Intotemak Spring 2007 �

Spring 2007 Vol. 36, No. 1

Inside

House Pole comes home...5

Native Culture crash course...6

Return to Earth...8 & 9

Photo by R

obyn Hall

� Intotemak Spring 2007

Eagles Nest

—Neill and Edith von Gunten, Co-Directors,

Native Ministry

Excite-ment is building for

the arrival of spring. We

are tired of the -20, -30 and even -40 (plus wind

chill!) degree Celsius weather of February

2007 in many parts of Canada and we yearn for those warmer

days that melt the snow and rejuvenate the earth.

This period of Lent in our church year reminds us to take time to reflect on what the life and death of Christ means for us and the difference it should make in our life. The climax of this reflection, of course, comes on Easter day, when we celebrate the gift of God’s immense forgiveness by re-telling the powerful resurrection story and its image of “new life.”

We will always remember Lent and Easter back in the mid-1960s when we were two rural kids that had moved to southside Chicago for a two-year Men-nonite Voluntary Service assignment in the inner city! We’ve never been the same since then – and that is positive! The Woodlawn Mennonite Church congregation divided into small groups, and we met in homes each Wednes-day night during Lent. We shared a simple meal of soup, bread and fruit together before discussing what impact the Scriptures make on our lives as we live and worship in this black ghetto area. The sharing that happened those evenings was brutally honest and came right from the heart.

On Maundy Thursday we all met to-gether around tables in the upstairs room of the church and it felt as if Christ were serving the Lord’s Supper right in our midst. Easter Sunday was a real highlight -- a day of beauty, excitement and celebra-tion in the midst of the struggles and

harsh reality of ghetto life that most of the parishioners faced each day.

Another profound experience came in Manigotagan, Manitoba several years later. One of our Sunday School chil-dren found a bare branch lying on the ground just before Lent and we “planted” it (without ground) into a pail of rocks. Each week we hung a Scripture verse on the tree to remind us of our Lenten theme. On Easter morning we were startled to see that the branch was “alive” – buds had appeared overnight on that bare branch! No one was more sur-prised than the Sunday School children! The promise of new life was a reality for all of us that day!

This brings us to some questions about our own life. Do we need to experience the severe cold and harshness of winter before we can truly appreciate the signs of spring? Do we need to suffer pain or get out of our comfort zone be-fore we can fully appreciate the glorious resurrection of Christ? May you have a blessed Lent and Easter season that touches your heart, soul and mind in new ways!

We were honoured in fall 2006 when the American Theological Library As-sociation, based in Chicago, requested permission to microfilm Totemak and its succeeding title, Intotemak, on microfilm as part of a grant to preserve religious serials of the indigenous peoples of

New Life Is Comingthe Americas. We forwarded them a complete set of the magazine from 1972 – 2006 for their project. Copies of the finished microfilm will become available, at cost, to libraries and researchers as requested.

We want to take this opportunity to thank Miles Reimer for his years of administrative work with Mennonite In-dian Leaders Council and, more recently, Native Mennonite Ministries. The March NMM council meetings will be his last as the group’s part-time coordi-nator, and he plans to devote more time to pastoral ministry. Miles is married to Kathy Landis and they make their home in Newton, Kansas.

Miles hails from Winnipeg originally and the Manitoba churches that relate to Native Ministry have developed a deep respect for Miles as a result of our contacts over the years. Miles and Kathy, we ask the Lord’s continued blessing and guidance upon your lives as you con-tinue serving those around you.

Native Mennonite Ministries is cur-rently seeking another person or couple to assume this part-time administrative role.

That is all we have for now.

Migwetch.

This period of Lent in our church year reminds us to take time to reflect on what the life and death of Christ means for us and the difference it should

make in our life.

Intotemak Spring 2007 �

Intotemak staff Editors – Edith & Neill von Guntennativeministry@mennonitechurch.ca

Editorial Assistant – Ingrid Millerimiller@mennonitechurch.ca

Art Director/Designer – Tammy Sawatzky

Printed by Christian Press

Intotemak translates as my friends or my clan and are people who walk together as friends. Intotemak is a quarterly newsletter featuring news items of interest to friends of Native Ministry, published by Mennonite Church Canada Witness.

Purpose statement of Mennonite Church Canada Witness...is to lead, mobilize and resource the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world, thus aligning the being and the doing of the church with God’s work.

Please send all communications to:IntotemakMennonite Church Canadac/o Native Ministry600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4 204.888.6781 Toll Free 1.866.888.6785Fax 204.831.5675 www.mennonitechurch.ca

Cost of Publication$15.00 a year for four issues.Payments over $15.00 per publication will be receipted.Please send payment by cheque, VISA or MasterCard. Cheques are payable to Mennonite Church Canada/Intotemak.

Publication # 40010288March Spring 2007Vol. 36, No. 1

God calls us to be followers of

Jesus Christ and, by the power of

the Holy Spirit, to growas communities

of grace, joy and peace,so that God’s healing and

hope flow through usto the world.

