Native American Spirituality

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Date:

Instructions: Learn about the spiritual beliefs and traditions of Native American peoples

1.
What is a 'vision quest' in many Native American traditions?
A
A rite of passage involving fasting and solitude to receive spiritual guidance
B
A war council
C
A hunting expedition
D
A trading journey
2.
The 'Great Spirit' (Wakan Tanka) is a concept central to which Native American people?
A
Lakota Sioux
B
Iroquois
C
Cherokee
D
Navajo
3.
What is a 'totem pole' primarily associated with?
A
Pacific Northwest Coast tribes
B
Plains tribes
C
Eastern Woodland tribes
D
Southwest tribes
4.
In Navajo belief, what is the purpose of a 'sand painting'?
A
Healing and restoring harmony
B
Entertainment
C
Recording history
D
Decoration only
5.
What is a 'sweat lodge' ceremony used for?
A
Storage
B
Purification, prayer, and healing
C
Cooking food
D
Weapon making
6.
Coyote appears in many Native American myths as what type of figure?
A
A healer
B
A trickster
C
A war god
D
A creator only
7.
The 'medicine wheel' is a sacred symbol used by many Plains nations to represent what?
A
A calendar
B
A cooking tool
C
A battlefield map
D
The interconnectedness of all life and the four directions
8.
What is the significance of the 'dreamcatcher' in Ojibwe tradition?
A
A fishing net
B
A decoration for horses
C
A musical instrument
D
It filters dreams, catching bad ones and letting good ones pass through
9.
The Hopi 'kachinas' are what?
A
A type of food
B
Spirit beings that represent aspects of the natural world
C
Hunting dogs
D
Weapons
10.
In Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) creation myth, the world was created on the back of what animal?
A
An eagle
B
A bear
C
A turtle
D
A buffalo
11.
What is a 'shaman' or 'medicine person' in Native American traditions?
A
A political leader
B
A farmer
C
A spiritual healer and intermediary with the spirit world
D
A warrior
12.
The 'Sun Dance' is an important ceremony for many which group of Native Americans?
A
Plains tribes
B
Pacific Northwest tribes
C
Eastern woodland tribes
D
Southwest pueblos
13.
What does the concept of 'walking in beauty' (hozho) mean in Navajo philosophy?
A
Walking long distances
B
Finding treasure
C
Living in harmony and balance with the world
D
Physical attractiveness
14.
The 'Thunderbird' in many Native American traditions is what?
A
A powerful supernatural bird that controls storms
B
A river spirit
C
A type of horse
D
A constellation
15.
Many Native American traditions share a belief in what relationship with the natural world?
A
Fear of nature
B
Domination over nature
C
Deep interconnection and respect for all living things
D
Indifference to nature

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