Native American Christianity

Ok, a quick question. What do you think of Native American Christians using the sweat lodge, dance regalia, sweet grass, sage, mugwort(the last three items are used as smudge{incense}; hand drums, and pow-wow drums?

There are a number of significant reasons Native Americans are so strongly against becoming Christians, as the following will show.

First, the whole "Manifest Destiny" thing. The idea that white people were divinely ordained to settle the whole continent of North America-which necessarily meant removing and/or destroying the Native people already here. The premise that white people were inherently superior, and the conviction that God had ordained them to conquer the North American territories from sea to shining sea led to forced removal and/or violent extermination of the Aboriginal people who were viewed as blocking the furtherance of racial and technological progress.

What this meant for us was that the government would force us off our homelands onto reservations, where men professing to be Christians would steal most of the food allocated to us and sell it for their own gain. And then the government forced two generations of children to boarding schools. At these schools, men(and women)professing to be Christians beat, tortured, and raped these children. Punishment was for crimes such as speaking in the only language they'd ever spoken, and other "serious" offenses. My mother told me many stories of her experiences at Chemawa Indian School in Oregon.
When those children returned to their families, they no longer had anything in common with them. Many were sent to trade schools and forced to live and work in cities, so if they ever returned to their people's there was a vast gulf between who they were, and who they should've been.

Then there was the whole eugenics thing, where Indian Health Services clinics and hospitals were routinely sterilizing Native women-perhaps as many as 50% of all Native women, until the giovernment finally put a stop to that in the 1970s.

I am a Native man. Someone pointed out that I wasn't a full blood(which is true), but blood quantum wasn't an issue for us before colonization. Blood quantum is 100% a non Native creation, and nothing we went by prior to the coming of a white man.

Another person pointed out that I was racist, and implied that I thought "whity was bad.". I never thought that, and can't even understand why someone would think I would. Doing so would entail hating half of myself, and that would not only make me stupid, but crazy as well.

The reason I made this post was to let my Christian Brothers and sisters know the challenges I had to overcome, and the challenges other Natives are facing, before becoming Christian. These things are of vital importance to me, because I need to figure out how to respond to these obstacles. I was fortunate to meet a few Christians who weren't afraid to come witness to me where I was. There are a lot more JWs and Mormons out there doing the very same thing, and i've met so many Natives professing to be Mormons and JWs. It ought not to be so. The last time I saw Christians reaching out to this Native community was at Easter, and they came here from Russia to witness to the people in my youngest daughter's community. Some people think I'm angry, and I am, but not for the reason you might think. I'm angry with myself, because I don't know how to tell my own people that we've believed a lie all this time. Real Christians don't do all the things we've been believing they did. I know this because of a few brave souls who witnessed to me. I felt God's love through them, and even though I didn't get saved until years later, I never forgot those people who showed me Jesus Christ, and His love.

So, my brothers and sisters, I don't hate you, I love you. Like Paul, I have an overwhelming love for my people, who are being left to the JWs, and the mormons. I hope some of you will benefit from knowing how hard it is for Native people to even consider Christianity. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, and we know that the preaching of the cross is the power of God.

I know that God is in control, but I also know that He said that the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few

Ok, a quick question. What do you think of Native American Christians using the sweat lodge, dance regalia, sweet grass, sage, mugwort(the last three items are used as smudge{incense}; hand drums, and pow-wow drums?

Ok, a quick question. What do you think of Native American Christians using the sweat lodge, dance regalia, sweet grass, sage, mugwort(the last three items are used as smudge{incense}; hand drums, and pow-wow drums?

As to why I identify myself as Native, I've never had a choice. People have always thought I was either Hispanic, Pacific Islander, or Native American. My white father left me with my Native mother, so I never knew any other life.

Hello Thomas. I am glad you asked that, because I have been curious about it I have participated in sweats and medicine circles, but that was before becoming Christian. The thing I am curious about the sweats you participate in is, are they traditional sweats where you give honor to your ancestors, or are the sweats you participate in Christian focused? Or is it a mix, with all beliefs welcome, giving you an opportunity to witness to others? Thank you for inviting our questions I have been wanting to ask, but did not want to pry

[FONT=&quot]28 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]29[/FONT][FONT=&quot] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Gal 3:28-29

I put this quote up first because it is just so important.

I sympathise with your position, but would also direct your attention to other parts of the world, such as the African continent (sub-Saharan Africa in particular) that suffered under colonialism, sometimes for centuries, and the "official" churches of those colonising powers, yet saw through the paternalism, exploitation, and outright brutality sometimes shown by both coloniser and church to perceive and accept the essential truths of the Gospel. Also, much of the real heavy lifting, concerning the Gospel, in Africa was done by mission agencies and churches operating often against the wishes of the colonising powers. However, nothing was perfect here, yet, in reality, in the 21st century the centre of gravity of world Christianity is firmly in sub-Saharan Africa, NOT in Europe or North America. This is shown also by the volume of indigenous missionaries coming out of African countries that in most (uniformed) Christian's views still belong firmly in the camp of countries still requiring pioneer missions activity.

I grew up in a country (South Africa) that, amongst whites anyway, regarded itself as Christian, yet had some of the most racially discriminatory laws of any country in modern history. In addition, one of the major church denominations in the country, the Dutch Reformed Church, tried to give a theological justification to what the world came to know as Apartheid. I grew up as a so-called privileged white, but was also privileged to grow up with lots of negro's on our small farm. As a result, while I could see differences (some of them artificial and enforced) between them and myself, I could also see, as far as all the things that really count, essentially no differences at all. So, despite the laws of the land telling me, officially, that non-white ethnic groups were second-class citizens, I knew that however the government designated those people that they were NOT 2nd-class people!
However, in South Africa, despite all its ongoing problems the strength of Christianity amongst the non-white population of the country is very high (perhaps 40-50% of the population would be regular church goers)!

