Many of the traditional Native American cultures were animistic: that is, everything is alive, has a soul, and can interact with humans. Unlike the Europeans who saw themselves as having dominion over nature, Native Americans were egalitarian, seeing themselves as equals within the natural world. While Europeans built things, such as churches, and then consecrated them as sacred, Native Americans simply observed that everything was sacred. Different places had different kinds of spiritual power and to access that power, to be able to learn from that power, Indian people would go to these places and communicate directly with the spiritual powers found there.
Today, traditional Native American animism has been blended with the deism of the dominant society. Still, those of us who follow traditional paths try to be sensitive to the spirituality of place, not just the places built by humans, but places which have natural beauty and spiritual power. Traditional Native healers talk about the need for harmony and the importance of beauty in the healing process. Those who follow pagan spiritual paths, walk with me along the Oregon coast to experience this spirituality. Those who follow other paths, feel free to enjoy the beauty and ignore the spirituality.
What follows are simply some photos of the Oregon coast just south of Bandon.