On this page I would like to show some verses that show the Native American spirituality is not "paganistic"
as earlier and even, contemporary people believe. This, of course, will only cover those beliefs that
I know of, which stem around the Sioux and Cherokee. Please just read the verses and determine for yourself .

Belief-the universe and the earth were originally water, later God separated the waters, then plants were created first from the earth, then animals from the earth, then man from the earth....thus "Mother Earth."

Genesis 1:6-30 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day.

And  God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation; plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the third day.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God make two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the fourth day.

And  God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds; livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Then God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

Gen 2:7 And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

Gen 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Gen 2:19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.

Belief-Animals were once able to talk.

Gen 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must now eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent [without surprise!] "We may eat fruit from........"

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.

Numbers 22:27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

Balaam answered the donkey, [again, no surprise] "You have made a fool of me? If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."

The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?"

Belief-Plants, animals, minerals have life in them and are due some respect. I use only a few verses here though there are many, many more, however, I will just give enough to show the point. But please understand, I do NOT agree with "worshipping" them, only respect to them as God's gifts to us for proper use, e.g. killing for the sport, polluting the earth are two examples of improper use.

Gen 9:4-5 [God to Noah] Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.

Gen 9:9-16 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you; Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.

Joshua 24:27 (Joshua speaking)"See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."

2 Samuel 18:8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.

I Chron 16:31-33 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.

Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Job 12:7-10 But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Job 31:38-40 if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, then let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.

Job 38:39-41 [God speaking] do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39:5-8 [God speaking] Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing.

Psalms 104:21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

Psalms 148 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.  He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?

Isaiah 43:20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people [Israel], my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Isaiah 55:12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Matthew 6:26 [Jesus] Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you mot much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:28-30 [Jesus] And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, o you of little faith?

Matthew 10:29 [Jesus] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Luke 17:6 He [Jesus] replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Luke 19:40 [Jesus] "I tell you," he replied, "if they [disciples] keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Revelations 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing."

Belief-Burning sage and tobacco while praying?

I Kings 9:25 Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings an dfellowhsip offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.

Malachi 1:11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun.  In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty.

Revelations 8:3-4 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.

Belief-Sioux believe that Wankan-Tanka is the One Great Spirit, but 7-fold (west, north, east, south, earth, sky and inside one's self.) The Cherokee, too, had the seven directions incorporated in their lives. The following verses will help you determine whether this is Biblical....

Zechariah 4:2-10 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights......"(These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range throughout the earth.)"

Revelations 1:4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne.

Revelations 3:1 ...These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Revelations 4:5 ...Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

Revelations 5:6 ...He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

In Revelations verses, the term "sevenfold Spirit" is also a correct translation from the Greek term used here.

I have studied this a little farther and from what I have determined, the seven fold spirits of God (taken from Isaiah 11:2 which many use to explain the seven spirits of God in Revelations) compare to Native American beliefs as thus:

Wisdom (skillful: ability to create, invent)-North/mental

Fear(reverence-respect)-Sky/manifests the Glory of God

Understanding(ability to receive directions)-West/Physical

Spirit of God-Sacred Fire/Internal spiritual aspect

Counsel(prudence)-Earth/gain and maintain necessities for living

Power(might-victory)-South/Purity-completion

Knowledge(wittingly aware, incorporate experience w/facts)-East/Spiritual as the Bible plainly says the only way to have knowledge is through God and His Holy Spirit.

Did Jesus come to the Americas and continue to do his Father's will?

John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Check out my collection of stories at my site He Walked the Americas.from the Native Americans who claim Jesus did indeed come to the Americas.