Naiits Vol 11 Intro
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NAIITS The JOURNAL of NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community Volume 11 2013 PUBLISHED BY NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community EDITOR Wendy Beauchemin Peterson GENERAL EDITOR Terry LeBlanc PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS Ambrose University College and Theological Seminary Asbury Seminary: ESJ School of World Mission George Fox University and Theological Seminary Indigenous Pathways My People International Providence University College Providence Theological Seminary Urbana-InterVarsity / USA iEmergence InterVarsity Canada Tyndale University College and Seminary Wheaton College Wiconi International William Carey International University © NAIITS, 2013 NAIITS ii Volume 11 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 and community development as they relate to Indigenous Christian ministry and worship. Through symposiums, publishing and dialogue, NAIITS seeks to bring together men and women of varied experience and background in mission, ministry and community service from within the mainstream of evangelical Christian faith, intentionally providing a forum for the development of biblical and theological thought from within Indigenous North American points of view. Head Office NAIITS P.O. Box 181 Carlisle, ON L0R 1H0 CANADA [email protected] www.naiits.com Board of Directors Terry LeBlanc Mi’kmaq/Acadian, Director/CEO; Alberta Ray Aldred Cree, Chair; Alberta Shari Russell Saulteaux, Treasurer; Ontario Randy Woodley Keetoowah Cherokee; Oregon Cheryl Bear-Barnetson Carrier Sekanie, British Columbia Adrian Jacobs Cayuga; Manitoba Wendy Beauchemin Peterson Métis, Secretary/Editor; Manitoba Andrea Smith Cherokee; California NAIITS iii Volume 11 NAIITS iv Volume 11 GUIDELINES for SUBMISSION An important component of the work of NAIITS is publication. NAIITS publishes papers and book reviews that reflect an Indigenous perspective on doing theology and community work within an Indigenous environment and related academic 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, latest 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: in order of articles presented Michael Rynkiewich Euro-American; Retired Faculty, Asbury Theological Seminary Catherine Aldred Cree/Métis; Briercrest University College, Saskatchewan Ruth Heeg Translation Co-ordinator, Canadian Bible Society Uday Balasundaram Indian; PhD Student at Asbury Theological Seminary Randy Woodley Keetoowah Cheroke; George Fox University, Oregon Wendy Beauchemin Peterson Métis; NAIITS Editor, Providence University College, Manitoba Ray Minnicon Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Australia Adrian Jacobs Cayaga Nation; Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Center, Manitoba NAIITS v Volume 11 NAIITS vi Volume 11 JOURNAL of NAIITS Memorial Issue In Honour of Founding Board Member NAIITS Chair Friend RICHARD LEO TWISS 1954 - 2013 Photo courtesy of Casey Church NAIITS vii Volume 11 NAIITS viii Volume 11 Richard Leo Twiss Memorial Issue Our colleague, Richard Twiss, during our NAIITS Board retreat in January 2013, anticipated the papers and panel presentations of the 10th annual NAIITS Symposium captured in the pages of this volume. His focus on new ways to encourage non- Indigenous people to understand the good news, and to communicate it as such to Indigenous people, created a hopeful expectation about the theme for the 2013 Symposium, “Shaping Faith: How Language Informs the Journey.” Unfortunately Richard neither heard the presentations nor was he able to engage with their presenters since his passing to the other side of the journey took place before the symposium began. And so we dedicate this issue of the Journal to him, knowing that though he did not see the days of the symposium, many questions he had about the topic have been answered better for him than for us, since he now sees all things as if “face to face,” while we still see “in a glass dimly.” On occasion, we would receive a criticism or two following our symposiums about our theme or one of the presentations or presenters. Some folks, despite evidence to the contrary, felt that new ideas about Indigenous theology and mission to Indigenous people were unnecessary – we just needed to redouble our efforts at evangelism as it had always been done. Richard often took the brunt of such concerns within the USA. Of course, it may not have always helped that he did some of his best (and, I say with a smile, worst) theological reflection spontaneously as he delivered a “new” talk! This led to people buttonholing his theology – particularly in recent years. There were those in the evangelical and conservative church, for example, who vigorously opposed his messaging of the good news of Jesus within Indigenous culture, believing he promoted culture over Jesus. Not a few of these folk swallowed the camel of Western cultural and economic obscenities, resident in church and wider society alike, even as they strained at the gnat of ‘Indianness.’ Then there were those who accepted Richard’s message of the Creator’s embrace of Indigenous culture and context, yet set aside the Creator’s son Jesus; the bitterness of NAIITS ix Volume 11 colonial mission made it impossible for them to see Jesus as simultaneously unique and universal. Some years ago, following a Many Nations One Voice conference in Calgary; Richard, Katherine, their boys and others from across North America visited my wife and me on the land where we live. There we held camp and celebrated life together. Our spontaneous encampment consisted of tipis, wi’kuoms, wi’kiups, tents, and campers – all temporary dwellings that would be folded up, packed away, and taken home as people left transient lodging on their way to the more familiar place of their permanent residence. The Apostle Paul placed the reality of moving from life to life in perspective for me when he noted, … We know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not hand- made—and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! Last year, Richard packed up the tent of his earthly dwelling and moved home to the place we will all journey in the days ahead as we too move from life, to life. On that side, symposia are filled with the words of the Teacher and questions are fully answered – while here we must suffer the incomplete reflections of, as yet, imperfect beings with incomplete understandings. Journey well my friend. Nmultes! Terry LeBlanc, Mi’kmaq/Acadian Founding Chair and Director, NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community NAIITS x Volume 11 TABLE of CONTENTS In Memorium vii Terry LeBlanc Tribute to Richard Twiss ix About This Issue 1 Section I: Symposium Papers 3 Michael A. Rynkiewich 5 Orality and Mission Catherine Aldred 29 Rhetoric, Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning: Innovations in First Nations Bible Translation Ruth Heeg 59 God as Revealed in Scripture: The Translation of Abstract Nouns into Algonquian Languages Uday Balasundaram 73 Creativity and Captivity: Developing a Framework for Exploring the Language of Musical Creativity amongst Indigenous Cosmopolitans [ICMs] Section II: Tributes to Richard Twiss 115 Randy Woodley 117 Wendy Beauchemin Peterson 121 Ray Minniecon 125 Adrian Jacobs 131 NAIITS xi Volume 11 NAIITS xii Volume 11 ABOUT THIS ISSUE Shaping Faith: How Language Informs the Journey Several years ago I spoke at a conference on mission with the requested focus on the necessity for contextualizing both the gospel and its means of communication. One attendee expressed his difficulty picturing what I meant – what contextualization looks like and whether it is really necessary. God’s word is, after all, God’s word, promising not to return void. So, to illustrate my point, I addressed the attendees briefly in the halting Mi’kmaq that I speak – and then asked for a response. The blank stares told the story and made the point. The language we use shapes faith as we encounter it – and faith as we express it. Yet, when raising the issue of “language,” I am not simply referencing a formal dialect of the human community. I am also referring to ideas we preference, emphases we create, and priorities we describe through actions initiated by those words. Francis of Assisi’s is often incorrectly quoted with saying, “preach the gospel at all times—and if necessary, use words.” The sentiment is nonetheless valid. There is more to language than words and more to words than one-to-one correspondent meaning. Words, coupled with actions, do create worlds. In this volume, you will find a variety of approaches used to unpack some of what this has meant to the Indigenous world in North America. For centuries, faith in Jesus, communicated in very circumscribed ways, has demanded a very particular response. When that response was not forthcoming, the existence of faith was cast in doubt – at times even by the individual believer. Michael Rynkiewich challenges us to consider we have never left the world of orality – that we have simply added textuality to orality as the primary default for human communication. What does this mean to traditionally oral cultures such as those of First Nations peoples? For that matter, what impact would the blending of oral cultures with a primarily literate culture (which is now exhibiting evidence of a move back toward orality) have on contextualization of the gospel? Michael’s thoughts are helpful as we consider the impact on faith formation.