American Indians Betraying Themselves And Their People.

[Mriana]

I cannot fathom why any American Indian would become a bishop in the very religion that conquered and destroyed their people, but yet, here this Oji-Cree woman stands and is about to be consecrated as a bishop in the Anglican Church:

 

Oji-Cree archdeacon elected first area bishop

 

I truly do not understand it after all Christians have done to their culture. Xianity is a betrayal of sacred American Teachings, IMO. I say this because I have been to a Sweat. To practice Xianity is a betrayal of all of which American Indians hold dear.

 

National Anglican Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald called her election “…one of the most wonderful things that has happened in a long, long time. I couldn’t have been happier with the selection. God is doing wonderful things and preparing us for even greater things.”

 

I find this statement despicable. What about Wonka Tonka, the Great Spirit? It is not the same thing or at least not as Xians see it and have tried hard to beat it out of the American Indians for centuries now, calling them uncivilized heathens.

 

And what about people like me, who have no Indian name and desire to know more about the people? I bet this woman could not even tell me a damn thing about her own people or anything else.

 

It's not that I did not know there were American Indians who are Xians. I know there are many and Loons Foot, who White people call "Chief Loons Foot", even said (I believe he's dead now), "one can be both Catholic and practice the American Indian way of life". I disagree, because Xians have no reverence for the earth, much less for animals. Xians do not view other animals as their brothers or sisters, or even as Spirit guides. From my own experience with my N.A. relatives, those who accept the White man's ways say, "We are N.A., but outside this house, we are White." and refuse to accept anything that is part of the American Way of life, even attempting to destroy it within a child themselves. Xianity and the American Indian way of life are not compatible and I feel American Indians who accept "the White man's" religion are a betrayal to their people.

 

My own experience in a Sweat is a connection with nature itself. It is most sacred and should be treated with respect. That experience was more powerful than any Anglican/Episcopal service. No, I did not have a vision, but it was that powerful feeling I have always felt with animals and nature. Xianity is a complete betrayal of all that.

 

Therefore, I cannot understand how any American Indian could betray all of that, betray that way of life. Are there any American Indians on the board who can explain this? Do they also feel this is a betrayal of the American Indian way of life? I know there are others who have accepted Wiccan, Paganism, etc, but what I do not know is if there are any American Indians on the board who practice American Indian spiritualism or not. If there are, I would like to know how they feel about this also.

 

BTW, I am not Sioux, but was taught some words of the Sioux language by a Sioux and the Sweat I attended was lead by a (out of the ordinary, I know) Sioux woman.

[Vixentrox]

One could say the same thing about white people. After all, Christianity was forced on them too. It spread its evil from the Middle East into areas populated by white people destroying the pagan religions and way of life where the evil Christians couldn't absorb it into their own faith.

[dagnarus]

If you can say that any Native American who abandons there own cultural heritage is somehow betraying there people, can Christians say that any European who abandons Christianity, something which has been a part of the European culture for centuries, that they are somehow betraying there people? Or an Arab who decides to give up the Chauvinistic aspects of Islam, is he/she a traitor to the Arab way of life?

 

While I may disagree with Christianity coming along and forcing it's dogma upon all other's, I equally disagree with the idea that Native Americans or persons from any other ethnic group should be somehow required to hang onto the culture of their ancestors, they should be allowed to become their own persons, and if this Native American woman decided she wanted to become an Anglican bishop, then that's her decision. Even if I don't like Christianity.