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BELIEFS
Belief is simply
the feeling that something is real and true. The Haudenosaunee trust
and have confidence in their beliefs about the universe, about the
spiritual powers of that universe and about how humans are to conduct
themselves on their journey through life. To believe is a conscious
act that affects the way we see the world. Art, in broad terms of
language, music, dance, and making things, is the act by which we
manifest belief, express the unseen parts of the world, and express
our own personalities of people living in the world. The
Haudenosaunee beliefs include the following:
(1) The Universe
is a large sphere that is divided in the Skyworld above and the
Underwater World below. In the middle plane of that sphere rests the
earth, which is like an island floating on the back of a giant turtle.
(2) The celestial
bodies and forces of that universe are living entities with a inner
spirit that can be beneficial to humans if proper respect is paid to
them. All people have a spiritual obligation to perform the rituals
of thanksgiving in order to assure the harmony of the universe can be maintained.
(3) The Great
Creator has sent three main spiritual messages to the Haudenosaunee
after the Creation. These were the Four Sacred Dances, the Great
Law of Peace and the Gaiwiio, or Code of Handsome Lake.
(4) The children
of the Haudenosaunee are born within a Circle of Tradition, but that
birthright also requires duty to maintain that circle. Those that
join another religion, become citizens of foreign countries or work
against the general welfare of the people are considered to have
removed themselves from within this circle. Those that do, leave all
of the rights of the Haudenosaunee behind.
(5) Talent is a
gift from the Creator that is meant to be used for the sake of the
entire community and not self-aggrandizement. |
