week 2 free blog: Mississippian development and mound tradition

The existence of a deep and intertwined relationship between culture and religious values and practices is certain, especially upon examining a society in change.The rise and sociocultural adaptation of the Mississippian people reflects this relationship in the unique development of religious traditions within these tribes. Many of the unique aspects of Mississippian ceremonial and spiritiual tradition appear to fit the socil and political changes and challenges that these people encountered.
As many native people shifted to agriculture, cities began to develop. Many of the unique social aspects of organized city life are reflected in Mississippian religious practices. Complex societies required organized political control and organization, and this was accomplished in part through religion. Large civic and religious centers became commonplace, and probably contributed to the development of strong social identities. Such identities were often rooted in religious belief, including a common mississippian belief that they were descendants of the Sun and hence belonged to the Sun clan. The idea of a group rooted in common spiritual ancestry would have implications on inter-tribal relationships. Trade became an integral part of tribe survival and many ceremonial mounds are believed to have doubled as important trading posts. Many cities, including Aztalan appear to have been strategically located in prime trading areas. Eventually, the tensions that expansion and trade produced resulted in militaristic fortification. This increased militarism can be seen in falcon worshipping and often brutal killings and burial rituals.
As individual cities grew and gained military and trade power, many religious traditions seemed to grow in extravagance and even shift in focus. Mass burials, human sacrifices, and elaborate burial pracitces for tribal rulers all demonstrate this change. Rulers in these cities exerted much power through ceremony. They often used rituals and festivals to control the economic distribution of rood and other resources.
It appears clear that the social and cultural changes that the Mississippian people faced were reflected in their religious traditions. This social and cultural change would influence many other native groups and their practices as well.