Religiosity and Spiritual Engagement in Two American Indian Populations

Abstract

Social scientific investigation into the religiospiritual characteristics of American Indians rarely includes analysis of quantitative data. After reviewing information from ethnographic and autobiographical sources, we present analyses of data from a large, population-based sample of two tribes (n = 3,084). We examine salience of belief in three traditions: aboriginal, Christian, and Native American Church. We then investigate patterns in sociodemographic subgroups, determining the significant correlates of salience with other variables controlled. Finally, we examine frequency with which respondents assign high salience to only one tradition (exclusivity) or multiple traditions (nonexclusivity), again investigating subgroup variations. This first detailed, statistical portrait of American Indian religious and spiritual lives links work on tribal ethnic identity to theoretical work on America’s “religious marketplace.” Results may also inform social/behavioral interventions that incorporate religiospiritual elements.

Cultural adaptation, psychometric properties, and outcomes of the Native American Spirituality Scale.

“…Once validated by other tribes, the NASS may be a useful tool for tribal communities to incorporate into wellness and treatment centers (e.g., tribally-run treatment centers and Indian Health Service clinics). However, heterogeneity of spiritual beliefs, including Christianity and the Native American Church (Garroutte, et al, 2009), must be considered to allow autonomous selection of spiritual beliefs and avoid a one-size-fits-all model. There are many paths to resolving substance use problems; spirituality may represent only one path by which NAs experience successful cessation, reduction in problems, and maintenance of wellness.…”

“…In an epidemiological study of a Northern Plains tribe and a large Southwestern tribe, over half endorsed Native spirituality as “very important,” 22–39% reported Christian religion as “very important,” and similar percentages (22–35%) reported the Native American Church as “very important” (Garroutte et al, 2009). In both tribes, of those who rated at least one set of beliefs as “very important” the norm was to also rate another tradition as “very important,” indicating overlapping spiritual belief systems.…”

Religious and Spiritual Practices Among Homeless Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives with Severe Alcohol Problems

“…There is growing evidence that enculturation—the extent of engagement with one’s own cultural identity and participation in traditional practices—is negatively correlated with alcohol consumption and alcohol problems among AI/ANs. In other words, individuals who are more engaged in their own cultural identity and cultural practices tend to consume less alcohol and experience reduced alcohol-related problems (Fleming & Ledogar, 2008; Garroutte et al, 2009; Iwasaki & Byrd, 2010; Torres Stone, Whitbeck, Chen, Johnson, & Olson, 2006). Traditionally, AI/AN enculturation has been inseparable from spiritual beliefs and practices, reflecting cosmologies in which the spiritual is intertwined with all aspects of daily life (Greenfield et al, 2015; Kulis, Hodge, Ayers, Brown, & Marsiglia, 2012).…”

“…Traditionally, AI/AN enculturation has been inseparable from spiritual beliefs and practices, reflecting cosmologies in which the spiritual is intertwined with all aspects of daily life (Greenfield et al, 2015; Kulis, Hodge, Ayers, Brown, & Marsiglia, 2012). Specific beliefs and practices vary considerably between and within tribes and include traditional Native spiritual traditions, Christianity, and syncretic combinations of Indigenous and Christian traditions (e.g., the Native American Church; Garroutte et al, 2009; Kulis et al, 2012). Common pan-tribal spiritual practices include prayer, sweat lodges, drumming, dancing, smudging ceremonies, pipe ceremonies, and traditional medicine.…”

Urban American Indian Youth Spirituality and Religion: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Research on religion and spirituality among American Indians residing on reservations confirms the existence of a complex mix of practices stemming from three primary belief systems: American Indian traditions, Christianity, and syncretic faiths like the NAC that fuse American Indian and Christian elements (Garroutte et al. ). Christianity maintains a pervasive presence in the lives of American Indians due to the history of colonization, which outlawed American Indian spiritual practices and mandated conversion to Christian values.…”