fbpx
Wikipedia

Indian Shaker Church

The Indian Shaker Church is a Christian denomination founded in 1881 by Squaxin shaman John Slocum and his wife Mary Slocum in Washington state. The Indian Shaker Church is a unique blend of Indigenous, Catholic, and Protestant beliefs and practices.

Indian Shaker Church
Total population
~2000 (late 20th century)[1]
Founder
John Slocum
Regions with significant populations
Pacific Northwest

The Indian Shakers are unrelated to the Shakers (United Society of Believers) and are not to be confused with the Native American Church.

History and practices Edit

 
The first Indian Shaker Church at Mud Bay, Eld Inlet, Washington State, circa 1892

As tradition tells, Slocum (Squ-sacht-um) had died from sickness in 1881 when he revived during his wake reporting a visit to heaven, where he was told by an angel that, "you've been a pretty bad Indian", and where he received instructions to start a new religion.[2] When Slocum became ill again several months later, his wife, Mary, began to shake and tremble uncontrollably in prayer. Soon afterward, Slocum recovered, and his healing was attributed to Mary's convulsions.[3] The religion is thus named for the shaking of members during religious congregations.[4] The shaking is reported to have healing powers.[5]

The story is told that Mary had sent for a casket. John was dead. The casket was brought by canoe, down the river. The casket was just coming around the bend in the river when John revived, and told the people he had met Jesus and what they were to do.

 
The Indian Shaker Church in Marysville, Washington.

The first church was built at Mud Bay outside Olympia, Washington near the homes of church co-founders and brothers Mud Bay Louie and Mud Bay Sam.[6][7]

Indian Shakers originally rejected the Bible and all other written scriptures, and instead relied on direct communication between God and the individual. Such Shakers believe that the experience of the Gospel does not require a book, but rather is encoded in the mind and soul in accordance with the will of God. The religion began to be practiced by many unrelated peoples along the Northwest Coast of North America, such as the Klallam, Quinault, Lower Chehalis, Yakama, Hoh, Quileute, Wiyot, Yurok, and Hupa, among others.

 
The second Indian Shaker Church at Mud Bay, built 1910 on the same property as the first 1890s Indian Shaker Church structure, 21 May 2015.

Practices reflecting Catholic influence include the use of hand-held candles, the ringing of individual hand bells (to a very loud volume), and the sign of the cross (usually repeated three times). Protestant influence is shown in public testifying and confession of shortcomings. Native elements include brushing or stroking to remove evil influence, counter-clockwise movement of service participants around the room (often with loud stomping), and spontaneous reception of songs from the spirit. Church members are expected to refrain from using alcohol and tobacco. Carefulness, kindness, and supplication to God for help are emphasized.

The new religion encountered much opposition and hostility from Euro-Americans. As had happened with the Ghost Dance, there was much misunderstanding and Anglos feared an Indian uprising. For a time, all Indian religious practices were banned by law, and the Indian Shakers were included. Many members were imprisoned and chained for their practices. Powell et al. (1976) show two notices posted by the US Indian Service at Quileute Reservation:

Notice to the Shakers: You are hereby permitted to hold meetings ... under the following conditions: on Sundays not longer than three (3) hours at one time and on Wednesdays not longer than two (2) hours at one time. The following REGULATIONS to be observed: 1st, Keep windows or a door open during all meetings. 2nd, Use only one bell to give signals. Not continuous ringing. 3rd, Do not admit school children at night meetings. It has been reported ... that there are some women who are violating the Rules ... and that they shake at all hours of the day and night. You will therefore tell the women quietly to stop shaking at any other times than the times specified in the rules ... If they do not stop, ... you will lock them up until they agree to stop. Shaking of the sick must not be allowed ... We do not want any trouble in this matter if it is possible to avoid it; but that 'continual and private shaking' must be stopped.[a]

During the latter part of the 20th century, the denomination had 20 congregations with about 2,000 members. In the 1960s, a break occurred among Indian Shakers in which one "conservative" faction continued to reject written religious material while another "progressive" faction was more tolerant of the use of the Bible and other written material.[1]

Indian Shakers continue to practice on the Northwest Coast in Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.

See also Edit

Footnotes Edit

  1. ^ Powell et al. 1976,[8] cited in Bright 1984[9]

References Edit

  1. ^ a b "Indian Shaker Church | American religious sect". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  2. ^ Ruby, p. 3
  3. ^ Francis, pp. 115–16.
  4. ^ Ruby, p. 85
  5. ^ Ruby, p. 81
  6. ^ Steele 1957, p. 11.
  7. ^ Mooney 1896, pp. 754 and 758.
  8. ^ Powell & Jensen 1976.
  9. ^ Bright 1984.