New masthead for Intotemak redesignNative Ministries newsletter © Tamara Sawatzky Designs 2005.

VISIONHEALING& HOPE

The Aboriginal Neighbours Program in Ontario is pleased to welcome Adrian Jacobs as

Mennonite Central Committee Ontario’s Community Liaison person. Adrian’s work will include building and facilitat-ing relationships between the commu-nity of Six Nations and MCCO-affiliated churches that sit along the Grand River. In addition, Adrian will walk as “peace-maker” among the people of Caledonia.

Adrian’s half-time commitment with MCCO will be based out of Six Nations, creating a natural meeting space for folk working at issues of conflict resolution. Adrian will maintain his commitments as both pastor and speaker and facilita-tor with My People International.

—Lyndsay Mollins Koene, Aboriginal Neighbours Coordinator

Mennonite Central Committee ON

A note from AdrianAdrian writes: I was born and raised

on the Six Nations Reserve near Brant-ford, ON where I now reside with my four teenagers (my youngest son, age 10, currently lives with his mother in South Dakota). I was raised in the Handsome Lake Longhouse religion of my Iro-quoian ancestors though my mother was of the Anglican faith. I studied Architec-ture at the University of Waterloo, ON and through my studies there my con-science was heightened to the injustices done to Native people in general and the Six Nations people in particular.

I searched through various Native religions for ultimate answers. My older brother Gary experienced a profound change for the better in his life through his encounter with Jesus Christ. Though I argued that Christianity was the white man’s way I came to a place of accep-tance of Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Peacemaker and my own connection to our Creator. Since the beginning of my encounter with Jesus Christ, I have sought to share the significance and per-sonal meaning of my relationship with

the Creator through Jesus Christ with Native and non-Native people in general.

My history of advocacy for Native people, seeking justice and compas-sion, bring me naturally to my pres-ent work with MCC-Ontario. I have been involved in standing with and advocating for my Six Nations people throughout my life and specifically in the current land reclamation dispute outside of Caledonia. I am hopeful to be an effective liaison between the Six Nations people and people up and down the Grand River territory, and especially Mennonite churches. I am excited what the Creator and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has in mind to demonstrate His nature in the midst of a conflict that re-veals some of the worst of human nature without the Creator.

May we be able to say concerning what resolutions emerge that they are “courageous enough to do what is right AND compassionate enough to be what is fair.” I welcome you to enter into dialogue and new relationships with the people of Six Nations. Please be in touch.

—Adrian Jacobs, Turtle Clan, Cayuga Nation, Brantford, Ontario

MCC Ontario appoints Community LiasonWill walk as “peace-maker” among the people of Caledonia

Adrian, pictured above, came to a place of ac-ceptance of Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Peace-maker and his own connection to our Creator.

Photo courtesy of A

drian Jacobs.

� Intotemak Spring 2007

Tribal Trails, a weekly half-hour program, is celebrating 25 years of

broadcasting.In 1982 Tribal trails began broadcast-

ing on two commercial stations, and has since expanded to numerous local, cable, and satellite stations across Canada and the US.

The program name suggests Ab-original content, and viewers know that Tribal Trails lives up to that each week with First Nations people sharing their life stories.

Program host Conrad Flett, origi-nally from the Oji-Cree community of Garden Hill, northern Manitoba, moved to Prince Albert in 1998 to work with Tribal Trails.

He says each of the program guests shares something else in common – a personal relationship with the Creator through His Son Jesus Christ. They tell of the huge difference the Lord has made in their lives. Grief, addictions, pur-poselessness, bitterness, guilt … freedom

from these things and new found hope for living is simply and honestly ex-pressed from their hearts.

From the guitar-strumming music to the simple sets, to the overall down-home feel of the half-hour program, Tribal Trails has a unique Aboriginal flavour. It attracts callers every day responding to the on-screen Spiri-tual Help offer. We know that the program is appreciated by non-Na-tive people, too, says Conrad.

Tribal Trails is sponsored and produced by Northern Canada Evangelical Mission (NCEM), an interdenominational organization headquartered in Prince Albert, Sask.

What a lot of people appreci-ate about Tribal Trails is that there is very little mention of funds on the air. And that makes a 25th an-niversary even more remarkable, because total airing time alone now costs almost $25,000 a month, all paid for through the gifts of supportive friends and churches – there are no corporate sponsors. Conrad and the six other workers at Tribal Trails are full-time volun-

teers, supporting their families on what comes into the ministry designated to their salary.

The program can also be viewed online at www.tribaltrails.org.

—January 4, 2007 press release

First Nations TV Broadcast Turns 25

Program host Conrad Flett, below. Photo courtesy N

CEm

Publications.

A new edition of the Moravian Bible -- a landmark work in Inuktitut -- will soon be available, more than 200 years after it was first produced.

German missionaries began spreading the Moravian faith in Labrador in the 1750s. The first translations of parts of the Bible followed years later, although the process was done gradually. In fact, there are no less than 10 separate volumes, which has caused confusion for congregations since.

