CHAPTER 3. -- THE NATIVE AMERICAN – 2.9 million

12/22/16

A. THE NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE A MISSION FIELD

As a preamble to this chapter, which in many aspects is a sad chapter about our national relationship with minorities generally and the Native American specifically, the real story of our early settlers in New England is commendable. The story begins with the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony [MBC] 1628. The relation with the local indigenous Algonquian Tribe for 10 years was amiable. The Colonists found the locals had cleared the land and taught them how to grow indigenous crops. In 1636 New College, was founded for training Puritan clergy. It became Harvard University [1639]. "A cornerstone of Harvard was Harvard Indian College", to train Native Americans at no cost to them. The Harvard Charter [1650] stated the purpose is "the education of English and Indian Youth of the country in Knowledge and Godliness". In those early years they struggled financially; therefore, the "English Society for the propagation of the Gospel in New England", raised funds for free education of Indians at Harvard. Harvard Indian College had the first brick building on Harvard campus.

John Elliot arrived at MBC in 1631 as a Puritan Pastor. He also felt convicted to evangelize the "Indigenous Peoples" but realized they needed to hear in their mother tongue, the Natick dialect of the Massachusett language. Within 14 years he had reduced the language to writing and translated the entire Bible. He accomplished this feat obviously by the Grace of God, and with the help of Cockeno, a brilliant Indian. It was actually the Algonquian language.

By 1938 the first printing press arrived in Cambridge, which would become Harvard University Press. In 1663 they printed the first Bible in an Indian language: MAMUSE WUNNEETUPANATAMWE UP-BIBLUM GOD. [The first printing of an English Language Bible was not until 1782, 120 years later!]

AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT in England, set up a corporation in 1649 called the 'New England Company' which raised money to print "Eliot's Indian Bible" in 1663

THERE WAS A GOOD BEGINNING. Elliot was used by God to see many Native Americans saved. His experiment with 14 Indian villages of Christians was an amazing feet, but flawed from the very beginning. Evangelism is by natives of natives in their own loco, not extracted from their own tribes.

The American Indian People are a mission field because 95 percent of all Indians do not go to church; most likely fewer than 5 percent would be Christians. Tom Claus of the American Indian Crusade, an Indian himself, estimates that between 3 and 5 percent are Christian. International Bible Society literature suggests that less than 3 percent of Native Americans are identified as Christians. Most Indians are involved in native religious ceremonies including the fast-growing Peyote cult, incorporated as the Native American Church of Navajoland [1918], which has 80 chapters and includes 70 of 500 Indian Nations. The ‘religious’ usage of the drug peyote, is legal as of 1994. The Native American Churchj claims 250,000 participants, being the most widespread indigenous religion in USA. In 2016 two thirds of Native Peoples claim some relationship to Christianity, but in practice their is broad acceptance of Native Religion as well as Christian.

Indian People are a mission field because he is effectively isolated from the normal evangelistic programs of both the evangelical Anglo and Indian churches. The Indian is isolated from the gospel in many ways.>First he is isolated by location. Indians live either on or around 55 million acres of reservation [25%] or scattered in a major city [75%]. If he lives on the reservation, he may live miles from the nearest neighbor or church. This is common on the Navajo reservation. When he lives in the city he does not live in groups as do other ethnics, but is scattered within the inner city. Many cities have no Indian church. Furthermore, the Indian does not feel comfortable in other inner city churches, including the Black and Hispanic.

The Indian is isolated linguistically. The older Indian speaks only the native language. Few others can speak his language, which narrows the possibility of there being any Christians in the group. and increases the probability that a missionary has not learned the tongue. The younger Indian may be bilingual, but his ability to communicate with missionaries is limited.

The problem of his limited ability to communicate is further complicated by widespread illiteracy. The older Indian can neither read nor write. The native language probably has no body of literature, including Scripture portions. Many of the younger Indians are functionally illiterate in English because of a high dropout rate from school. The issue is further aggravated by a lack of English literature written on a level he can understand.

Culture also isolates the Indian from the gospel. The biblical message as proclaimed by the Anglo is culturally distant from the Indian philosophy of life, which may be summarized in the words of a song:

I stand in good relation to the earth

I stand in good relation to the gods;

I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful;

I stand in good relation to you;

I am alive.

He is very much attached to the tribal culture which, in most aspects, is very Eastern and is diametrically different from that of the Anglo Christian, being heavily animistic.

The Indian is isolated by his religious orientation. Most Indians are deeply religious, but their religion does not include the Christian concept of a personal God. That is evidenced by the fact that many Indian languages have no word for deity. The Dakotas refer to deity as the Great Mystery. Indian religiosity is expressed in seeking to live a life that is in harmony with nature, not by worshipping a divine being. For some, Peyote is equated with god or the spirit of the Peyote Road.

Tribal diversity is another factor isolating the Indian from the gospel. Anglos tend to think of all Indians as culturally close when in reality there are great differences among the more than 567 recognized tribes [2015], which are growing in number as the casino fever catches on and new applications for recognition are made. One urban Indian family frequently lives isolated from another because it is from a different tribe with which it has little in common. The urban Christian, either Anglo or Indian, who desires to be a witness must first determine the tribal allegiance to contextualize a meaningful testimony.

The Indian is also isolated from the gospel because there are so few native churches. The native Christian population is small and tends to be concentrated in certain tribes. Most Indian churches are too small to adequately support a national pastor or send forth its own people as missionaries. Too few Indians have given themselves for full-time Christian service as pastors and fewer still to become missionaries to other tribes.

Finally, the Indian is isolated from the gospel because of the>dearth of Christian literature available to evangelize him in his native language or in English. Without Bibles, tracts, or Sunday school literature to supplement or sustain a witness to the Indian, there is little likelihood of his being converted. Without Christ and hope, the Navajo teenager is attracted to the 250 Indian gangs operating in the Navajo Nation, often involved with drug growing because of high unemployment and poverty.

For these reasons and others, the Indian is a mission field.

