Native American and African Traditional Religion Beliefs and Practices

Assessment Description

You will research a Native American or African community’s culture, oral tradition, religious texts, historical background, and current beliefs and practices.

Choose a community from one of the following lists:

Native American options:

• Hopi
• Navajo
• Apache
• Cherokee
• Sioux

African Community options:

• Zulu
• Maasai
• Kikuyu
• Yoruba
• Igbo

In a 15-20-slide presentation with slide notes (not including title slide and reference slide), address the following elements:

1. Name of the Native American community or African Tribal Religion and the historical religious beliefs and practices of that group.
2. How historical beliefs and religious practices have been influenced (positively or negatively) by the dominant surrounding culture. Include specific examples.
3. Current religious beliefs and practices and the part they play in the daily life of a typical member of the community.
4. Elements of the traditional religion that a Christian would need to consider when sharing the Christian faith/gospel with a person from this community.
5. Evaluation of the impact American or European policy has had on Native American or African Tribal Religion beliefs and practices.
6. How current and future governmental policies could impact personal beliefs and practices of that community in the future.

Be creative. Include a title slide, reference slide(s), and slide notes that provide detailed explanation of slide information.

As a research option, interview a Native American or African, medicine man, shaman, or museum expert about that community. If you would like to take pictures during your visit to this community, museum, or place of worship be sure to obtain permission.

Utilize the course textbook and a minimum of three additional academic resources, one of which can be your interview and should include topic Resources and external resources such as resources from the GCU Library or Theology Commons.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.