Morgan Freeman Asks Navajo About God
Courtesy National Geographic ChannelAn unusual guest attended 12-year-old Maysun Peterson’s Kinaaldá, or traditional maturity ceremony, for Navajo girls—Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman Asks Navajo About God
An unusual guest attended 12-year-old Maysun Peterson’s Kinaaldá, or traditional maturity ceremony, for Navajo girls.
Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Morgan Freeman joined Maysun’s family for the occasion, which took place last November near Shiprock, New Mexico. Held shortly after a girl’s first menstruation, the four-day Kinaaldá celebrates her transformation into a woman.
Freeman, host of a six-part documentary series airing on the National Geographic Channel, visited the Navajo Nation to ask poignant questions about God. His series, “The Story of God,” explores religions around the globe in a journey that seeks to “shed light on the questions that have puzzled, terrified and inspired mankind,” Nat Geo said in a statement.
In his series, Freeman attempts to uncover the meaning of life, the origin of deities and similarities among the different faiths.
“Over the past few months, I’ve traveled to nearly 20 cities in seven different countries on a personal journey to find answers to the big mysteries of faith,” Freeman said in a statement. “I’ve sung the call to prayer at a mosque in Cairo, taken meditation lessons from the Buddhist leader of the oldest line of reincarnating Lamas, discussed Galileo with the head of the Papal Academy of Sciences and explored the first instructions for the afterlife rendered in hieroglyphs inside the pyramids. In some places I found answers, and others led to more questions.”
The series premiered April 3, and new episodes air every Sunday. Maysun was featured for about eight minutes during the April 17 episode, titled “Who is God?”
The 50-minute segment also included footage from Egypt and Israel, where Freeman explores monotheism, and to India, where Hindus worship millions of gods. In Cairo, he spends time with Muslims who connect to a God who has no physical form. And on the Navajo Nation, he observes the Kinaaldá, during which girls communicate with Changing Woman, one of the Navajo Holy People.
The Kinaaldá is a sacred ceremony that includes several rituals designed to ensure a girl grows into a strong and kind woman. Over the course of four days, the girl bathes, ties her hair back, runs toward the east and bakes a corn cake in an earthen pit.
A medicine man performs songs that invite Changing Woman to help the girl enter womanhood. When the ceremony is complete, the girl is introduced to the deities as a woman and invited to take her place in the world.
“I think what Morgan Freeman was looking for was the way we as Navajos experience God’s different types of conversation,” said Michele Peterson, Maysun’s mother. “The songs we sing are saying the girl is coming out as a woman. Because of those songs, we are surrounded by our deities.”
Only small portions of the actual ceremony can be filmed, said Tom Chatto, a Navajo medicine man who performed Maysun’s Kinaaldá. Chatto also acted as a consultant for the film crew, determining which details of the ceremony could be shared on television.
In fact, most of the ceremony that aired on National Geographic was a reenactment, Chatto said.
“The real one, you can film parts of it,” he said. “But for the TV show, we just reenacted it. We just showed the parts that are OK for the world to see.”
Even in the reenactment, there were places Freeman wasn’t allowed. Near the end of the ceremony, Peterson pulls a blanket over the door of her hogan. Freeman is left outside.
“The most important thing was to do what was appropriate,” Peterson said. “We made sure we were very respectful, and that meant closing the hogan with a blanket or telling the cameras they had to stop filming.”
Freeman did witness some of the songs, the morning runs and the ceremonial cutting of the corn cake. In the segment, Freeman takes a big chunk of the cake and holds it up to his mouth.
“Don’t burn your tongue,” Maysun warns in the clip .
Before Freeman left, the family gifted him a turquoise necklace. The actor made headlines in January and February when he wore it at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
As television audiences witness Maysun’s rite of passage, Peterson said she hopes they understand a portion of the ancient ritual in the context of other world religions.
“The ceremony is a big deal to us,” she said. “This was a way to show people what we believe. It was an opportunity to take something and share it visually.”
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/04/23/morgan-freeman-asks-navajo-about-god-164228
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Rarely are American Indians asked about our religion. A lot of assumptions are made by non Indians.
Although our religions are thousands of years old, little is know about them and in fact, the US Government outlawed native religions for a long period of US history. (so much for religious freedom).
Like the Navajo many of the ceremonies are not to be filmed or witnessed by outsiders (non Indians). This we learned the hard way.
Morgan Freemans series on God, and reaching out to the Navajo is an unique moment.
Cool series and kudos to NatGeo for doing it.
I also appreciate that Freeman seems to understand what a special deal it is for him to share this occasion with this young lady and her family and friends.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all religions actually brought us closer to each other, rather than divided us? (*sigh*)
''Wouldn't it be wonderful if all religions actually brought us closer to each other, rather than divided us? (*sigh*)''
It would be great Larry, but it seems that isn't possible, past present nor future.
A better person to narrate the event would be hard to find. I could listen to Morgan Freeman narrate all day long.
I always enjoy Morgan Freeman, and like you, I can listen to him narrate forever.
What a beautiful young woman!
I, too, could listen to Morgan Freeman all day long, and he is the perfect person to narrate this exploration. How kind of the Navajo to share their faith with us all-- I certainly hope it leads to greater understanding between people of different beliefs.
Yes, it would be wonderful if religion united us, rather than divided us! It should unite us, all of us.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article!
