Native spirituality: spirit piracy and Native sweat lodges
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This research is an investigation into a social phenomenon that I refer to as Spirit Piracy. Set in the context of the Native sweat lodge ceremony, the main points that address this phenomenon focus on: 1) an age-old process of spiritual fragmentation; 2) protocols and natural laws of communication between humans and the spirit world; and 3) developing an awareness of spiritual interconnectedness that exists throughout the universe. The Indigenous Cree three-tiered universe is used to demonstrate the natural order of the universe-something humans have reinterpreted over time. Results from a literature review and a synthesis of eight interviews conclude that the "spirit of colonialism" has entered the lodge. The concept of Spirit Piracy has a broad application and in this research is used to emphasize the need to protect the Native sweat lodge ceremony as a natural and spiritual resource that defines cultural identities and heritages.
Description
Bibliography: p. 215-225
Keywords
Citation
Laplante, L. D. (2009). Native spirituality: spirit piracy and Native sweat lodges (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/2981