News Archives

Perspectives on Native American spirituality

9/13/2000

NOTE: This may be used as a sidebar to UMNS story #408.

OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) -- Comments from the Third National Native American Ecumenical Dialogue:

"My grandmother taught me what love is about, what the universe is about. We went everywhere together. We went to church together. It's almost as if I had heard her when I was still in the womb. Even when she told me not to eat green apples and I ate them anyway and got sick, she still loved me. ...

"In our worship we don't have to ask God to be with us. What we have to do is make God feel welcome. ...

"In our long houses, men sometimes talk 15 minutes just about water, the nurturer of life. God's spirit moves among the waters. Fish give up their lives so we can have life. Plants and medicine herbs give up their lives so we can have life."
--Derek Lowry

"In my language there is no word for 'hospital.' The old sign language means 'the building where there is work for peace. ...

"I cannot help anyone who is destroying himself on the path of the bottle."
--Dr. Carol Locust, retired physician, University of Arizona

"I am a Lakota warrior. I am not any sports team's mascot."
--Billy Mills, 1964 Olympic Games 10,000 meter gold medalist

"Our stories often end up in the children's sections of libraries, and that's OK, but the adults are missing out. ...

"When I hear others' wisdom, my own hidden inner wisdom comes to life."
--Georgiana Sanchez

"We have a strong sense of spirituality around us. That is our gift to others. Prideful people make the circle stronger."
--Billy Rogers

"Life is a circle. We dance to pray, pray to heal, heal to live, live to dance."
--Wilbur Gouge

"Learn a few words in my language and you will begin to learn what sacred is."
--Shelley Means

"People need to sit with the apologies, these acknowledgments of history, for a while. ...

"We have co-existed with our offender for a long time, so long they don't know we are here."
--Kim Mammedaty

"I hear a deep and abiding need by good white liberal Christians for reconciliation with Native people. But it is so much more complex than, 'You have to forgive me now, it's the Christian thing.'"
--The Rev. George Tinker

Back : News Archives 2000 Main