“They kept losing the books that they were trying to use, every time they did a service or a Bible study,” said Sabina Hunter, a lay minister in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

“So, they wanted to have the Bible in one book, so the Old and New Testament can be in one book.”

There were also errors in translations. For almost two years, members of the Moravian congregation have been collaborat-ing with the Canadian Bible Society to complete an all-new translation for Inuit readers.

Hart Wiens, director of scripture translation with the Cana-dian Bible Society, said there has been a desire for years to pro-duce at least a new electronic version of the Moravian Bible.

“[The objective] would be to reprint this text under one

cover as the heritage Bible, in honour of the elders, the people that have been used to this text for all these years,” Wiens said.

The Moravian Bible was the first book produced in Inukti-tut in Labrador. Moravian missionaries maintained a presence in Labrador until 2005, and the congregation has been manag-ing its own affairs since.

For Sofie Tuglavina, Andrea Webb and the three other translators working on the project, reading specific verses and passages has stirred many memories of home and church life.

“Some of these stories are pretty personal,” said Tuglavina. “It’s very moving to get back to that, back so long ago.”

The Canadian Bible Society hopes to have the new edition of the Moravian Bible available for use by next spring.

Hunter said the importance of the project cannot be under-stated. “I believe the Bible will be able to allow people to say that we can preserve this language in this capacity,” she said.

Hunter added that once the heritage edition is published, work will begin on translating it into modern Inuktitut, to ac-count for changes in the language.

—Reprinted with permission from the Canadian Bible Society website, November 20, 2006.

New Edition in Works for Inuktitut-based Bible

Intotemak Spring 2007 �

Program host Conrad Flett, below.

Hay čxw qe, (pronounced “hai-chka”) the Musqueam word commonly used for “thank you”

actually has a more complex meaning, one that connotes an ending, a comple-tion. So it was fitting that this word was used repeatedly at a ceremony celebrat-ing the return of a house pole that had spent decades traveling across the coun-try and was finally coming back home.

“We are thankful to MCC in To-ronto and for those here in Abbotsford for helping this pole come back to my Auntie’s family,” said the great grandson of Musqueam carver Sylvester Campbell, who carved the pole, as he welcomed MCC staff to the ceremony and prepared to sing a song for the occasion. “Hay čxw qe,” he said.

Beatrice, the auntie and Sylvester’s daughter, was deeply moved by the return of the pole.

“I was so thrilled when I heard about it and wanted to do anything to get it back,” she said. “I used to have so many of my father’s carvings but now I have almost none.”

The house pole, which stands about four feet high, was carved in 1965 by Sylvester Campbell. It was purchased by Jackie Barber, a student in British Columbia, who eventually moved to Toronto, taking the pole with her. Now 40 years later, she decided to donate it to Global Closet – the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift Shop in Toronto. Global Closet staff spent some time researching the piece, using markings on the back of it to trace it back to the Musqueam nation in BC. MCC Thrift Shops support the interna-tional relief and development work of MCC, raising millions of dollars each year for this work. Staff and volunteers often research antiques, collectibles and artwork to determine the best price for such items. But when they found the Campbell family, they quickly realized that selling was not an option.

“We felt strongly that the pole should be returned to the artist’s daughter,” said Arli Klassen, Executive Director for

MCC in Ontario. “This is very much in line with the stance MCC has been taking for several years, that many Ab-original items in museums and galleries belong to the people who made them, and should be returned to their original owners and communities.”

About a third of the Campbell ex-tended family attended a brief, informal ceremony to witness the return of the house pole. They celebrated with words, song, food and gifts. Darryl Klassen, Aboriginal Neighbours program coordi-nator for MCC in BC was covered with a beautiful woven blanket, a traditional gift given by members of the Musqueam people. In response, Klassen offered words of greeting and thanks, sharing briefly about the Mennonite people and the deep commitment to family that Mennonites and Musqueam people share.

“It is an honour for us to be able to be a part of this celebration and see this house pole returned to the Campbell family,” he said, adding that the sharing of blankets is also something that MCC is a part of, sending blankets to those in need around the world.

Beatrice spoke of her father’s love for his family, his people and his craft; something she shared with him.

“I used to do everything with dad,” she said. “We’d chop wood together for using in the house and also for art work.

Dad loved carving, he carved all the time.”

The house pole, which would have supported the beams of a home, is carved in the style characteristic to the Musqueam people – in fact it is almost identical to a larger pole that stands out-side the Musqueam Band office. Sylves-ter’s pole depicts a Musqueam warrior reaching up to a bear emerging from its home. Beatrice’s nephew explained the story.

“The great warrior holds a rattle in one hand, to attract the bear out of his home, and a knife in the other. When the bear comes out of its home and opens his mouth to attack the war-rior, the warrior puts his knife inside its mouth,” he said, explaining that by closing its mouth over the knife, the bear takes its own life.

