Indigenous Religions

Essay Questions (4 points each):
(1) In chapter 2, the textbook author uses various terms for “indigenous religions”: traditional, aboriginal, indigenous, tribal, nonliterate, primal, native, oral, and basic. Select four or five of these terms and discuss why you believe each of those terms is applicable to the religions covered in this chapter.
(2) Why do so many indigenous religions have such a reverence for nature?
Indigenous religions have such a reverence for nature because they have deep respect for Earth. It has strong spirit, and lots of item that could contain spirit. Mother Nature offered them so much land to love and to do a favor back in return and shows their love to her. Nature is a living energy to some people belief the same as people. The word indigenous refers to land and earth as well, which involved nature itself.
(3) Discuss several of the sacred practices that are common in indigenous religions.
Some several sacred practices that are common indigenous religions are that they do are having dances around the fire. They sometime huddle together and do some kind of sacrifices or ceremony to show their holy respect for their belief.
(4) Discuss the state of indigenous religions today.
Short Answer Questions (2 points each):
(5) What is animism?
(6) In general, what is the relationship between the human and animal worlds among indigenous religions?
(7) How do indigenous religions, in general, select their “sacred spaces”?
(8) How are ancestors viewed in most indigenous religions?
(9) What “big events” in life are usually marked by ceremonies in indigenous religions?
(10) What is a taboo? What are some examples of taboos in our modern culture, and are they religious or cultural in nature?
(11) What is a shaman, and what role does the shaman play in indigenous religions?
Shaman is a scholar who help guide people on their spiritual journey.