Description
This is an introductory course on the spiritual beliefs and traditional practices of the Nueta, Hidatsa and Sahnish people. Basic conceptualizations of prayer, ceremony, belonging, patterns of rebirth, death, and the afterlife will be explored with a special emphasis on Nueta, Hidatsa and Sahnish worldview and perspective. Students will be introduced to progenitor entities and origins of rites and cultural practice. These practices under study include but are not limited to smudging, sweat lodge, cultural protocol, the nature of spirits, and ceremonial practice. This class will set a template for the understanding of basic protocols and the origins of historic and contemporary practice that will allow for students to later explore comparisons between spiritual belief systems.