""I was made to burn and destroy all
my tribal carvings, eagle feathers,
and my dance outfit because the
pastor told me now that I was a Christian,
old things passed away and all things became new,
which meant all my Native cultural ways needed to
be replaced with Euro-American cultural ways. Then
I was told I could no longer participate in our Native
gatherings, dances or ceremonies because they were
of the devil and full of idolatry. They even told me
my Native drum was an idol and full of spirits, so I
burned it and learned the guitar instead. Now I am
no longer a Native in my culture. I am an anglicized
Christian in American culture. The Bible has been
used to colonize my soul.”
This pattern of recognition belongs to the conglomeration
of Euro-American scholars, ministers and lay
folk who have, over the centuries, used their economic,
academic, religious and political dominance to
create the illusion that the Bible, read through their
experience, is the Bible read correctly.
I have heard versions of the above story dozens of
times from Native people across North America, and
it breaks my heart every time. This rejectionist and
culturally demonizing approach remains the primary
missionary paradigm among our Native people today
and it is rooted in the very beginning of Christian
mission in North America."" - Richard Twiss,
www.wiconi.com
