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Religion and Faith

Rekindling the Spirit: The Rebirth of American Indian Spirituality

The U.S. government and Christian churches spent more than 150 years trying to eliminate American Indian spiritual practices. Ceremonies were banned. People were put in prison. Children were sent to government boarding schools. But the spiritual beliefs survived. Indians young and old are returning to traditional ways. Some call the traditional life "walking the Red Road." They believe old ways are bringing new life, and new hope, to Indian Country.

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Part 6: Ceremony and symbolism

Ceremonies are the most visible part of American Indian spirituality. But to the Anishinaabe, there's much more to walking the Red Road than the occasional ceremony. Anishinaabe people say their spiritual beliefs influence everything they do, every decision they make.

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Part 5: Where tradition thrives

For those who practice spiritual rituals, the heart of the Red Lake Reservation is the town of Ponemah. Christianity flourished in many reservation communities. But it never gained a large following in Ponemah, population 1,000.

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Part 4: One church, two traditions

About 2,000 people living on the Red Lake Indian Reservation are baptized Catholics. That's half the population.

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Part 8: Returning to the Red Road

As more American Indians seek out their spiritual heritage, there's growing tension over what is traditional.

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The seven fires

Seven prophets came to the Anishinaabe. They came at a time when the people were living a full and peaceful life on the northastern coast of North America. These prophets left the people with seven predictions of what the future would bring. Each of the prophecies was called a fire and each fire referred to a particular era of time that would come in the future. Thus, the teachings of the seven prophets are now called the "Seven Fires."

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Reviving the language

For more than a century, the Ojibwe language has been under assault. Generations of American Indians were forced into government or church-run boarding schools, where their native language and culture were forbidden. Today, only a few can speak Ojibwe fluently. But there are growing efforts to revive the language.

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