Native culture and religion has made many contributions to North American society, yet perhaps the greatest gift received is the Native American spiritual world view. We never quarrel about religion. Spritual leaders risked long jail sentences for practicing rituals, ending in 1978 when the U.S. Freedom of Religion Act was passed. One set of themes found in some tribes describes that in the beginning, the world was populated by many people. Most were subsequently transformed into animals.
Natives thus feel a close bond with animals because of their shared human ancestry.
Dogs are excluded from this relationship. This bond is shown in the frequent rituals in which animal behavior is simulated. The master of humans is the Creator. The universe is believed to consist of many dark, underground layers through which the humans had to climb. They emerged into the present world through a small hole in the ground - the world's navel.