B. EXPOSURE TO THE GOSPEL

From the time white men came to America a witness has been maintained with the original inhabitants. The Spanish (1500s) entering from the south and west brought with them their padres, who immediately included Indians in the parish responsibility and eagerly plied them with the gospel. When the English colonized Virginia and Massachusetts, some effort was made to Christianize the pagans who occupied those lands. The larger effort was made in the New England colonies by such stalwarts as Roger Williams (1636), John Eliot (1646) and his son, and the Mayhew family, who gave five generations to Indian missions. The labors of those along with others were rewarded with thousands of Indian converts extracted from paganism and established in the Christian way. John Eliot's enduring achievement was the translation and publication of the Bible (1661) into Mohican (language no longer used), one of hundreds of Indian languages. Eliot’s writings also inspired William Carey to go to India.

By the dawn of the eighteenth century England began to send missionaries to the New World under the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Hundreds of workers were dispatched to ply colonists and Indians alike with the Good News.

Frontier life was a grueling and demanding business, and Indian missions were not the most rewarding enterprise. Interest in evangelism soon waned and was not revived until the Great Awakening (1734) again stirred concern for Indian Christianization.

By mid-century (1741) the Moravians had established enterprising communities whose sole purpose was to support missionaries. Many communities worked among various Indian tribes and established Christian towns. The weakness of their effective labors was the penchant for not establishing converts in local churches.

David Brainerd's love for and service among the Indians (1743) were greater than his physical strength could endure. The posthumous publication of his diary by his fiancé’s father, Jonathan Edwards, was used to inspire many for missionary service. Edwards (1758) himself served as a missionary for a time among the Indians.

Without question the primary purpose of missionary activity among the Indians has always been evangelism. Considerable evidence can be marshaled to substantiate that thesis. However, colonial Indian missions were not very successful. Several mitigating factors can be noted.

First, not all colonists were of the opinion that the Indian should be evangelized. According to some researchers, "The interest of the great majority of the settlers in the Indian was not his salvation, but his elimination."

Second, the clergy were not in accord about Indian missions. Not all ministers believed that the Indian should be evangelized, but those who accepted the idea that he should be Christianized could not agree among themselves who should be responsible to carry it out. It was finally settled by legislation that one or two of their number would be responsible each year for Indian missions while they kept up the performance of regular parish ministries. The record reveals "most missionaries who served the Indians were ordained over white, English churches and were missionaries to the aborigines on a part-time basis, or they were ordained as ministers of a white church sometime previous to missionary service”.

Third, some colonial churches refused to let their pastors do double duty. Those churches willing to share their clergymen insisted that they keep up parish ministry or give oversight to an assistant. John Eliot was able to labor among the Indians and do translation work because his church hired an understudy to assist with the parish duties. When Eliot's son determined to work among the Indians, he was permitted to do so only every fortnight.

That arrangement was sanctioned by the New England Company, which appointed the clergy and paid their salaries. Therefore, most missionaries, including the Mayhews of Martha's Vineyard, were pastors first and missionaries second as dictated by the powers that be. In fact, it has been observed "although the evangelical movement was dedicated from the start to the conversion of lost persons, it also began to serve the political consensus in the young country."

Finally, history records that concomitant conditions were placed upon the Indians as a prerequisite to conversion. In fact, meeting those conditions was tantamount to Christianization. On the other hand, those same prerequisites were a strong deterrent to the Indian desiring to become a Christian.

One such condition widely held was that the Indian could not be evangelized until he had been civilized. That meant he had to leave his culture, clan, and people. He had to dress and act like Euro-Americans. He must speak their language and become a productive citizen.

In the missionary perspective, Indians could not be Christians until they first abandoned native habits and accepted "civilized" customs. Conversion meant both the invasion of the Indian body and the conquest of the Indian soul. In nearly every mission these two distinct but interrelated goals were operative. Indians were urged to abandon their "wild" ways and become sanitized Euro-Americns.

That philosophy of missions developed very early, for John Eliot wrote in his diary that he was convinced that it was absolutely necessary to civilize as well as evangelize. Evidently, Eliot articulated the majority opinion, because that system was the pattern for Indian missions until recent years.

To implement the civilizing process, missionaries extracted the Indian from his tribal life and established him in mission towns. The Spanish first did this in the South and West. Eliot created "praying towns" in New England, and the Moravians built villages in the region surrounding Ohio.

Contrary to popular opinion not all Indians were nomadic. Many tribes were more or less sedentary and tilled some of the best land. They taught the colonists which crops grew well in the New World. However, the Indians were not adept at domestication of animals; therefore, they hunted over large tracts of land to provide meat and skins. They also moved to new areas periodically.

One of the greatest conflicts between the colonist and the Indian involved ownership and use of land. The colonist would not accept the idea of Indian usage of large tracts of land that were held in joint ownership by the tribe. Therefore, establishing Indian towns solved several problems. By that means, land was freed, and the Indians were being civilized. Other radical ideas suggested that an area west of Missouri be established where Indians could create for themselves a "holy, civilized life on individual farms." Or, some saw the ravaging of the Indian by European diseases as "Divine intervention." John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts, said, "God hath hereby cleared our title to this place." At times the government encouraged outright murder. Belden Menkus, Fellow of the American Association of Criminology, reports that at least one time the government encouraged wholesale slaughter of Indians and that at times bounties were offered for their killing.

Mission schools were established in the Indian towns or mission centers for the acculturation process. The Indian was taught to read and write English and how to become a participant in the recognized society. It was found that this was best accomplished in boarding schools where he was under twenty-four-hour supervision. Government agents were inclined to approve funds for these schools because they perceived that "Indian education existed wholly to remake Indians in the 'civilized' image. One such institution funded by the government was the Haskel Indian College It started as a school for acculturating Indian children away from their parents supervision, in effect to wipe out Indian culture. Over the years, these institutions evolved to become purveyors of Indian culture on the college level, at the same time providing job training. Some 30 tribes maintain these colleges primarily with government assistance, struggling to keep afloat.

How effective were the early Indian missionary efforts? There is record of truly amazing Indian conversions. Samson Occum became a renowned Mohegan preacher. An Indian writer, William Apes, was saved out of the Pequot tribe and George Copway, a Chippewa chief, became an Indian missionary. Scores of others could be mentioned, but these are the exceptions, for a majority of the Indians were never converted. Later, an effort was made to appologive to the Tribes of these excesses.

