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Monday was Indigenous People's Day.
Only officially recognized last year by presidential proclamation, Indigenous Peoples' day began as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day in 1992 to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus's landing in the Americas in 1492.
I'm betting that like me you're much less familiar with Indigenous People's Day. Like me, you may have learned this rhyme about Columbus in grade school, "In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue." And like me, I'm betting quite a few of you didn't give much thought to celebrating Columbus Day beyond it potentially being a day off. But as we continue to lift the patinaed veil of our national history and do necessary racial work as people of faith, we have to be honest about who Christopher Columbus was and what he did to the Native people he encountered. Namely, we have to recognize that he was a colonizer, slave trader, and genocidal leader who didn't so much discover the "New World" as conquer it.
As just one example, when Columbus landed on what we know as Haiti in 1492 he began by renaming it Hispanola (meaning Little Spain). According to Russell Schimmer of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale University, it is uncertain how many Taíno (native people) were living in Haiti when Columbus arrived. Estimates range from several hundred thousand to over a million people. What we do know is that "soon after Columbus’ return, more Spanish settlers arrived...Over the subsequent ten years, living conditions for the Taíno declined steadily. The Spaniards exploited the island’s gold mines and reduced the Taíno to slavery. Within twenty-five years of Columbus’ arrival in Haiti, most of the Taíno had died from enslavement, massacre, or disease. By 1514, only 32,000 Taíno survived in Hispaniola."
Now, you could argue that Columbus was a man of his day. He was simply doing what was expected of a man in his culture and social station. He didn't know better and wasn't the only person to take such actions. I would argue that nothing makes Columbus's cruelty and inclination toward ending another's life anything less than barbaric and shameful. I would also argue that rather than celebrating Columbus we should join in recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day. For we live, play, raise our families, and worship God on land that was taken from native people.
For obvious reasons I know Texas history better, but I've learned that Monroe sits on land once inhabited by the Taensa, Tunica, and Quapaw peoples. Many of you are likely more familiar with this information than me and I expect you to correct me if I'm wrong. But using the Native Land Digital website this is basic information I found. This website is a non-profit effort out of Canada that works to educate people about whose land they're living on and there are a bunch of other resources on their website I encourage you to check out.
I wish I could tell you exactly what tribe owned the land that our church now sits on so that we could address any of their remaining descendants. I wish we knew the exact history of this little parcel of bayou acreage so that we could make an effort toward recognizing our privilege in owning this land. Perhaps there's a way we'll be able to do these things in the future, I don't know. But until then I hope you will join me in acknowledging that we exist on stolen land. I also hope you'll join me by praying this prayer that was offered this week by the Alliance of Baptists. It was written by John Henson.
Kthhe Mnedo (Great Spirit), we pray to you on this Indigenous Peoples’ Day …
For freedom from unjust systems that exist and continue the oppression of Indigenous people in North America and around the world.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For the healing of old and new wounds among Indigenous people whose family members were taken from their parents and forced into Indian boarding schools to erase their identity, language, and way of being.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
True repentance from the Doctrine of Discovery that white churches and settlers used to justify the oppression, erasure, and genocide of Native Americans and other Indigenous people throughout the world.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For the arc of the moral universe to bend toward justice now in our time to repay that which has been stolen, repair that which has been broken, heal that which has been wounded, and honor that which has been dishonored.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Indigenous people have departed this world as a result of hatred, indifference, poverty, and neglect. May light perpetual shine on them.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For forgiveness of sins done to the beauty of Mother Earth—the land, the air, the waters, and all creatures you have made.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For the following of Gzheshos (Jesus) as our guide for love, life, justice, and the way of walking on this earth.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For new dreams, hope, peace, and prosperity to flourish among tribal nations in North America and with Indigenous people in all lands of earth and their generations to come.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Magwitch, Mamogosnan (Thank you, Father, of us all)
To see the rest of what Josh wrote, please use this link: www.allianceofbaptists.org/prayers-of-the-people-indigenous-peoples-day/
Jillian
-The quote I used can be found here: www.gsp.yale.edu/case-studies/colonial-genocides-project/hispanolia
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