What was the religion of the Americas in 1450?

Answer 1

The Americas were not colonised by europeans until 1492. Prior to that there was no single religion or faith that united all the indigenous tribes. Each had its own set of ideals, beliefs and faiths. The more unitary faiths of the Incas and Aztecs were based around ritual human sacrifice. This was performed regularly in an effort to garner the favour of the sun god... if he was displeased the sun would not rise. The only common belief held by all native American tribes was that the land was sacred. They took from it only what they needed to survive, and they would offer gifts and what we might now call prayers in return. Many tribes believed in ancestor worship. This sometimes included ritual meditation, whereby an elder or shaman would enter a trance-like meditative state in order to commune with the spirits, whom were believed tribal ancestors. The great spirit of nature was also commonly revered, as it provided the food to sustain the tribes, the land on which to live, the trees with which to build and the sun, wind and rain to nourish the land. In my singular opinion it is a shame that more of these fundamentals were not assimilated and maintained to the present day, as they teach honour, strength, respect and reverence for all that nature provides.