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Mark L. MacDonald, now an archbishop, became Canada’s first National Indigenous Anglican Bishop in 2007. He has served First Nations and Native American parishes in Alaska, Minnesota, , Ontario, and Wisconsin. MacDonald has written, edited, or recommended many of the resources below, most notably the Gospel Based Discipleship material and the list of academic books—to help you start to address and include Indigenous issues and gifts in Christian worship.
Perhaps you’ve attended an event that began with an acknowledgement of the local pre-colonial people. These maps show who was on the land first in the places now called , , the , the , and .
Use or adapt this InterVarsity Native Ministries that acknowledges the original people of the land.
North American how explorers discovered and pioneers settled land. But, as author and activist often says, “You cannot discover lands already inhabited.” He and wrote . Their book shows how an unjust concept embedded white supremacy in Western legal systems. They focus most on how this doctrine still infects cultural narratives, theological imagination, churches, politics, and Native communities in the U.S.
To understand how the doctrine of discovery did damage outside the U.S., read the book , by Robert J. Miller, Jacinta Ruru, Larissa Behrendt, and Tracey Lindberg.
The is built on papal bulls (edicts or decrees) by Pope Nicolas V in 1452 and Pope Alexander VI in 1493. It gave European explorers and missionaries permission to colonize and claim land outside Europe that was not already inhabited by Christians. The popes said that if native inhabitants refused to convert, they could be displaced, enslaved, or even killed.
Two documentaries explore the effects the doctrine of discovery: The Anglican Church of Canada produced (67 minutes). There’s no charge to watch it online, download it, or print out study guides. You can buy a copy of (60 minutes), directed by actor and filmmaker and co-produced by Shawnee-Lenape scholar and author .
The website, run by an international Indigenous collaborative, offers current news about matters such as and . However, as Mark Charles said in a , denouncing the doctrine isn’t the same as giving back land acquired because of the doctrine.
Mark L. MacDonald, the of the Lower Sioux Reservation, and the of Six Nations helped develop the Gospel Based Discipleship concept in the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the U.S. “Institutional churches were pulling their resources out of Indigenous communities,” MacDonald says. “We needed a way to allow small communities with meager resources to gather and engage the gospel. Gospel Based Discipleship (GBD) is similar to lectio divina, though we follow a slightly different process, and we use the gospel of the day from our church’s of readings.
You can freely download copies of , produced and updated by the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples. It explains how to become a worship community that puts the gospel in the center. Congregations sometimes use GBD in place of a sermon or homily. They also use it to structure other gatherings, consultations, and church governance meetings.
Rather than separate such meetings into “devotions” and “business,” people sometimes call for the day’s gospel reading to be read again before they make difficult decisions. “When the gospel is called for, it is often quite helpful, setting the tone for all parts of the gathering and, more often than not, shaping and inspiring the work that is undertaken,” MacDonald writes in ”Indigenous and Anglican: A Truly Native Church Emerges in the Anglican Church of Canada,” a chapter in , edited by Ryan K. Bolger.
The chapter explains that, in contrast to Western colonial models that see credentialed ministers as having special access to God’s truth, GBD trusts Jesus’ promise to be present where two or three are gathered. “The key element was not the technique of GBD, but the sense of spiritual authority from the Word of God discerned in community. The authority of the circle, so critical to traditional [Indigenous] governance, was recovered in a Christian context,” MacDonald writes.
This spiritual movement—a gift from North American Indigenous peoples—has grown beyond First Nations Anglican communities across cultural, national, and denominational borders. You may know the practice as “.” MacDonald traces the trajectory of GBD blessing the whole church in “The Surprising and Improbable Mission of God among the Indigenous Peoples of Canada,” his essay in , edited by John P. Bowen.
For an easy way to introduce the concept in your community, download this from the worldwide Anglican Communion website.
Consider reviewing or buying books for your church and school library. Some would make good textbooks or supplemental sources in college or seminary classes. Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys, by Richard Twiss, is probably the easiest for non-academics to read.
, edited by Mark L. MacDonald, describes “God’s work among the People of the Land, despite the barriers.”
. Editors Steven Charleston and Elaine A. Robinson say they gathered chapters from various tribes and denominations to “present a proactive assessment of Christianity as a positive religious expression for Native people to claim for themselves.”
, by Susan Neylan, documents encounters between Tsimshian people and Protestant missionaries in nineteenth-century British Columbia. Neylan explains how the Tsimshian forged Christian identities without sacrificing their culture.
, by Cheryl Bear-Barnetson. The author is an artist, pastor, educator, and Nadleh Whut’en from the Dakelh Nation and Dumdenyoo Clan (Bear). The book is part of the Centre for Pentecostal Theology Native North American Contextual Movement Series.