Much has been written about the success of the Indian towns. However, the record indicates that even the much-heralded Stockbridge community, where the renowned missionary Jonathan Edwards labored, became a white town because the Indians felt pressured into leaving. They moved to Pennsylvania and ultimately to Wisconsin. Indian towns were never properly integrated with whites. Indians were never fully accepted or trusted as bona fide citizens. As evidence, note that many towns were systematically destroyed during the periodic wars. "Even Christianized, politically neutral Indians made convenient scapegoats for white zealots who literally believed that the only good Indian was a dead Indian." Even the missionaries who labored among the Indians were mistrusted as those who worked with the enemy. Even though attempts have been made to evangelize the Indian, it should be no surprise that wherein he had an honest choice, he rejected the white man's religion. In many instances the Indian had no choice.

C. RESISTANCE TO THE GOSPEL

Patrick Johnstone suggests in Operation World, that in 1993, perhaps 17% of Native Americans are affiliated with a church. Resistance to the gospel in the twentieth century is rooted in the past. It should not be thought that Indians are irreligious or atheistic. In fact, "religion permeates all the daily life." Then why have they resisted the gospel? The truth is that they have not resisted the gospel so much as they have rejected the concomitance of the gospel. They reject the package in which the gospel has been presented to them.

Indians have rejected a gospel that requires cultural suicide. Without judging the motives of the early missionaries, it is quite clear that they thought that an Indian could not be a Christian in his native culture. He had to renounce his way of life before he could be saved.

Indians have also found it difficult to accept the gospel message from the lips of the white man whose word was seldom trustworthy in other areas. Indians trusted the early colonists and shared with them their food and land. Some colonists purchased needed land from the tribe, but others took lands by right of eminent domain with or without remuneration. The Indian made treaties with the increasingly land-hungry newcomers only to find again and again that the word of the white man was not firm, because he had an insatiable appetite for Indian lands.

War was inevitable to protect Indian rights. Although the Indians were able to win a few skirmishes, in the long run they lost the battle. Three hundred seventy treaties were signed between 1789 and 1871, but all were violated.

When the US government in 1786 created reservations, ostensibly it was, among other things, to protect Indian lands. Within those boundaries no one was allowed to encroach under penalty of law. But by 1830 there was no longer room for Indians east of the Mississippi River under any circumstances. The state of Georgia insisted that the government remove the Indians who were farming some of the state's best land that was needed for the rapidly expanding cotton industry and plantations. Impossible as it may be to believe, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 and within ten years 100,000 Indians were rounded up from every state east of the Mississippi River and removed to Indian Country, which later became the state of Oklahoma (1907.

In North Carolina the Cherokee nation resisted. They were one of the 'Five Civilized Tribes', so called because they had basically adopted the white man's ways. Without provocation, 20,000 were put in stockades, where several thousand died. Then, through the dead of winter, 16,000 were herded to Indian Country, over the 1,200-mile Trail of Tears that required nine months of travel. Twenty-five percent of the tribe died on that death march, which was ordered by President Andrew Jackson. Ironically, the Cherokee chief Junaluska, in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, had saved his life earlier. Thus, it became obvious that "the destiny of the country did not provide for the survival even of the Indians. This was to be a white man's country."

The Indians west of the Mississippi were also encapsulated over a period of time within the reservation system. Some nations were restricted to areas with which they were familiar, but others were removed to new areas to start life all over again. The Navajo tribe as a nomadic people was a special problem.

The Navajo felt that homesteaders from Mexico were encroaching on their hunting grounds and carried on a running warfare in which both Indians and Mexicans were killed, plundered, and made slaves of the other. After the United State’s war with Mexico (1848) and the westward movement of the whites had begun, further conflict was inevitable. Kit Carson and the army were dispatched in 1864 to round up the entire tribe. Destroying the Navajo’s crops and flocks and starving them out accomplished the seemingly impossible feat. Upon surrender, 10,000 Navajos were forced to make the "long walk" 300 miles to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Four years later (1868) the Navajos were permitted to return to the Arizona reservation surrounding Fort Defiance. The Navajo Tribal Administration is headquartered in Window Rock, AZ. The Reservation now sprawls over portions of three states including Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.

The Navajo Nation [174,000 members] is divided into about 110 Chapters. It is a Nation within a Nation. There are 74 Council delegates elected by the people, with an Executive Committee, a Tribal President and Vice President, elected for 4 years. The Tribe has its own judicial branch and a large police force. It has no casinos.

A second negative experience with the whites occurred in 1924. The Indians were forced to reduce the size of their stocks of cattle by killing them. They lost their main source of income. Memory of those events is passed on to new generations, thus keeping hatred for the white man perpetual. "These two events, more than anything else, made the Navajo people a non-receptive people to American missionaries during the first fifty years of missionary activity.

The opening up of the West was directly connected with the westward expansion of the railroad. Although reservation land given to Indians was at the time thought to be of no use to whites, some of it was now found to be needed for right of way for the railroad. Ironically, the Choctaw leaders had predicted nearly forty years before when they were asked to trade their lands in the East for western lands, "The red people are of the opinion that, in a few years the American will also wish to possess the land west of the Mississippi." True to form, Congress passed the Railroad Enabling Act (1866), which condemned Indian lands and made them available for the roadway.

Following the Civil War (1861-65) the flow of whites westward became a mighty flood. As the population increased and new areas were organized into territories, the Indian resisted by going to war. Thousands of troops were stationed along the thoroughfares through the West to control them.

One of the unfortunate consequences of the pushing of settlers into the trans-Missouri region and the building of the transcontinental railroads was the unrest produced among the western Indians This general situation was particularly hard on Indian missions, for many missionaries were compelled to flee for their lives, and religious and economic conditions among the Indians were rapidly going from bad to worse.

The Quakers, articulating the feelings of many humanitarians, encouraged President Grant to consider what was happening to the Indians and change federal policy toward them. The government response was to recognize thirteen Protestant denominations working on the reservations and provide them with funds to help make peace with the Indian. Grant's Peace Policy (1869) in effect appointed missionaries as Indian agents. The experiment failed because the missionaries were poor administrators and they neglected their missionary responsibilities. The Indians were doomed to nothing more than a social gospel. Later (1881), the reservations were opened to all the denominations for ministry, but at best the Indians were receiving a confusing message.

