From Our Elders

The sound of “tata tata tatatatata” tapped out by the huaraches grows louder and faster as we approach the great celebrations of the winter months beginning with the Feast Day of The Virgin of Guadalupe through the Feast of the Presentation. Each year, beginning in November, about 100 people gather three times a week to practice the traditional “Dance of the Elders,” which originated with the Purepecha people in the modern Mexican state of Michoacán. The Purepecha called the land home long before Europeans arrived. The first time I saw the dance preformed, I was drawn into its spirit, colorful, energetic, and entertaining to say the least but, there was something else, it was peeking into a culture I did not know a lot about. The “Dance” however was inviting me to explore something that took this immigrant community and first generation non-immigrant children back to a time to find their hearts, soul and roots.

Read "Dance of the Elders, A Commentary and Reflections on a Traditional Purepecha Dance"

From our Youth

"What a mess!" exclaims a youth. He jumps out of the way as a plastic bag filled with clothes for the homeless spills out of the storage shed. We empty out the rest of the garbage bags. These are all clothes donated for us to deliver to the homeless in the Holbrook/Winslow, Arizona area. “Sort out jackets, sweaters, beanies, gloves, socks and long sleeve shirts. Put aside any clothes that are not warm,” I instruct the Native youth who volunteered to get our winter donations ready. “Who would wear this?” asks a teen holding up an orange plaid vest. “Someone who is cold,” answers another. We fill each bag with one jacket, one sweater or long sleeve shirt, two pairs of new socks, one pair of gloves and one beanie. Thirty-two bags are packed although some are incomplete. We pin a note on the incomplete bags saying what is missing.

Read "Native Youth Who Care: Spirit Journey Youth of Northern Arizona"
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Episcopal Natives Rock!
Navajoland and Standing Rock work with Asset Based Community Development

There are several places that are continuing their work with White Bison and Asset Based Community Development Training. The following dioceses are engaging in ongoing training. You are invtied to contact the Missioner, Sarah Eagle Heart for more information.

http://episcopal-navajoland.org/

http://www.diocesesd.org/

News From Minnesota

First Nations Kitchens celebrates an anniversary, and honoring the White Earth Ojibwa Hymn Singers

 

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Fusion Four on Standing Rock

The Fusion4 is a ministry with Native youth on Standing Rock led by Deacons Brandon Mauai and Angela Goodhouse-Mauai with Father Rob Schwarz and Jeanne Schwarz.

 

Watch a video slideshow about The Fusion4!

 

Follow The Fusion4 on Facebook!

 

Check out their website!

Episcopalians Continue to Fight Doctrine of Discovery

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Episcopal Natives Rock!

“Episcopal Natives Rock!” is the response of one of the Native youth in the river near Winslow, Ariz. A Native man sitting on a rock yelled out “Who are you anyway?” Everyone laughs at the answer and we continue to jump from high places into the river below.

 

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Transitions for a New Year
We appreciate Elsie Dennis' work as Communications Consultant the past year and support her transition as she moves into the role as one of the Ethnic Ministries Ambassadors. Elsie has helped increase readership on the Native American and Indigenous Ministry, Indigenous Theological Training Institute (ITTI) and the Episcopal Intercultural Network Facebook pages. Thank you, Elsie!
 
As we move toward General Convention we welcome the Rt. Rev. Carol Gallagher into the position of Communications Consultant.
Wanted! Story Tellers!

Your community has a story to tell and we would like to share news from all of our people. Send your storied, poems, pictures and videos to seagleheart@episcopalchurch.org

Anglican Indigenous Network

See the website for updates and international news.

http://ain.anglicancommunion.org/

Live from the Church Center - Sarah Eagle Heart

Epiphany - The Season of Light

Epiphany is the season in our Church year from January 6th - the Feast of the Epiphany (the arrival of the Wise Men from the East to the child Jesus) until Ash Wednesday when we begin Lent. We celebrate the sacred gifts of insight and light, when the gifts of God's love is known to all people and the light of Christ shines in our hearts. 

The Calling

Jasmine Bostock is a young, Native Hawaiian woman who has been called into leadership in many different ways. "From when I was young I always felt a call towards working in the church. When I was seven years old I told my parents that I was going to be a priest. We were not a religious family, and so I think they considered this possibility the same way they considered the possibility that I would become a princess or a butterfly."

 

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A New Community Invitation

New Community Clergy and Lay Conference

February 29-March 4, 2012

Town & Country Resort & Hotel, San Diego, California

 

Reclaiming our Mission; Reinterpreting our Context; Renewing our Communities

 

How is mission shaped in non-Anglo/European communities? How are ministries done in the context of marginality? How will ethnic churches find renewal in solidarity? How will they learn from each other and what role can they play in the mainstream church?

 

This gathering of Asian, Black, Latino/Hispanic and Native American clergy and lay leaders provides a safe place to share hopes and dreams, needs and concerns, gifts and ministries, suffering and joy in the context of being the new community. The staff of the Ethnic Offices of the Episcopal Church will make plenary presentations and invited speakers will provide a myriad of ministry workshops. There will be times for ethnic-specific meetings, inter-ethnic conversations, and multicultural celebrations. Welcome to the new Pentecost!

 

Online registration available here.

 

The deadline for registration is February 15.

 

Good News from the East

Pope Benedict XVI signs the decree for the canonization of Blessed Kateri.

 

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Fusion 4 from North Dakota!
Updates from the most recent meeting in Linthicum, MD

As the Episcopal Church prepares for General Convention in Indianapolis this summer, the Executive Committee met for three days. Bishop James Cowan of the Anglican Church of Canada shared the following at the meeting:

* God is awesome
* The Good News is not fair
* God always acts first

 

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