After the formal celebration, family and children from the band’s daycare gathered around the pole to get a closer look and have their picture taken with it and it was agreed that the pole would stay in the band office so that those extended family members who could not be there that day would have a chance to see it. For Beatrice, it was a wonderful day, to have this significant piece of her father’s art returned home. “Hay čxw qe,” she said. “Hay čxw qe.”

—Mennonite Central Committee BC News Release, November 20, 2006

Musqueam House Pole Comes HomeCarver’s daughter thrilled to have found House Pole

Photo courtesy S

ue Eagle.

� Intotemak Spring 2007

It has been some time since we were together but I thought I would send you another summary that one of our site leaders, Justin Krushel, wrote in response to the week that you had helped to ar-range. That week was informative and formative for the group and we are very thankful for the work that you have done. I suspect that we will reflect on that week repeatedly when we are in Guatemala and are wanting to understand the multifac-eted situation that exists with indigenous people there as well. We look forward to working with you again in the future.

—Love in Christ, Paul Kroeker, Direc-tor, Canadian Mennonite University’s Outtatown Discipleship School.

I could not help but ask myself “What are we getting ourselves into?” as Outtatown’s new Native Ministry

week experience rapidly descended upon our site. Honestly all I could think about was how were we ever going to engage with these First Nations communities in a way that would be utterly respect-ful as a group of chaotic, LOUD young people, maintaining a humble mindful-ness of the grave errors Christianity has dealt to so many First Nations people. Without calm to my internal storm, the week’s events commenced in the former St. Mary’s Residential school, a haunt-ing reminder slapping each one of us straight in the face with the sins of our

Christian past. Brander Standing Bear, an inspi-

rational and gifted speaker, was the first face representing the First Nations people we were soon to meet that week. Brander stood up in front of us, a tall slim man, with long dark hair and deep facial features, welcoming us enthu-siastically and traditionally with song and drum. His mission that day was to forcefully break any stereotypes that may have been lurking deep in our hearts. His words were his weapons, fight-ing against our stereotypes, adamantly speaking a clear truth about First Na-tions culture, spirituality and people.

As a First Nations man, Brander

Learning Native Culture in a 1-Week Crash Course The following is a report of a college leader about the training his group received in British Columbia from a Cree leader, Brander McDonald. I hope you enjoy the report and appreciate the kind of work Brander is doing in building bridges between cultures. Thanks for listening. —Ray Levesque, My Daily Frybread website coordinator.

Outtatown Discipleship School participants enjoy their time in British Columbia.

Photo courtesy C

MU

.

Intotemak Spring 2007 �

is also a practicing Christian and an ordained pastor, searching for and at-tempting to bring harmony between Christianity and First Nations People. He spoke boldly about how Christians have historically pronounced all Na-tive Spirituality, tradition and culture as wrong and adverse to the ways of God. At one point he lifted his hand drum, thrusting it towards us, asked “why are you so afraid of this?” His message was strong and simple -- respect, repentance, and the essential need for us as Chris-tians to become learners of the ways we have so narrowly pronounced as evil.

As Brander toured us through the former Residential School, he discussed the governmental legislation that literally forced (physically if necessary) all First Nations children, from ages four and up to attend Residential schools.

The premise behind Residential schools was to erase all First Nation cul-ture, language, tradition and way of life. This was enacted by forcing the children to remain in the Residential schools until age 12 to 13, indoctrinating them to de-spise their cultural origins and punish-ing them, often through beatings if ever caught speaking in their native tongue and or practicing cultural traditions. We were all astonished to learn that the resi-dential school we were touring was still practicing such brutality up until 1984, when it became the last of the residential schools to be shut down.

There was not a whole lot to see at the now empty residential school, but there was certainly a lot to feel. Brand-er’s words cut like a knife, that helped plow a way through the foggy uncertain-ties of Christian witness. How is the love of Christ offered through such an oppressive institution of education that robs children from their families, quite literally locks them into a school behind huge metal doors, and physically beats them into the submission of the Euro-pean “right” way? Brander’s mission was not to white wash all residential schools and European influence as wrong or sin-ful. However he pushed us to critically think about other ways in which Chris-tianity and the Canadian government could have created more healthy rela-tionships with the First Nation People.

The Native Ministry week taught us, the young emerging generations, that

we must look for ways to live in an air of repentance with our religious and governmental sins against the First Na-tions people. We must search for ways through which real and healthy relation-ships can be formed between Christians and other non Christian cultures, rela-tionship based on mutual respect and the ability to learn from each other.

One of the more significant experi-ences our Outtatown site had during the week was the opportunity to participate in a traditional healing circle performed by traditional elders of Native Spiritual-ity. Historically such a practice would have been seen as ungodly and something Christians should have no part in. How-ever the more we were able to learn about what a healing circle represented, the less apprehension many of us felt about it.

The practice of the Healing circle consisted of an elder, lighting some sage on fire, creating a bowl of smoldering incenses that was used to brush over each participant with an eagle feather. The practice was a symbolic act of cleansing an individual from anything that hindered them from seeing good things, speaking good things, thinking good things, acting in good ways and also a cleansing from anything bad oth-ers have done to you. Brander helped us understand that the sage smoke was like the waters of baptism that are symbolic of Christ cleansing us from our sin and ungodliness that stops us from being holy and becoming better, more capable lovers of people.

