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Understanding the Conundrum of Rebirth Experience of the Beaver, Gitxsan, and Witsuwit'en
Article first published online: 21 NOV 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1548-1409.2010.01065.x
© 2010 by the American Anthropological Association
Issue
Anthropology and Humanism
Special Issue: DO SPIRITS EXIST? WAYS TO KNOW. Compiled and Edited by Joan Koss-Chioino
Volume 35, Issue 2, pages 172–191, December 2010
Additional Information
How to Cite
Mills, A. (2010), Understanding the Conundrum of Rebirth Experience of the Beaver, Gitxsan, and Witsuwit'en. Anthropology and Humanism, 35: 172–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1548-1409.2010.01065.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 21 NOV 2010
- Article first published online: 21 NOV 2010
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Indigenous;
- Native;
- Indian Peoples of North America;
- reincarnation;
- spirituality and the sacred
SUMMARY
The First Nations people of British Columbia experience reincarnation as a revitalization of their culture. This article documents the perseverance of reincarnation experiences among the Beaver, Witsuwit'en, and Gitxsan peoples of British Columbia, as well as my own growth in understanding such experiences. It recounts examples of rebirth cases. It explains what rebirth experiences mean to the First Nations people. It describes how these experiences are embedded in their perception of this world and embodied in their beliefs of spiritual realms, which include the interconnected and parallel worlds of fish and land animals, on this world and in spiritual dimensions. While the rebirth worldview contrasts with that of the Western scientific world, this is a worldview I have come to endorse.