In North America, Native Americans held a belief that everything - animals, plants, water, stones - contained a spirit. This belief, called animism, led Native Americans to practice many elaborate rituals and ceremonies to communicate with animals they hunted, bless their crops, or drive out illness (Foner, 8). Often, certain members of a tribe were considered to be spiritual leaders, and would guide the community in rituals and help maintain community identity (Foner, 8-9). Native Americans also had similar attitudes toward gender roles, though some particular habits differed. Generally, women were expected to have families and children. However, they freely engaged in sexual relationships before marriage, could freely divorce, and had identities independent from that of their husband. Indeed, children would often follow the family lineage of their mother. Though men generally held positions of political power, women (especially elders) had a great deal of influence on who held those positions. Men and women generally shared labor, with women often working on agriculture or gathering plants while men mostly hunted (Foner,
In North America, Native Americans held a belief that everything - animals, plants, water, stones - contained a spirit. This belief, called animism, led Native Americans to practice many elaborate rituals and ceremonies to communicate with animals they hunted, bless their crops, or drive out illness (Foner, 8). Often, certain members of a tribe were considered to be spiritual leaders, and would guide the community in rituals and help maintain community identity (Foner, 8-9). Native Americans also had similar attitudes toward gender roles, though some particular habits differed. Generally, women were expected to have families and children. However, they freely engaged in sexual relationships before marriage, could freely divorce, and had identities independent from that of their husband. Indeed, children would often follow the family lineage of their mother. Though men generally held positions of political power, women (especially elders) had a great deal of influence on who held those positions. Men and women generally shared labor, with women often working on agriculture or gathering plants while men mostly hunted (Foner,