As our group began to file into the small room for the Healing Circle expe-

rience, the four elders anticipating our arrival were astonished to see the turn out. They were only expecting a few in-dividuals, not 33 people. There were not enough seats for us in the small room, so some of us had to sit on the floor, while the four elders kept repeating how amazed and honored they were that 33 Christians would come out to learn and participate in a traditional healing circle. The night turned out to be an incred-ibly successful event. We soon realized that the elders were not just being polite, they were genuinely overwhelmed by our presences, and in fact one of elders, Norbert, actually had to excuse himself because of his emotional state. A healing circle it indeed became. A healing pro-duced through the silence and humility of 33 primarily white, Christian students who came to learn and respect the cul-ture of the First Nations people.

When reflecting on our Christian witness, what would have been the best action we as Christians could have taken in the situation of the Healing Circle? Would it have been to refuse to partici-pate in the traditional ceremony, afraid that we are doing something evil? Or would it have been better to critically think and pray through the situation, using the situation to show our love for other peoples by learning from them and not being closed to traditions that in fact resemble Christian thought? I would certainly argue that we as Christians must be very cautious not to compro-mise our faith by trying to befriend other cultures.

However, we as Christian must also not be afraid of cultures different from our own, and instead seek relationships with non-Christian cultures founded upon humility, mutual respect and com-munication. If Christians can obtain the respect of non-Christian cultures because we respect their cultures, I’m forced to believe, as the experience of the healing circle testifies, that the pos-sibility for us to share our faith with the world would increase greatly and in a way much more in line with the love and attitude of Christ.

—E-mail used with permission from dailyfrybread@myinjesus.com,

January 14, 2007.

How is the love of Christ offered through such an oppressive institution of

education that robs children from their

families, quite literally locks them into a school behind

huge metal doors, and physi-cally beats them into the

submission of the European “right” way?

� Intotemak Spring 2007

The culturally unidentifiable remains of Native Americans, which for years were stacked in

museums and institutions, will now be buried with dignity in regional cemeter-ies throughout the United States, begin-ning with a cemetery near the Cheyenne Cultural Center in Clinton, Oklahoma. While a 1990 law mandated that Native American remains stored in museums and institutions be returned to tribes, more than 100,000 remains can’t be linked with a particular tribe and remain unburied.

Through the “Return to the Earth” project, Cheyenne peace chief and Mennonite Central Committee United States (MCC US) board member Law-rence Hart is assisting in burying these remains.

On April 1, 2006 the first burial site was dedicated, with five Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs blessing the land and the foundation for a building that will be used for final rituals and ceremo-nies. Nearly 400 people stood on the pad after the ceremony while Dr. Sherry Hutt, Office Manager of the Repatria-tion Office of the National Park Service, Department of Interior, addressed them, expressing strong support for the project. MCC Central States contributed funding toward the foundation, and Hart is continuing to raise support to finish the building.

Next came a group of men from the rural Thomas-Weatherford area and rural Chouteau, Oklahoma, who have developed the art of barn raising. They put the walls up, trusses on, and exterior siding and roof decking in one day!

Now we are planning to have crews of volunteers come and do the hammer and nail work. There will be a JustWorks Camp of fifteen college-age students from March 18-24, who will use their ‘07 spring break to paint a steel fence and the exterior and interior of the building. Students from all faiths are welcome to help. The students will also plant grasses,

shrubs and trees useful to Native culture near a proposed cemetery. Ruby Friesen Zehr, a garden designer, will come from Virginia to supervise the stu-dents.

A Tool for Congregations to Participate

A Return to the Earth study guide was released in early April 2006, provid-ing a tool for congregations to partici-pate in the effort. Partners in the project include MCC US; Council for American Indian Ministry; Council of Native American Ministries; National Congress of American Indians and Religions for Peace. MCC Central States distrib-uted the guide to 450 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ congregations in its 16-state area in spring 2006.

Hart and other organizers hope congregations will use the guide to study the history behind the remains, learn about Native American tribes that once lived on their land and build relation-ships with Native American groups and congregations. In conjunction with the guide, groups can also raise funds, make cedar burial boxes and sew burial cloths for the project.

Paper copies of the study guide for Return to the Earth are available from the Office of Crime and Justice, MCC US in Akron, Pennsylvania or from the MCC Central States office in North Newton, Kansas for $4 U.S., plus ship-ping. The guide can also be downloaded as a PDF document from the resources section of the Return to Earth web site http://rfusa.org/returntotheearth/re-sources.html.

Connecting People to their History Erica Littlewolf, a board member of

MCC Central States, said a critical part of the project is helping people connect

their own history and the story of the remains.

For Littlewolf, a Northern Cheyenne who grew up in Montana, the project is a chance to honor her ancestors. “It’s who I am. It’s where

I’m from,” she said. Yet it is part of a

history that stretches beyond Native American communities.

