Religio-Spiritual Participation in Two American Indian Populations

Following a previous investigation of religio-spiritual beliefs in American Indians, this article examined prevalence and correlates of religio-spiritual participation in two tribes in the Southwest and Northern Plains (N = 3,084). Analysis suggested a "religious profile" characterized by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the scientific study of religion 2014-03, Vol.53 (1), p.17-37
Main Authors: Garroutte, Eva Marie, Beals, Janette, Orton Anderson, Heather, Henderson, Jeffrey A., Nez-Henderson, Patricia, Thomas, Jacob, Croy, Calvin, Manson, Spero M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Research
American Indians
Belief & doubt
Christianity
Comparative analysis
Indigenous culture
Local communities
Native North Americans
North Amerindians
Participation
religio-spiritual practice
Religion
Religiosity
Religious practice
Religious traditions
Sex
Social Networks
Sociodemographic Factors
Spirituality
Traditions
Tribal society
U.S.A
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Summary:Following a previous investigation of religio-spiritual beliefs in American Indians, this article examined prevalence and correlates of religio-spiritual participation in two tribes in the Southwest and Northern Plains (N = 3,084). Analysis suggested a "religious profile" characterized by strong participation across three traditions: aboriginal, Christian, and Native American Church. However, sociodemographic variables that have reliably predicted participation in the general American population, notably gender and age, frequently failed to achieve significance in multivariate analyses for each tradition. Religio-spiritual participation was strongly and significantly related to belief salience for all traditions. Findings suggest that correlates of religious participation may be unique among American Indians, consistent with their distinctive religious profile. Results promise to inform researchers' efforts to understand and theorize about religio-spiritual behavior. They also provide tribal communities with practical information that might assist them in harnessing social networks to confront collective challenges through community-based participatory research collaborations.
ISSN:0021-8294
1468-5906
DOI:10.1111/jssr.12084