The theme of spirituality appears in many of the novels we have read this semester. Native people used spiritual guidance as a way to connect with their past and honor their ancestors. For indigenous people, spirits have always played an important role in their culture and daily life. When the natives were forced to convert to Christianity and over time their beliefs were sucked away, the spiritual connection was severed over generations. A novel that particularly spoke to me on this subject is Monkey Beach, by Eden Robinson. The main character, Lisa, struggles to find herself after receiving the gift of being a shaman. In this novel, the author exploits the way in which "white" European or Western culture has destroyed indigenous culture to such an extent that the younger generation cannot identify a spiritual connection without society labeling them as mentally unstable. Lisa suffers from accepting the gift she was given and fights it by numbing herself with drugs and alcohol, which is also another major theme of alcoholism in Native culture, due to the suppression of the Native American race. The idea of ​​spirituality is actually a difficult word to define, everyone perceives spirituality in their own way and uses it in different ways. Reading from the Christian Bible, John the Baptist discusses the idea of ​​spirituality and defines it this way: “Spirituality consists of becoming more like God, who is spirit, and having our character conformed to his image. » (John 4:24) (Romans 12). : 1-2). When the natives were forced to convert to Christianity, they were told to believe that spirituality means that you must conform your character to be more like God. This really shows you how Europe...... middle of paper ......t she is receiving a gift that in the past would be considered an amazing calling of the spirits. Due to the suppression of her culture and the "white" ideas that have been imposed on her race, she cannot fully understand what is happening to her. Eden Robinson ultimately kills Lisa, to show the devastating effects that "white" culture had on Native American customs and beliefs. Their culture was stolen; their beliefs were so crushed that even their own people were convinced they were wrong. Works Cited “Native American Spirituality”. Native American Spirituality. Tahtonka, February 28, 1998. Web. April 27, 2014. Robinson, Eden. Monkey beach. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print. The Holy Bible containing the Old Testament and the New. Cambridge: printed by John Field..., 1668. Print.