These remains are also threaded into the history of settlers, including Menno-nites and Brethren in Christ, noted John Stoesz, the executive director of MCC Central States.

For Stoesz, the project is an opportu-nity to recognize and acknowledge that past. “It’s not so much a feeling of guilt as recognizing the truth of what hap-

pened -- how we have and still benefit as white people as far as the land -- and moving toward making things right,” he said.

Both he and Littlewolf hope the proj-ect will open doors to new connections between white congregations and Native Americans.

“To keep growing and building relationships, we need to recognize what has happened in the past, not that we need to dwell there but that we recognize it and go and make something new,”

Return to the Earth Project:The 2nd repatriation story! (BC & now US)Remains to be buried throughout the United States

To keep growing andbuilding relationships, we need to recognize what has happened in the past, not that we need to dwell there but that we recognize it and go and make something new.

Intotemak Spring 2007 �part 2 coming Summer 2006

The first annual Les Moneas Memorial Dog Race was held on January 6 and 7, 2007 on the

Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba, along the east shore of Lake Win-nipeg. This event was the first of its kind for our First Nation community and the dog races themselves were extremely exciting.

Entries included 14 ten-dog teams, 10 six-dog teams and 7 junior teams. Spectators were encouraged to inter-act with mushers, and mushers were excited about the run. Everyone was filled with adrenalin and awe, witness-ing history coming alive.

Hollow Water First Nation’s Com-munity Holistic Circle Healing Inc., in collaboration with the Aboriginal Heal-ing Foundation Animos Ogima Ken-nels, developed a wilderness therapy program. The components of the pro-gram focus on outdoor traditional skills and personal development. Most el-ders in the community have had past experience with dog teams as a form of traditional transportation; however, in recent years dog teams have be-come non-existent in Hollow Water.

Meanwhile dog mushing has be-come an increasingly growing sport, a sport which offers physical agility, mental endurance and spiritual growth. By reviving the sport of dog mushing in our Community we are tapping into the traditional knowledge and values of our elders.

The organizing committees were amazed with the response the race received on the mushing circuit. Dog mushers are definitely a one-of-a-kind breed -- optimistic, outgoing, enthusi-

astic and hard working people. They have won over the community of Hol-low Water; the race was the buzz of the town for weeks. Introducing this sport to the youth and adults in our com-munity has proven to be a blessing. Comrade and good sportsmanship in a competitive sport is hard to come by, yet each musher supports and encour-ages one another. These values are ones which we teach and bestow onto our children so I thank each and every musher for sharing your wisdom, com-mitment and most of all your integrity with our community.

The planning for the dog races be-gan in early 2006. Since Hollow Wa-ter First Nation has never hosted such an event, we knew it was going to be a challenge. The name was originally set as Hollow Water First Nation Dog Races; however, in late November 2006 our community suffered the tragic loss of Les Moneas. Les was a major con-tributor to the wilderness program; he worked day in and day out for the love of the program, giving his heart and soul

for the betterment of his community. This year was to be Les’ first year

on the racing circuit and he was eagerly anticipating it. The races were then re-named the Les Moneas Memorial Dog Race in honor of our brother, our friend and fellow dog musher. The spirit of Les will remain forever in our hearts.

We would like to sincerely thank the following organizations and business-es for their donations to help make this event possible; Wynne’s Drilling Inc., Hollow Water First Nation, SanGold Corporation, Wynne’s Place, Seymour-ville Community Council, George Rugg of Pet Food Source, Community Holis-tic Circle Healing, Grandpa Georges, Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Prairie Dog Supply.

For more information about Ani-mos Ogima Kennels please contact Gabriel Hall, Box 2349, Wanipigow, Manitoba R0E 2E0, (204) 363-7241, mbushie@granite.mb.ca or robynhall@hotmail.com.

—Robyn Hall, Wanipigow, Manitoba

Witnessing History: Les Moneas Memorial Dog Races

Photo by R

obyn Hall

Littlewolf said. Beginning to build those bridges

is a tremendous task, as is burying the remains.

Hart, in addition to working on this first burial site in Oklahoma, is calling for the National Congress of the Ameri-can Indians to lead the way in forming coalitions in different regions in order to contact museums and universities and begin the long process of repatria-tion and to bury all 118,000 culturally unidentified Native American human

remains. Burials will be in a nearby cemetery that will serve as a model for other regional cemeteries to be estab-lished throughout the United States.

Hart, who is pastor of Koinonia Men-nonite Church in Clinton, Oklahoma, approached MCC about the project and welcomes the participation of Menno-nite and Brethren in Christ congrega-tions. He said that based on the sheer number of remains, he knew that tribal groups wouldn’t have the resources to carry out the project alone. He noted

that more than 80 faith-based groups are now involved. Still, this is work that will take years.

“In my lifetime, I may never see the remains buried,” Littlewolf said. “I get overwhelmed by how many there are. But we do what we can.”

