Crocker Chronicle: Native American Leaders Comment on Christianity and Culture

Crocker Chronicle: Native American Leaders Comment on Christianity and Culture

Reservation Nation by Donnie Begay

A reservation is a piece of land managed by its respective tribe. There are 310 reservations in the United States. There are more than 550 tribes that are recognized by the government. This means that not every tribe has its own reservation. The interaction between Indian tribes and settlers was inevitable and so these pieces of land were necessary to get Indian tribes out of the way of rushing settlers and to avoid boundary disputes. However, the lands confined tribes to remote areas considered less desirable by settlers and radically changed the customs and habits of the Indian people. As a part of many treaties, the government agreed to provide food (AKA “commodities”), health care, and other benefits until Indian tribes were capable of sustaining themselves. Most reservations are not self-sustaining. The Pine Ridge Reservation is the eighth largest reservation in the U.S. but is the poorest. The conflict between government and Indian tribes has been a long battle (policy controversies, new deals, termination, assimilation, and relocation of tribes). However, the value system and beautiful culture of the American Indians have not changed despite the limitations of the reservation lifestyle. Morgan Spurlock (star of Super-Size Me) took the challenge of living on the Navajo reservation for 30 days. He does a wonderful job of exposing the real-life details of everyday reservation life. If you would like to read more, go to www.realitybug.com. Under search, type in: Navajo Reservation. Here’s a challenge: go to Wikipedia.com, type List of Native American reservations in the United States”, pick a tribe and take 10 minutes out of your week to pray for the people. God wants to bring restoration and reconciliation to these communities.

WATCH MORGAN SPURLOCK'S 30 DAYS ON A RESERVATION

Spirit of Nations

I want to share with you portions of an email invite from a student leader with Nations to their weekly meeting. This expresses the heart of what we seek to be as a Nations Movement:

A little/big tidbit about Nations…."NATIONS is a student organization which seeks to bring together all who wish to seek, understand, and serve Jesus Christ. While seeking Christ, we also share what it means to maintain our culture and identity as Native people." …We are just a group of people who love the Lord, and/or seeking him, anyone is welcome…you do not have to be native to come!!! J You just have to be imperfect and human.

We get together once a week, delving into HIS awesome truths and treasures found in the bible and discuss what we learn from that… and from each other (my favorite part since we are all unique and see different perspectives on one scripture.)

This semester, our vision for all you pretty chaw people (ok, only us Crows and Cheyenne's will understand that one!) I mean…you pretty cool people…is to uplift, build up and encourage you in the Lord through his WORD. It is pretty easy to get beat down and condemned by people… by ourselves, or…just by the world or life in general. As Nations people… we don't believe in condemning people or being judgemental, but we would like to be an avenue for help and encouragement for anyone who would come. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a bigger image of God, and a bigger vision for our lives?…or at the very least… resonate a message of hope and or get out of a rut? That is my New Year's or life resolution…and I know some of you have made some resolutions!

…I swear I wasn't trying to give a sermon or an advertisement just then J haha, but I do hope you will check us out and keep doing so! Have a good week and we'll see you this Thursday in Wilson room#1.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. II Corinthians 4:8-9

From shame to grace

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mar 2:17)

She sat across from me describing the heart condition of fellow Native students she rubs shoulders with daily. She has such compassion and resolve to see these friends and family members free from condemnation. It's a condemnation she described as imposed on them from a former church or a religious leader back home on the Reservation. She described that often times the church can weigh down the weak with guilt and shame and rule the weak with an "iron fist" rather than offer grace and forgiveness to the downcast and those weary and heavy laden.

For many others, they are burdened with self-condemnation. In more than one occasion she has heard her Friends refer to the passage from Revelation about being hot or cold and in feeling lukewarm they shamefully say, in affect, that they have been spit out by Jesus and have no hope.

