Cultural Analysis of Native Americans

Running head: NATIVE AMERICANS
NATIVE AMERICANS
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NATIVE AMERICANS
This assignment would be based on the cultural analysis of Native Americans. Nurses can
use this paper to derive knowledge about hoe to provide culturally competent care to such
patients.
Religion:
The Great Spirit, Great Mystery, Great Mysterious are the various names given by the
Native Americans to refer to the great power whom they consider to be the creator. Such great
power is the creator of water, wind, plants, animals, tress, stones, the sky friends and even the
and strangers. Such form of power can never be imagined in a form of human because it is the
universal energy that is attuned to all the nature. The entire nature including humans is the
creation of the great power. The Great Spirits advises that all of life and rituals and traditions
need to be used for connecting humans with that power. This power can neither be seen or
touched (Long, 2016). They believe that this power resides in the cycles of life like that of day
and night, continuing alteration of seasons, growth and death, movement of heavenly bodies.
Native Americans whether being the traditional believers or modern people – all share the
common good that there is only one creator of earth and heavens and that all parts of creation
like animals, plants and humans are created equal and so equivalent respect is provided to all
elements of the nature. They also believe that the Creator is not rude enough to punish or angry
but is mainly caring and loving. They also believe that the Great Spirits is full of joyous as well
as love that encircles all desire. The creators’ spirit is alive in everything that had been created
and can affect the human life which might be negative and positive. Mother or Grandmother
Earth’s spirit is believed nourish and sustain life and every people are believed to return there
after death.

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NATIVE AMERICANS
The religious beliefs of the Native Americans govern their healthcare beliefs and
healthcare practices. The tribes or families of the Native Americans consider health to be
dependent on proper actions as well as communications with the spirit world. They believe that
better health comes through collaborating in harmony with the forces of the nature. It is believed
that illness specifies a sign of falling out of step with those forces and therefore it results in
disharmony among mind, spirit and body (Jeffreys, 2015). They consider spirit to be most
important element and the essence of their being. Therefore, it can be seen that native individual
who might be suffering from a broken leg would not only get treatment from physician for
physical injury but would also visit a medicine woman of man for getting care for the spirit.
Healing beliefs and practices:
Among the different subgroups living under the Native Americans, it is seen that pain,
illness and suffering are believed by them to come from supernatural forces. This can be
explained with the help of example. The Chereokee believes that spirits of animals might bring
pain and illness when hunters fail in paying proper respects while many others believe that
illness and suffering are mainly caused by individuals’ wrong actions. Iroquious believe that
illness is caused mainly due to unfulfilled dreams and desires. Inuit thereby believes that illness
occur due to sins conducted by ancestors. Many others believe that illness occur because of evil
spirits whereas serious illness might be because of loss of souls where it is believed that evil
spirits of the dead capture the souls of individuals when their souls travel outside the body during
sleep (Kohlbry, 2016). Curing from such pain, suffering and ailments are done through rituals
that restore the sick person in balancing and harmonizing. Healing is thereby developed on the
concept of relationship and connectedness of life.

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NATIVE AMERICANS
The cultural healers among the Native Americans are called the medicine man and
women, singers or shamans who are believed to have been possessing strong powers and given a
extraordinary gift by the Great Spirit. This gift helps them in mediating between the spirit world
and that of the earthly world for healing thereby helping in spiritual renewal and for the good of
the community. Native Americans believe healing to be a sacred calling. If one of the individual
is called into the healing ministry, he must use this gift for helping others. The native healers use
natural process for healing people from illness (Alizadeh et al., 2016). Healing power is believed
to come from natural forces which can be achieved through prayers. As the native healers are
believed to be conducting healing procedures with the guidance of the Creator, they are also
considered holy men. Nowadays, both modern medicinal professionals and native healers are
called to ensure complete wellness of the people.
Native Americans believe that in the nearing hours of death, the spirit of the dying person
tries to release from the body and unite with the Greater Spirits. Their death rituals are mainly
focused on providing the spirit with the different things that they require traveling safely at its
destination. The tribes are seen to leave food, jeweler, weapons, tools and many valuable items
for the spirit in the afterlife. The bodies are kept on tress or funeral platforms keeping the doors
open so that sprits can escape. They believe in natural decomposition reflecting their deep
connection with nature and cycle of death and life. Many tribes are seen to construct special
totem poles for commemorating the dead (Flood et al., 2016). Many again burn the houses of
deceased individual so that the spirit cannot return. Many a times, feather is attached to the head
of the dying member as a form of prayers. Many are seen to burn herbs like sage called
smudging and also smoke a special ceremonial pipe as a part of funeral rituals.