Answer to Question 1
The Pacific culture connected with the religious belief known as Dreamtime, which includes the distant past when ancestral beings emerged from the earth. Polynesian people believed certain materials were sacred to the gods, among them feathers. Names were invoked while weaving garments, imbuing them with protective spiritual power. The architecture of the meetinghouses of the Maori people embodies the continuing presence of ancestors and the protective power of the gods. Mayan bloodletting and the visions it produced seem to have been the ruler's way to communicate with the spirits and gods. North American Indians made Kachina dolls, which were believed to contain some of the power of the spirit they represented. The Navajo adapted aspects of Pueblo religious beliefs, including the practice of making spirit beings manifest through masks.
Answer to Question 2
With the invasion of the Spanish conquerors in the Mesoamerican empire, almost nothing remains of the capital Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards razed pyramids; Aztec books were burned; and their arts in precious metals were melted down for gold and silver. Yet the Spaniards were deeply impressed by the arts they found, and many objects were sent back to Europe.
Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
A medical assistant listening to the patient and physician discuss the patient's care.
Variations Affecting Health Care Among Different Cultures
Newborn Experiences Across Cultures
Satellite data on primary productivity in the equatorial Pacific Ocean