: James Owen Dorsey
: The Siouan Cults (Illustrated Edition)
: Musaicum Books
: 9788027245932
: 1
: CHF 0.50
:
: Ethnologie
: English
: 225
: Wasserzeichen
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
In 'The Siouan Cults (Illustrated Edition)' by James Owen Dorsey, the author delves into the religious practices and beliefs of the Siouan people. Written in a scholarly and meticulous style, Dorsey examines the rituals, ceremonies, and spiritual traditions of the Siouan tribes, offering a comprehensive look at their cosmology and mythological narratives. This illustrated edition includes visual aids that enhance the reader's understanding of the material culture associated with Siouan religious practices. The book provides a valuable insight into the cultural and spiritual world of the Siouan people, shedding light on their belief systems and values. James Owen Dorsey, a renowned anthropologist and linguist, spent extensive time studying and documenting Native American cultures, including the Siouan tribes. His expertise in ethnography and linguistics enabled him to provide a detailed and insightful analysis of Siouan religious practices. Dorsey's dedication to preserving and sharing Indigenous knowledge is evident in this work. I highly recommend 'The Siouan Cults' to readers interested in Native American religions, anthropology, and ethnography. Dorsey's thorough research and careful documentation make this book a valuable resource for understanding the spiritual traditions of the Siouan people.

Chapter II.
Definitions


Alleged Belief in a Great Spirit


§ 4. It has been asserted for several hundred years that the North American Indian was a believer in one Great Spirit prior to the coming of the white race to this continent, and that, as he was a monotheist, it was an easy matter to convert him to Christianity. Indians have been represented as speaking of “The Great Spirit,” “The Master of Life,” etc., as if the idea of the one and only God was familiar to our aborigines during the pre-Columbian period.

While the author is unwilling to commit himself to a general denial of this assertion, he has been forced to conclude that it needs considerable modification, at least so far as it refers to the tribes of the Siouan stock. (See §§ 7, 15, 21-43, 72-79, 92-99, 311, 312, 322-326, 341-346.)

On close investigation it will be found that in many cases Indians have been quick to adopt the phrases of civilization in communicating with white people, but in speaking to one another they use their own terms. The student of the uncivilized races must ever be on his guard against leading questions and their answers. The author has learned by experience that it is safer to let the Indian tell his own story in his own words than to endeavor to question him in such a manner as to reveal what answers are desired or expected.

§ 5. In 1883 the author published an article on “The Religion of the Omahas and Ponkas,” in The American Antiquarian of Chicago. Since then he has obtained additional data, furnishing him with many undesigned coincidences, which lead him to a broader view of the subject.

Phenomena Divided into Human and Superhuman


§ 6. In considering the subject from an Indian’s point of view, one must avoid speaking of the supernatural as distinguished from the natural. It is safer to divide phenomena as they appear to the Indian mind into the human and the superhuman, as many, if not most natural phenomena are mysterious to the Indian. Nay, even man himself may become mysterious by fasting, prayer, and vision.

One fruitful source of error has been a misunderstanding of Indian terms and phrases. It is very important to attempt to settle the exact meanings of certain native words and phrases ere we proceed further with the consideration of the subject.

Terms for “Mysterious,” “Lightning,” Etc.


§ 7. The attention of the author having been called to the article on “Serpent Symbolism” of the Iroquoian languages, by Mr. Hewitt1 of the Bureau of Ethnology, a similar investigation of the Siouan terms was made, the results of which are now presented. In connection with the terms for “serpent,” Mr. Hewitt showed how they are related in the languages with which he was familiar with other terms, such as “demon,” “devil,” “wizard,” “witch,” “subtile,” “occult,” “mysterious,” and “supernatural.”

In Dakota we find the following: Wakaⁿ, mysterious, wonderfu