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In the Sioux tradition, Wakan Tanka (correct Siouan spelling Wakaŋ Tȟaŋka also known as Wakan or Wakanda by the Omaha Tribe) is the term for the "sacred" or the "divine". It is often translated as "The Great Spirit". However, its meaning is closer to "Great Mystery" as Lakota spirituality is not monotheistic. Before the attempted conversion to Christianity, Wakaŋ Tȟaŋka was used to refer an organization of sacred entities whose ways were mysterious; thus the meaning of "the Great Mystery". It is typically understood as the power or the sacredness which resides in everything, similar to many animistic and pantheistic notions. This term describes every creature and object as wakan ("holy") or having aspects that are wakan.
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- This page was last modified on 12 October 2008, at 16:45.
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