Similarities Between African And Native American God

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Belief in a Supreme High God, who created the world and then withdrew from active participation in it, is common in polytheistic religions around the world. Beyond all minor gods, goddesses, spirits and ancestors, there exists one High God, who created and in some sense still governs the universe. Most believe that this God is too distant and has limited contact with daily operation of human life. Native Americans and Africans have similar concepts of the high god. African and Native American religions recognize the presence of one supreme deity as well as the existence of God in multiple aspects. Both Africans and Native Americans believe that the high god is responsible for bringing the universe or the world into existence and after creating …show more content…

For example, the Yoruba tribe of West Africa is that Olorun (High God) assigned creation to his eldest son, Obatala, who failed to complete the task so he passed it on to his younger son, Odudua, but he failed too. Olorun oversaw creation himself by assigning smaller tasks to various orisha, lesser deities. Olorun then retired to the heavens and has little contact with people, though he may be appealed to at time of great crisis. Some Native American’s have a different view of the Great Spirit. For example, the Dakota tribes consider the high god Wakan Tanka, a Sioux name. They offer reverence to this spirit, which is displayed when the people honor the four directions, the Sun, Mother Earth, and their fellow man because these are Wakan Tanka's creation (Wakan, n.d.). They also do not attempt to describe this Great Power that created all because they say that no one can describe such a vast mystery (Wakan, n.d.). According to Dakota tribe, Wakan Tanka felt lonely so he created this world. Thus, it can be concluded that the African and Native American idea of the high god is quite similar with few differences in different tribes. But the main concept of both is similar because both were immensely influenced by Christianity. Christianity, being a monotheist religion, when influenced both these religions it brought in the concept of the high

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