Nations

Crocker Chronicle: Native American Leaders Comment on Christianity and Culture

2008-12-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Crocker Chronicle: Native American Leaders Comment on Christianity and Culture

Reservation Nation by Donnie Begay

2008-08-01T14:32:00.009-06:00

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

2008-01-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-01-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

"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"

2008-01-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T15:40:00.001-06:00

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

2007-03-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

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."

Nations Family

2007-01-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to my "family." The folks in this picture represent those committed to the mission and vision of Nations. Together we are working to see Native American life and culture restored by Christ.

Natives More Spiritually Hungry?

2006-10-27T12:50:00.000-06:00

I had the privilege to visit a couple of Tribal Colleges in Montana this Fall as well as other universities and colleges in the state. We hand out materials with spiritual content, take a short questionnaire, and look for opportunities to dialogue with students about what it means to be a follower of Christ. I have found that Native students are much more spiritually interested, very open to issues related to faith, culture, and the like.

Our recent trip to Blackfeet Community College drove this home to me. We were amazed at how eager students were to visit our table and then how positive their responses were to the questions. I found that there was a much higher interest in comparison to other colleges we visited this Fall.

Here is a story from my last newsletter that illustrates this evident hunger among young Native students:

"Upon visiting Blackfeet Community College in Browning, MT our host directed us to the campus President. Eventually we were introduced to a professor who is the well respected spiritual authority on campus. He sat us down and engaged with us about our dealings. He was very kind and welcoming yet his line of questioning revealed years of frustration and distrust toward Christianity and the church.

In spite of the fact that we represented Christ and that our agenda was clearly to relate the gospel to his people and culture he invited us into his classroom to speak! He placed us in front of the room, forum-style and peppered us with questions regarding our organization and mission.

He posed questions related to the churchÂs oppression of the Blackfeet people, the broken promises of the US Government, and the like. Yet, through it all we were able to talk openly and freely about the gospel. We were also able to listen and learn from them as well.

We talked about JesusÂ love, forgiveness, and the sin of the human heart, both Indian and White. We shared about how JesusÂ heart breaks for all the wrong that was done against their people in His name. Amazingly, it was an opportunity to call them to consider Jesus and Him alone. Later we were able to meet and discuss Christ with these students as almost all eagerly came by our table!"

First Things First

2006-05-24T12:29:00.000-06:00

Our dream for Nations is that we would be movement empowered by God to bring Jesus Christ closer to every Native American, showing that the way of Jesus is their hope for rebuilding and restoring their lives and culture.

On this short journey I have come to realize that the barriers we're up against are significant. Yet, more convinced than ever, representing my anglo heritage, I have to begin by recognizing my sins of ignorance, my taking for granted the price that was paid by First Nations people, my low view of who they are as a people, and more. I also, need to own up to the fact that much of their plight is a result of the sin of my people against them. Richard Twiss writes:

"The U.S. government broke more than 98 percent of all the hundreds of treaties-signed and ratified by Congress-made with sovereign First Nations of North America."

Not only has the U.S. government shamed the Native American by breaking these these covenants, and many more shameful acts but the church has done a disservice as well. Many well meaning missionaries with good intentions, hindered the the spread of the Kingdom among them. Often times the rich, god-given aspects of the Indian culture were written off as unbiblical and pagan resulting in the church's imposition of western anglo culture in the name of Christianity.

I would never want to be guilty of an "all bad" view of the church and I know that there are many great stories of the gospel transforming certain tribal communities. Yet, too many of these stories ended in barriers of suspicion, distrust, and brutal abandonment. Now the results are grievous, making clear that if the gospel is to penetrate the context of the Natives it will only be through prayer, fasting and the mighty work of Creator God.

Now is not a time for excuses and rationalizations it is a time for repentance, coming before God in humble admittance that we as a country and as God's people have wronged those He had placed here in this country long before my ancestors arrived. Then we must move on seeking His face and patiently and genuinely come together as equals to call all Nations to follow the way of Jesus. He is our restorer, healer, and reconciler!

In Sight, In Mind

2006-05-03T18:23:00.000-06:00

I've been reading "One Church, Many Tribes" by Richard Twiss, and it has been revolutionary in my thoughts about First Nations people, their history, their worldviews, their heartaches, and their unique and differing cultures.

I'm going to list a few interesting statistics that were insightful for me. What was most enlightening is just how ignorant I am about Native Americans:

By 1900 only 237,000 Native people were left in the United States.
In the early 1800's, California was home to an estimated 260,000 Indians. By 1900, there were 20,000.
Today nearly 2 million Native Americans live in the United States. Another 1.3 million live in Canada.
According to a 1990 census, 23% of the Native population live on reservations, 77% live in urban areas.
There are 557 federally recognized tribes, or nations; 220 of those are in Alaska. Another 150 tribes are in the process of petitioning for federal recognition.
Approximately 200 Native tribes have become extinct.
There are 250 different Native languages and dialects still spoken on a daily basis. (Apache and Lakota are different from Navajo and Mohawk as Norwegian is from Japenese.)