By 1871 the government had determined that the Indian was no longer a separate power with whom it must negotiate, but rather people who were part of the country over whom it had the power to legislate. One of the first pieces of legislation was the General Allotment Act (1887) designed to break up the reservations and parcel the land in small acreages to Indian families. The ultimate purpose was to destroy any Indian homogeneity and absorb them into the dominant society. This was the action of Protestant North America, which was deliberately trying to stamp out the Indian as a people. They were nearly successful, for the Indian population was now at its nadir, or only 25 percent of the 1,000,000 souls when the white man first came to America.

The Indian was not, however, the "vanishing American" as so many had hoped. Even the awarding of citizenship (1924) had not provided incentive for him to become one of the many. Then a new administration revolutionized its Indian policy and determined to allow the red man to live under his own tribal government. This was known as Roosevelt's Reorganization Act (1934). The new attitude of the government was to free the Indians from federal supervision and control; however, that has yet to come to pass.

The government found that it was continually embroiled in problems involving the Indian tribes. Many of the government's concerns with the Indian involved armed conflicts. It therefore established the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and placed it under the jurisdiction of the War Department. In 1848 the BIA was placed under the Department of the Interior, where it still remains.

The BIA has far-reaching powers that touch every aspect of Indian life. Through its thirteen area offices it administers eighty-two agencies in twenty-seven states. It has been called "an extra state scattered piecemeal over the face of the country. In this shadow-state all services, roads, schools, and courts are furnished." This bureaucratic octopus has always been rife with corruption and unresponsive to the needs of those for whom it was created. It has always been unresponsive because it has never understood the Indians , and has seldom employed them in high positions. This lack of understanding has created an "unbridgeable gulf separating whites and Indians from direct communication and understanding." The advent of casinos on the reservations has now caused greater problems for the BIA. The General Accounting Office [GAO] of the federal government says, “the BIA is understaffed, lacking coherent guidelines and having no clear sense of direction” [Time 12-02].

To what extent is this true of Indian missions?

Indian missions today must recognize that the memory of past injustices dies slowly. Missionary activity has not always taken place with the purest motives. Indian grievances may well be blown out of proportion as evidenced by the 852 claims filed against the federal government in 1946 for land redress. The claims total more than the entire United States acreage! But their feelings are nevertheless real. Sins of the past is no excuse for spiritually neglecting the Indian, who, in his hurt and anger, still sits in ignorance of biblical truth. That message must be carried across the country to the Indians who are to be found in every state, most counties, and almost every city.

D. INDIAN PRESENCE

Where are the nearly 3 million Indians in the United States? Three percent are Eskimos and one percent are Aleuts, living in 250 native villages. About 33% of the Indian population lives on or around 310 registered reservations, or 550 unregistered,which they call, "Sacred Ground. These are scattered across 14% of western US counties. The Tribal areas are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The other 67% is scattered among major cities. Eighty percent of all Indians live west of the Mississippi River, yet two-thirds of the twenty-four states in the East have more than 5,000 Indian residents. The largest populations in the East are in North Carolina (80,000, New York (63,000), with 27,000 living in New York City and Michigan (56,000),

The largest concentration in the United States is in Oklahoma where 252,000 are divided among 32 tribes. Oklahoma City dedicated a ‘NameTribal Flag Plaza”, named the meeting place, which is located on the north oval of the capitol. Thirty-six poles were raised to fly the flag of each of the federally recognized sovereign Indian nations. The city of Anadarko is said to be the Indian capital of the country. The next largest concentration is in California (242,000), with one-fifth living in Los Angeles County. Arizona (204,000) is third in size and hosts the major part of the Navajo reservation. Fort Defiance is the capital of the Navajo nation. The reservation straddles three states and includes 30,000 square miles. To the east the reservation spills into New Mexico (134,000), which has the fourth largest population.

Indians today are to be found in all fifty states and in more than half of all counties. In 22 counties they are a majority, the largest numbering 45,000.In recent years the Indian has been moving to the cities to find jobs. Indians living in the East are 84 percent urbanized, whereas of those living in the West, only 40 percent live in the city. Nationwide, 45 percent are urban.

Indian reservations are to be found primarily in the West. A majority of the reservations have less than 6,000 residents. More than half of all reservation Indians resides on one of twenty reservations. The Navajo Nation reservation is the largest reservation with 16 million acres covering 27,000 square miles and has the largest number of reservation residents [174,000]. {2010} The Dine' College was established in1968 as first tribal college with 1830 students including 7 sub-campuses. In 1979 the Navajo Technical College was established. Now a University [2013]. Several medical complications plague the Navajo, such as: Uranium poisoning, Diabestes 4x national avg, immunodeficiency. There is also high unemployment.

The largest tribes are the Cherokee and Navajo with 300,000 each. The Chippewa and Sioux both have 130,000.

The concentration of Indians in the West may be traced to two contributing factors. Because of the Indian Removal Act, most of the Red Men were forcibly removed from all of the eastern states and relocated in Oklahoma (1830-1840). Some were able to escape the roundup, such as those who hid in the Florida Everglades. Today 2500 Seminoles live in FL. The Big Cyprus Seminole Reservation Museum is 40 miles west of Ft. Lauderdale.

Others fled to the Mountains of North Carolina and New York. Others made their way back to the eastern cities so that today the Indians once again live in every state.

Perhaps a more important reason for explaining the western concentration may be found in discovering the origin of the Indian presence in the western hemisphere. A branch of the Mongoloid race, which probably came from the Far East across the Bering Strait, peopled the Americas very early. There seems to be evidence that "the fathers of the first-known tribes were Chinese" and that on early maps America was "properly known as Fu Sang." Most Asiatic distinctives are now missing, except for the straight black hair, high cheekbones, and little body hair; therefore, they are called American Mongoloids.

They came from the northwest through Alaska and Canada into the western United States. The larger portion of the 20,000,000 travelers settled in Latin America, more specifically the Name Andean Mountains When Columbus discovered what he thought was the Indies, there were already two advanced civilizations at their height--the Aztec and the Inca. The former was an empire of 5,000,000 in Mexico and the other 7,000,000 in Peru.

