A Comparison of Shinto and Native American Religious Practices

Cunningham, Lawrence. The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion. New
York: Macmillan; 1991 21.
Ibid, 27.
"Shinto, an Ancient Japanese Religion." SHINTO. July 13, 2013. Accessed March 16,
2015.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Yamada, N. Alice. "Shinto:The Way of the Gods." Trincoll Journal. Accessed May 2, 2015.
Boyd, James W., and Ron G. Williams. "JAPANESE SHINTŌ: AN INTERPRETATION
OF A PRIESTLY PERSPECTIVE." Philosophy East & West 55, no. 1 (January
2005): 33. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 16, 2015) 35.
"Shinto." Japan-Guide. May 31, 2008. Accessed April 30, 2015.
James Boyd and Ron G. Williams, 35.
"Shinto, an Ancient Japanese Religion."
James Boyd and Ron G. Williams, 34.
Ibid, 44.
"Shinto Shrine Guide - Iconography, Objects, Superstitions in Japanese Shintoism." Accessed May 2, 2015.
"Shinto an Ancient Japanese Religion´
James Boyd and Ron G. Williams, 47.
Kwok, Natalie. "Shinto: Practices, Rituals and Ceremonies." Accessed May 2, 2015.
James Boyd and Ron G. Williams, 48.
"Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America." Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. Accessed May 2,
"Harae-Purification Rites." BBC News. September 16, 2009. Accessed April 30, 2015.
Natalie Kwok.
"Harae Purification Rites"
Natalie Kwok.
"Japanese Traditions: Nagoshi No Oharae." Examiner.com. July 7, 2012. Accessed May 2, 2015.
Ibid.
James Boyd and Ron G. Williams, 46.
"Shinto, and Ancient Japanese Religion"
"Mt. Fuji." Sacred Destinations. Accessed May 2, 2015.
Brown, Joseph Epes, and Emily Cousins. Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American
Religious Traditions. Oxford [England: Oxford University Press, 2001. 9.
"Native American Religion." Indians.org. Accessed May 2, 2015.
Joseph Epes Brown and Emily Cousins, 94.
Ibid, 95.
"Native American Religion." Tribal Directory. Accessed May 2, 2015.
HARJO, SUZAN SHOWN. "PROTECTING SACRED PLACES." Expedition 55, no. 3
(Winter2013 2013): 12-17. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost(accessed February
11, 2015) 15.
Joseph Epes Brown and Emily Cousins, 23.
Ibid.
Ibid, 26.
"Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Wyoming." Sacred Destinations. Accessed May 2, 2015.
Joseph Epes Brown and Emily Cousins, 107.
Ibid, 112.
Brown, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1953, 8.
Joseph Epes Brown and Emily Cousins, 111-113.
Ibid, 113.
Hardison, Barefoot Bob. "The Native American Sweatlodge, A Spiritual Tradition." The
Native American Sweatlodge, A Spiritual Tradition. Accessed March 16, 2015.
"The Sacred Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony." Shinzen.org. Accessed May 3, 2015
Ibid.
"The Native American Sweat Lodge, a Spiritual Tradition."
Ibid.
"The Sacred Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony".
"The Native American Sweat Lodge, a Spiritual Tradition".
Ibid.






A Comparison of Shinto and Native American Religious Practices














Patrick McKinley
5/5/15
Professor Donabed
The term "religion" and what it means has been something discussed throughout history. What constitutes "religion" and what components exclude or include different "religions" or trains of thought. In order to not get bogged down in a debate on what constitutes a religion the definition of religion will be viewed as "a way of viewing the world with a notion of sacred reality made manifest in human experience in such a way as to produce long-lasting ways of thinking, feeling, and acting with respect to ordering and understanding existence." There are hundreds, if not thousands of documented religions throughout the world. The "main" religions of the world are the most well-known; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism etc. there are also many more indigenous religions throughout the world that are lesser known entities. The one thing that all religions have in common is sacred elements and rituals that hold great meaning to followers of each religion.
Sacred is a generic term that regards all elements of a religion that its followers view as vitally important to the tenets of the religion. The Sacred has many different manifestations depending on the religion and most religions have more than one element that can be considered sacred. There are scared places, sacred texts, sacred people, and sacred places plus many more. There is no specific requirement of definition of sacred, it depends on the religion and what each religion views as sacred. A generic description of sacred can be anything "specially distinctive or 'set apart' from everything else in the world…" To further narrow down and specify sacred elements of religion it is necessary to focus on two religions to show the similarities and difference of sacred elements between the two. The two religions that will be focused on are Japanese Shintoism and Native American religions indigenous to North America. These two belief systems were chosen due to one of them (Shinto) being a more mainstream and popular religion and the other (Native American Religion) being lesser known and of an indigenous nature. These two religions were also chosen because they share some interesting similarities in regards to some of their beliefs and sacred elements that will be discussed further in the coming paragraphs.
