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Blood on Our Hands?

Why are the American Indian tribes not won to Christ? Many are further away now then when we first came to America. Why have we failed so?

Native American History 1

The year 1492 marks the beginning of suffering for the many native tribes in North America. Thinking he had landed in the East Indies, Christopher Columbus dubbed these newly discovered redskins “Indians”. Other Europeans quickly followed Columbus’ footsteps to the New World. By the 16th century many began to settle here and as a result began to conflict with the Natives. Fleeced by marauding, covetous Europeans, millions lost their lives. Brutal massacres, slavery, epidemic diseases, and a high rate of intermarriage as well as internal warfare drastically reduced the indigenous population. Up until the 1880’s, the Mexican government was offering bounties for Native scalps.

After many years of conflict with the Natives and a bloody war for independence with England in 1776 the white man was now governing the New World, The United States. The Indians were forced onto reserves, first to Oklahoma, and later to other states including New Mexico and Arizona. Because of their strong tribal culture, assimilation to the white man’s culture and lifestyle was difficult for the Indians. Major wars broke out as the natives lost most of the land they once roamed freely. They were now becoming confined to small reserves while the white man senselessly destroyed their vast hunting grounds and natural resources. The last of these major conflicts occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1890 when Major Samuel M. Whitside surrounded the group of 350 Sioux Indians. Reportedly, the place erupted in gunfire when a Sioux mistakenly fired a musket. 300 Indians were massacred as the soldiers sought revenge for the defeat of General Custer fourteen years earlier at The Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Today the United States recognizes 562 different groups of Native Americans. These groups are identified as tribes, bands, nations, pueblos, rancherias, communities, and villages. Almost half of these groups live in the State of Alaska. Much ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity can be found among the different tribes of approximately 4.1 million people. 2 Although a minority group, the Indians of today are treated vastly different than those in other minority groups in America. Tribal members are citizens of the United States, the state in which they reside, and their tribe, which is also a sovereign government. Tribes, like states, cannot make war, engage in foreign relations, nor coin or print money.

Religions of the Indians 3

Although deeply rooted in spirituality, tribes did not necessarily practice the same religion. The spiritual beliefs of a tribe were influenced greatly by their surroundings. Their level of religious theology depended on how much time they had to develop such doctrines.

The non-agricultural Apache lifestyle did not leave must time for religious ritual. All time and energy was spent on survival. Healing rites, performed by Medicine men, were the most common rituals performed by the Apaches. It gave them a connection with the supernatural powers that they believed they needed in order to survive.

The Dakota tribe depended heavily on the buffalo for sustenance. Thus the buffalo became a sacred creature which they worshipped. They developed a bit more sophisticated religious theology. The forces of nature, they believed, were spirits which were in control of a Great Spirit to control the live of people. These “spirits” became important objects of worship and praise.

The relative ease in which the Iroquois Nation was able to provide for its people allowed them to develop the most sophisticated religious system of all. Their strong belief in an all-powerful creator, Great Spirit, makes their religion in many aspects similar to the Christianity that the White Man brought from Europe. Although the Iroquois simply acknowledged the omniscience of their Great Spirit and did not describe him in any detail, they developed detailed descriptions of the lower spirits that interacted with the material world. The spirit of the weather, for example, had the form of man and wore the costume of a warrior. Also the Great Spirit had a brother who was inherently evil. Thus they developed convictions of right and wrong. Another important aspect of their religion was the immortal soul. Unlike the Apaches, they believed that the Great Spirit will judge them when they die.

The religions of the Indians have become influenced by the White Man’s religion. Many Natives were forced to convert to Christianity or Catholicism. Many tribes are still steeped in deep spirituality, but without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. How incredibly sad to read the history of Native Americans, knowing that so many sincere people died without Christ at the hands of “Christian” Europeans. Had they been rejected, despised, taken advantage of, tortured, and murdered for the sake of Christ, then we could rejoice with them like we do with other martyrs whom God deemed worthy that they suffer for Him. But alas, all in vain! Oh! May our hearts be saddened by the eternal atrocities committed by our recent ancestors! Will we still let them die without sharing the Gospel with them? Let us learn from some missionaries who went against many odds to bring the Gospel to them.