In the United States 1,000,000 Indians moved along the western coast, to the south, into the eastern forests, and up the eastern seaboard. Finally, the plains were peopled in the 1600s, when the horse was introduced. Ironically, the horses the American Indian used to conquer the plains had been brought by the Spanish to destroy the southern empires a century before. We conclude that probably the larger number of Indians has always lived in the West.

The Indian must be recognized as a highly diverse people that are not one homogenous unit. The original hoard of Mongoloids may have spoken 5,000 languages or dialects. They became isolated in Alaska (86,000), Canada (800,000 living on 2,200 reservations and speaking 65 languages), the United States (2,226,000 in 266 ethnic groups), Mexico (7,400,000 in 7 major groups), and Central America (3,000,000). The diversification continued in the United States.

Some 566 tribes and 300 languages have been identified. Today there are fragments of 32 tribes left using up to 130 languages, while only 50 are commonly used. [With the advent of Indian Casinos, the number of tribes is increasing, as Congress recognizes new tribes. There were in 2002, 337 tribes recognized, with 200 more groups petitioning.] Parts of the Bible have been published in 35 languages spoken by Indians in the United States. The American Bible Society publishes New Testaments in six Indian languages. The Bible is available in Navajo. Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) has determined that of the many Indian languages, 55 are extremely bilingual, 49 are nearly extinct, and translation work is in progress in 27. There is need for work to begin in 5 others. The North American branch of the WBT determined that the need for God's Word in the Indian language has never been greater. It is true that English is taught in the public schools, but the elderly still use the native language in their home.

The Indians are to be found almost everywhere again across the United States. The concerned Christian will find them hidden away in his state or city somewhere and should encourage his church to include the evangelization of Indians in the missionary budget.

In West Virginia the Native American organization is called, Appalachian American Indians of West Virginia, Inc. [AAIWV]. The organization was chartered in 1989, with the goals to provide a ‘tribal home’ for Native Americans in WV, to preserve their heritage and educate both Native Americans and the general public about the history and culture of some 75 different tribes in WV, primarily Cherokee or Shawnee, The headquarters is located at 505 Virginia Ave., Rainelle, WV 25962, or aaiwv@inetone.net or www.aaiwvani.org.

E. MISSIONARY ACTIVITY AMONG INDIANS

Missionary interest in the Indian has had a roller coaster history. In 1810 the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was created and "Indian mission history entered a vital new phase...This interdenominational Protestant society...between 1812 and 1865 supported more Indian missionaries...than any other mission organization." However, board minutes reveal that they felt the ministry was mostly disappointing.

After 1814 most denominations created their own boards, both national and foreign. Their activity, at home especially, was deeply curtailed by the Civil War. After the war, denominations allowed their missionaries to become Indian agents. However, that move did not enhance church planting among the tribes.

Most denominations sought to plant stations on the Navajo reservation, which contained the largest concentration of Indians. Several found the work too difficult and withdrew. One of the deficiencies of Indian missionaries was the inability to use the native language. It was not until 1914 that a missionary became fluent in Navajo.

Early twentieth-century missionaries were still learning the lesson that civilizing is not the same as evangelizing. It was relatively easy to establish hospitals and schools, but "subsequent years have shown them to be ineffective as a means of evangelism. Where establishing churches and preaching the gospel has been the sole goal, evangelism of the Navajo has been more effective.

Another lesson to be learned from this period of Indian missions is that there were too few nationals trained as pastors. Mission schools had trained leaders for the schools and tribe but not enough became church leaders. After a century of Indian missions (1910), twenty-six American societies had fielded 163 missionaries. They had trained 155 native pastors to minister to a Christian community of 28,000 gathering in 534 churches.

In the 1990s the Southern Baptist Convention is the most active denominational agency with 381 churches ministering to 36,000 communicants. Only the Catholics claim more churches (454) and a larger communicant community (178,000). Among the groups associated with the National Association of Evangelicals, the Assemblies of God represent 80 percent of the work on reservations. They report 252 missionaries working among 161 tribes on 104 reservations in 129 churches. The largest Indian Episcopal church has 800 members, and the second largest (Methodist) claims 670 members. The average membership of 1,500 denominational churches is 72. These churches are affiliated with forty-two denominational groups.

Pierce Beaver concluded from this survey that 43 percent of the Indian community consider themselves to be Christianized. The 320,000 communicants are divided among Catholic (178,000), Protestant (122,000), and Orthodox (22,000) communicants. Protestant communicants equal 15 percent of the Indian Christian Community. Church attendance on a given Sunday among the Navajos averages 12,400, or 10 percent of the populace.

Faith missions began work among the Indians in 1930 and have grown to twenty-two societies during the decade of the nineties. Three hundred twenty-six missionaries serve twenty-seven churches in a Christian community of 2,800. Half of those churches have national pastors. The average church has thirty members. United Indian Missions, Incorporated, has the largest number of missionaries and Navajo Gospel Mission, Incorporated, has the greatest number of churches.

Since 1960 Navajos have become more receptive to the gospel. There are still thousands of Navajo who need to be saved. According to the one study 10 percent of Navajos are nationalistic, militant, and anti-Christian. Another 20 percent are being acculturated but still feel at home in the Navajo culture. They want to learn English. The remainder, or 70 percent, are seeking religious fulfillment. They are only mildly anti-Anglo; therefore, if they are not evangelized, they will probably turn to one of the indigenous cults.

How effective the Anglo missionary can be now is open to question. Gordon Frazier, editor of The Native American Christian, says that the white missionary is no longer able to preach in Indian country; therefore, he should spend his time training native evangelists. Without question Indian Bible schools should be given top priority so that Indians can be prepared to evangelize and pastor Indian churches. Beaver lists nine Bible schools presently training Indians for ministry.

Dr. Don Fredericks, Director Emeritus of UIM summarizes the Indian Peoples in this way: First, they are suspicious and cautious because of past experience. One must earn their trust. Second, they are a very dependent People. Welfarism, both by State and mission, have generated a sense of dependency. Third, they are a confused People. They had their animistic religion and the White Man brought in a plethora of religious options. Fourth, they are a rebellious People. The American Indian Movement [AIM] is a misguided effort by uninformed individuals seeking to strike back in all the wrong ways. The missionary was slow in training Native Peoples for leadership positions within their churches. Odd as it may seem, even churches with Native Peoples as leaders, may still call an Anglo pastor. The only reason I heard was because the Anglo came with a salary, but that explanation leaves a bit to be desired.

