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Poll: Are you aware November is Native American Heritage month?

Admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:03:57 +0000

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Information courtesy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.

One of the very proponents of an American Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y. He persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day for the “First Americans” and for three years they adopted such a day. In 1915, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day. It directed its president, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, to call upon the country to observe such a day. Coolidge issued a proclamation on Sept. 28, 1915, which declared the second Saturday of each May as an American Indian Day and contained the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens.

The year before this proclamation was issued, Red Fox James, a Blackfoot Indian, rode horseback from state to state seeking approval for a day to honor Indians. On December 14, 1915, he presented the endorsements of 24 state governments at the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed.

The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of New York. Several states celebrate the fourth Friday in September. In Illinois, for example, legislators enacted such a day in 1919. Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday.

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.

Theme for this year’s heritage month is “Pride in Our Heritage. Honor to Our Ancestors .”

Do you feel my pain? – Ministry to the broken hearted.

huron — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:59:14 +0000

Pastor’s, youth leaders and often just caring church-goers find themselves being called in times of crises by those around them. Suicides, runaway teens, domestic violence, sexual abuse even job loss and much more. What do I say? Or What do I do? is a common concern.

Crisis is often that which leads people to seek comfort. Some turn to alcohol and drugs during this time. Others grow bitter instead of better. Yet it seems all have deep underlying questions about God during this time. Where is he? Why me? It is how we respond to these questions that lead us to form new core beliefs out of which arise our feelings and actions.

We have been teaching God’s truths from the Bible for the stages of grief, loss and pain to help replace Satan’s lies that often steal, kill and destroy lives. (John 10:10) One of the reservations we visited shared with us about an 11 year old girl who hung herself after being molested. Her family had told her after being molested “you’ll get over it.” Yet those who come for help to our classes are struggling with losses and pain that is not only fresh but happened years ago as well. The wife of a traditional medicine man was willing to walk into the church we were at for the first time because of her anger and inability to cry for two years since her grandson was shot to death. A reservation pastor shared that we don’t like to have them come do suicide prevention classes here anymore because suicide cases always rise after they have been here. Programs like this and drug and alcohol education focus on the symptoms of grief, loss and pain rather than the solution. Even a tribal Women’s Coalition shared with us that victims don’t come to services for domestic violence because of the shame related to how they are coping with their loss and pain.

Yet the response we have found to the help we have offered for the underlying causes of their suffering is making a difference. It brings understanding of God’s plan of HOPE for us. What are you seeing among Native peoples regarding grief, pain and loss and the process of healing taking place in your communities? How can we pray for you in your ministry to the brokeness in our world? What words of encouragement have been healing to you from God’s Word?

Native American Heritage Month –

huron — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 01:00:23 +0000

“We Shall Remain” Series on PBS

WE SHALL REMAIN presents America through Native eyes. The provocative five-part television series from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE shows how Native peoples resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture — from the Wampanoags of New England in the 1600s to the bold new leaders of the 1970s who harnessed the momentum of the civil rights movement.

Episode 3: The Trail of Tears is airing Monday, Nov. 1.

The Cherokee would call it Nu-No-Du-Na-Tlo-Hi-Lu, “The Trail Where They Cried.” On May 26, 1838, federal troops forced thousands of Cherokee from their homes in the Southeastern United States, driving them toward Indian Territory in Eastern Oklahoma. More than 4,000 died of disease and starvation along the way.

For years the Cherokee had resisted removal from their land in every way they knew. Convinced that white America rejected Native Americans because they were “savages,” Cherokee leaders established a republic with a European-style legislature and legal system. Many Cherokee became Christian and adopted westernized education for their children. Their visionary principal chief, John Ross, would even take the Cherokee case to the Supreme Court, where he won a crucial recognition of tribal sovereignty that still resonates.

Though in the end the Cherokee embrace of “civilization” and their landmark legal victory proved no match for white land hunger and military power, the Cherokee people were able, with characteristic ingenuity, to build a new life in Oklahoma, far from the land that had sustained them for generations.
Watch FilmAbout the FilmCast & CrewBehind the ScenesBuy the DVD…

We welcome your thoughts and questions in this cultural forum regarding the series.

Poll: How would you rate yourself

Admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:00:56 +0000

of knowledgeable issues concerning First Nations Native Americans?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

What might be the issue of most interest or concern when speaking of First Nations/Native Americans?

How can I truly know the Creator?

huron — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:04:13 +0000

Have you ever asked yourself this question? “How can I know the Creator?”

Some believe that the Creator is a person who created the world around us. Some believe that the Creator is an impersonal force. “If He is a person, does He know me, and is He concerned about my needs? Does He even care? Can I reach Him through my prayer songs and ceremonies?” Another important question is this. “If Creator is real, then will I meet Him after death? Again, how can I really know? What assurance can I, as a Native American, have?” Certainly, you will agree that these are very important questions.

During our School Without Walls, sponsored by CHIEF, we seek to make this truth known. If we really want to know Creator and the true Great Spirit, we must know the Son of the true Great Spirit, who is Jesus Christ. He is not the white man’s God, but the God of all tribes, languages and nations.

