Oki

For the Huron, the Oki are disincarnated spiritual entities. These include animals, the powerful spirits of earth, rivers, lakes, and rocks. Oki are contacted during dreams where they transfer Arendi, special powers of healing, war, and insight, to the dreamers.

Related Terms

Huron > Arendiwane, Oki

Indigenous Spiritualities

Indigenous Spiritualities > Huron

Notes

Contacted in dreams, a precursor of which was Fasting. For additional notes on Huron dreaming, see Fasting

"Dreaming was regarded as a fundamental medium of communication through which the various mythic beings, or oki, shared their power and knowledge with the Huron."

"Sacred power, or arendi, given by the oki, was manifested as any unusual or extraordinary ability or as the power to heal through the use of rituals and sacred objects obtained in dreams or visions. "

"oki often appeared as a specific animal which was identified as the familiar spirit, many of which were associated with birds and the celestial powers of the sky, others with more diverse forms such as flames, ghosts or serpents. Still others were seen as manifestations of various sacred locations or objects that might teach techniques for healing and other shamanistic acts (JR 13:227-233). Through dreams, contact could be established with any of the sacred powers, even those of the highest standing "

Oki were believed to be accessbile to any individual through dreaming and visionary experience.

Jesuits cast the Oki as evil devils "The majority of Jesuit writers constantly denied any positive aspects to the central concept of the oki in Huron religion and thereby refused to recognize the primary sources of Huron empowerment through dreaming."

Footnotes

References