Death and Mortuary Customs
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Social Science
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians, Ceremonies, Rites, Rituals
- Curriculum: American Indian History
- Geographical Location: Canada, United States
Article abstract: American Indians have a wide variety of religious traditions and thus a wide variety of practices regarding the disposition of the dead
Among the many American Indian tribes studied by modern anthropologists, there is a great variety of practices concerning death, dying, and the disposition of dead bodies. There is a virtually universal belief in the existence of a spirit separate from the body which can exist when the body is dead. Since these spirits are considered capable of harming the living, they are often feared. In many Indian cultures...
[The entire page is 828 words long]
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