Bibliography Edit

  • Bright, William (1984), "The virtues of illiteracy", American Indian linguistics and literature, Berlin: Mouton Publishers, pp. 149–159
  • Francis, John (2011). The Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World. Washington, DC: National Geographic Books. ISBN 9781426207235. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  • Mooney, James (1896), "The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890", Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1892–1893, U.S. Government Printing Office
  • Powell, Jay; Jensen, Vickie (1976), Quileute: An introduction to the Indians of La Push, Seattle: University of Washington Press
  • Ruby, Robert H.; & Brown, John A. (1996). John Slocum and the Indian Shaker Church. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2865-8.
  • Steele, E.N. (1957), The rise and decline of the Olympia oyster (PDF), Elma, Washington: Fulco Publications, doi:10.5962/bhl.title.6544

Further reading Edit

  • Amoss, Pamela T. (1990). The Indian Shaker Church. In W. Suttles (Ed.), Northwest Coast. Handbook of North American Indians (Vol. 7). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  • Barnett, H. G. (1957). Indian Shakers: A messianic cult of the Pacific Northwest. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
  • Castile, George P. (1982). The 'Half-Catholic' movement: Edwin and Myron Eells and the rise of the Indian Shaker Church. Pacific Northwest Quarterly, 73, 165–174.
  • Eells, Myron. (1886). Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874–1884 (pp. 180–237). Boston.
  • Fredson, Jean T. (1960). Religion of the Shakers. In H. Deegan (Ed.), History of Mason County Washington. Shelton, WA.
  • Giovannetti, Joseph M. (1994). Indian Shaker Church. In Native America in the twentieth century: An encyclopedia (pp. 266–267). New York: Garland Publishing.
  • Gunter, Erna. (1977). The Shaker Religion of the Northwest. In J. A. Halseth & B. A. Glasrud (Eds.), The Northwest mosaic: Minority conflicts in Pacific Northwest history. Boulder, CO: Pruett Publishing Company.
  • Harmon, Alexandra. (1999). Indians in the making: Ethnic relations and Indian identities around Puget Sound (pp. 125–130). Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Harmon, Ray. (1971). Indian Shaker Church, The Dalles. Oregon Historical Quarterly, 72, 148–158.
  • Ober, Sarah E. (1910). A new religion among the West Coast Indians. The Overland Monthly, 56 (July–December).
  • Sackett, Lee. (1973). The Siletz Indian Shaker Church. Pacific Northwest Quarterly, 64 (July), 120-26.
  • Valory, Dale. (1966). The focus of Indian Shaker healing. The Kroeber Anthropological Society Papers (No. 35). Berkeley: Kroeber Anthropological Society.
  • From the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection:
    • The Siletz Indian Shaker Church
    • The "Half-Catholic" movement: Edwin and Myron Eells and the rise of the Indian Shaker Church
    • The Indian Connection: Judge James Wickersham and the Indian Shakers (1990)
    • The Present Status and Probable Future of the Indians of Puget Sound (1914) (see: pp. 18–20)
    • The Swinomish People and Their State (1936) (see: pp. 293–295)

External links Edit

  • "Native Americans organize the Indian Shaker Church in 1892", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink

