Native Americans - Assignment Example

4th September Native Americans Native American religions have persisted in history, though through interactions with other religions and cultures, which have influenced the ancient beliefs, and are reflective of trends in beliefs by other immigrant groups into the America. This paper explains the role of evolution of Native American religions as a microcosm of other religious adaptations through compatibility, commonality in diversity, and common religious goals across religions. One of the ways in which the Native American religions are representative of other immigrant groups’ adaptation is the compatibility that the native religions have exhibited with the other groups’ practices and beliefs.

Albanese (36) explains that Native Americans have responded positively to other religions assimilating some foreign practices, integrating religions, or conversion to new religion. Any of the three actions demonstrated compatibility, in either principles or beliefs, between Native American religions and religions among immigrant groups, and therefore suggests possible religious effects on the immigrant groups. Commonalities within the native religions, that distinguished them from foreign religions is another aspect that establishes the traditional religions as a microcosm for other religious adaptations.

Even in their interactions with other religions, the native religions have sustained their identity, with peyote religion as an example (Albanese 37), and this shows that immigrant groups would monitor religious interactions for sustainability of their respective religious identities. Identity aspect of commonalities within religion would influence religions to establish distinct values for sustainability among other religions.Existence of relationship with a supreme authority, which is common among the Native American religions and other religions such as Christianity (Albanese 23- 25), is another illustration of the native religions as a basis for understanding possible religious adaptations among immigrant groups.

The groups’ changes in religion would therefore be limited to such relationships with supernatural beings. Existence of distinct practices and beliefs among the native religions and foreign religions, together with compatibility into systematic religious interactions for sustaining religious identity are therefore microcosm for understanding religious adaptations of immigrant groups. Works citedAlbanese, Catherine. America: Religions and religion. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.