Why do Indian Burial Grounds get blamed for most hauntings???

Question

I have come across so many people saying that their house was built on an Indian Burial ground, just insisting on this. I am one who will go the extra mile to do actual research on the grounds, home & all previous owners I can actually trace.

Haven't the Indians been thru enough without blaming the dead?

Answer 1

First, the politically correct phrase is "Native American", just FYI. Also, tribes are more correctly called "Nations".

Second, I do not believe that most hauntings are blamed on Native American burial grounds. However, providing evidence for that claim would require extensive research.

Certainly the majority of the most famous hauntings (Whaley House, etc.) do not make this claim.

Certainly some psychics over use this claim.

Third, the U.S. is huge and many (not all) nations were migratory so a burial ground (could be one person) is likely to be anywhere so it's a easy claim to make.

Fourth, death is often associated with hauntings as are burial grounds so if no immediate reason (say a person murdered in the home) can be found one may turn to the cemetery across the street or the old burial ground (with no logical reason to make this jump)

Fifth, this is reflective of a Christian prejudice and intolerance against other religions. Have you ever heard of a "Christian Native American (which many were converted to) burial ground being blamed for a haunting?

I agree with actual research and documentation to back you up one should not say a haunting is do to a burial ground or even that one was present.



Psi

Answer 2

I once read that sick and dying native americans were housed below the Amityville house... I dont know much about America,s history... So i dont know how true that was.. I came across a picture of the back yard pool, where they said, that under the pool is were they were kept...I really dont know how much of that story is true...

Answer 3

Probably there's not bigotry involved.  The folk who learned about ghosts on television also learned about Native Americans on television.

Answer 4

Each Native American culture or Nation had a very ritualistic ceremony for their dead. Most believed that things had to be done a certain way to protect, and prepare their soul for the afterlife. This was a symbol that Native Americans were not "savages" but in fact religious spiritual people.

To most nations desecration of their dead would have meant the soul would forever be trapped in limbo, and be earthbound. The idea of this would mean "h**l" to them.

So somewhere along the line it came across that Natives would avenge the desecration by tormenting and haunting the land that held their earthly bodies, when most of them have passed over and moved on.

Answer 5

I think it has to do with the fact that they were in a strong emotional state when most of them died.  In theory, if someone dies with a lot of left over rage, they could haunt a place.  Also, it's a popular horror movie bit.

Answer 6

I believe, if a place IS indeed on or around Indian grounds of any type, there is a strong spiritual link. Indians (myself included) are VERY spiritual. It makes sense that some of that would stay around. And of course, not all hauntings or paranormal are bad, evil, malicious, or wrong. Mostly just misunderstood. I'm sure in your investigations, you have run across many "blaming" Indian culture for their activity. It is an easy explanation for them to put on something they are unsure of and scared of. That, as you know, does not make it true. Just my opinion!

Answer 7

Hollywood has rotted people's brains would be my guess. :)

Answer 8

Its all about locations , and that is just a handful, you should read more on the paranormal to know that not all haunting are because of a Burial Ground.  Many ships, Air Craft carriers, Forts, Homes, Schools, and  Motels, and I can go on, that have nothing to do with a Indian burial ground.

So read more on the subject and broaden your views.

To add to that out of all my investigations, I have only been to one place that was haunted due to an Indian Burial Ground, The Bell Witch Cave , in TN< however printed story does not mention the real reason behind it.

Answer 9

>First off, PSI, I am 1/2 Cherokee Indian, not 1/2 Cherokee native American. Enough with this politically correct B.S. The blame comes from stupid people thinking everything Indian was "mystical". It comes from this New Age junk running rampant in society.  I would like to point out to those , including PSI that you do not lump all the tribes into one nice neat little package called Native Americans. We all had nations. Mine was called the Cherokee Nation. We did not all speak the same language, we did not all look the same, we did not all practice the same rituals and did not believe the same religions. And you know what, some of us even lived in covered houses long before any other nationalities came to this continent! Dont try to make yourself feel good by trying to point out some B.S. feel good notion and trying to inform someone of something you probably know very little about besides what you read on the internet. There are certain areas that are very much considered spiritual and holy, but lets face it folks, not every place we walked upon was some kind of mystical holy ground. Right now, I live near the Utes, the Navaho, and the Arapaho INDIANS and each considers itself a seperate nation. Each is a unique people, not a lumped together Native American homoginized blend for some feel good liberal idea! Yeah, I already know your going to report my answer, you always do.

Edit: To everyone who wants to use the PC term, Native American, stop, its not flattering and its only wanted by those who seem to think everyone should have their homoginous identity.

Answer 10

My answer is,burial ground do not get blamed for most hauntings.The fact is we have no idea where most Indian burial grounds are.With there migratory lifestyle, for the most part.The dead were "buried" quickly and ceremoniously.What was important was how not where.I would like to nominate psychiatric hospitals and Insane asylums as the most haunted.Then again,who knows whats underneath them.

Edit.While "Native American" and "Nation"may be politically correct.Tribes like the Crow or Apsaalooke still refer to themselves as Indians.

Answer 11

Considering the amount of time the Indians have inhabited America, and the unknown number of tribes that have existed since the first Native set foot upon same;

It would be rather difficult to NOT live in a place that doesn't have some human remains some where.

The Kennewick Man, died alone after an attack, for lack of a better term, he was 'buried' upon a site close to a river.  No native was aware that he was even there, several thousand years later.

Answer 12

Someone told me that where I lived was an Indian burial ground..after things happened to me there. Also ...the psychic I went to had a lot of Indian statues. A lot of things happened to me having to do with Indians. And, I thought my"guide" was an Indian.  I don't think they're blaming Indians for anything. I think the Indians were into a lot of spiritual things..Shamans and all ...maybe that's why. I was really "into " Indians spiritually for awhile. Just thought I'd tell you this. I was very defensive/protective of Indians too...esp. at the first.

Edit..Years before this I had been to Mexico City and climbed some pyramids and gone to Indian places. Maybe that started it. (just guessing)

Answer 13

The city of Port Angeles Washington just had their close encounter of the Indian Burial Ground for real.  Development of our city up rooted 500 year old bones and articles belonging to the Tribe who lived here long ago.  Now the Government has allowed these developers to did the whole place up...poor grampa.  If he only knew we'd dig him up and display his body.  Ma by he would not appreciate it, I know I surly don't.  But there is nothing to change progress.

Answer 14

First of all, indian burials grounds is very popular urban legend material, so it gets used a lot.

The idea is that Indians did not mark thier burial grounds, so there could be one anywhere.

Why is it one that stikes hard? Because the concept is that by building our houses on thier burial ground we are disrespecting them, and they will come back to seek revenge.

This was the basis for the movie House, and one of the Poltergeist sequels.

I have heard a lot of people make those claims too, but you have to wonder... in europe and africa are they haunted when they build on the burial grounds of cavemen from millions of years ago?

What if I build my house on a plot of land where a dog was buried? Would I be haunted by a ghost dog? I dont know, but I doubt it.

Edit: I think the primary problem you are having is that you know too much about real native americans, and most of the stories and urban legends related to them are coming from common misconceptions, not from facts.

Note that many people to this day believe that indians lived in tee-pees, wore feathers, painted thier faces, killed white people, and ate corn and buffalo.

Because the common misconception is that they were savages, most people dont give thought at all to thier burial traditions and will accept without question the possibility that thier house was built on a burial ground.