One of the disciples, who followed Jesus, was named John. He wrote these words to believers: “This is the testimony, or this is the truth. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life and he who doesn’t have the Son doesn’t have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:11-13) John wants his readers to know the answers to questions regarding life after death, and how they may know Creator.

The word John used for “know” is not the word “to know about”. The word is “to know and be assured of” the knowledge of Creator, His Son and eternal life.

In another message about God’s Son, John is listening to Him speak. This is what He says: “I tell you the truth. Whoever hears my word and believes that Creator, my Father, sent me has eternal life.” (John 4:24)

What a wonderful truth! Anyone who believes that Creator’s Son was sent by the Creator, can know and have absolute assurance that they have eternal life. Eternal life is in the Son of God. Therefore, if you have the Son of God, by believing in His name, or better yet, if the Son of God has you, you then can know that you have eternal life.

Some who will be reading these words may not have this assurance. But having read these words, you can know that God has given you this gift. Please respond and share with us that you now have this assurance. Others may already know. Your story about your assurance of faith and eternal life can be a real encouragement to others. Do let us hear from you.

This series called, “The Five Assurances” is available through CHIEF media section. The series teaches not only about the assurance of salvation; but also about the assurance of answered prayers, the assurance of victory over sin, the assurance of guidance and the assurance of forgiveness.

How Far Can I Go In My Culture?

Chief — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:22:12 +0000

The above question is asked again and again among Native American believers. “As a follower of Christ, how might I use our native prayer songs, dances, drumming, ceremonies and even crafts?” These can be difficult questions. However, many believers facing these issues have found it helpful to honestly ask themselves three questions. First; does this ceremony, ritual or activity have anything to do with the spirit world that is not of God? Second; is there any syncretism involved? (Blending the worship of spirit powers, not of God, with Biblical worship of the one, true God) Third; is this a matter of indifference in my culture? (One about which God has given no clear direction in His Word).

First; concerning the question about the spirit world. God clearly spoke to His people when He said, in His moral law, “I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before me.” The word “gods” means spirit powers that are enemies of the true God. (Exodus 20:1-3) The phrase, “before me” means, “in my face or presence”. An Indian man once told me that you can find Jesus in the kiva and the sweat lodge. I asked him if there were enemy spirits there. He had to admit that there are spirit powers in those places that are not of God. The phrase “you shall have…” implies union with, involvement in, some kind of relationship with or worship of these spirit powers. The word, “worship” is defined as “to declare the worth of”. Spirit powers want people to declare their worth. They know that when that happens in places of worship, the worshippers are declaring the worth of the arch enemy of God the Creator. That arch enemy of God the Creator is Satan. No true believer desires to do that. Therefore, to honestly ask this question is of extreme importance. Are there spirit powers involved?

The second question is also important. Is syncretism evident in this ceremony, ritual, or activity? Syncretism is the most subtle working of the enemy. As noted above, syncretism is being defined as “blending the worship of spirit powers, not of God, with Biblical worship of the one true God. It is quite obvious that where there is syncretism there are spirit powers, not of God. Therefore, God is not there. A classic example of syncretism is the worship of the golden calf, the sex goddess of Egypt. Aaron, the priest, called it the “Lord God who brought you out of Egypt. We will have a festival to the Lord.” (Exodus 32:1-6) The people thought that the Lord God was in the festival and ceremony, but was He? Absolutely not! Therefore, any syncretism is only returning to the first question. Are there any spirit powers declaring their worth before the face of God? Sad to say, some Native Americans are teaching that it does not compromise God’s truth by combining worship of Jesus with Native American spiritual ceremonies. They teach that Jesus is in the ceremonies with you and has more power than the other spirit powers. They further teach that if we accept this teaching and join in ceremonies as believers, we will be better able to witness and lead people to the Lord. However, the question must be honestly asked, “Is the Lord there in the midst of His enemies encouraging His people to worship Him?” Obviously, the answer is No!

Now let us consider the third question. Is syncretistic worship a matter of indifference? At sometime we all have asked, “God, why did you not make all things in life crystal clear?” In attempting to answer the third question, believers often have different opinions, and conflict within the body of Christ arises.

In order to adequately answer the third question, any believer considering cultural worship practices must first ask himself the first two questions. If the honest answer is that in a given activity there is no evidence of ungodly spirit powers or there is no syncretism involved, the believer possibly may participate with a clear conscience.

However, the answer is never quite that simple. There still is the problem that what may be acceptable for one believer may not, because of conscience sake, be something in which another can participate. The more the writer deals with this question of indifference, the more evident it seems to be that God means it as a test of true love between Christians. Believers are then asked to answer yet another question. “Can one who says he cannot participate in this cultural activity still love the one who says, that with clear conscience, he can, and vice versa?” Therefore, in this area of indifference, we must ask ourselves two more questions. First, “Am I a stumbling stone to another believer?” And secondly, “Am I judging him because we do not agree?”

The writer has developed an in depth CD series related to the topic we have just discussed. It is entitled “How Far Can I Go in Culture?” It is available at CHIEF’s Media section. The material is a Biblical exposition of passages that deal with these three questions regarding culture. You are encouraged to look for this series on the Resource page. You are also invited to respond to these thoughts with your questions and insights.