Great Spirit

The Great Spirit is an omnipresent supreme life force found in many Indigenous cultures across Canada and the United States.

It is generally understood as a supreme being or a god. However, interpretations of this concept vary significantly between different cultural groups. Some people view the Great Spirit as an anthropomorphic celestial deity. This means they see it as a god with human-like qualities. Such a being might take a personal interest in world affairs. It might also regularly intervene in the lives of human beings.

Spiritual leaders often look to the Great Spirit for guidance. This guidance can help individuals or entire communities. Some people serve as "speakers" for the Great Spirit. These individuals act as earthly mediators. They facilitate communication between humans and the supernatural world. Being a speaker carries a serious obligation. These people must preserve the spiritual traditions of their specific lineage. While many tribes believe in a Great Spirit, they also show cultural divergence. This means they have different stories, parables, and fables. These stories can sometimes have contradictory themes or plot elements.

In the Lakota tradition, the Great Spirit is known as Wakan Tanka. The term Wakan means "holy" or "sacred." The term Tanka means "great" or "large." Together, they describe a power that resides in everything. This concept is similar to animism or pantheism. Before European missionaries arrived, the Lakota used Wakan Tanka for a group of sacred entities. These entities were considered mysterious and beyond human understanding. Because of this, some scholars suggest "Great Mystery" is a better translation. Activist Russell Means also promotes this translation. He suggests that Lakota spirituality was not originally monotheistic.

Chief Luther Standing Bear explained this connection beautifully. He said Wakan Tanka is a unifying life force. This force flows through all things, such as flowers, winds, rocks, and animals. It is the same force breathed into the first man. This makes all things kindred through the Great Mystery. In the Haudenosaunee tradition, the Great Spirit is called "the Creator." Lyle Thompson described the Creator as living in all things. This includes the sun, the moon, the stars, the water, and the earth.

The Algonquian tradition uses the name Gitche Manitou. This is also seen in Anishinaabe culture. The Anishinaabe are descended from the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Cree. They view Gitche Manitou as the Creator and the Giver of Life. Some Anishinaabe people believe in various spirits for protection. They might place images of these spirits near doorways. Historically, the Anishinaabe believed Michilimackinac, now Mackinac Island, was the home of Gitche Manitou. Some tribes would make a pilgrimage there for special rituals.

Algonquian peoples also recognize a life force called Manitou. This is similar to the Haudenosaunee concept of orenda. Manitou is seen as a fundamental and omnipresent force. It manifests in organisms, the environment, and even human events. These manifestations are often dualistic. This means they appear in two contrasting ways. Practitioners call the good spirit "aashaa monetoo." They call the bad spirit "otshee monetoo." Legend says Aasha Monetoo gave the land to the indigenous peoples, specifically the Shawnee, during creation.

European colonial missionaries often interacted with these beliefs. They saw similarities between the Great Spirit and the Christian deity. Missionaries used these comparisons as a conversion technique. They often used the term Gichi-ojichaag to refer to the Christian Holy Spirit. This was part of a process called syncretism, where different beliefs merge. Today, these beliefs are often associated with the Native American Church. This modern tradition includes both monotheistic ideas and animistic conceptions. While the exact number of followers is unknown, there are likely over 250,000 adherents.