One of the greatest threats to the churches today seems to be syncretism. There is a need for continuing clear teaching of Biblical theology and prayer for crystal clear Holy Spirit guidance.

One of the greatest problems facing Indian missions is the evangelization of urban Indians. Sixty percent of all Indians are hidden away in the central cities. One-fourth of urban Indians are to be found in cities over 30,000. Beaver lists sixty-six urban Indian churches and nineteen others where Indians attend but are not a majority. Many cities with a sizable Indian population have no Gospel witness.

The urban Indian presents a unique problem for evangelizing and church planting. There are no Native American neighborhoods in the city, for "Native Americans do not seem to cluster together in the same blocks to form tight Indian communities with recognizable boundaries." Jack Waddell and Michael Watson made a detailed study of urban Indians and also corroborates this phenomenon.

Urban Indian church planting is needed because "...many Indians do not feel welcome in most urban churches...and that they are made to feel uncomfortable, conspicuous, and unwanted when they have attended European-American churches." Neither black nor Hispanic churches fulfill their spiritual needs.

Tom Manning, staff chaplain of Western Indian Ministries in AZ, relates a story in their publication "Window", September 2016, of a man named Cal who was recently released from jail. Before going to jail he had paid a Medicine Man $100.00 to perform a 'White Corn' ceremony for him at dawn in which he chanted. Then he told Cal to issolate himself for 3 days to pray and chant. During this time eagles claws were strapped to his hands. When he went to court for sentencing, some papers were lost, so his sentence was for only 30 days. Cal attributed this good fortune to "his god responding to the Medicine Man's ceremony". This is a clear illustration of the spiritual need of the Indian today.

F. ISSUES THE MISSIONARY MUST FACE

The missionary who desires to reach the American Indian People for Christ must face several serious issues. The Indian capital of the country is Anadarko, Oklahoma. Located there is the Indian Hall of Fame and Indian City USA Culture Center, but more important for missions, in this center, 40% Native American, are created trends and movements that affect all Indian tribes. Keep in mind, one of the most important Acts of Congress, from the perspective of the Indian, was "The American Indian Reorganization Act of 1930" in which there was a serious change of attitude toward the Indians. No longer were they to be Assimilated into the accepted American Culture, by destroying the Indian Cultures. This also impact the Missions Organizations to the Indians, which created residence schools, extracting students from their parents and homes.

In Oklahoma numerous tribes, which have been transplanted from other places, now live in proximity to each other. This has made possible periodic intertribal gatherings to dance and sing. Whereas tribal distinctives have been jealously guarded, certain similarities have surfaced giving rise to the concept of a mythical Oklahoma Indian. The commonalties are race, a strange land into which they were forcibly placed, hatred of the whites, and widespread fear that they seek to appease by animistic ceremonies interpreted by a shaman, or witch doctor. The greatest coalescing factor is the desire for a unified voice to speak out for all the tribes.

It was logical that Oklahoma would be the cradle of Pan-Indianism. At the gatherings the dances and songs rehearse the glory of the past, present grievances, and hope for the future. The future is envisioned in terms of a super Indian race that would give rise to a "New Great Indian America." Various national organizations have emerged from the Pan-Indian spirit. In the area of religion, Peyotism developed. The National Congress of American Indians is likened to a Tribal Supreme Court or United Nations of Indian tribes for political advocacy in civil rights is still functionisg. By late 1960 Pan-Indianism evolved into Red Power complete with hostility toward Christianity. Fortunately over the years many of the Indian angers dissapated by national awareness through the development of various advocacy groups and founding of Indian Musea.

Nothing happened on the reservations without some reference to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The BIA controls education. Free hospitalization is provided also. All legal matters are handled through its offices. The government assumed those responsibilities "under a treaty-based trust relationship it assumed largely in exchange for Indian lands." In due season the Indian will lose his "special status" with the federal government. In fact, President Reagan sought to turn federal programs over to the states. This was manifest in the 1982 budget cutbacks. Housing programs were cut 96 percent even though 40 percent of Indian homes are still substandard. Development programs have been cut 82 percent. Job training programs were cut 45 percent. Indian legal aid programs have been abolished. Those developments affect the attitude of the Indian toward missions.

Under this rubric are included several problems, some of which have received far too much attention by missions in the past. Church planting must be the primary concern of missions, but social concerns will affect the ministry as the Indian wrestles with these problems.

Unemployment is a perennial problem that may run as high as 80 percent in some areas. The cause of unemployment is often lack of job skills, but discrimination is still a factor. Indian income could average $1,500 annually. A spin-off of joblessness is the American propensity to solve all problems with a handout. Urban Indians are especially vulnerable. One third of the population lives in poverty.

Indian education is a complicated problem. On many reservations the Indian lived great distances from each other. This sometimes required that the children live in boarding schools away from their parents. In BIA schools the staff was often non-Indian oriented and the instruction in English without Indian language transitional classes. At times the children were taught to demean their heritage and were punished for using the native tongue. This gave rise to "the total dehumanization of the Indian from the time he entered school until the time he dropped out of society--and did nothing but leave an indelible imprint of hate on the American Indian." [Appologies have been made in recent times.]

Indian Bible College of Northern Arizona [1958] is located in Flagstaff, AZ [indianbible.org]. The mission statement: "Indian Bible College exists to disciple and educate Indigenous Native Christians for lifetimes of biblical ministry and spiritual leadership to their people and the world." Dr. Doug Hanson, director of development states in their Fall 2016 edition of theitr publication: "In preparing students for ministry in what are generally depressed economic situations... we want our students to experience: 1. a level of health that comes from good work, 2. a productive way to fit into the community, 3.a positive step in battling dependency, and healing broken economies, 4. a model for peer and community leadership, 4. a preparation for future ministry with needed work skills and the likelihood of bi-vocational work." To this end they are preparing a wood-working shop, to teach full breadth of business skills. They are pursuing accreditation.