David Brainerd

One of the earliest missionaries to the Indians was David Brainerd (1718-1747). He spent about one year preaching to the Indians at the Forks of the Delaware. Then in 1745 he made his first preaching tour to the Indians at Crossweeksung, New Jersey. This was the place where God moved in amazing power and brought awakening and blessing to the Indians. Within a year there were 130 souls in his growing assembly of believers. Once, when a rattlesnake refused to bite him, many listened to his message and were saved!

David Brainerd faced a number of challenges. While church leaders argued whether these “savages” even possess souls, he preached all along the eastern coast, traveling thousands of miles on horseback in all manner of weather. David wanted to marry Jerusha Edwards, the daughter of Jonathan Edwards, but was unable to because of his illness. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 29 years, after 4 years of missionary sacrifice for the Indians. Jerusha contracted tuberculosis and died four months later.

Jonathan Edwards, his prospective father-in-law, was so inspired by his missionary work that he compiled David’s diaries into a book, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd.

To read a profile on David Brainerd, a missionary to the Native Americans, click the link below.
http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps079.shtml

Moravian Missions

The Moravian missionaries came to America around 1735. They differed from most of the other settlers, in that they came with the intent to preach the Gospel. They invested much time and money, living among the Indians and moving with them as they were driven further west. Often, the Moravians were the first white settlers in the places the Indians located. The Moravians sent missionaries to numerous tribes, but there greatest work was among the Delaware tribe. This lasted for over 150 years, till early 1900s.

The Moravians had a wide influence among the Indians. At one time they baptized several hundred converts. They set up schools, built churches, and modeled a lifestyle of love and forgiveness, which was foreign to most Indians. Many white men took advantage of the Indians, especially of the Christian Indians. In 1782 white militiamen destroyed the defenseless convert’s village and massacred 90 Moravian Indians in Gnadenhutten, Ohio.

Sharing Christ’s Love with Indians Today

Missionaries today find it very difficult and nigh impossible to break through the anger, bitterness, drunkenness, and a sense of worthlessness that dominates the lives of many Native Americans Indians. Living on reserves and government handouts only seems to further the complications of the destroyed dignity in these fellow human beings.

Is there not a reason why missionaries have little lasting success in bringing Indians to new life in Christ? Reading of the Indians as a schoolboy, there is one thing I clearly remember. “An Indian never forgets when he has been wronged, nor does he forget the wrong doer.” Revenge has been a way of life for the Indian.

Thoughts to ponder:

• Has reconciliation been made for the sins of our American forefathers committed against the Indians?
• Are they still offended? If so, how can reconciliation be made?
• How can they be won if these giants of offense still stand?
• How can the blood of the Indians be washed from the hands of Americans?
• Who will identify and bind the “strong man”, and spoil his strongholds over these dear souls (Matt. 12:29)?
• Does dishing out monthly welfare checks compensate for the guilt that lays upon the American government and its citizens, for all the atrocities committed against them? It does not!

Oh God, we and our American forefathers have sinned, in that we have greatly mistreated the Native Americans. We have sinned against them by driving them off their land, and have not cared for their souls, as you command us to do. Oh God! Hear our cry and forgive us that we may find mercy and forgiveness, for all the atrocities committed against them. Oh, Lord, send forth laborers into this harvest field, to call them out of darkness into Your marvelous light. That their eyes may be opened, and their hearts be turned from idols to the living God. Amen.

And I heard a voice saying; “Whom shall I send”? Then said I, “Lord send me”! (Isaiah 6:8)

1. http://www.leg.state.or.us/cis/faq.pdf
2. http://www.ncai.org/ncai/resource/documents/faq.pdf
3. http://are.as.wvu.edu/ruvolo.htm

Answers

Do Native Americans still live in houses like these today?

Most Native Americans do not live in Indian houses like the ones in this game, any more than other Americans live in log cabins. The Native American housing style that we used in this game that is still in regular use as a home is adobe houses. Some Pueblo families, like the Hopis, are still living in the same adobe house their ancestors used to live in. Also, there are a few elders on the Navajo reservation who still prefer to live in hogans. But otherwise, traditional Native American houses are usually only built for ritual or ceremonial purposes. Most Native Americans today live in modern houses, apartments, or trailers, just like North Americans from other ethnic groups.

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