This section provides best information on Native American religious and spiritual practices, drawing from ethnographic accounts in the public domain.
These texts, written by 19th- and 20th-century ethnographers, document sacred traditions with a careful and respectful approach. Many of these scholars lived among Native communities for extended periods, gaining permission to transcribe oral sacred literature. While the study of Native American cultures has faced ethical and methodological challenges, these accounts represent some of the most detailed and firsthand records of traditional spiritual beliefs.
