Going beyond celebrating indigenous people

This past Sunday, I attended a very moving celebration of Native American culture and spirituality as part of the United Methodist Church's Native American Ministries Sunday services. The goal of these observances is to "recognize the gifts and contributions of Native Americans to American society and the Christian church."

These efforts are a welcome step toward building a loving heart for people that have been the target of genocidal policies in service of greed. Compounding injustices of the past are injustices of the present as many Native Americans still live in abject poverty.

A special collection is also taken to raise money for Native American ministry programs.

The funds collected will allow The United Methodist Church to partner with existing native ministries and create programs on behalf of Native Americans. Money collected also supports seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. 

Fifty percent of the offering remains in the annual conference to develop and strengthen local Native American ministries. Should no such ministries exist within the conference, the offering is remitted in full to the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). The funds are then distributed equally between the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry to provide scholarships for American Indians attending the church's schools of theology and the Native American Urban Initiative of the General Board of Global Ministries.

Most of the Native Americans I have met in my lifetime have had a better sense of oneness with the Creator than I do. It is a reverence that almost seems to be part of their genetic makeup. If the focus of these ministries is to preach to these people, more harm than good will come from it. We need to work harder to give these people a hand up from privation.

Let me illustrate my concern with a look at the Navajo (Diné) Nation, which is served by the UMC's Four Corners Native American Ministry. The Nation's most urgent needs are poverty, energy, water, and access to healthcare. With nearly half of the Diné residing on the reservation living below the poverty line, financial resources are scarce.

A special collection taken once a year by the UMC is not going to be enough to dent the poverty of the Diné or other indigenous people. But there are many things that are imminently feasible which would make a big difference.


One is water. Thanks to the aridity of the region and the contamination of aquifers from uranium mining, fresh water supplies are limited and obscenely expensive.

A 2006 water-pricing analysis by the tribe found that 3,800 liters (1,000 gallons) of hauled water carried a price tag of $US 133, compared to $US 2.73 for the same quantity of water that was delivered directly to homes via water infrastructure in nearby Flagstaff, Arizona. The high price of water is a contributing factor to the reservation’s high poverty rate — more than 40 percent — which is among the highest in the country.

The Diné have to pay 50 times more for their water as people living in nearby cities. Fifty times as much for water. The very idea defies imagination.

Water is not a luxury. Everyone knows that. Everyone. When water is this expensive, it makes personal hydration, cooking, and hygiene very difficult and agriculture, even efficient closed loop systems like aquaponics, virtually impossible. And let's not forget the ultimate injustice. The Little Colorado River runs through the middle of the reservation, but the Diné have no legal right to its water.


The only champion the Diné have in Congress is retiring Arizona Senator John Kyl. 

While all parties are reporting steady progress, the final agreement, which requires Congressional passage, is not assured, largely because of an approaching and crucial political deadline. Earlier this year Kyl, who has helped guide several Indian water-rights settlements through Congress, announced that he will not run for a fourth Senate term in 2012. Thus, Navajo leaders and their attorneys are racing to submit the Little Colorado agreement to Congress by early next year, so that Kyl has sufficient time to make the case to his colleagues before he leaves office in January 2013.

Is it rude of me to ask why more have not come to the aid of the Diné Nation? If the UMC stood with the Diné and lead a grassroots campaign to get a water rights settlement passed, perhaps the mammals wallowing in the tar pit of Congress would do the right thing.


Another area that needs immediate attention is energy. Many on the reservation lack electricity and the few that have must rely on coal, dirty energy at its worst. There are clean alternatives. Eagle Energy is attempting to replicate a successful solar light program used in developing nations for the Diné. Small scale solar and wind power applications have been developed for the U.S. military to reduce reliance on  gasoline-powered generators. With incentives to clean energy companies for partner with the Diné, even larger scale development is possible that would provide energy without having to tethered to the regional grid. Advocacy and seed money are critical to get the ball rolling and the UMC can have an impact.


Finally, the lack of healthcare for the Diné and other indigenous people is a disgrace. While some progress has been made as part of the healthcare reform law, even these modest steps are at risk from the "family values" locusts in Congress itching for a chance to help the rich at the expense of the poor. The UMC and other people of conscience need to stand with the indigenous people to protect and expand existing programs. 


I am no expert on how much the religious rights of this country's indigenous peoples have been trampled over the past 500 years. Ojibwa of Street Prophets has written extensively on the subject (here is a good starting point to learn more). It is safe to say that the religious traditions of these people have largely been ignored. It is also safe to say that anyone who claims to care about the spiritual well-being of others while ignoring their physical needs is a liar. 


Now is the time for people of conscience to stand with the Diné. Roll up your sleeves and work to meet their needs for affordable clean water, clean energy, and healthcare. Please contact your critter in Congress and demand passage of a water settlement that provides access to the Little Colorado River and expand healthcare coverage for Native Americans. Many will hesitate because they want austerity for the poor. Call them out on social media as spiritually dead if they do. Finally, contact the Four Corners Native American Ministry of the United Methodist Church and ask them to serve as advocates for the basic physical needs of the Diné people. Together we can make a difference for a people who have suffered too many injustices for too many years.