Indian Life at the gathering of nations

Indian Life at the Gathering of Nations

By Brian Nixon, Special to ASSIST News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS – May 2, 2016) -- Without a doubt the Gathering of Nations is a stirring event, one that must be experienced live to understand its full impact. With over 3,000 native dancers and singers representing 700 tribes from across North America all dancing and singing in immaculate costumes and dress on the floor of an arena is something to behold. I’ve been many times to the Gathering, and on each occasion when the grand entrance occurs (the moment when all the dancers descend from differing positions in the arena), I can’t help but get a little choked up.

And when you add to the festivities other talented Native American musicians—on two separate stages, activists, artisans, craftsmen, and thousands of spectators, the Gathering of Nations is a feast of the senses, an uplifting, informative, and downright fun two days of sheer amazement. Yep, it’s that incredible.

At the 33rd annual Gathering of Nations, my response was the same: one of unbridled respect and appreciation for the Native American and First Nation people of North America.

But this year I decided to do something a little different. I didn’t seek out the big name musical artists or dancers (and, yes, they were there). Nor did I want to focus on the various Native artisans and the marvelous work that was on display—they, too, were in full force (I did buy a Native flute, however). Rather, I wanted to find a group or person that represented a smaller faction of the Native voice. After stopping by the Navajo Times newspaper, various health and education groups, and artisan tables, I sought out Indian Life, a news organization founded in 1968 by Ray Gowan, now based in Winnipeg, Canada.

As I approached the table of Indian Life, I was greeted by Jo-Anne Anderson, General Director. She introduced me to her husband, Jerry. Jo-Anne said this was the second year that Indian Life attended the Gathering of Nations, driving down to New Mexico from Canada. And on both occasions the trucks they were driving broke down. Last year it was her truck; this year, it was Jerry’s truck. As you can imagine, it takes time and commitment to travel 2,380 plus miles, taking over 22 hours to attend an event, even as marvelous as the Gathering of Nations. But that’s the commitment many have to the Gathering. And for Jo-Anne and Indian Life, it’s a commitment to something greater than just a gathering: it’s to God, to Native news, and ministry. So though there were difficulties getting to New Mexico, Jo-Anne stated, “God must have something great for us this year.”

Indian Life (Intertribal Christian Communications) was established in 1979 as the publisher of Indian Life newspaper, an award-winning, bi-monthly publication. As literature provided by Jo-Anne states, “For over 30 years, our primary focus has been the publication and distribution of Indian Life.” Yet the organization has branched out in several areas: alcohol treatment centers (a free copy of the newspaper is sent to every Native alcohol treatment center, Native tribal/band office, prison, Native friendship center, Native school in North America), Indian Life books (I was given Whiteman’s Gospel and The Grieving Indian as examples), and suicide awareness (as the tract, A Reason for Hope, demonstrates).

In addition to the books, newspapers, and tracts (the one on Geronimo was intriguing: “An Apace Warrior Chooses a New Name”), Indian Life is producing six informational bookmarks about notable Native leaders. I picked up the bookmarks dealing with Geronimo, Chief Joseph, and Sequoyah. All the bookmarks give a short history of the leader and a few quotes. I was also provided with a newsletter named Signal. In the newsletter it is asked, “Is there a Hidden Hero Near You?” The newsletter proceeds to tell the story of a First Nations homeless man who jumped into the Red River to save a drowning woman.

When I asked why a Native American or First Nation person should follow Christ, I was given the tract, Three Truths Every Native American Should Know. In this tract, three points are addressed:

“The first truth Native Americans should know is that salvation in Jesus is not the white man’s religion. In fact, Jesus was not a white man!

“The second truth you should know is that you can be saved and still be a Native American. Receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior will not make you any less of a Native American.

“The third truth every Native American should know is that you cannot get to heaven by being a good person, but can only be obtained from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I was impressed with the scope of information provided by Jo-Anne and Jerry, and the commitment of Indian Life to proclaim the Good News and to provide practical means of serving others (alcohol treatment, suicide prevention, etc.).

In short, as grand as the Gathering of Nations is—and it is big and beautiful, it is the smaller organizations and groups that attend the Gathering that make the event so special. And Indian Life is one such group.

Let’s pray the truck makes it back to Canada—with no future mechanical issues, where Jo-Anne and Jerry can continue the fantastic work at Indian Life, providing news, service, and a message of hope to Native people—and all Nations for that matter.

For more information about Indian Life, click here: http://www.indianlife.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/Indian-Life-217635326994/?fref=nf 

As a side note, I began reading Whiteman’s Gospel shortly after my time with Jo-Anne and Jerry. I must say it’s well worth the read. Craig Stephen Smith brings out some wonderful truths: Jesus was born to a minority group, based in a tribal understanding of life, while living in occupied land (the Roman Empire). If this isn’t enough to show that Christianity isn’t just an Anglo faith, Smith continues to show various connections between Native American life and Judaism/Christianity. I recommend the book.

Photo captions: 1) Competitive dancer at the Gathering. 2) Jo-Anne and Jerry Anderson of Indian Life. 3) Gathering of Nations drum circle. 4) Whiteman's Gospel by Craig Stephen Smith. 5) Brian Nixon.

About the writer: Brian Nixonis a writer, musician, and minister. He's a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus (BA) and is a Fellow at Oxford Graduate School (D.Phil.). To learn more, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Nixon. 

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