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NAIITS-Volume-5.Pdf Journal of North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies Journal of Volume 5 2007 ■ Redemption, Reconciliation, Restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness ■ The Road of Reconciliation In Sweden: Meeting the Sámi in their own Culture ■ He Must Increase ■ Colonization: Weapons, Gifts, Diseases and Medicine ■ Missional Community ■ Boarding School Healing Project ■ A Native Christian Matriarchal View of Reconciliation: An Exegetical Review of Romans 5: 6-8 ■ Annotated Bibliography: Volume 5 Volume Jesuits and Indigenous Canada: 1540-1778 ISSN 1710 4742 NAIITS The JOURNAL of the NORTH AMERICAN INSTITUTE for INDIGENOUS THEOLOGICAL STUDIES Volume 5 2007 PUBLISHED BY North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies EDITOR Wendy Peterson PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS Asbury Seminary: ESJ School of World Mission Biola University Canadian Mennonite University First Nations Alliance Churches (C&MA) of Canada Indigenous Christian Alliance My People International Providence College and Theological Seminary The Salvation Army Ethics Centre Urbana-InterVarsity / USA InterVarsity Canada Wiconi International William & Catherine Booth College © NAIITS, 2007 NAIITS i Volume 5 NAIITS ii Volume 5 ABOUT NAIITS Vision Statement NAIITS exists to address topics of present concern in Native North American ministry and mission. These topics range from evangelism to discipleship to leadership development as they relate to Native Christian ministry and worship. Through symposiums, publishing and dialogue, the Institute seeks to bring together men and women of varied experience and background in mission and ministry from within the mainstream of evangelical Christian faith, intentionally providing a forum for the development of biblical and theological thought from within Native North American points of view. NAIITS seeks to partner with the emerging coalition of Native ministry, sometimes referred to as the ―Indigenous Christian Alliance,‖ as an excellent way to create dynamic partnerships in Native North American ministry. Head Office NAIITS Suite 428 35-2855 Pembina Hwy Winnipeg MB CANADA R3T 4R6 (204) 261-5676 Fax (204) 261-9164 [email protected] Board of Directors Terry LeBlanc Mi‘kmaq/Acadian(Alberta), Chair Richard Twiss Lakota (Washington State) Wendy Peterson Métis (Manitoba) Cornelius Buller Mennonite (Manitoba) Adrian Jacobs Cayuga (Ontario) Randy Woodley Keetowah Cherokee (Oregon) Casey Church Potawatomi (New Mexico) Ray Aldred Cree (Alberta) Cheryl Bear Barnetson Carrier (British Columbia) Steve Cheramie Risingson Biloxi-Chittamacha (Alabama) Shari Russell Saulteaux (Manitoba) Gavriel Gefen Jewish (Israel) NAIITS iii Volume 5 NAIITS iv Volume 5 GUIDELINES for SUBMISSION An important component of the work of NAIITS includes publication. NAIITS publishes papers and book reviews that reflect an Aboriginal perspective on doing theology within an Aboriginal environment and related subjects. Ideas for papers and/or completed materials may be submitted under the following guidelines: Length should not exceed 3000 words for papers, 5000 for requested feature articles. Book reviews are to be of relevant recent publications and should not exceed 800 words. Format is to be based on Turabian, Seventh Edition (see this journal for template) Submissions must include footnotes and a bibliography. Submissions are required by October 31 of each year. Email submissions to [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS to this ISSUE Charles Amjad-Ali Pakistani; Minnesota David Bird Cree; Regina Robert Francis Cherokee; Michigan Dean Johnson, Ivan Wells Nuu-chah-nulth; and Victoria Wells British Columbia Elizabeth Levesque Washington State Wendy Peterson Métis; Manitoba Andrea Smith Cherokee; Michigan Gerard Willemsen Sweden NAIITS v Volume 5 NAIITS vi Volume 5 TABLE of CONTENTS About this Issue 1 Section I: Articles Charles Amjad-Ali 5 Redemption, Reconciliation, Restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness Gerard F. Willemsen 19 The Road of Reconciliation in Sweden: Meeting the Sámi In Their Own Culture David Bird 29 He Must Increase Robert Francis 45 Colonization: Weapons, Gifts, Diseases and Medicines Dean Johnson, Ivan Wells and Victoria Wells 59 Missional Community Andrea Smith 89 Boarding School Healing Project Section II: Related Paper Elizabeth Levesque 103 A Native Christian Matriarchal View of Reconciliation: An Exegetical Review of Romans 5: 6-8 Section III: Annotated Bibliography Wendy Peterson 115 Jesuits and Indigenous Canada: 1540 - 1778 NAIITS vii Volume 5 NAIITS viii Volume 5 ABOUT THIS ISSUE The 2007 NAIITS Symposium convened in Sioux Falls Seminary, South Dakota, around the theme Redemption, Reconciliation, Restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness.