more offsite...
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It is a grave mistake to assume that all "Indians", Native Americans, thought/think the same way. Just as all of Europe is not one homogenous blend of beliefs, neither are the vast number of individual native nations and tribes. Below you will find a sampling of these myths and/or death rituals. I hope you find them as wondrous as I do.
Just follow the links below to the stories... Also see Plains Peoples section of Papagei.us
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The myth was an integral part of the daily life of the American Indian. These stories were handed down from one generation to the next. They were the foundation for the many various ceremonies that were held. They included stories about the origin of the world, and also its components, living and non-living. They believed that good things would happen to them if they believed in the humanness of all things living and non-living. Originally their stories would be enhanced by miming and theatrics. The Indian played the part of the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth and water. But eventually the theatrics waned and the stories became more elaborate and most likely changed through the centuries of storytelling.