, by Michael D. McNally. Protestant missionaries translated hymns into Ojibwe to root out native culture. Yet Minnesota Ojibwe elders created distinctive hymn singing as a way to preserve their culture and ritualize hope.
, edited by Peggy V. Beck, Anna Lee Walters, and Nia Francisco, introduces readers to traditional and contemporary concepts of religion, the sacred, and worldviews among First Nations and American Indian people.
, an enrolled member of Muscogee (Creek) Nation in eastern Oklahoma, says he grew up as ‘.” While teaching religion and native studies at public research universities, he edited several books, including ; ; and .
(1954–2013), a member of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, was part of the American Indian Movement’s in 1972. He and his wife, Katherine Twiss, cofounded to follow Jesus in a culturally contextual way. Winconi is the Lakota word for “life.” Twiss’s best-known books are and .
is the director of intercultural and Indigenous studies at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon. He is a Keetoowah Cherokee and an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church. His most recent books are and .
coauthored the book . It explains the educational model he codeveloped. It’s based on how Indigenous and traditional cultures educated children without coercive discipline. Read Brokenleg’s many online.
offers free online resources, such as “,” a booklet that answers questions about terminology, history, connecting with Native students, and a simple protocol for opening prayers.
(formerly known as North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies) is an Indigenous learning community. In partnership with university schools and seminaries in North America and Australia, NAIITS offers non-resident master’s degrees. NAIITS sponsors an .
. Indigenous people may participate in the annual United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII); connect on , , and other social media; apply for ; and more.
Many churches use designated Sundays or months to begin including Indigenous issues and gifts in worship. Sometimes they host on holidays that honor colonizers, such as , , Canadian Thanksgiving, and U.S. Thanksgiving.
, an online Australian Christian movement for justice, offers worship resources for , usually observed in late January.
The United Methodist Church in the U.S. observes on the Third Sunday of Easter.
Australia observes from May 27–June 3. Find online worship resources for this week from .
Canada observes on June 21, so some congregations celebrate Indigenous Day of Prayer the Sunday before or after June 21. The and have relevant worship resources.
All over the world, communities are replacing Columbus Day with . Here are (ELCA) and liturgies to use on the Sunday before or after October 12.
The Mennonite (USA) Heritage Sunday is on the last Sunday of October. In 2018, these .
The U.S. observes November as . On any November Sunday, churches can use worship resources from the , (includes children’s ministry ideas), Southwestern Washington Synod (Lutheran), and United Methodist Church ().
The Reformed Church in America has designated the first Sunday in November as Native American/Aboriginal Awareness Sunday.
(CJM) suggests any of these days: Earth Day Sunday (nearest to April 22); World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation on September 1; or October 8, the Sunday before Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day. CJM’s website has excellent resources on the doctrine of discovery, Indigenous worship resources, denominational statements of apology, videos, and news clips.
Mark L. MacDonald says that using Indigenous music styles can help modern people receive the gospel message in music. “Sadly, not much of this is directly available online. Some Indigenous communities do not allow their sacred music to be recorded,” he says.
is a band of Christian musicians with Native American and First Nations Heritage. Many of are on YouTube.
Listen to and buy , an album of worship songs composed by young Native Americans and recorded by . This project led to the annual .
is a pastor, author, and musician. He and his wife, form , a Christian music duo. Some of their at the annual
The best-known hymn texts or tunes composed by Native Americans or other Indigenous people are probably these:
, a United Church minister, composed “” for the thirtieth anniversary of the denomination’s “Apology to First Nations People.” It’s set to the tune .
You can still find used copies of , by Marilyn Hofstra, by Reformed 91 in 1992.
, a public radio streaming station, aired a program in 2014 about (start listening at 6:10). Featured singers include and .
Hear samples from the Smithsonian Folkways recording .
Listen to a brief YouTube clip of this .
features more than 115 paintings by sixty-five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia. The Bible isn’t yet available in every Aboriginal language, but these images help tell the Bible’s most loved stories. Bible Society Australia published this award-winning book in 2017. Learn more in this blog post on Paul Neeley’s .
The blog “explores the intersection of Indigenous visual art and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It’s a good source for images from and Christian artists. Don’t miss this post on , a Catholic priest who depicted Christian saints as Native Americans to .
The Jesus Question blog has a , including work by painters, printers, and woodcarvers.
is an Indigenous Christian painter in Australia who sells her work online.
Use or adapt these by Jeff Ramsland, who pastored Cherokee United Methodist Church in Cherokee, North Carolina.
If you're preaching from the gospels, Acts, or Ephesians, considering using , the First Nations Version (FNV) of the New Testament. It uses Native concepts and storytelling styles while remaining faithful to the original language of the New Testament. founded the .
“” is a powerful two-minute video clip by the late Richard Twiss about what he saw as the greatest need for Indigenous people in America.
Find complete orders of worship in the denominational links listed above under 91 resources: Appropriate dates.
