<b>Spirituality </b><br> <img src=http://www.sixnations.org/images/seal1.gif>

Many Native American people traditionally believe in a spiritual realm that exists beyond the tangible world. Access to this spiritual world is gained through dreams, visions, and ceremonies. Many Native people also believe in a single creative force. The name for this spiritual force varies from one group to another: it is called orenda (Or-END-a) by the Iroquois, manitou (MAN-e-too) by the Algonquin, and wakan (wah-KON) by the Lakota.

Historically, Native Americans'' lives were shaped by their spiritual beliefs. Most Native people believed that they were connected to every other element of creation. Each animal, tree, or rock had its own spirit through which an individual could establish contact with the spirit world. The survival and well-being of Native people was dependent on maintaining harmony with the earth. Many contemporary Native people continue to hold these traditional beliefs.<br> - Text from ArtsConnected<br><br> <a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/history_culture.html">Click here for more information on Native American history and culture.</a>

<i>The sections named here appear on the following 5 pages and cover different Native American peoples by geographic location: </i><br><br>

<b>Plains Indians</b><br><br> <img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/02/mia_2765b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.19565217,0.0,1.39130424,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br><br> <b>Northwest Coast Indians</b><br> <br><img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/24/mia_24797b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.016129032,0.0,1.03225803,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br><br> <b>Mississippi Valley Indians</b><br> <br><img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/24/mia_24811b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.46385542,0.0,1.92771080,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br><br> <b>Southwestern Indians</b><br> <br><img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/01/mia_1618b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.12015504,0.0,1.24031020,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br><br> <b>Northeast Woodlands Indians</b><br> <br><img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/02/mia_2716b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.10150376,0.0,1.20300746,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg>

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"We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and the winding streams with tangled growth, as ''wild.'' Only to the white man was nature a ''wilderness'' and only to him was the land ''infested'' with ''wild'' animals and ''savage'' people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it ''wild'' for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the ''Wild West'' began." <br><br> - Chief Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux</b><br><br>

Topics Covered: <UL> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/index.html">Geography</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/index.html">Name derivation</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/more_plains.html">Traditional life and customs</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/more_plains2.html">Development of art</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/more_plains2.html">People today</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/more_plains2.html">Tribal web sites</a> </UL>

<img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/10/mia_10148b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.10606061,0.0,1.21212124,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg>

<b>Lakota Dress</b><br> <a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/plains/index.html">Click here for more information about the Plains Indians and their culture</a><br><br><H4><i>Additional Online Resources</i></H4><br> <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fola/indians.htm">National Park Service</a><br> <a href="http://collections.ic.gc.ca/luxton/">Luxton Museum of the Plains Indian</a><br> <a href="http://www.over-land.com/indians.html">Links to Plains Indians</a><br><a href="http://www.bbhc.org/pim/index.cfm">Plains Indian Museum</a>

Topics Covered:<br><br> <UL> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/index.html">Geography</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/index.html">Economy</a><br><a href="http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/mv/indianer/e/nordwestkueste/vg1.htm">Northwest Coast -North American Indians</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/more_northwest.html">The Potlach Ceremony</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/more_northwest2.html">Development of ceremony and art</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/more_northwest2.html">Early contact</a> <LI><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northwest/more_northwest2.html">Tribal web sites</a> </UL> <img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/04/mia_4663b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=0.0,-0.22424242,1.00000000,1.44848488&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br> <b>Rattle</b><br><br><H4><i>Additional Online Resources</i></H4><br><br><a href="http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/">American Indians of the Northwest Coast</a><br><a href="http://inkido.indiana.edu/w310work/romac/nwindian.htm">Northwest Indians</a><br><a href="http://www.davidmorgan.com/nwart.html">Pacific Northwest Indian Art and Lore</a><br><a href="http://www.northernwoodarts.com/totem_poles.html"> Totem Poles by Pacific Northwest Coast Natives</a>

Topics Covered:<br><br> <UL> <a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/mississippi/index.html">Geography</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/mississippi/more_mississippi.html">Cities of the Mound Builders</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/mississippi/more_mississippi.html">Artistic Production</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/mississippi/more_mississippi.html">Contact</a><br><img src= http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/24/mia_24811b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=-0.46385542,0.0,1.92771080,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br><br><H4><i>Additional Resources</i></H4><br> <a href="http://www.utm.edu/departments/acadpro/library/departments/special_collections/wc_hist/chksaw.htm">The Chickasaw People</a><br><a href="http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/hprop/winterville.html">MDAH: Winterville Mounds</a><br><a href="http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/collect/Natchez/natch_1e.htm">Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Mississippi</a><br><a href="http://www.uark.edu/depts/contact/natchez.html">The Natchez Indians</a>

<H4>  "We honor the earth, for it is our Grandmother, and its gifts are of our Grandmother. We know our Grandmother changes her spirits from cold to warm, from warm to hot, from hot to warm, from warm to cold. This is her cycle, but with each change she gives us the gifts that are appropriate and necessary. "<br><br> - Ignatia Broker, Ojibwe</H4><br><br>Topics Covered:<br><UL><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/index.html">Geography</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/index.html">Groups</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/more_northeast.html">European People</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/more_northeast.html">Ojibwe People</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/more_northeast.html">Cycle of Life</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/more_northeast.html">Identity</a><br><a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/more_northeast.html">Tribal Website</a><br><br><img src=http://zoom.artsconnected.org/fif=mia/fpx/04/mia_4694b.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=320&hei=240&rgn=0.0,-0.59090906,1.00000000,2.18181800&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg><br> <b>"Collage IX: Landscape", by George Morrison, 1974</b><br> <a href="http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/northeast/morrison_home.html">Click here for more information on Northeast Woodland Indians</a><br><br><H4><i>Additional Online Resources</i></H4><br><a href="http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_newoodlands.html">North American Indians - Northeast Woodlands</a><br><a href="http://ancientgreece-earlyamerica.com/html/early_america.html">Early America</a><br><a href= "http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/vaindians.htm#20">Virginia''s Indians, Past and Present</a><br> <a href="http://www.nativeweb.com/resources.php?name=US+-+Northeast&type=2&location=329">Native Web: Northeast</a>

<img src=http://www.heard.org/images/i-exhibits1a.jpg><br><br> <a href="http://www.uark.edu/depts/contact/natchez.html">The Heard Museum</a><br><br> <img src=http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/morriss/images/midemanc.gif><br><br><a href="http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/art.html">Native American Indian Art</a><br><br> <img src=http://www.powersource.com/gallery/gallery.jpg><br><br><a href="http://www.powersource.com/gallery/default.html">Powersource</a><br><br><img src=http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/images/newlogo2.gif><br><br><a href="http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/">Index of Native American Resources on the Internet</a><br><br><img src=http://www.nmai.si.edu/images/subpage/top_logo_exhibitions.jpg><br><br> <a href="http://www.nmai.si.edu/">National Museum of the American Indian<a/><br><br><img src=http://www.iaiancad.org/homeimages/flash_placeholder.jpg><br><img src=http://www.iaiancad.org/homeimages/iaia.gif><br><br><a href="http://www.iaiancad.org/">Institute of American Indian Arts</a>