▁been ▁concept ual ized ▁as ▁an ▁" anth rop omorphic ▁cel est ial ▁de ity ," ▁a ▁God ▁of ▁creation , ▁history ▁and ▁et ern ity , ▁who ▁also ▁takes ▁a ▁personal ▁interest ▁in ▁world ▁affairs ▁and ▁might ▁regularly ▁interven e ▁in ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁human ▁be ings . ▁ <0x09> ▁N umer ous ▁individuals ▁are ▁held ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁" spe akers " ▁for ▁the ▁Great ▁Spirit ; ▁persons ▁believed ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁an ▁earth ly ▁medi ator ▁responsible ▁for ▁facil it ating ▁communication ▁between ▁humans ▁and ▁the ▁Spirit , ▁or ▁the ▁super natural ▁more ▁generally . ▁Such ▁a ▁speaker ▁is ▁generally ▁considered ▁ ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁oblig ation ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁spiritual ▁trad itions ▁of ▁their ▁respective ▁line age . ▁The ▁Great ▁Spirit , ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁spiritual ▁leaders , ▁is ▁looked ▁to ▁for ▁guidance ▁by ▁individuals ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁communities ▁at ▁large . ▁While ▁belief ▁in ▁an ▁entity ▁or ▁entities ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Great ▁Spirit ▁exists ▁across ▁numerous ▁ind igen ous ▁American ▁pe op les , ▁individual ▁tribes ▁often ▁demonstrate ▁varying ▁degrees ▁of ▁cultural ▁diver gence , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁correl ates ▁with ▁several ▁distinct ▁belief s ▁regarding ▁hum ank ind ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁Spirit . ▁As ▁such , ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁stories , ▁par ables , ▁f ables , ▁and ▁messages ▁exhib iting ▁different , ▁sometimes ▁contradict ory ▁them es ▁and ▁plot ▁elements ▁have ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁figure ▁by ▁otherwise ▁dispar ate ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁W ak an ▁T anka ▁W ak <0xC8> <0x9F>