by James Wfe Mooney

Created on: January 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Let Native Americans Worship in Peace
Since 1918, American Native Spirituality has been recognized by the U.S. government and the United Nations as the Native American Church.

The NAC beliefs are based upon the earth and sky often referred to as Mother Earth and Father Sky or the all-inclusive term Great Spirit. Because of the stability of the earth compared to the fluidity of the sky the NAC is primarily a matriarchal religion. It is reported through American Native oral history that the sacred sweat lodge, prayer pipe and peyote ceremony were brought to the earth's inhabitants by a woman.

For more than two hundred years American women have been deprived and/or suppressed from exercising their equal rights. Likewise the NAC has been suppressed from experiencing the fulfillment of the ideals of the U.S. Constitution.

Some examples of this suppression include; Women being burned at the stake for exhibiting their intuitive abilities, as well as being deprived of the right to vote or have equal representation in political and business forums; The massacre of more than 200 unarmed men, women and children at Wounded Knee for gathering to do the Ghost Dance Ceremony in South Dakota, December 29, 1890; Native American Church suing the federal government and the State of Utah to have sweat lodges in our federal and state prisons.

The arrest of two co-founders of the Oklevueha NAC with the threat to imprison them for the rest of their lives and the blatant attempt to prosecute the NAC itself for allowing Non-federally recognized Indians into NAC ceremonies.

Two distinguishable principles of the NAC are, first; respecting all creatures including human beings and all elements that inhabit the earth and sky, thus honoring all aspects of life. It is reported that the founding fathers of the United States instituted this NAC principle of respect in the design of the U.S. Constitution, Second; one is to get his or her direct guidance from the Great Sprit exclusively, thus leaving all responsibility for what ever happens in one's life with the individual believer.

While adhering to these two principles, NAC members are quite often affiliated and committed to other spiritual organizations and churches. Their relationship with the NAC merely assists them in strengthening their ability to conform successfully to each organization's inspired standards of living.

It is time to heal the wounds of the past and present by opening the doors to our sacred ceremonies to all that come in a good way. The Great Spirit requests it.

Learn more about this author, James Wfe Mooney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.