This book explores Native American mythologies to view the relationships between humans and animals. Traditional Native Americans view animals as elder brothers who embody the knowledge sets necessary for survival on this Earth. This vantage point facilitates openness within the human to learn from the animals. Animals play the roles of tutelary spirits, helpers, guides, and at times shapeshift from Holy Person to animal or back again. This emphasizes...

The Psychological Impact of Historical Trauma on Native American People. Native American historical trauma is similar to other massive generational group traumas. Past examples include the Jewish holocaust, slavery of the African people in the United States, and treatment of the Japanese Americans in the U.S. during World War II. Understanding the history of Native Americans allows for the design of culturally specific preventative and therapeutic...

Indian religious beliefs are intrinsically ecological since they regard nature as sacred. Before the European invasion, the various tribes who inhabited North America had been here for tens of thousands of years. They developed economically sustainable hunting-and-gathering economies that were respectful of the environment. They did not consider themselves ruling over nature but as part of nature. Humanity was sacred, but so were the animals and vegetation...