Indigenous Spirituality
Pope Francis to join other clergy at first ‘Faith Pavilion’ at climate summit
By Adelle M. Banks — November 9, 2023
(RNS) — ‘This demonstrates the significance of the interfaith movement in helping to tackle the climate emergency,’ said one faith leader about the pavilion.
Bison are sacred to Native Americans − but each tribe has its own special relationship to them
By Rosalyn R. LaPier — November 2, 2023
(The Conversation) — Efforts are being made to develop the capacity of Native tribes to manage bison and bison habitats. An Indigenous scholar explains their sacred significance.
With flowers, altars and candles, Mexicans are honoring deceased relatives on the Day of the Dead
By MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — November 2, 2023
SANTA MARÍA ATZOMPA, México (AP) — On this date, Oaxacans don’t honor death but rather their ancestors, said the local secretary of culture, Victor Cata.
US government agrees to help restore sacred Native American site destroyed for Oregon road project
By Claire Rush — October 9, 2023
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In a settlement filed with the high court Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal agencies agreed to replant trees and aid in efforts to rebuild an altar at a site along U.S. Highway 26.
Columbus Day celebrates an ongoing threat to American democracy
By Robert P. Jones — October 6, 2023
(RNS) — A federal holiday day at odds with our identity as a pluralistic democracy.
Inspired by llamas, the desert and Mother Earth, these craftswomen weave sacred textiles
By MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — September 29, 2023
COLCHANE, Chile (AP) — Among the 3 million Aymaras who live along the borders of Chile, Perú and Bolivia, the Earth is known as “Pachamama.”
Soccer player Paulinho won’t let intolerance of his Afro-Brazilian religion stop his faith
By Mauricio Savarese — September 29, 2023
LAGOA SANTA, Brazil (AP) — Academics and religious-freedom advocates say that Afro-Brazilian religions are sometimes demonized in neo-Pentecostal churches.
ELCA hears from Indigenous boarding school survivor ahead of National Day of Remembrance
By Emily McFarlan Miller — September 20, 2023
(RNS) — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is one of several mainline denominations reckoning with the role they played in the federal boarding school system.
Amputees can get their body parts back for spiritual reasons, new Oregon law says
By Associated Press — August 24, 2023
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For some members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, keeping a person’s body together is necessary for a smooth transition to the spirit world.
Native American group to digitize 20,000 archival pages linked to Quaker-run Indian boarding schools
By Luis Andres Henao — August 24, 2023
NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, documents related to Quaker-operated Indian boarding schools have been largely unstudied, as they exist in remote and dispersed collections with limited access.
The ‘India problem’ under the surface at the Parliament of the World’s Religions
By Richa Karmarkar — August 18, 2023
(RNS) — Hindu organizations say they were uniquely singled out for their views on the contentious Indian political atmosphere, leaving some Hindus wondering why they must be tied to the politics of India at an event centered on cultivating harmony between the world's religious communities.
A religious calling to protect democracy
By Chris Crawford — August 16, 2023
(RNS) — Most religious doctrines do not require an embrace of democracy. But in today’s world, authoritarians are attempting to do the opposite — to recruit communities of faith to undermine democracy.
Native Hawaiian sacred sites have been damaged in the Lahaina wildfires – but, as an Indigenous scholar writes, their stories will live on
By Rosalyn R. LaPier — August 14, 2023
(The Conversation) — The region of Maui has been revered by its Indigenous peoples as a sacred place for generations. It is believed to be the home of Kihawahine, a woman who transformed into a goddess.
How India’s religious violence is becoming a problem for American politicians
By Richa Karmarkar — August 9, 2023
(RNS) — US politicians are under increasing pressure to account for their courtship of Indian Prime Minister Modi, the leader of a strategically important ally and the world's largest democracy.
Surviving persecution and a civil war, Maya spirituality finds new footing
By Emily Neil — August 3, 2023
(RNS) — Practitioners of the ancient Central American faith are hopeful that young Maya Guatemalans will continue to seek out and embrace their spiritual heritage.
