Indigenous People in North America (Inuit and Haudenosaunee)

Differences or Similarities of Two Groups: Indigenous People in North America (Inuit and Haudenosaunee)
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Differences or Similarities of Two Groups: Indigenous People in North America (Inuit and Haudenosaunee)
Unlike the Western worldviews that are scientific, skeptic, and often requiring proof as a basis of belief, the Indigenous worldviews are based on the spiritual world and beliefs. Worldviews define how persons or groups interact with their world, including other people, animals, and the environment. Each society has its own worldview and societies tend to pass on their worldviews to younger generations for continuity. The root of such disparities between the worldviews is that they subscribe to different approaches to connectedness, knowledge, and science (Indigenous Corporate Training, 2020). Usually, indigenous cultures will focus on a holistic view of the whole, which emerged from the millennium of the experiences and existence. On the other hand, traditional Western worldviews are more interested in science and compartmentalized knowledge to understand the bigger picture. Interestingly, these worldviews differ across different groups that seem to share common beliefs and values. While both are indigenous people in North America, the Inuit and Haudenosaunee or the Iroquois people have differing opinions in regards to life after death, the problems with humans, and rituals and symbols in religion.
Both the Inuit people and the Haudenosaunee believe that both humans have a soul that continues life after death although the soul of Inuit people returns to earth to continue living in another body (Brears, 2020). The Inuit people believe that they have a soul, which is independent of the body. The soul will continue to live even after someone dies and may reappear as ghosts or guardian spirits. Both groups of the North American Indigenous people believe that the soul goes either upper or underworld after death. For Inuit, the soul goes underworld since it has abundant food and it is warm. Souls that take the upper world path suffer from famine and cold. Haudenosaunee believes that the soul goes over the rivers and through the mountains before going up in the clouds to embrace the loved ones and complete the "cycle of life (Ian Anderson Continuing Education Program, 2007)." In general, Inuit and Haudenosaunee believe in life after death but differ in terms of the journey and the form which the soul takes following death.
Humans are distinct from other animals in different ways, created in the image of a divine being, endowed with psychological impressions in their brains, and with a soul. Haudenosaunee holds that everything has a soul and the human soul is not different from others, including animals, plants, rocks, lakes, rivers, and all the forces of nature. Similarly, the Inuit people also believe that souls or spirits are in all things and the spirits continue living after death. However, humans are distinct from animals as they have two souls: personal spirit and life force. The two groups realize that humans are a unique kind of animal with a soul. M...