Dropout rates are still double the national average. Leonard Rascher of the Moody Bible Institute researched the attitude of Indians toward education and found that the "most serious and perplexing problem in American Indian education, for both urban and reservation Indians, is the excessively high rate of Indians that are dropping out of school"

Literacy. Adults have on average a fifth-grade education. Many are not able to read or write their native language. In Navajoland "the majority of adults cannot read or write in any language." Some Indian missions have established literacy programs. Advocay groups have addressed this problem.

The relatively poor attitude toward life can only contribute to emotional and physical problems. The average life span is forty-five years. Suicide rates are three times the national average, highest in nation, especially among 15 to 24 year olds, and on some reservations ten times higher.

Alcoholism & Drugs is 5.6 times higher among Indians than among any other group of people, for one out of three adults drinks to excess. Much speculation still has not revealed a cogent explanation for the phenomenon. Regardless, the Indian cannot handle the white man's firewater. It is the number one problem and is nearly universal. Most reservations have alcohol rehabilitation centers, but little has been done to help the urban Indian who has just as great a problem.

Sexual Abuse. In Canada, a ‘Native initiated and governed annual conference’ called “Rising Above” was established in 1992 among the ‘First Nation Peoples’ or ‘Aborigines’. The conference is meeting felt needs and confronting the ugly issues of sexual and other abuses which are prevalent in their homes, churches and community. The name derived from the belief that the nearly universally abused Indian can ‘rise above’ the emotional trauma by means of the message of hope from God’s Word. [See chapter 19 for more information.] The WEB states: Bringing Healing to our land, is the goal in Canada. [info@risingabove.ca]

DEATH & grieving. Holms in his book, The Grieving Indian, writes that it is estimated that 80% of Aboriginals die unexpected deaths, while for non-Aboriginals it is 20%. This reality is ilustrated in Northern Lights publication of Northern Canada Evangelical Mission [1946] in an article entitled, "Serving Among the Grieving" [Fall 2016]. In the article are noted instances where, 13 funerals were held in one month on a Reserve; in a small fellowship, 4 mothers lost child; at a camp for youth, all but one boy in the cabin had lost a father; two suicides a week apart in one village. It is challenging to minister to so much grief.

Indians have the highest>birthrate in the nation. Since 1900 they have quadrupled in number, and in the decade of the seventies they increased 75 percent. The shorter life span and high fecundity give rise to a nation of young people. Fifty-five percent of the Navajo tribe is under 18 years of age and 80 percent are under 35. Median age for the nation is 30; however, for Indians it is 23. The Indian youth are in serious trouble. It was reported in Senate hearings that the Indian youth is alienated from himself and others; therefore, he is not identifying effectively with either the Indian or white culture. It is still true.

Most of the tribes are rapidly becoming infected with the American mania for things. The television and pick-up truck are status symbols. At the same time tribal value systems have been greatly weakened; therefore the youth, attracted by elements of both cultures, stand between two worlds. Currently there are 225 gangs in Navajoland.

Thousands of Indian men who fought valiantly in the armed services were exposed to the larger world beyond the reservation. They returned with new ideas and desires. Multitudes oscillate between city jobs and the more peaceful reservation life and privileges.

All Indians are deeply religious people. Religion is considered to be the responsibility of the individual. They may well participate in corporate ceremonies, but the experience is deeply personal. At puberty some Indians begin the personal search for harmony with nature by making the "vision quest" for a guardian spirit. In fasting and praying alone a youth seeks a vision that is later interpreted by the shaman, the spiritual leader. The shaman will also indicate some item that is believed to be representative of the guardian spirit. It may be worn as a charm or placed in the personal medicine bundle that is sacred to him alone. Some animal or plant may also be designated as a totem object that is powerful in the Indian's behalf.

The medicine man is still very much a part of life for healing or determining the affairs of life in the 21st century. A widespread revival of old religious rites is taking place.

The ultimate desire for an Indian is to be in harmony with nature. Any problem is interpreted as springing from some disharmony between himself and his world. Therefore, religion is essentially the system whereby that harmony is restored. The procedure for restoration usually involves intricate ceremony. By means of the ceremony a vision, to be interpreted by the shaman, will reveal what the individual must do to restore order.

G. NATIVE RELIGIONS

The Sun Dance, similar to Vision Quest or Crow Sundance, outlawed in 1890, was revived in the 1930s. This ceremony involves marathon dancing for several days, fasting, and staring at the sun. The dance may include self-torture, which involves tearing out through the flesh a wooden skewer imbedded in the chest and attached to a pole by a leather thong. The purpose of the dance is to induce a vision. It is still observed by some in the 21st Century. [wickipedia]

The Sacred Arrow ceremony was created by the Cheyenne Indians who believed that a supreme being gave four arrows to one of their heroes. By means of a special ceremony those arrows were imbued with power and when pointed at a man or buffalo, caused the subjects to be helpless. Today, vows are made during sickness, war, or dying. During the ceremony the sacred arrow keeper reveals the arrows that are said to give off a special blinding light.

The Ghost Dance began in the late nineteenth century when Wovoka, a Paiute became the Indian messiah by proclaiming a new doctrine. He taught that through the Ghost Dance ceremony, occult power would cause white men to disappear and dead Indians to return. It is hoped that it will yet one day work. Among the Indians there is a great fear of ghosts, which are believed to be spirits of the departed. Indians may still paint themselves with stripes of red paint that cross over the eyes as a witch repellent, or carry two flicker feathers in the pocket as a good luck charm.

H. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

1. PEYOTISM

Not only is there a revival of old native religions but also a new syncretistic religion has developed called Peyotism, Native American Church or Peyotism. Through Peyotism, many Indians (40 percent in some tribes) have turned to a religion that draws from two worlds--that of the Aztec and the Christian. The basic structure of the religion is taken from an ancient Aztec ritual with the same name. In the ceremony the sacramental use of a hallucinogenic drug or entheogen, peyote, derived from a sacred cactus named peyote, is used. In the new religion, Christian meanings are given to the blend of ancient and modern ritual. Two basic versions of Peyotism have developed.

The more popular sect is called Half Moon, and the other is named Cross Fire. In the latter the Bible is used in the ceremony, although both use Christian ritual. The 'Eagle Bone Whistle' may also be used as a 'highly sared religious object which is a powerful spiritual object. It is made from a wing bone of the Eagle.

