Blackfeet Native American perspective on Catholic inculturation: How Catholic liturgy is translated through use of philosophical symbols

WORKING TITLE OF PROPOSAL: “Blackfeet Native American perspective on Catholic inculturation: How Catholic liturgy is translated through use of philosophical symbols’ SHORT THESIS: (If this needs to be re-worked, please feel free to do so). Use of symbols demonstrate what Blackfeet Indians historically found of value in Catholicism and why inculturation of this faith remains relevant to this people. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. What is the history of the Blackfeet Indian? What did religion look like to the Blackfeet people before they experienced Catholicism? What impact(s) did the Christian missions have on the Blackfeet culture and its people? 2. What is inculturation? What theories of inculturation exist? What impact(s) did the inculturation of the Blackfeet have on the Church and / or diocese of Helena? 3. What are symbols in the philosophical sense? What philosophical concepts exist on symbols? Who are the experts in the field on this subject, symbolism? 4. Using Metaphysics, what does value mean? Are there answers to traditional metaphysical questions that can tell us what kind of world we inhabit? How good is the world for the Blackfeet then and now? 5. What is the common value of the Blackfeet and Roman Catholic Church? 6. Were the Blackfeet Assimilated or Appropriated through Inculturation of Catholicism? 7. What does faith mean to the Blackfeet? What does the future of this Catholic faith look like in Blackfeet Country? SOURCES: Ten academic sources are needed. One source must offer a counter-argument and two other sources must be peer-reviewed. NUMBER OF PAGES: Ten (10) minimum. **An Annotated Bibliography and a Work Cited Page are both required for this paper. For further information, please review the attached Capstone Handbook.