—Taken from articles by Marla Pier-son Lester, Mennonite Central Committee

Lawrence Hart, Clinton, Oklahoma

�0 Intotemak Spring 2007

Community news

ObituariesVictor Abe Koop of Manigotagan, Manitoba passed away suddenly at his home on December 26, 2006. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife June Carol Koop, daughters Con-nie Fontaine and Elma Arthurson and their families, six stepchildren and their families, as well as other family mem-bers and friends. Cremation has taken place and an informal celebration of his life took place on December 30 at the Manigotagan Community Hall.

Jean Bushie of Little Grand Rapids, Manitoba, passed away at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on Janu-ary 16, 2007 at the age of 69 years. She had been ill for some time, and leaves to mourn her husband Ezra, family and friends. Interment took place at Little Grand Rapids. Alex Strang of Winnipeg, Manito-ba, originally of Poplar Hill, Ontario, passed away very suddenly at his home on January 19, 2007 at the age of 70 years. He will be dearly missed by his wife, family and friends. Inter-ment took place at Brookside Cem-etery in Winnipeg with Henry Neufeld officiating.

Kelsi Rae Brooke Soahkapinakii (Wolf Plume) Bird, age 12 years, of the Siksika Nation, Alberta, died in a vehicle accident on January 1, 2007. She was known by all of her family as “Mennis” because of her mischievous persona. Her laugh was contagious and her heart was large. She loved everyone she encountered. Her pas-sions were the pow wow trail, going to church and basketball.

Kelsi was a much loved and cher-ished child and is deeply missed by her mother Leslie; grandfather Fred Sr.; brothers Denzel and Dralin; sister Mon-tana; great-grandmothers Eve Yellow Old Woman and Lucy Prairie Chicken; and a large extended family, including adopted grandparents Helen and Alvin Lepp of Rosemary, Alberta.

The funeral service was held at the Siksika Community Centre, Siksika Nation, Alberta with Rev. Vincent Yel-low Old Woman presiding.

Simon Owen, originally of Pauingassi, Manitoba, passed away on February 2, 2007 at the age of 53 years. He was born with a disability and spent many years at the Manitoba Developmental Center in Portage la Prairie, where he was well taken care of. He was prede-ceased by his parents and three sib-lings, and is survived by eight siblings. Interment took place at Pauingassi with his brother, Allan Owen, officiating.

Alfred Charles Williams was born on February 23, 1927 and went to be with his Lord on February 4, 2007, at the age of 79 years. Like many, Alfred had nick-names that people knew him by. Some knew him by Go-chiitch (probably giv-en by his mom); others knew him by “Shaanch”. Alfred was from the Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba and lived in the George M. Guimond Personal Care Home on the Sagkeeng First Na-tion until his passing.

Alfred leaves to cherish his memory his children Rodney (Melanie), Ronnie (Joan) and Patricia (Peter); his step fam-ily and extended family Norah, Hazel, El-sie (Willie), Phyllis (Clarence), Neil, Crys-tal and Jacqueline. Also surviving are brothers Cyril (Aurilia) and Harold (Lyla); sisters, Myrtle (Murray) and Hilda (Alex); as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and neph-ews, relatives and friends.

The funeral service was held at the Wanipigow House of Prayer Church in Hollow Water on February 8, with Nor-man Meade and Rev. Henry Neufeld officiating. Interment followed at the Anglican Church Cemetery.

There may be some moments when our hearts are filled with grief and

sorrow, but there is never any pause in the supply of heavenly light from the

throne of God. —Alan Redpath

Celebrating MirandaWe attended a special birthday party at the St. Amant Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba on January 23, 2007. It was Miranda Mallet’s 18th birthday.

Miranda is from Cross Lake, Mani-toba and was in an accident when she was ten years old. It was sad for the whole community when Miranda got hurt, and ever since then she has lived in this special home, St. Amant.

We were so happy and felt hon-ored to attend her birthday party. There was myself, her auntie and uncle Joseph and Greta McKay, her cousins Stephan and Trisha McKay, her broth-er Kevin, her Awasis worker Ann Mary Ross, her childhood friends Naomi and Denny Scott. We also invited Mr. and Mrs. Henry Neufeld and were happy they could join this special celebration. We also met two of Miranda’s friends, with their caregivers, from St.Amant. Everybody had fun. Miranda had tears a couple of times, especially when we spoke our own Cree language.

Everybody was silent when we left the building because we hated to leave her. But deep in our hearts we pray for Miranda, hoping that one of these days she’ll come home and be reunit-ed again in Cross Lake.

Ekosi and God bless you all.Margaret Scott, Cross Lake

(Manitoba) First Nation

Intotemak Spring 2007 ��

Events Calendar

For more events visit www.mennonitechurch.ca/events.

Native Ministry related events can be submitted for the calendar. Submit

events in writing to the mailing address on page 3, or email to

imiller@mennonitechurch.ca.

Resources

March 15 – 17Native Mennonite Ministries meetings at the Light of LifeMennonite Church, Farmington, New Mexico.