‖ As Canadian and US Governments debate the pros and cons of offering apologies to Native peoples for the years of torment and family disintegration wrought by residential and boarding school policies, the lack of understanding of reconciliation and restoration has become increasingly obvious. Even in the church—where such things should be a given—teachings absorbed with mother‘s milk, as it were—the need for clearer, more biblically sound understandings of reconciliation is abundantly evident. Instead of deeply rooted understandings of repentance, reconciliation and restoration, popular theologies abound which are rooted in one or another version of the ―Great Escape‖– avoidance of responsibility. ―That was then, this is now!‖ is the common refrain. One wonders at such near-sightedness. Paul‘s admonition—we are to be judged by the deeds in the body whether of good or of evil—is all but unheard. More and more frequently this theological side-street has the faithful decrying any suggestion that they accept responsibility for church policies and practices rooted in a history any further back than breakfast. In contrast, the Native world understands ―Redemption, reconciliation and restoration: Journeys Toward Wholeness‖ as a statement of lived reality—in some cases a century or more of it. But we do not stay there. Hope is renewed with regularity and, as in the case of virtually every treaty, we return to extend ourselves in relationship in hopes that this time it will be different. We live in the hope of meaningful relationship for that is what the treaties promise. Life may be lived with constant reminders of transgression in our communities and families, but for those moving toward wholeness, it has also become the learned behaviour of reconciliation, the experience of redemption and the hope for restoration. NAIITS 1 Volume 5 For decades, if not the past century-and-a-half, Native peoples have lacked a common narrative around which emergence into renewed life could be wrapped. Ezekiel 37 appears as though it has become that. It is a narrative about reconciliation and restoration; about God‘s gracious return of a devastated people to a place of wholeness and meaningful life in their own land. The promised Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada (a commission established for survivors of Residential Schools to enable them to tell their stories) is faltering because its terms of reference are predicated on faulty understandings of what Truth is and what reconciliation requires. When the commissioners who are to be the beacon cast no light, how are we to be guided? The same is even more true of the deeper works of reconciliation required with the history and pain of Native peoples in Canada and the United States. Unless we, the called of the Father, lead, who will lead and, where will we go if they do? Our theme in this issue of the NAIITS Journal then, is all the more important especially, but not exclusively, for Native North American peoples and those others who have come here and entered into treaty with us. We dare not buy into the popular notions of reconciliation that are divorced from past behaviour, focused only on some as yet unknown eschatological future. Those lead to self-centered ideas of redemption and relationship and, they lead once again to spiritual abuse or missional arrogance. Biblical reconciliation and restoration – true redemption – promises life to the full. That is the promise of John 10:10. Nmultes, Terry LeBlanc Chair NAIITS 2 Volume 5 SECTION I Articles This section of Volume 5 of the Journal of North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies: NAIITS consists of papers presented at the November 2007 Symposium sponsored by NAIITS. It was hosted by the Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. NAIITS 3 Volume 5 NAIITS 4 Volume 5 REDEMPTION, RECONCILIATION, RESTORATION: Journeys Toward Wholeness Charles Amjad-Ali Preface Let me begin this paper with a quote from Ohiyesa (or Charles Alexander Eastman) so that I can provide the right preface for this paper: The religion of the Indian is the last thing about him that the man of another race will ever understand. First, the Indian does not speak of these deep matters so long as he believes in them, and when he has ceased to believe he speaks inaccurately and slightingly. Second, even if he can be induced to speak, the racial and religious prejudice of the other stands in the way of his sympathetic comprehension.1 As an academic deeply committed to the gospel, to the mission of the church, to the world that God loves, and to justice and righteousness as a part of the Christian way of being in the world, this has been one of the hardest papers I have had to write. First, one has to combine the rigors of academic work with the awesome task of approaching a sacred which is not always articulated but is pervasively and palpably present. An articulation of this kind I felt might be seen as a violation. Second, I was approaching an aspect of the history of colonialism that is not often talked about but is nonetheless still fully intact, where the original owners of the land are seen as outsiders and the invaders as the real representatives of the land. Every year America celebrates ―Independence Day‖ with great gusto and fanfare but one is left asking the questions: Whose independence? Independence from whom? In the huge collection of material I read while preparing for this talk no one brought this issue to the fore, and that bothered me.
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