Nativist Movements

Many spiritual movements arose with the intention of helping Indians get used to the arrival of the whites. Anthropologists call these movements "nativist" because they are an effort by indigenous peoples to ensure the survival of their Aboriginal culture in any possible way, as opposed to attempts to assimilate them. Where altered conditions had deprived the old ceremonies of meaning or made them incongruous, as was the case with celebrations in honor of places where the people no longer lived, Native American movements sought to reaffirm the values of the natives.

Nativist movements were divided into two categories: those of “revitalization” and the “millennialists”. Both were syncretic, but to varying degrees. In the early movements, the Indians managed to calm white criticism by adopting some Christian formalisms and symbols and eliminating traditional elements that the missionaries considered pagan, satanic or superstitious. Some revitalization movements, such as Lake Beautiful and Native American Church, were organized in congregations similar to those of Christian churches. These movements allowed the core of traditional beliefs to survive disguised as Christianity.

“Millennialists” are another type of nativist movements that tend to be more violent. These movements occurred when the white invasion was so rapid that traditional culture was in danger of collapse. The prophets were in charge of some millennial movements, but not all. Almost all began with a prophet who announced the imminent end of the current system and the return to conventional life.

According to some scholars, contact with the Christian prophetic tradition contributed to the appearance of Indian nativist prophets. The motivation behind the millennial movements can be found in Jesus’ call to the Jews to recover their traditional values, as well as in his promise that God would eliminate the current system to establish a spiritual kingdom that would last a millennium (hence his name). However, other experts argue that the native prophets had a background in the Dancing of the Prophet, a common ceremony that included prophecies, exhortations, and trance, which took place before the contact. In any case, the native prophets were innovators eager to share new beliefs and practices with their peoples.

Generally, the prophets appeared in difficult situations, such as those that the Seneca had to endure before the appearance of Lake Beautiful. Many of them were sacred men, such as the prophet paiute Wodziwob, but others lacked spiritual formation despite their oratory or political skills. Almost all became prophets after having had personal dreams or visions.

Beautiful Lake, also known as Large House Religion, was the first major revitalization movement that emerged in the northeast. The syncretic movement began among the Senecas, a town of the Iroquois League, in 1799. The Seneca lands were confiscated, sold or stolen after the War of Independence (1775-1783), in which the Seneca allied themselves with the British. Food was scarce and alcohol consumption increased the risk of social collapse. At that time, Lake Beautiful, the brother of a leader, had a dream about a meeting with spiritual beings, who advised the Senecas to stop drinking alcohol and all dances, except for a "Dance of Adoration".

They were also advised to maintain a peaceful relationship with white citizens. Only the Indians had a heaven and hell in their view of Beautiful Lake. Every week, those who had faith in his Good News gathered in a long house to practice worship. The religion was a great success among the Six Nations and is still practiced. Other movements came to light at the beginning of the 19th century, such as that of the prophet Shawni and the one of the ojibwa prophetess, an unnamed charismatic woman who apparently travelled the northern region of the Columbia River. She may have been the inspiration for the prophet wanpum Smohalla, also known as "The Preacher", who is one of the most famous prophets on the northwest coast. The sacred man Smohalla lived in the valley of the Columbia River and in 1860 he began to preach a message that he believed came from the realm of spirits. His prophecy was based on the fact that if the Indians refused to adopt the practices of the white who would “harm” Mother Earth, such as mining and arading the fields, their fate would improve. Many Dances of the Spirits of the coast and the plains of the northwest were inspired by the prophecies of Smohalla.

Furthermore, Smohalla gave rise to a series of nativist movements in California, where severe cultural degradation gave birth to a rapid succession of movements at the end of the 19th century. The Bole-Maru mixed traditional values with dualistic concepts inspired by Christian religion, such as heaven and hell, God and the Devil. In some villages in California, the Bole-Maru movement is still in operation. The Indian Church of the shakers, founded around 1880, is also similar. Agitators ensure that they receive energy directly from God during trances that are characterized by intense thunderings. Through songs that combine Indian melodies and a mixture of traditional and Christian verses, this Church attaches great importance to the healings of faith. Towards Easter and in August take place its main ceremonies, which include rituals of renewal of the traditional world.