Breaking the Sacred Circle [electronic resource] / Willard E. Bill.
Intended as a basis for student discussions on American Indian issues, this article provides background on American Indian and Alaskan Native spiritual values and the white man's disruption of the Sacred Circle of Life. The foundation of the philosophies of North American indigenous peoples was...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
1988.
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| Summary: | Intended as a basis for student discussions on American Indian issues, this article provides background on American Indian and Alaskan Native spiritual values and the white man's disruption of the Sacred Circle of Life. The foundation of the philosophies of North American indigenous peoples was the idea of cyclical reaffirmation and the goal of maintaining a harmonious balance with nature. Traditional Indian activities were conducted with the circle in mind, reflecting the belief that the power of the world and nature worked in circles. Native societies were cooperative and depended on each facet of the environment for sustenance. Plants and animals were accorded equal value with humans, a view that made large scale exploitation impossible. The whiteman broke the Sacred Circle and placed the Indians in "boxes" with restrictions that prevented the traditional life and caused a loss of spiritual power. In this regard, the most serious of the white man's actions was the formation of the reservation system, an alternative to genocide. Land was a spiritual ingredient of Indian cultures; removal to the reservation broke the Indians' ties to sacred ancestral lands and led to spiritual and cultural disintegration. Warfare, disease, alcohol, missionary zeal, the 1887 Allotment Act, and removal of children to government schools contributed to the destruction. Today, Native Americans retain their reverence for the land and seek to strengthen the reservation and village, as the only land base left to them. This article contains many quotes from historical and contemporary Native American leaders, a vocabulary list, and study questions. (SV) |
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| Item Description: | ERIC Document Number: ED302347. Educational level discussed: Secondary Education. |
| Physical Description: | 61 pages |
| Audience: | Teachers. Students. Practitioners. |