Hints for researching “Native American Spirituality”
 Check tribal websites for gateways to good sources
 Check children’s book on tribe and find BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Check bibliographies in Encyclopedias and Dictionaries of Indians/Native
Americans for detailed bibliographies
 Contact professor for ideas
 Check bibliographies in textbooks and search for sources on your tribe!
 Ask reference librarians to help
 Check local libraries, historical societies, and museums in tribe’s area
 Consult National Park Services resources
 Try spelling tribes and clans many ways, as well as terms
Keywords
animalism
astronomy
bear
baskets (particularly NE, NW, SW)
bead/beadwork/beading
bear
blankets, rugs (weaving)
buffalo
bundle
burial, funerary rites, graves
ceremonies
Christianity
corn
coyote
creation
culture
dance
drum
eagle
false face society (Iroquois-Great Lakes)
feathers
fetish
fish
Ghost Dance (Plains)
God, god, gods, divinity, Spirit, Creator
hawk
Indian/Native American/Amerindian
kachina/katchina (etc in spelling)
kiva (SW)
legend/s, myth
Manitou (NE, Great Lakes, & Canada)
masks
medicine (religion, truth, spirituality)
medicine bundle
medicine wheel
music
myth, legend, storytelling
owl
petroglyphs
peyote/paiute (etc spelling)
pottery
rattles
religion
ritual
rock art, petroglyphs
Sacred Tree / sacred / Cottonwood / tree
shaman, shameness, witch, magic
sipapu (SW)
society
soul
Spirit, spirit, spiritual
Sun Dance (Plains)
Sweat Lodge
tipi, wichyup
totem
trickster
Vision Quest
war
war bonnet / headdress
whale
wolf (Shoshoni, Pequot, etc)
women