Maintaining Traditions

The fundamental beliefs of the Indians have remained solid despite the numerous changes they have experienced since the arrival of the first white settlers. Essentially, these beliefs maintain that a Creator established the natural laws and sacred rites, which are immutable. Recently, Viola Hatch, a Southern Cheyen woman, explained that we do not have written rules that dictate how we should live. The Great Spirit has given it to us. He said it to us once, we learned it and we have done it so far. The Indians believe that the sacred past will always be at hand, and that nature's sacred cycles will continue as always, even though the material circumstances of a people may change. My people, my family and my sacred relations with animals, plants and spirits are the most essential elements of native life that no catastrophe or human intervention can alter. Matthew King, an elder of the Lakota tribe, expresses it in this way: "We have been here for millions of years. God gave us laws that allowed us to organize our society. There's no way to change them. No one has the ability to modify them. We can't make laws.

Maintaining the traditional customs of Native Americans has been based on oral tradition. Each generation learns history, traditional morality and how ancient rituals and ceremonies were carried out. This maintenance of oral tradition is crucial because it prevents ancient stories from being anchored, a trend that occurs when sacred stories are written. The details of each story change to reflect new situations in people's lives.

Sacred objects, such as those stored in sacred hatches, also help to maintain traditional traditions. Hats may contain objects that allegedly belonged to the early ancestors of a clan, making them a complete document of their history. The personal sacred hatches, which are revealed in visions or dreams, remind their owner of their personal relationship with the spirit world. If a cock sees a castor in a dream, make a hole with castor skin and add stones, counts and parts of animals that he believes will give him spiritual power.

The contents of a sacred hat can be updated periodically, in the same way that the details of ancient tales transmitted by oral tradition are updated. Each time the owner receives new spiritual revelations, he adds or removes elements from his hole. This willingness to change is the main factor that has enabled the natives to remain in force in the modern world.