My Native American Teachers
Recently, I came across two news pieces about Native Americans:
the first, about Native women standing-up for clean water laws; the second, about
Native communities protesting open-pit uranium mining. This kind of information
always grabs my attention because Native American people have dramatically
affected my life and spirituality.
My opportunities to live and work with Native Americans were among
the most significant experiences of my life. On the Oneida Reservation in
Wisconsin, where I worked for more than ten years, Melissa, tribal elder,
taught me about the importance of taking personal responsibility for the shape
of one’s life. In Chicago, where I
worked for six years with the urban Native American community, Peggy, community
elder, taught me about the necessity of stepping-up and reaching-out to those
in need in one’s family and community.
Both of these women taught more through their actions than with their
words.
For Melissa and Peggy, faith was central in their lives. Melissa
was a staunch Methodist; Peggy was a faithful Catholic who integrated her
Arikara traditions in her spirituality. Although I am reluctant to generalize,
I nevertheless must say that, in my experience, I never met a Native person who
was an unbeliever – a denier or doubter of the Great Mystery. One of the many
benefits of being a guest in these Native American communities was being
immersed in a pervasive awareness of the presence of the Creator, both in good
times and bad.
What important truths can we learn from the spiritual traditions
of others? How might different spiritual paths together lead to the realization
of God’s dream for Earth, our common home?
Toni Harris, OP
Madison, WI
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