In one conversation she was calculating who might come to her weekly Bible discussion. Someone replied to her curiosity saying, "Oh, you can be sure that so and so won't come this week cuz I know they partied really hard over the weekend!" This was a telling response to my friend who desires there to be a culture of grace and acceptance at this weekly meeting. It is a place for those defeated and despairing! Together we dreamed and prayed about seeing God create a culture of grace that would transform how Natives view themselves and God.

Think of the prodigals son for instance. A son selfishly and rudely demands his share of the his Father's inheritance only to squander it on selfish gain. Then, after losing it all and in his shame and despair longs to be back with his father even as his lowly servant! Similar to many Native students, the son is convinced that there will only be reluctance from his Father to receive him. However, the Father's response comes as a surprise; rather than condemnation and shame for his son's many follies he eagerly embraces him and accepts him. He even throws an elaborate party to celebrate that his lost son has been found!

Somewhere in her journey my friend came to the realization that her Creator longs for her as she is with all of her weaknesses and struggles. Once feeling unworthy and condemned herself she experienced an invasion of Jesus' love and grace in such a way that she wants to be a messenger of hope to her friends, family and her people.

Getting under the "armpit"

I just had an encouraging conversation with my new friend Bruce Farrant with Missions North America. He described their vision for Native American ministry as "grace-oriented," saying it must be in the context of long-term genuine grace-filled relationships.

He referred to the story in Exodus 17 of the battle Israel waged against Amalek where Moses would lift his hand and Israel prevailed yet when his hands tired Amalek would prevail. It wasn't until Aaron and Hur reached under Moses arms and held them up that they were able to win battle.

Bruce sees this as a metaphor for his vision of bringing the grace-oriented gospel of Christ to Native America. He picture two Euro-American men under the armpits of a Native American man giving all they have to see victory for the First Nations of North America. I like it! It's a picture I feel needs to be promoted and believe that it is the Native's turn to lead with the gospel starting movements unique to their tribe and culture.

I also want to count myself as one privileged to be under the honorable armpit of my Native friends.

Nations Near You

It is our heart as a Nations movement to see Natives raised up by God to reach their people with the live transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. We are committed to doing what it takes to bring Christ, in a culturally relevant and attractive way, to each and every Native student around North America and even the world.

This is why we are excited that God is giving us specific staff that are positioned around the country equipped to pray for, resource, and coach Natives and other volunteers to launch spiritual movements everywhere on Tribal Colleges, Universities, and colleges around North America.

At our website we have developed a map indicating where we have concerned and committed friends of Nations ready to assist those desiring to get a Nations movement launched in their community.

Check it out "NATIONS NEAR YOU"

And if you know of anyone desiring to explore what Nations is about and how to get it started make sure to contact us.

Natives as a mission field

Do you realize that Native Americans are probably the most evangelilized subculture in the United States? Look back in our History and you will see numerous attempts of missionaries, protestant and Catholic, seeking to bring religious reform to the Indians. They indeed heard the message of Christianity and in fact many embraced Christ as a result yet this begs the question, "Why does Christianity seem to have such little influence today among Native communities on the Reservation?" One statistic that I've heard claims that only 3% of Native Americans today say that they are followers of Christ! Is this condition the result of a savage, pagan people hardened by sin, rejecting the message of Christ as many claim happened? Or, did the gospel fail to penetrate the hearts of many Natives due to the failure of the missionaries to build the proper contextual bridges for the gospel to freely pass with relevance into the daily lives and culture of these people God has inhabitied? Today, on the reservation it seems that many see Indians as the "mission field" where mission trips, Vacation Bible School, and tent revival meetings abound and yet the lives and culture of many Native American communities are left unchanged and often more disillusioned with Christianity and the Church. I am convinced however that Christ longs to embrace the Nations of the world in a way that does not strip them of their identity as a particular people and race. So then, how can we reach Natives for Christ? Here is the response of one Native to that Question:

"Listen to our stories until they make you cry and as you stand in the puddle of your tears, ask God to resurrect you."