American Indian creationism
Native American creation stories refer to metaphorical and allegorical stories, held among various Native American cultures and Native American religions that explain how human beings, the world, and sometimes the animals and other features of the world came to be.
Most modern people see these stories as metaphors, though some also believe that the stories contain hints about migration stories and other real aspects of their people's history.[1] Some are more literal in their understanding, and reject some aspects of both the theory of evolution or the Bering strait theory, arguing that Native American people originated in North America.[2]
Oral traditions[edit]
Oglala Lakota author, theologian and historian, Vine Deloria Jr., writing for Indian Country Today, stated
Oral tradition is important in all societies, despite the reliance of some cultures on written records and accounts. These traditions account for the ways things are and often the way they should be, and assist people in educating the young and teaching important lessons about the past and about life. Because many oral traditions are highly structured and are told faithfully without alteration, they can be as reliable as other non-oral ways of recording and passing on experiences. ... oral traditions which relate past events and have been passed down through time cannot be dismissed simply as “myth” in the sense that Western society polarizes the differences between “myth” and “science” or “fact.” Ideas about truth, rationality, logic, causality, and ways of knowing the world are contextualized within all societies: they are entirely valid within their cultural contexts and should be respected as such.[3]
Deloria's book Red Earth, White Lies challenges scientific fact and claims that the findings of research on human evolution are myth, a "hilarious farce" (p. 182).[4] Deloria alleges that Native American creation stories and oral tradition actually contradict some aspects of scientific research.[5]
Criticism[edit]
Deloria's rejection of some of the scientific evidence on human evolution, early migration and the first settlement of the Americas sparked opposition.[6] One of his main critics, H David Brumble, an English Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, has openly expressed his criticisms toward this belief in some of his works, including his article, Vine Deloria, Creationism, and Ethnic Pseudoscience.[7]
Creation myths by tribe[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Deloria, Vine. Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact. Fulcrum Publishing, 1995. Print.
- ↑ Weaver, Jace (2001). Other Words: American Indian Literature, Law, and Culture. Oklahoma University Press. pp. 164–172. ISBN 978-0806133522. Search this book on
- ↑ "Oral Tradition". Oral Tradition. Indian Country, n.d. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
- ↑ Deloria, Vine. Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact. Fulcrum Publishing, 1995. Print.
- ↑ Brumble, H. David. "Vine Deloria, Jr., Creationism, and Ethnic Pseudoscience." American Literary History 10.2 (1998): 335–346. Print.
- ↑ Francis, Norbert (2017). Postmodern creationism in academia: Why Evergreen matters. Quillette, October 29, 2017.
- ↑ Brumble, H. David. "Vine Deloria, Jr., Creationism, and Ethnic Pseudoscience." American Literary History 10.2 (1998): 335–346. Print.
External links[edit]
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