• a mythical individual, a hero or trickster, who teaches culture, proper behavior and provides sustenance to the tribe. .
There are also spirits which control the weather, spirits which interact with humans, and others who inhabit the underworld. Simultaneously the Creator and the spirits may be perceived as a single spiritual force, as in the unity called Wakan-Tanka by the Lakota and Dakota. .
Creation: In the beginning, the world was populated by many people. Most were subsequently transformed into animals. thus feel a close bond with animals Natives because of their shared human ancestry. Dogs are excluded from this relationship. This bond is shown in the frequent rituals in which animal behavior is simulated. Each species has its deer who is larger than all the others. master; for example, the deer have a master The master of humans is the Creator. .
Emergence of the Tribe: This is a concept found extensively in the Southwest. The universe is believed to consist of many dark, underground layers through which the humans had to climb. They emerged into the present world through a small hole in the ground - the world's navel. .
Sacred Texts: Native traditions have been preserved as an oral tradition, not in written form. As a result, traditions are often updated and changed as a result of dreams and visions. .
Afterlife: In general, Native religions have no precise belief about life after death. Some believe in reincarnation, with a person being reborn either as a human or animal after death. Others believe that humans return as ghosts, or that people go to an other world. Others believe that nothing definitely can be known about one's fate after this life. Combinations of belief are common. .
Cosmology: The universe is understood as being composed of multiple layers, with the natural world as a middle segment These layers are thought to be linked by the World Tree, which has its roots in the underground, has a trunk passing through the natural world, and has its top in the sky world.
