Secret Societies
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Social Science
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians
- Curriculum: American Indian History
- Geographical Location: North America
Article abstract: Secret societies performed important political and religious functions within a tribe
No secret societies existed in the Plateau or Great Basin. They seem to be associated with cultures with true political organization and relatively complex socioeconomic institutions. Though kinship was on occasion a reason for one’s membership, acceptance was based on invitation, apprenticeship, and initiation rites. During initiation, the novitiate might be abducted by men disguised as spirit monsters and taken to a secluded area, where he would undergo a...
[The entire page is 459 words long]
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