The ceremony lasts all night. It begins at sundown Saturday night by circumambulating the special teepee and concludes Sunday morning with a traditional breakfast.

In the center of the teepee is a fire. Behind that is a crescent-shaped altar graced by a large peyote button. Each participant carries a personally decorated paraphernalia box and wears a red and blue blanket.

The service may be likened to a Wednesday night prayer meeting; or it may be called for the purpose of healing, or for celebrating a birthday, funeral, or memorial, or before traveling. The ritual includes smoking hand-rolled cornhusk and tobacco cigarettes and sprinkling the ashes on the altar. It also includes chewing sage or rubbing it on the body and burning incense.

During the service peyote buttons, likened to the Eucharist, are eaten as if at a Communion service, and prayer is made to Jesus Christ. Repetitious singing accompanied by drumming is an integral part of the ceremony. Ritualistic staring at the fire also helps to induce visions, which is the desired objective.

Peyotism is without question widespread in the Indian world. The missionary will need to be conversant with its teaching and practice. In William Power's informative introduction he summarizes:

Concurrent with the visionary experience is the feeling of closeness with God. Because Peyotism is now greatly influenced by Christianity, the members pray to Jesus Christ and refer to the peyote as the Eucharist. They equate the consumption of the peyote button with Holy Communion and espouse the basic tenets of the Christian churches in their prayers and songs. The great difference between members of the Native American Church and those who would take peyote for kicks is that the avid Peyotists cannot understand how the sacred plant can be used for anything but prayer.

2. THE INDIGENOUS CAMP CHURCH

In Navajoland a new phenomenon called the independent church has developed. In the past the independent churches developed around an Anglo minister, but more recently a class church has emerged with a charismatic leader who is a kinsman of the group. The leader normally has no formal training. Great danger of doctrinal error is inherent with this movement, but it also has great potential.

Various missions are experimenting with the concept of indigenous camp churches. Great care is taken to operate within the traditional Navajo social structure, including informal services, native instruments, and concluding with a traditional Navajo ceremonial meal. The objective is to develop strong Navajo leadership and identity.

The camp church begins in a Hogan; therefore, it is easy to multiply churches, which Thomas Dolaghan and David Scates conclude is the best way of evangelizing the Navajo people. The Evangelical Alliance Mission in Japan is using this same principle of multiplying churches.

The indigenous camp church seemingly has great potential, but it will need a well-designated, systematic, continuing Bible training program for its leadership and laity.

The Indian is a mission field. One mission plaintively asks, "Should the 'first ones here' be the 'last ones to hear?'“ Our prayer is that the Lord would raise up 21st C. David Brainerds to reach these precious souls--whether in the cities or on the reservations.

3. RISE OF RESERVATION CASINOS

After the Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that states could not apply their regulatory statutes concerning gambling to reservations, American Indian tribes have vigorously opened casinos. Congress then enacted the National Indian Gaming Commission in 1988, to regulate the casinos. However, the law is riddled with loopholes, leading to endless abuse, and growing addiction.

“The tribes’ secrecy about financial affairs—and the complicity of government oversight guaranteed that abuses in Indian country growing out of the surge in gaming riches go undetected, unreported and unprosecuted.”

Across the nation in 28 states in 2016, there are some 493 Indian casinos operating, the largest number located in Okllahoma, Connecticut the most profitable & California. The tribes have opened newer casinos. The industry is booming with Americans wagering $60 billion per year, over half of which is in reservation casinos. Foxwood, the world’s largest casino, is located in Connecticut on tribal land. It is said that Connecticut is now Nevada East. The American Gaming Association claims that gambling has become a “part of the fabric of American society”. How tragic, because these casinos are located on tribal land which is traditionally among the poorest areas of the nation and among people who can ill afford to gamble. Now internet casino are operating such as Brovada.

Congress thought that gaming would be a way that poor reservations could make money. But, In fact, the big money goes to those who are doing the investing, such as a Malaysian billionaire, South African and Florida investors, and why not, a champion poker player! Indian casinos are making more than double the income of Las Vegas or Atlantic City casinos. [US News and World Report, May 20, 2002, pp 34-36]. Time magazine, December 2002, pp. 44-58 “Wheel of Misfortune” special report. [see ch 11-9]

4. FORGIVENESS FOR BROKEN TREATIES - OCTOBER 2016

A thousand Native Americans, US & Canadian, gathered at the National Mall, for a National Day of Prayer for First Nation Peoples. Assist News reported that Leaders from 'All Tribes D.C'., largely unnoticed and without being asked, "collectively forgave the U.S. government for breaking all treaties with their ancestors during a public ceremony on the National Mall". Nigiel Bigpond, a full blooded Yuchi Indian coordinated the event. Dr. Bigpond works with Morning Star Evangelistic Center in OK, afilliated with Joyner's MorningStar Ministries.

In Scripture, breaking a vow or treaty brings a curse on the land, and the U.S. government broke every treaty it made with the Native American tribes, according to prophetic voice, Rick Joyner, who called the prayer event “one of the most important in the nation's history” from his ministry headquarters in North and South Carolina.

I. SERVICES AND MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR MINISTRY TO NATIVE AMERICANS

1. The International Bible Society, P.O. Box 35700, Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3570 “IBS is

working alongside Native American Christian leaders to develop Scripture resources to

reintroduce Native Americans to the God of the Bible”. They have developed an easy to-

understand text called “New International Reader’s Version Text”.

2. H. Arthur and McPeek, George. The Grieving Indian. Winnipeg, Canada: Indian Life Books,

1988.

3. Ward, Mark Sr, compiler. The Conquering Indian. Winnipeg, Canada: Indian Life Books, 1994.

4. Scates, David. Why Navajo Churches Are Growing. Grand Junction: Navajo Christian

Churches, 1981.

5. Beaver, R. Pierce. The Native American Christian Community. Monrovia: MARC, 1979.

(Historical)

6. Institute of Native American Studies, Venture Center, Pasadena, CA 626.797.1111

7. Indian Life Newspaper, Canada, www.newspaper.indianlife.org

8. NameCook Type College an

9. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, produces, “On Eagles Wings”, Box box 400,harrison, AZ 72602 www.hutchcraft.com

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