Shintoism is the main religious practice in modern day Japan and has been for quite some time. Shinto is believed to have originated around 500 BC. Unlike most modern and large religions in the world there is no specific person or deity credited with the founding or creation of Shinto. Many scholars believe that it is an adaptation of ancient Chinese religion. This opinion comes from the fact that there is no specific moral code in Shinto but the majority of followers adhere to the Confucian moral code as a way to live a good life. Along with the lack of a moral code in Shinto there is also no religious law. Shinto is viewed as a highly individualistic religion with a focus on individual worship rather than a religion with strict laws and policies that must be adhered to. Due to this fact there is only a loosely organized system of priesthood in the Shinto religion. Followers in Shinto believe that the Japanese islands were created by a divine kami couple. The kami are the sacred beings in Shinto. Their presence is represented by white sand at shrines. They are not gods and very few kami have names, they are believed to be abstract beings that manifest themselves through nature in the physical world. The most important kami in Shinto is the Sun Goddess. Kami can also be present in humans believed to demonstrate superior traits. During World War Two the Japanese Emperor was considered to be a manifestation of kami. These manifestations are believed to sustain and protect the worshippers of Shinto. A life giving and creative force is carried inside the kami, this force is called musubi and is the force that gives life through the kami.
In Shinto a great emphasis is placed on both the individual person and the larger community. Shrines in the households of families are commonplace and regular worship with the local Shinto community is also prevalent throughout Japan. A shrine is a sacred space for worship of the kami, the entrance to every shrine is marked by a tori to show where a sacred space begins. Followers of Shinto have a desire for peace, this desire was warped and twisted by Emperor Hirohito during World War Two but was later restored after the war ended. This desire for peace stems from the four main affirmations of Shinto; tradition and family, love of nature, physical cleanliness, and Matsuri. Matsuri is the worship and honoring of the kami. Another central element of Shinto is the participation in ritual, there are many rituals in Shinto, and some of them are simple and performed daily. One of these daily rituals is the meticulously organizing the household shrine to the kami.
The third affirmation of Shinto, physical cleanliness, is what drives many rituals in the religion. Purification rituals are performed to restore order between nature, humans and the kami. The act of purifying the body takes place daily and rituals ranger anywhere from simply cleansing the body with water each morning to larger rituals that take place only at certain times during the year. One of these larger rituals is the Misogi. The Misogi is performed on the 11th of every month at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine. In this ceremony participants take part in strenuous physical exercise and then douse themselves under a cold waterfall. The ceremony is ended by all participants drinking from a ceremonial bottle of Sake. The Misogi ritual does not have to be undertaken at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine, Misogi is a general term for any ritual that involves washing oneself in a natural body of water. The washing in a natural body of water helps wash away all impurities from the material world. More simpler and common purification rituals in Shinto include washing the body with water and salt before participation in other rituals in order to ensure the body is pure enough to interact with the kami. One of the smaller purification rituals is called Shubatsu, this act involves sprinkling salt on priests, worshippers attending the service and the round in to cleanse it. The most well-known use of Shubatsu is in Sumo wrestling, where the wrestlers sprinkle salt inside the ring the match will take place. Another tool used in purifying rituals in Shinto is a wand called the Ounusa or Haraigushi. This wand is a wooden stick with intricate designs carved in the wood and has either strips of paper or flax on the end. The wand is waved over ritualistic offerings to the kami in order to purify them before they are offered.
The largest purification ritual in Shinto is called the Oharae takes place just twice a year. Oharae translates to "Great Purification," this ritual is held at the end of June and the end of December. The Oharae is performed with the participation of a large amount of people. A shrine constructs a large ring that stands in the forefront of the ritual; this ring is commonly constructed of a type of reed called chinowa. Unlike other ways of purifying the body this ritual does not involve salt or water, instead participants pass thorugh the ring under guidance of a chief priest, or guuji. The passing through the ring removes any defilement that may have attached to the person throughout the past six months. The ritual is ended by the guuji blessing each participant with a prayer of protection that protects attendees from disease or tragedy until the next Oharae. One of the main elements that have been prevalent throughout these rituals is some form of nature. Whether it is the waterfall or natural water source in the misogi or the flax strands on a haraigushi nature plays a large role in Shinto.