March 21 – 23 Learning events in British Columbia with Adrian Jacobs of Six Nations in southern Ontario. These will include evening sessions in southern churches and classes at Columbia Bible College. Native Ministry, Mennonite Church Canada, and Aboriginal Neighbours of Mennonite Central Committee BC are sponsoring the events.

April 13 – 14 Manitoba Partnership Circle meeting at the Grunthal Bergthaler Mennonite Church, with Anita Keith as speaker. NOTE CHANGE OF DATE!

July 3 – 6 Mennonite Church Canada Assembly, Abbotsford, BC.www.mennonitechurch.ca/events/abbotsford/.

July 17 – 20Summer camp week at Matheson Island, Manitoba.

Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre.

You can find the Aboriginal list of resources for loan at http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre/browse/791 or by calling the toll-free number 1-866-888-6785.

Searching for Sacred Ground: The Journey of Chief Lawrence Hart, Mennonite by Raylene Hinz-Penner. Foreword by Donald L. Fixico. The C. Henry Smith Series, Volume 7. Telford, Pennsylvania: Cascadia Publishing House, 2007. Co-published with Her-ald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania. 190 pages.

This book grows out of a white Mennonite woman’s driving curiosity to know the story of nationally known Cheyenne Peace Chief Lawrence Hart. Hinz-Penner’s interest is sparked by hearing Chief Hart speak of the des-tined intersection of his own Cheyenne people on the plains of Oklahoma with Hinz-Penner’s ancestors -- the Menno-nites called in 1880 to set up schools to educate the Cheyenne people on their Oklahoma reservation.

This book invites the reader to ac-company the author on a journey back into time. She traces the heritage and life story of a Cheyenne chief from the pivotal Battle on the Washita in 1868 near present-day Cheyenne, Okla-homa, when Custer’s Seventh Cavalry attacked Chief Black Kettle’s village and broke the backbone of Cheyenne leadership and autonomy.

This book is available for loan from http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/re-sourcecentreView/2/8922.

I Will Fear No Evil: Ojibwa-Mis-sionary Encounters Along the Berens River, 1875-1940 by Susan Elaine Gray. East Lansing: Michigan State Univer-sity Press, November 2006, 180 pages.

“As you read this book you will be guided through a significant period of Canadian history as experienced by a small community of Ojibwa. The focus on spiritual and philosophical reflec-tions gives a depth to the stories which is not often available to readers. I am encouraged by it. I pray it might be

used to lift up discussions about our relationships in Canada -- past and present -- so that we may learn more of the teachings of respect for diversity. This book has much to offer to those who study missiology, and the mate-rial might engage students of history in creative reflection. Most importantly it may open doors for First Peoples as we seek to understand the influence of missions on our lives.” Taken from the Foreword, by The Very Reverend Dr. Stan McKay, Past Moderator of the United Church of Canada.

The Manitoba First Nations Edu-cation Resource Centre and Strong-front TV present three productions to assist us to better understand Treaty 1 and Treaty 5 from a historical and le-gal point of view – Sagkeeng: Treaty 1 (and interview with Elder Victor Cour-chene), Split Lake: Treaty 5 (interview with Elder Elijah Mayhem) and Cross Lake: Treaty 5 (interview with Elder Gideon McKay).

The Elders tell us that the treaties are living documents and must be treat-ed with respect to honour our ancestors and the generations to come. Our an-cestors entered into these agreements with honour and respect, and it is our responsibility to preserve the past and respect the knowledge of our Elders “for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.”

These presentations are available on VCR and DVD formats from the MC Canada Resource Centre – toll-free telephone #1-866-888-6785 or http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resource-centre/Browse/901.

“ S a c r e d Songs - Sacred Words” is the lat-est CD album re-leased by Sakoieta Widrick, through Sunshine Records of Winnipeg in 2006.

S a k o i e t a writes: “This al-bum is filled with just beautiful tra-ditional flute music that will stir your

heart, heal your soul and lift your spir-it to new heights. The music on this album is Flute music only with no ac-companiment, for those of you who want to enjoy the sounds of just the flute by itself. All ten of these songs were written by me.”

Check www.mohawkflute.com for more information.

�� Intotemak Spring 2007

Publication Mail Agreement # 40010288Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:IntotemakMennonite Church Canada c/o Native Ministry600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4

Intotemak Spring 2007A Mennonite Church Canada Publication

Meditation

My power will make you strong like a fortress or a column of iron or a wall

of bronze. You will oppose all of Judah, in-cluding its kings and leaders, its priests and people. They will fight back, but they won’t win. I, the LORD, give my word -- I won’t let them harm you.Jeremiah 1:18-19, Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Descendants of Jacob, I, the LORD, cre-ated you and formed your nation. Israel, don’t be afraid. I have rescued you. I have called you by name; now you belong to me. When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you, and you won’t drown. When you walk through fire, you won’t be burned or scorched by the flames. I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the God who saves you. I gave up Egypt, Ethiopia, and the region of Seba in exchange for you.

Isaiah 43:1-3 (CEV)

You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (CEV)

The Lord has promised to go with us all the way