Native American Spiritual Beliefs Essay - 2353 Words

I have decided to discuss the topic of Spirituality in Native Americans. To address this topic, I will first discuss what knowledge I have gained about Native Americans. Then I will discuss how this knowledge will inform my practice with Native Americans. To conclude, I will talk about ethical issues, and dilemmas that a Social Worker might face working with Native American people. In approaching this topic, I first realized that I need to look up some general information about Native Americans in the United States. According to the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), there are approximately 564 federally recognized tribes in the United States today (Who we are, n.d). This group does not include tribes†¦show more content†¦Limb Hodge (2008) state that there is not a single definition or common understanding of Native American spirituality. It will vary from tribe to tribe, and person to person. Each tribal member could have a different take o n spirituality. This applies to the rest of society as well, as each religion has a different perspective on religion and spirituality. Garrouttee et al. (2009) discusses that even though the definition of Native American spirituality does not exist, there are several identifiable themes that emerge. The first thing that Garroutte et al. (2009) identifies is that spirits are often associated with animals, plants, and other things in the natural world. Another aspect is the Great Spirit, or father, which is equitable to God in the Judeo-Christian belief. The Great Spirit is more considered to be an omnipresent spirit or collectivity of spirits inhabiting the universe (Garroutte et al., 2009). To many Native American tribes, the material and spiritual realms are wound together and cannot be separated from the other (Limb Hodge, 2008). To many Native American tribes, existence is spiritual (Limb Hodge, 2008). Another area if commonality is ceremonies and rituals of the differe nt tribes. Each tribe has a great variety of rituals, and ceremonies that are apart of each tribe’s culture, values, and beliefs. These spiritual practices reinforce the link between the individual, the creator, and the community (Limb Hodge,Show MoreRelatedHealth Care Provider and Faith Diversity 1238 Words   |  5 Pagesnursing field. It will discuss the spiritual perspective, as well as the critical components of healing, such as through prayer and meditation. The writer will give a brief summary of each religions belief. The three religions that will be discussed in this paper are Native American, Hinduism, and Buddhism. This paper will discuss what is important to people who are cared for of a particular faith by the health care provider who may have an entirely different belief system. 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