The love of nature is one of the four main affirmations of Shinto and perhaps the most important behind family and tradition. Aspects of nature permeate every facet of Shinto, as mentioned above many purification rituals are about balancing humans with nature. In addition to purification rituals there are other rituals that aim to acknowledge "The Great Nature" that usually take form of sacrificing food to the kami. Many streams, rivers, mountains, and even some rocks have sacred meaning in Shinto, as it is believed they are natural shrines to, or created by the kami. One of the most well-known mountains in the world is Mt. Fuji. At the top of the mountain is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the kami Sengen-Sama and is considered to be the holiest mountain in Japan. Thousands of believers in Shinto make the pilgrimage to the top of Mt. Fuji to worship the shrine. Shinto beliefs state that musubi and the kami are intertwined with everything, therefore nature must be respected because these forces that shape nature also shape humanity itself. Shintoism is the mainstream religion of Japan but it shares many commonalities with some Native American religious practices especially in regards to purification and human interaction with nature.
It is impossible to group all Native American religious practices into one generic group. The diversity of tribes throughout North America makes such a generalization irresponsible. What is possible is to talk about general beliefs that Native Americans had while using specific tribal examples to demonstrate these beliefs. Many tribes view time to be in a cyclical fashion rather than linear, unlike most modern conceptions of time Native Americans view young children and the elders to be closer together than their age suggests as time continues in a circular motion. Native American beliefs usually focus on nature and interaction with nature. Most natural events are generally explained through terms of religion. There is also a great emphasis placed on animals. Animals are found in nearly every aspect of Native American religious practices. Many tribes believe that animals helped with the creation of the world and humanity itself and for this reason should be treated with reverence and respect. The Pueblo creation myth states that animals assisted the Creator in helping humans climb from the underworld to the sunlight of the world that they exist in today. Animals continue to help humans in the stories of many other tribes as well. The Pawnee believe that animals are the guardians of humans and will offer guidance when a human in need asks for assistance from the animal world. Oral tradition is another staple of most Native American tribes. Many, if not all, Native American tribes passed along their mythic stories orally carrying on a tradition of storytelling. Eventually as the years progressed the old stories were transcribed in order to preserve the stories for years to come.
Native Americans view many different aspects of the world and their beliefs to be sacred. There are sacred places, stories, rituals and even sacred objects. In Native American beliefs land can be sacred for many reasons including there being a religious ceremony previously performed on the land or the belief that a spiritual being dwells on the land. The relationship that Native American's have with land is deeply embedded in their traditional beliefs. Land is nearly as important to some Native American tribes as life itself. Its importance to the Shoshone tribe in Nevada is "To us when your land is gone, you are walking towards a slow spiritual death. We have come to the point that death is better than living without your spirituality. This quote shows the closeness that a lot of Native American tribes have to the land they live on and used to survive off of. A tribes land is viewed as part of the tribe itself, not just an area that is lived on. The presence of the different spirits that help bring life and prosperity to the land are all inter connected in one system, and Native Americans believe this connectivity gives the land a life of its own. Some tribes, like the Apache also believe the land has a moral power. The Apache use very long and descriptive sentences to name places that have stories behind them. The long names evoke the memories and pictures of the place in a person's mind and with that comes the moral lesson or story that the place is associated with. In Wyoming there is a natural formation of rocks that is called the Bighorn Medicine Wheel. The Crow tribe believe that the wheel was created by a boy named Burnt Face who created it on a vision quest after severely burning his face. Ever since then the wheel has been used as a place for Crow teens to go on vision quests and retrace the steps of Burnt Face. The medicine wheel is also a place where Native Americans go to offer thanks to the Creator and to recite prayers of healing. Just as important as land is to Native Americans are the rituals of all the various tribes and what the rituals are supposed to signify or commemorate.
Native American tradition is focused heavily on rituals. There are dances and ceremonies for preparing for war or the next harvest. Many of these rituals are meant to please or ask the greater powers for good fortune in whatever endeavor the ritual is being performed for. These rituals are aimed at bringing together time, physics, language, art and other key aspects of Native American life all together in one medium. Each tribe has their own unique rituals that they perform to honor their respective gods. Most rituals in Native American beliefs have three stages, the first stage is purification, the second is expansion and the final stage is when the participant creates a union with "all that is," the Native American way of saying the earth and the world. The purification stage is necessary because in many Native American tribes only pure beings can interact with ritual materials. In the Oglala Sioux tribe an impure person is prohibited from even laying eyes on the ceremonial sacred pipe. The purification process of cleansing the soul gives a being the right to view and hold the pipe. The expansion element of a ritual is so the participant can view the world beyond oneself, the participant begins to view himself in terms of the universe opening up his mind to other ideas. The Plains tribe ritual tobacco pipe ceremony demonstrates these phases through the use of a pipe. The pipe's shape is a manifestation of the human body and the cleaning of the pipe using sage before smoking is purifying the human spirit as well. The expansion ritual is undertaken by the leader of the ceremony taking a pinch of tobacco and pointing it in each of the directions of space and by sprinkling some in the air for the winged creatures of the world. Doing this signifies the acknowledgment of the greater world and the Great Mystery. The filled pipe represents the universe working as one and when the participant in the ceremony smokes the pipe it is putting the whole universe in union with one another, as represented by the smoke rising into air. This type of ritual is meant to show the interconnection between the people of the Plains Tribe and the rest of the universe, the ritual is ended with the leader of the ceremony saying Mitakuye Oyasin, which translates to "we are all related." One ritual that can be found in multiple tribes that is newer in comparison to some other traditions is the sweat lodge ritual.