It is interesting to me and a bit sad that I have failed to know about and appreciate those that God had inhabiting this land long before my anscestors arrived here. My prayer and aim is that First Nations people would no longer be out-of-sight out-of-mind, both for me and those I am seeking to influence.

Smoke Signals-Training Video for Nations

2006-04-24T08:51:00.000-06:00

Donnie suggested to me that everyone who wants to be involved with Nations should be required to watch "Smoke Signals." He had a smile on his face, yet I could tell that there was an element of truth in what he said. Well, after watching it I can see why.

Its a story of a young man's journey, from an Idaho Indian reservation to Arizona, to retrieve his dead father. As a boy, Victor's alcoholic and abusive father left him and his mother. He is a young man when he receives word that his father has died. Reluctant, bitter, and detached Victor ventures with his geekie Indian friend Thomas (there is more to Thomas than meets the eye) to get the ashes of his father and bring them back to mom.

Well, I am not going to spoil this one. Let me just say that much more than just a physical journey takes place here. I laughed and cried as I vicariously went on this adventure myself. I felt that I got a taste of Native American Humor and at the same time entered into the painful circumstances fresh off the Rez.

This movie was very insightful, giving me a deeper love and understanding of the Native American people and guiding me through the complexities of their culture.

Nations, a Pet Project?

2006-04-22T09:39:00.000-06:00

I am going to post for you Renee's story very soon. You're not going to want to miss it because I believe your soul will be blessed! Yet, for now I have some issues to deal with by way of a disclaimer about Nations and the interest that I have taken in Native American students.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that many today view American Indians as a kind of novelty! It seems that there is a "pet project" mentality among community service advocates, educators and Indian hobbyists, who are capitalizing on this Native American popularity. I am "sticking it to myself" here, yet I see it among church goers and the religious. It's a type of, "Ooooh, wouldn't it be neat to be seen as those who are reaching out to those poor Native Americans. " In the silent bubble floating over head is the caption, "that would really sell!"

I know I risk accusing that all involved in community service and the like are fowl in motive, and that would be wrong. I guess I just care so much for young people, especially those who have been oppressed and often times feel so hopeless in light of their history and present circumstances. It breaks my heart to think that Nations or any other effort would be token, a notch in the belt, a "feel good about myself" project!

I have spent very little time on the reservation yet enough to know that these folks love their families, care about their futures, and want to get the most out of life. I just want to be a part of that and I know that the Creator God who sent his son to suffer in their stead cares infinity more than I ever could. And, he has the power and will to make a real difference that will outlast any service project or event that I could muster.

Meet Donnie & Renee

2006-04-20T10:35:00.000-06:00

Donnie & Renee

Like I had alluded to, Donnie encouraged me to start a Blog as a way to dialogue about Nations. Yet before you hear more about Nations let me finish where I left off.

Donnie and Renee continued to be a part of Destino, a movement born out of desire for Hispanics to come together, share their culture with each other and reach out to those of like-mind and race in a relevant manner. Again, this is at NMSU.

Their experience was so powerful and, from my observation, the hand of God was on them. Through it all they began to be weighed down with compassion for their Native peoples.

They both grew up on the Rez and while active with Destino they would reflect on the condition of many of their friends and family back home and their hearts would hurt. Similarly, reservations around other parts of the US and Canada are plagued with the highest heartbreaking statistics than any culture in the US. Indian reservations rank #1 in every way as it relates to drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and the like. The top three causes of death among Native Americans are unintended injury, suicide, then homicide. Most Native Americans that I talk to from the reservations have had a close family memeber die at a young age.

Yet, Donnie and Renee are a gleaming example of God's grace and love rescuing them for a purpose. They experienced being used by God in the lives of other Natives while at the University and have since graduated from NMSU and are joining in a rescue effort to their people and other First Nations people around the country.

So, you're going to have to hear more from Renee about the origin of the Nations Movement. I will post her story soon!

From the Rez to NMSU

2006-04-20T08:42:00.000-06:00

A new friend of mine inspired me to start this blog. Donnie Begay and his wife Renee, who I had been in contact with for about a year, just came out to visit us. Let me just say this couple is a gem!

Donnie grew up on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico and he followed his high school sweetheart, Renee to NMSU. They both got involved with Cru there at the request of a mentor they had in High School. From what I gathered it was a great experience for them. They learned and grew a ton, being apart of a campus community that displayed a love for them and a love for God.

Rumor had it that there was a movement going on that was apart of Cru there at NMSU, specifically made up of, well, a different culture. It was called Destino and was designed for Hispanic students and Natives like Donnie and Renee. You see these two cultures have some similar characteristic down there. They were reluctant at first yet decided to check it out. Destino seemed to fit like a hand inside a glove. Culturally they felt like there was a place for them at the table.

Enough for now. I would love to tell you the rest later...