MythicThe "Great Spirit" tradition (Gitchi Manitou, Wakan Tanka)
UBOnamonalonton, spiritual leader of the red race (~65,000 BC)
Onamonalonton, spiritual leader of the red race (~65,000 BC) = The "Great Spirit" tradition (Gitchi Manitou, Wakan Tanka)
The Connection
The UB states Onamonalonton is the origin of the Great Spirit tradition among the red race. This monotheistic thread persisted for tens of thousands of years through oral tradition, predating all Near Eastern monotheism by vast stretches of time.
UB Citation
UB 64:6.7, 92:5.3
Academic Source
Gill, Native American Religions (1982); Hultkrantz, The Religions of the American Indians (1979)
Historical Evidence(Moderate evidence)
Algonquian linguistic tradition: Gitche Manitou ("Great Spirit") translates as "the Creator of all things and the Giver of Life." Christopher Vecsey documents pre-contact concepts of a supreme creative power. Academic nuance: European observers "frequently misinterpreted Gitche Manitou as a singular, monotheistic deity, elevating it above other spiritual forces." Indigenous traditions portray it as "a collective, benevolent essence -- eternal, life-giving, and the ultimate owner of the universe."