The Native American sweat lodge ceremony is one of the most prominent Native American traditions today. Its creation is believed to be associated with the arrival of European colonial powers to North America. The ritual was created from the belief that Native American's needed to be re-purified after interacting with the western cultures. A similar ritual was used in the Lakota tribe for praying and healing purposes and was later adopted for purification rituals by other tribes. The size and shape of a sweat lodge varies depending on tribe and number of participants in the ceremony but all lodges consist of a pit in the center for the heated stones as well benches organized in a circle for the participants to sit during the ceremony. In Native American culture the act of sweating is generally considered to be ideal to spiritual cleanliness as sweating is seen as an act of self-purification. In order to enter the lodge all participants must shed any material belongings such as jewelry. The only items that are allowed in the sweat lodge are natural keepsakes such as flowers or feathers. Upon entering the lodge everyone is considered equal and there are no titles as the participants undertake the ritual as one. In addition to equality in the lodge there is also confidentiality, anything confessed during the ceremony is not to be repeated in the outside world. The ceremony is generally begun by the passing around of a sacred pipe. There are four rounds to a sweat lodge ceremony; the first is Acknowledgement of the spirits, the second is recognition of said spirits, the third is knowledge of individual prayer and meditation and the final phase centers on spiritual growth. These rounds are aimed at realizing the greater powers and reflecting on past deeds and sweating them out to purify the soul. After each round a brief time period to go outside of the sweat lodge to cool off and reflect is permitted in order to recover and be ready for the next round of sweating and meditating. The sweat lodge is viewed as a sacred place to learn, pray, heal, and purify the body and soul. Native American traditions are built on ritual and reverence for nature, much like Shintoism; there are some distinct and interesting similarities between the two practices.
Native American religious beliefs and Japanese Shintoism both share a common love for the natural world. In Shinto the second main affirmation is the love of nature, while there are no specific listings or affirmations of love of nature in Native American religions it is clear through their beliefs and practices that nature is very dear to the tribes. This similarity is perhaps due to the similarity in how the divine is viewed between these two belief structures, in both Native American beliefs and Shintoism the divine is everywhere and is in both nature and human beings. This belief leads to the feeling that nature is one and the same as humanity albeit in a different form, and mistreating nature is mistreating humanity. Both religions also place great emphasis on remaining pure, and purifying the body, mind and soul. Purification rituals take many forms in both practices; there are smaller purification rituals performed as part of a larger activity, such as the cleaning of the pipe by the Plains tribe of sprinkling of salt by Shinto believers. There are also larger rites of purification, the Oharae ritual performed only twice a year in Shinto, and the sweat lodge ceremony in Native American beliefs which has no set timetable but is seen as a larger performance. Another striking similarity between these two religions that are geographically a world away is the forms of their deities. These are not monotheistic religions that worship only one divine being but each one has many different beings viewed as divine. Each also has one being that it is viewed as more important than some of the others; the Sun Goddess kami and the Great Mystery are both the most important deity to each religion but are by no means the only one. The other deities have roles in nature in both religions as well, with some kami being responsible for water or wind just like in Native American religions where different gods are prayed to for different things such as there may be one god for a good harvest and another for good weather.
Both Japanese Shinto and Native American beliefs share a love of nature and have similar concepts of the divine. What is interesting about this connection is the vast difference between the two practices. While both religions are old, Shinto can be considered and ancient religion, perhaps some Native American beliefs are ancient as well but due to the unknown nature of the Americas before western discovery, knowledge of these beliefs is much newer. The current state of each religion also is a major difference between the two; practitioners of Native American beliefs are shrinking due to the lessening of tribal life in the United States but Shinto remains the largest religion in Japan by a wide margin. The final glaring difference between Shintoism and Native American religion is the solidarity of each religion. While Shinto does have different types and spin offs of it most general practices remain the same. The same cannot be said of Native American religions, while most tribes have similar belief structures no two tribes are alike and they all have their own rituals. The most interesting facet between these two religions is that shared similarities between purification, divine structure, and love of nature despite the vast differences in geography, time period, and current popularity.


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