Prophets of the Great Spirit

Prophets of the Great Spirit Native American Revitalization Movements in Eastern North America

Hardback (15 Jul 2006)

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Publisher's Synopsis

Prophets of the Great Spirit offers an in-depth look at the work of a diverse group of Native American visionaries who forged new, syncretic religious movements that provided their peoples with the ideological means to resist white domination. By blending ideas borrowed from Christianity with traditional beliefs, they transformed "high" gods or a distant and aloof creator into a powerful, activist deity that came to be called the Great Spirit. These revitalization leaders sought to regain the favor of the Great Spirit through reforms within their societies and the inauguration of new ritual practices.

Among the prophets included in this study are the Delaware Neolin, the Shawnee Tenkswatawa, the Creek "Red Stick" prophets, the Seneca Handsome Lake, and the Kickapoo Kenekuk. Covering more than a century, from the early 1700s through the Kickapoo Indian removal of the Jacksonian Era, the prophets of the Great Spirit sometimes preached armed resistance but more often used nonviolent strategies to resist white cultural domination. Some prophets rejected virtually all aspects of Euro-American culture. Others sought to assure the survival of their culture through selective adaptation.

Alfred A. Cave explains the conditions giving rise to the millenarian movements in detail and skillfully illuminates the key histories, personalities, and legacies of the movement. Weaving an array of sources into a compelling narrative, he captures the diversity of these prophets and their commitment to the common goal of Native American survival.

Book information

ISBN: 9780803215559
Publisher: Nebraska
Imprint: University of Nebraska Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 299.71610974
DEWEY edition: 22
Language: English
Number of pages: 328
Weight: 658g
Height: 237mm
Width: 161mm
Spine width: 28mm