Happy that you enjoyed it Dowser.
Each tribe/nation has it's own beliefs when it comes to this.
I think that this is a wonderful thing that happened here. Sharing Indian beliefs helps to humanize them to non Indians. Most faiths like to go out there and even convert, but Indians are very private and I am not sure this has always been a good thing. This series helps us to understand one another on a very different level, and that makes it more than worthy.
One of the major reason for being private, is that the religions were outlawed by the US government, Perrie.
The Midewiwin went underground for decades as did numerous other tribes and their ceremonies. Additionally we have the make believe ''new age'' people that steal our ceremonies and sell them as ''spiritually healing''...Which in some cases have resulted in death to their ''customers''...
Unlike most Christian denominations we do not try to convert people to out beliefs.
Although this program make help some understand us, there is still plenty of suspicion among Indians.
I believe Red Jacket said it best in his speech to the Christian missionaries, it still hold true today.
Red Jacket Defends Native American Religion, 1805
by Red Jacket
The Senecas, members of the Iroquois Confederacy, fought on the side of the British in the American Revolution. Red Jacket, also known as Sagoyewatha, was a chief and orator born in eastern New York; he derived his English name from his habit of wearing many red coats provided to him by his British allies. After the hostilities, as the British ceded their territories to the Americans, the Senecas and many other Indian peoples faced enormous pressure on their homelands. Red Jacket was a critical mediator in relations between the new U.S. government and the Senecas; he led a delegation that met with George Washington in 1792, when he received a peace medal that appeared in subsequent portraits of the Indian leader. In 1805 a Boston missionary society requested Red Jacket’s permission to proselytize among the Iroquois settlements in northern New York State. Red Jacket’s forceful defense of native religion, below, caused the representative to refuse the Indian’s handshake and announce that no fellowship could exist between the religion of God and the works of the Devil.
Friend and brother; it was the will of the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and he has given us a fine day for our council. He has taken his garment from before the sun, and caused it to shine with brightness upon us; our eyes are opened, that we see clearly; our ears are unstopped, that we have been able to hear distinctly the words that you have spoken; for all these favors we thank the Great Spirit, and him only.
Brother, this council fire was kindled by you; it was at your request that we came together at this time; we have listened with attention to what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely; this gives us great joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you, and can speak what we think; all have heard your voice, and all speak to you as one man; our minds are agreed.
Brother, you say you want an answer to your talk before you leave this place. It is right you should have one, as you are a great distance from home, and we do not wish to detain you; but we will first look back a little, and tell you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard from the white people.
Brother, listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers owned this great island. Their seats extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He had created the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He made the bear and the beaver, and their skins served us for clothing. He had scattered them over the country, and taught us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce corn for bread. All this he had done for his red children because he loved them. If we had any disputes about hunting grounds, they were generally settled without the shedding of much blood. But an evil day came upon us; your forefathers crossed the great waters, and landed on this island. Their numbers were small; they found friends, and not enemies; they told us they had fled from their own country for fear of wicked men, and come here to enjoy their religion. They asked for a small seat; we took pity on them, granted their request, and they sat down amongst us; we gave them corn and meat; they gave us poison in return. The white people had now found our country; tidings were carried back, and more came amongst us; yet we did not fear them, we took them to be friends; they called us brothers; we believed them, and gave them a larger seat. At length, their numbers had greatly increased; they wanted more land; they wanted our country. Our eyes were opened, and our minds became uneasy. Wars took place; Indians were hired to fight against Indians, and many of our people were destroyed. They also brought strong liquor among us; it was strong and powerful, and has slain thousands.
Brother, our seats were once large, and yours were very small; you have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets; you have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.
Brother, continue to listen. You say you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his mind, and if we do not take hold of the religion which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right, and we are lost; how do we know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book; if it was intended for us as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people?
Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit; if there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book?
Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us their children. We worship that way. It teacheth us to be thankful for all the favors we receive; to love each other, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion.
Brother, the Great Spirit has made us all; but he has made a great difference between his white and red children; he has given us a different complexion, and different customs; to you he has given the arts; to these he has not opened our eyes; we know these things to be true. Since he has made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not conclude that he has given us a different religion according to our understanding. The Great Spirit does right; he knows what is best for his children; we are satisfied.
Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you; we only want to enjoy our own.
Brother, you say you have not come to get our land or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings, and saw you collecting money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this money was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister; and if we should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you may want some from us.
Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors; we are acquainted with them; we will wait, a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.
Brother, you have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we have to say at present. As we are going to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, and return you safe to your friends.
Source: Daniel Drake, Lives of Celebrated American Indians, Boston, Bradbury, Soden & Co. 1843), 283–87.
One of the major reason for being private, is that the religions were outlawed by the US government, Perrie.
Throughout our history the U.S. has made a big about how this country has "religious freedom". But apparently the dominant idea was that "all men are created equal"-- except for some.
Sheesh..talk about hypocrisy!
The response to Red Jacket from the missionaries is that we are savages and practice the religion of the devil.
This attitude was prevalent for hundreds of years, and in some circles still is Krish.
At least Morgan is one of the few "famous" people who appear to seriously want to learn.
Indeed he is 1st. The whole series should be excellent. Anything that NatGeo does is usually excellent. Having Morgan Freeman in it, makes it even better.