE EAGLE In stories and legends the eagle was referred to as the Thunderbird. The eagle had great powers of vision, soared to great heights and had great strength and courage. Black-tipped eagle feathers were prized possessions. Eagle feathers were used for ceremonies and given as rewards for acts of bravery. The bones of the wings were made into whistles. Eagle talons were believed to be good luck charms THE BISON (buffalo) The bison was a spiritual animal for some of the Plains Indian tribes because the animal provided them with so many things ( food, clothing, shelter, tools, etc.) In time of need tribes would pray to Mother Earth to awaken the spirits and to lead the bison to their camp. THE BEAR The bear was the ears of the forest. If you respected the bear and his surroundings and did not make him mad, he would leave you alone. THE OWL Some believed that the owl was sent to warn people about death. If someone had an unusual sighting of owl it could be a sign that something gloomy was about to happen. Hearing an owl hoot was a warning sign of danger. COYOTE Some tribes believed that the coyote could transform to a human body. To some tribes the coyote was seen as a trickster.
It is a verbatim copy from this website
Removed addition from article space. --Qyd 01:39, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
