Why do some Indigenous North American worldviews not separate the sacred from the natural world?

In many Indigenous North American worldviews, the distinction between the sacred and the natural world does not exist because these traditions do not share the Western conceptual duality of "sacred" versus "profane." Instead, these worldviews often perceive the entire universe as sacred or "more sacred," where spirit and power permeate all things.1

This integration occurs because:

• Relational Ontology: Religion is understood as the relationship between living humans and other entities, including animals, plants, mountains, and celestial bodies. These are viewed as "other-than-human relatives" rather than mere objects.12
• Permeable Boundaries: Even when traditions recognize realms beyond the terrestrial—such as the Iroquois Sky World or Pueblo underworlds—these worlds are considered contiguous and permeable, with short distances between them.1
• Embodied Revelation: Plants, animals, and natural features are seen as carriers of revelation. Because the natural world is alive with spirit-beings, there is no antithesis between human reason and the phenomenal world.13
• Ethical Reciprocity: Because the world is populated by powerful entities, humans are taught to treat the environment with the same respect and behavioral standards applied to human kin.2