Native American Religion (Hardcover)

American Indian beliefs are the only religious traditions native to America. Native Americans practice some of America's most spiritually profound, historically resilient, and ethically demanding religions. Joel Martin draws his narrative from folk stories, rituals, and even landscapes to trace the development of Native American religion from ancient burial mounds, through interactions with European conquerors and missionaries, and on to modern-day lawsuits involving sacred sites. The book depicts the major cornerstones of American Indian religious history--the vast movements for pan-Indian renewal, the formation of the Native American Church, the passage of the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act of 1990, and many others. Profiles of famous and ordinary men and women--including an early Cherokee convert to Christianity, a Paiute religious leader, and an Apache activist--bring this history alive.