Honoring the Animal Spirits : How Native Americans Utilized Every Part of an Animal to Bring it Honor Even in Death

After combing the web for articles on this topic, and finding nothing but new agers taunting the symbolism of their animal totems, I decided people needed to see how Native Americans honored the spirits of the animals they killed for food. It is my hope that at least some hunters adhere to these tokens of respect to this day.

A matter of honor

Like many earth based religions, that of most Native American tribes was centered around a deep respect for nature and the world around them. Religion, or more correctly put, "spirituality" was so important to their culture, that the two usual went hand in hand. Thus, the spiritual aspect of daily life was just as important as its material manifestations.

If you had need of a plant, you gave thanks to the spirit of the plant when taking of it for food, medicine, or even hygiene purposes. If you felled a tree, or took any part thereof to make houses, tools, etc, you honored the spirit of that life in the process, and kept that spirit alive in so doing.  "Spirit" ran through every living thing, and had to be given a place of honor, even in death.

The most important method of honoring the spirit of slain prey enacted by many Native American tribes was to make use of as much of the animals remains as possible. In this manner, the animal was kept alive in spirit by the use of the products made from it. Anything that could possibly be utilized in some manner was used before any remains were discarded.

Honor in utilization

Say, for example, a deer was killed for its meat. The deer would not simply be discarded once this was accomplish. A use was found for nearly every part of the deer, out of respect.

The hide of the animal would be dried with salt and turned to rawhide at the very least, or later tanning methods would be performed to create other useful types of leather. This leather was then used to make clothes, tools, houses, blankets, and other needed items. All this was done with honor and respect.

The sinews of the deer would be used as string for bows, and thread for sewing the leather. The bones themselves would be carved into many useful items, such as needles and awls for sewing, and handles for tools and weapons. Decorative items, such as headdresses and belt fasteners, and closures of all kinds were also made from this bone.

Bladders and other organs were even used to make containers for water and other liquids, or to make rattles for sacred ceremonies, which in turn honored nature and these same spirits as well. Even the liquid from the eyes of the deer would be used as a base, and plant or clay pigments added to make paint. All this was done in honor of the spirit of the animal, and with the firm knowledge that it had served a very sacred purpose.

There is a connectivity in this that modern cultures lack. The Native way of life (in other cultures, as well as that of Native Americans) was a truly "green" experience, which environmentalist and activists should perhaps study more closely. The honor and respect shown in many earth based religions should be a guide to a spirituality and connectivity not found in many modern religions.

Source : Years of study of Native American cultures and crafting methods, and insights gleaned from books such as Crafts of the North American Indians, by Richard C. Schneider.