indian, shaker, church, christian, denomination, founded, 1881, squaxin, shaman, john, slocum, wife, mary, slocum, washington, state, unique, blend, indigenous, catholic, protestant, beliefs, practices, total, population, 2000, late, 20th, century, founderjohn. The Indian Shaker Church is a Christian denomination founded in 1881 by Squaxin shaman John Slocum and his wife Mary Slocum in Washington state The Indian Shaker Church is a unique blend of Indigenous Catholic and Protestant beliefs and practices Indian Shaker ChurchTotal population 2000 late 20th century 1 FounderJohn SlocumRegions with significant populationsPacific NorthwestThe Indian Shakers are unrelated to the Shakers United Society of Believers and are not to be confused with the Native American Church Contents 1 History and practices 2 See also 3 Footnotes 4 References 4 1 Bibliography 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory and practices Edit nbsp The first Indian Shaker Church at Mud Bay Eld Inlet Washington State circa 1892As tradition tells Slocum Squ sacht um had died from sickness in 1881 when he revived during his wake reporting a visit to heaven where he was told by an angel that you ve been a pretty bad Indian and where he received instructions to start a new religion 2 When Slocum became ill again several months later his wife Mary began to shake and tremble uncontrollably in prayer Soon afterward Slocum recovered and his healing was attributed to Mary s convulsions 3 The religion is thus named for the shaking of members during religious congregations 4 The shaking is reported to have healing powers 5 The story is told that Mary had sent for a casket John was dead The casket was brought by canoe down the river The casket was just coming around the bend in the river when John revived and told the people he had met Jesus and what they were to do nbsp The Indian Shaker Church in Marysville Washington The first church was built at Mud Bay outside Olympia Washington near the homes of church co founders and brothers Mud Bay Louie and Mud Bay Sam 6 7 Indian Shakers originally rejected the Bible and all other written scriptures and instead relied on direct communication between God and the individual Such Shakers believe that the experience of the Gospel does not require a book but rather is encoded in the mind and soul in accordance with the will of God The religion began to be practiced by many unrelated peoples along the Northwest Coast of North America such as the Klallam Quinault Lower Chehalis Yakama Hoh Quileute Wiyot Yurok and Hupa among others nbsp The second Indian Shaker Church at Mud Bay built 1910 on the same property as the first 1890s Indian Shaker Church structure 21 May 2015 Practices reflecting Catholic influence include the use of hand held candles the ringing of individual hand bells to a very loud volume and the sign of the cross usually repeated three times Protestant influence is shown in public testifying and confession of shortcomings Native elements include brushing or stroking to remove evil influence counter clockwise movement of service participants around the room often with loud stomping and spontaneous reception of songs from the spirit Church members are expected to refrain from using alcohol and tobacco Carefulness kindness and supplication to God for help are emphasized The new religion encountered much opposition and hostility from Euro Americans As had happened with the Ghost Dance there was much misunderstanding and Anglos feared an Indian uprising For a time all Indian religious practices were banned by law and the Indian Shakers were included Many members were imprisoned and chained for their practices Powell et al 1976 show two notices posted by the US Indian Service at Quileute Reservation Notice to the Shakers You are hereby permitted to hold meetings under the following conditions on Sundays not longer than three 3 hours at one time and on Wednesdays not longer than two 2 hours at one time The following REGULATIONS to be observed 1st Keep windows or a door open during all meetings 2nd Use only one bell to give signals Not continuous ringing 3rd Do not admit school children at night meetings It has been reported that there are some women who are violating the Rules and that they shake at all hours of the day and night You will therefore tell the women quietly to stop shaking at any other times than the times specified in the rules If they do not stop you will lock them up until they agree to stop Shaking of the sick must not be allowed We do not want any trouble in this matter if it is possible to avoid it but that continual and private shaking must be stopped a During the latter part of the 20th century the denomination had 20 congregations with about 2 000 members In the 1960s a break occurred among Indian Shakers in which one conservative faction continued to reject written religious material while another progressive faction was more tolerant of the use of the Bible and other written material 1 Indian Shakers continue to practice on the Northwest Coast in Washington Oregon California and British Columbia See also EditList of Indian Shaker Church buildings in WashingtonFootnotes Edit Powell et al 1976 8 cited in Bright 1984 9 References Edit a b Indian Shaker Church American religious sect Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 19 October 2021 Ruby p 3 Francis pp 115 16 Ruby p 85 Ruby p 81 Steele 1957 p 11 Mooney 1896 pp 754 and 758 Powell amp Jensen 1976 Bright 1984 Bibliography Edit Bright William 1984 The virtues of illiteracy American Indian linguistics and literature Berlin Mouton Publishers pp 149 159 Francis John 2011 The Ragged Edge of Silence Finding Peace in a Noisy World Washington DC National Geographic Books ISBN 9781426207235 Retrieved 27 September 2015 Mooney James 1896 The Ghost Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890 Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1892 1893 U S Government Printing Office Powell Jay Jensen Vickie 1976 Quileute An introduction to the Indians of La Push Seattle University of Washington Press Ruby Robert H amp Brown John A 1996 John Slocum and the Indian Shaker Church University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 0 8061 2865 8 Steele E N 1957 The rise and decline of the Olympia oyster PDF Elma Washington Fulco Publications doi 10 5962 bhl title 6544Further reading EditAmoss Pamela T 1990 The Indian Shaker Church In W Suttles Ed Northwest Coast Handbook of North American Indians Vol 7 Washington D C Smithsonian Institution Press Barnett H G 1957 Indian Shakers A messianic cult of the Pacific Northwest Carbondale Southern Illinois University Press Castile George P 1982 The Half Catholic movement Edwin and Myron Eells and the rise of the Indian Shaker Church Pacific Northwest Quarterly 73 165 174 Eells Myron 1886 Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish Washington Territory 1874 1884 pp 180 237 Boston Fredson Jean T 1960 Religion of the Shakers In H Deegan Ed History of Mason County Washington Shelton WA Giovannetti Joseph M 1994 Indian Shaker Church In Native America in the twentieth century An encyclopedia pp 266 267 New York Garland Publishing Gunter Erna 1977 The Shaker Religion of the Northwest In J A Halseth amp B A Glasrud Eds The Northwest mosaic Minority conflicts in Pacific Northwest history Boulder CO Pruett Publishing Company Harmon Alexandra 1999 Indians in the making Ethnic relations and Indian identities around Puget Sound pp 125 130 Berkeley University of California Press Harmon Ray 1971 Indian Shaker Church The Dalles Oregon Historical Quarterly 72 148 158 Ober Sarah E 1910 A new religion among the West Coast Indians The Overland Monthly 56 July December Sackett Lee 1973 The Siletz Indian Shaker Church Pacific Northwest Quarterly 64 July 120 26 Valory Dale 1966 The focus of Indian Shaker healing The Kroeber Anthropological Society Papers No 35 Berkeley Kroeber Anthropological Society From the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection The Siletz Indian Shaker Church The Half Catholic movement Edwin and Myron Eells and the rise of the Indian Shaker Church The Indian Connection Judge James Wickersham and the Indian Shakers 1990 The Present Status and Probable Future of the Indians of Puget Sound 1914 see pp 18 20 The Swinomish People and Their State 1936 see pp 293 295 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Shaker Church buildings Native Americans organize the Indian Shaker Church in 1892 HistoryLink Seattle History Ink Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indian Shaker Church amp oldid 1172810823, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.