I'm one of the many mixed race Catholics you might not realize are around in your parish. We can pass for one of our race categories, and mostly no one questions their first assumption until little signs are dropped. Like talking about "my tribe." Mentioning being excited for an exhibit of Native women artists coming to town.
My Dad is from the Ponca of Oklahoma. We're not just rumors-in-the-family-of-Cherokee-blood natives, but on the rolls, card carrying, Natives. Our tribe is teeny tiny, and hits most of your ideas of Native culture. We invented Fancy Dance with the big feather headdress and regalia you might picture when you think of a powwow. Also we powwow. We did hunt buffalo and live in tepees. Someone has to be the stereotype.
My family is also Catholic. That can get painful. You see, most Catholics haven't heard of the history that can make those two legacies difficult to reconcile. I've met many Native people who are openly antagonistic toward the Catholic Church and practicing Catholic Natives. I've also been around many Catholics who speak of Native people as a historic past, not a living breathing reality. Between the people in the parish who don't understand why you might be hurt by their adoration of Columbus or jokes about Native treaty claims, and the other Natives who think you're brainwashed for being Catholic at all - we end up in a no mans land.
Over the next few weeks I hope to start to share more about these places where these two parts of me end up talking past each other. We are capable to expanding understanding, and learning the historical background that helps prevent harmful ignorance. This will be mostly about sharing Native perspectives. While there are many voices explaining Catholicism, there are very few for the intersection of Catholicism and Native history/experience.
Some topics that have come to mind:
Indian Boarding Schools, including the Catholic run schools
Doctrine of Discovery, Columbus, and Missionary Mandate
Treaties, Reservations, Nationhood
Family, Blood quantum, Adoptions, Native Womanhood
Native traditions and the Catholic faith
What kinds of questions do you have? Where would you like to grow and learn? It's ok to be coming at this from a place of minimal to no background. We all have to start somewhere. I love sharing history and stories, and it helps to have questions!
Wow this is so cool. I honestly don't know any Native people. I'm a history buff so I've done tons of research on the Jesuit missionaries to North America but I know less about the other intersections you talk about. I'm looking forward to following along with your series and learning more. Thanks for bringing this up.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of history about both Catholics and Native peoples that isn't commonly known or taught! But it's around for the finding. Part of this project is for my own benefit; to have the opportunity to track down good resources and update my own understanding.
DeleteHaving most of my Native information being learned from the BSA and my time honoring some of the Native traditions through my BSA experience, I'd love to learn more about the Native/Catholic connections. I'm sure it's not as pretty as we'd like it to be.
ReplyDeleteWhat I currently know about Native cultures, there are some great traditions we can learn from and imitate in our non-Native cultures. One of my favorites is their honor and respect for nature.
Looking forward to learning more!
That's interesting! I have no idea what BSA teaches about native traditions, or that they even did so.
DeleteI am excited that you are going to be talking about this on the blog! Thank you! Since moving to Oklahoma, my eyes have definitely been opened quite a bit more to the reality that many Catholics (including myself) are woefully ignorant about the Native experience. Within the past several months, I read a biography on Nicholas Black Elk, which I found fascinating. I've actually been thinking about it this week, because last year around this time, our archdiocese had an honor dance and celebration in honor of St. Kateri and I couldn't go then, but I was hoping to go this year (due to Covid-19, it's been understandably cancelled). From time to time in our archdiocesan paper, I'll see articles about the local Native American outreach office, and I think it's very cool that the Native/Catholic conversation is happening.
ReplyDeleteI will try to think of some questions to send your way! Just a few days ago, I was on the brink of e-mailing the deacon in charge of the outreach office here because I've been thinking of all this lately, so your timing is perfect ;) Off the top of my head, I would like to hear your perspective on people like St. Katherine Drexel, who are honored by the Church for the work that they did, but (I'm guessing here) may not have entirely understood the importance of certain elements of Native culture. Also, I am definitely interested in hearing your thoughts and experience on the intersection of Native traditions and Catholic culture. Also, is there an approved rite of the Mass that specifically touches on and integrates any of the specific cultures of Native American people?
I did not anticipate some of this getting so timely with new court decisions for Oklahoma! I feel like I'm still personally learning about different cultural intersections. St. Katherine Drexel is an interesting figure, and very important when we talk about the Catholic run Indian boarding schools. Many of these figures are both/and when it comes to their legacies. In some places they succeeded, in others their actions had unintended consequences, and sometimes they failed to remember the humanity of those they served.
DeleteI've never heard of an official rite, but it's worth looking into! Trying to have a pan-Native anything is always difficult. It's a little like having a pan-European something that tries to incorporate traditions from upper Scandinavia to lower Italy. You can kind of do it, but it's debatable if it can be done well.
It is very timely! A friend and I actually met downtown today to go on a walk, and it just so happened that our meeting spot was right next to a land run monument where there were protests today (prior to that, I wasn't aware of the current court decision-I only discovered that once I looked up the protest online after getting home). Thankfully, what I saw was peaceful on both sides, which is nice :) Thanks for sharing some of your initial thoughts on all this!
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