State of Religion in an Independent Native American State?

If a group of North American natives somehow manage to stay independent, what would their religious life look like? Would it be akin to Japan, with Christians being heavily persecuted to the point that they become a insignificant minority; would it be akin to (South) Korea, with no dominant religion; would it be akin to Mexico, with moderate amounts of syncretism but an outwardly Christian populace; or would it be like Haiti, with heavy syncretism between native religion and Christianity? Assume that the United States exists and is still a great power.
 
I remember having read that Christianity was seen with suspicion among some North American tribes, because it was quite reminiscent of native sorcery.
If there is an official support of missionaries (as it existed in Asia historically), then it might cause diplomatic tensions.
 
The Best OTL Parallel, is Likely Wovaka's Ghost Dance Movement ...

If More Successful, it would be Regarded Today as a Hybrid Faith, Much Like Sikhism or Theravāda Buddhism ...

In Fact, their Descendants are Still Around, Better Known, as Practitioners of Peyotism!
 

jahenders

Banned
Assuming a Native American nation remains an independent nation on the borders of the United States, then a lot depends on the relative size/strength of those two nations.

If the US is considerably larger and/or more populous/economically powerful, then there are definitely going to be significant Christian inroads unless the border between the two is completely closed. There would likely be organized missionary work (as there was IOTL), but there would also be some native adoption of aspects of the culture (including religion) of their more powerful/advanced neighbor. In terms of missionaries, they would make progress and, if persecuted, could form an excuse for war.

There's likely less Christian penetration if the two states are on par and even less if the Native American country is larger than the US.

In any case, you'd likely have some percentage of Christians, some practicing traditional religions, and some none.
 
If you have an independent Aztec or Inca empire, you could have Buddhism making inroads through cross-Pacific Chinese migration.
 
Are you talking about a Native state in the US or a fully independent nation that is not part of the US?. Unless you are talking about an advanced state such as an Aztec Empire that sucessfuly resists Spanish conquest and cultural domination, I have a hard time imagining that Christianity, possibly in a highly synchretized form, would not end up being the most dominant religion regardless. You'd almost have to butterfly away the extensive European settlement of the New World to have a purely native religious tradition survive in a native american state or nation. Christianity was just too aggressive in seeking converts and centers of European power just too close.

The same principle would apply if contact and settlement of the new world came from the Moslem world or China, only the dominant religions would be synchretized versions of Islam and probably Buddhism.
 
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