As all men are descendants of Adam , who experienced the Lord Creator first hand , it is not surprising that a good approximation of 'who the Creator' is was passed down through the generations of some cultures.
My first exposure to the term Great White Spirit came from some western TV program when I was very young. It was clear that the Great White Spirit was whom the Indians worshipped, but it was also clear that this was not the same as the object of the white people's worship.
Obviously, that understanding came from the way the story was told which always reflects the opinions of the story teller.
Am I inferring that the Great White Spirit and the 'God' of Christianity are the same being? Not entirely.
It is easy for us to see the flaws in other's ideas and opinions while often not recognizing similar flaws in our own.
Many people from many cultures use the term 'God' or its equivalent in their language to reference the Supreme Being of the universe.
The separation of man from His Creator because of Original Sin in the garden by Adam resulted in spiritual darkness . Spiritual darkness is not a mysterious term. It simply means that we do not understand the Spirit Realm or that being who issues from the Spirit Realm who is the Spirit Creator .
It is this confusion about our Creator and our inability to rectify the confusion that prompted our Creator to become human . In His humanity, He reconciled us to Himself , enabling us to be filled with Himself .
Those who receive His humanity, His accomplishments, His Words and His deity move from spiritual darkness and error into spiritual Light and Truth .
Who is the human who is also deity?
He is Jesus Christ .
As mentioned above, it is easy for us to be arrogant about our own beliefs and cultures, disdaining that of others. However, without the revelation of Christ Jesus, all beliefs and cultures are in darkness and error .
When we look at how the Apostle Paul ministered the Gospel to the superstitious Athenians Act 17:22-31, we learn that all men seek 'God' in some fashion. Paul recognized this and so revealed to them that the unknown god was, in fact, the only true and living 'God' who is Jesus Christ.
I do not know the extent to which the white settlers of the old west ministered the Gospel of Christ Jesus to the Indians, nor do I know how they ministered Christ Jesus to them. However, all men everywhere need to know these simple truths about their Creator:
→ He loves them
→ He has forgiven them
→ He has healed them
→ He wants to fill their lives
→ He wants relationship with them
Understanding these aspects of the Creator and accepting the fact that He manifested these truths about Himself In Christ Jesus is imperative for an individual or culture to receive Eternal Life and experience Abundant Life .
To the Indian we aught to have introduced Jesus to them as the embodiment of the Great White Spirit.
Yes, the Great White Spirit is the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit Of Christ Jesus.