Converting to Christianity

The Pennacook's traditional spiritual beliefs are grounded in the story of Ktsi Nwaskw (The Creator or Great Spirit). In the story, Ktsi Nwaskw makes people out of ash trees because the trees danced in the wind and bent close to the earth. The people Ktsi Nwaskw created "were rooted to the earth and in balance with the life around them." The Pennacook believe that all living things have spirits, and that there is an afterlife, although there is no heaven or hell. They also believe that all life is intertwined as part of an interconnected web. "Either men or women can be spiritual leaders, which is based on the particular person's accumulated knowledge of life, their use of sacred and medicinal plants, and what they could bring for the betterment of their people."

As more Christian Europeans arrived in North America, some, like the missionary John Eliot (1604-1690), sought to convert native people, including the Pennacook. Working with native friends, Eliot published Bibles and teaching materials in the Massachuset language by creating a written language out of their previously only spoken language. When some of the Pennacook adopted the written language, Christian texts became accessible to them in their own language. Some native people adopted the Christian belief system based on faith; others saw conversion to Christianity as a means to better their relationships with Europeans in hopes of preserving their land and lives. Many native people chose not to convert and retained their traditional beliefs.