So, I completely get the paradox of a country that has a constitution such as the USA adopted, yet felt entitled to embark on a genocidal campaign against native Americans.
However, Christianity is NOT, and never has been, the "white man's religion."
It is also absolutely true that no ethno-linguistic group is intrinsically superior to any other (you don't really need me to tell you this, but it is important for me to explicitly mention it).

The merits of Jesus Christ stand irrespective of history!
And, Africans, praise God, have seen through all the insults, discrimination, violence and brutality thrown at them by whites, many claiming the moral high ground of professed Christian belief, to grasp Christ and have not let go!
I stand profoundly impressed, and have huge respect for African Christians who have responded to Christ in the way that they have in the face of their treatment by "white" Christians!

So, please understand that the situation of native Americans, while terrible, is not unique, having been repeated all across the globe to a greater or lesser degree wherever European nations established colonies, or some other form of "national interest".

Becoming a Christian, does not identify one with any other group defined politically or ethnoliguistically.
Children of God are found in every ethnolinguistic group on the planet, but are defined in these terms "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28
So, no matter what our gender, race, or social standing...

We are all blood relations, but only by the blood of Christ, nothing else would bring us together...

[/FONT]

I'll never understand people who focus on race.

I know some native Americans the chant "Yah, Yah, Yah" and don;t talk about it but they worship "the Great Creator" and say His name is YHWH, thus "Yah"

I think great evil has come agaoinst their population, just an example, CPS gets twice as much to take an native child from their family. very sad, however Yah knows those who are His and will reply all evildoers.

[FONT=&quot]28 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]29[/FONT][FONT=&quot] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Gal 3:28-29

I put this quote up first because it is just so important.

I sympathise with your position, but would also direct your attention to other parts of the world, such as the African continent (sub-Saharan Africa in particular) that suffered under colonialism, sometimes for centuries, and the "official" churches of those colonising powers, yet saw through the paternalism, exploitation, and outright brutality sometimes shown by both coloniser and church to perceive and accept the essential truths of the Gospel. Also, much of the real heavy lifting, concerning the Gospel, in Africa was done by mission agencies and churches operating often against the wishes of the colonising powers. However, nothing was perfect here, yet, in reality, in the 21st century the centre of gravity of world Christianity is firmly in sub-Saharan Africa, NOT in Europe or North America. This is shown also by the volume of indigenous missionaries coming out of African countries that in most (uniformed) Christian's views still belong firmly in the camp of countries still requiring pioneer missions activity.

I grew up in a country (South Africa) that, amongst whites anyway, regarded itself as Christian, yet had some of the most racially discriminatory laws of any country in modern history. In addition, one of the major church denominations in the country, the Dutch Reformed Church, tried to give a theological justification to what the world came to know as Apartheid. I grew up as a so-called privileged white, but was also privileged to grow up with lots of negro's on our small farm. As a result, while I could see differences (some of them artificial and enforced) between them and myself, I could also see, as far as all the things that really count, essentially no differences at all. So, despite the laws of the land telling me, officially, that non-white ethnic groups were second-class citizens, I knew that however the government designated those people that they were NOT 2nd-class people!
However, in South Africa, despite all its ongoing problems the strength of Christianity amongst the non-white population of the country is very high (perhaps 40-50% of the population would be regular church goers)!

So, I completely get the paradox of a country that has a constitution such as the USA adopted, yet felt entitled to embark on a genocidal campaign against native Americans.
However, Christianity is NOT, and never has been, the "white man's religion."
It is also absolutely true that no ethno-linguistic group is intrinsically superior to any other (you don't really need me to tell you this, but it is important for me to explicitly mention it).

The merits of Jesus Christ stand irrespective of history!
And, Africans, praise God, have seen through all the insults, discrimination, violence and brutality thrown at them by whites, many claiming the moral high ground of professed Christian belief, to grasp Christ and have not let go!
I stand profoundly impressed, and have huge respect for African Christians who have responded to Christ in the way that they have in the face of their treatment by "white" Christians!

So, please understand that the situation of native Americans, while terrible, is not unique, having been repeated all across the globe to a greater or lesser degree wherever European nations established colonies, or some other form of "national interest".

Becoming a Christian, does not identify one with any other group defined politically or ethnoliguistically.
Children of God are found in every ethnolinguistic group on the planet, but are defined in these terms "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28
So, no matter what our gender, race, or social standing...

We are all blood relations, but only by the blood of Christ, nothing else would bring us together...

[/FONT]

I appreciate your feedback. If I was in Africa, I'd be speaking of Africa. My whole point on ethnicity is not that I view it as important, but that to Natives, for the following reason, it is: Christian churches historically have told Natives that they needed to put all their cultural and traditional ways behind them-even language. While this may not be a widespread or blatent as it was initially, it is still a latent message being preached subconsciously by many churches reaching out to Natives.

I realize that most who responded here are more enlightened about this, and don't believe that way. Those who didn't, probably do.

The whole purpose of my question was about CHRISTIAN Natives. I haven't been in a sweat for years, but have Native friends that do sweats. If I did go to a sweat, it would be as a Christian, and as a witness of Jesus Christ.

I remember attending sweats before I was saved, and remember White Christians coming to the sweats. In fact, my last testimony was about that

The whole purpose of my question was about CHRISTIAN Natives. I haven't been in a sweat for years, but have Native friends that do sweats. If I did go to a sweat, it would be as a Christian, and as a witness of Jesus Christ.

I remember attending sweats before I was saved, and remember White Christians coming to the sweats. In fact, my last testimony was about that

Actually sweating like that is good for the body has a detoxing effect. getting rid of impurities.