Indigenous Religions

The term indigenous religions refers to the religious traditions of non-European peoples indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Recently, for political reasons, both inside and outside the university, and because of the reality of globalization, some native populations of North America—that is, Mexico, the United States, and Canada—have begun identifying themselves and their religious traditions as indigenous as opposed to Indian, Aboriginal, Amerindian, Native American, or First Peoples. Although indigenous peoples throughout the world have little in common in regard to culture and language, many of these societies have had to contend with one form of western European colonialism or another. In most cases, European colonialism was anything but benevolent, and Christian missionaries—both Catholic and Protestant—sought out indigenous souls to save from their traditional ways, which were considered to be the product of either absurd superstitions at best or satanic influence at worst. Though indigenous populations are different from one another and vary from locale to locale, the common legacy of early modern and modern colonization creates many similarities that allow for scholars who study them—most of whom are Europeans or neo-Europeans—to place native-born, non-European populations and their languages, cultures, and religions into a singular category called indigenous. Although scholars are not necessarily in agreement with what makes an indigenous population indigenous—that is, outside the history of colonization or the potential for being colonized—there is some agreement on what makes a religion indigenous. In general, indigenous religions are autochthonous; most are polytheistic, and sacred stories and histories are passed down orally or through verbal communication. This entry discusses indigenous religions within the context of geographic locations, deities, and orality and touches on the future of these religions.