It is important to listen to the next generation. It is easy to criticize what they don’t do, what they’ve done, or what they should do. But what if people listened to them? To how they view the world, how they want to exist in it, and what they hope for in the future. They might not make a lot of sense when trying to articulate what those things are, but everyone started there. In this episode, we discussed how we all have a voice, but the challenge is a willingness to share what we believe, think, and observe about the world around us.

I have always said if you give young people a chance to speak, they will have something to share. They have ideas, thoughts, and opinions about the world. Too often they are conditioned to stay quiet, just listen, and keep their thoughts to themselves. But what I love about Millennials is they won’t stay silent for long, because they are ready to speak. Christopher Eagle Bear is one of those young people who has a voice and is ready to share.

Our friend, mentor, and elder, Terry Wildman joins us at the table. Terry is the Chief Director of Rain Ministries. Terry and his wife Darlene live in Maricopa Arizona on the traditional lands of the Pima and Tohono O’odham. They founded Rain Ministries in 2002 as an Arizona non-profit organization while living on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona. The primary purpose of Rain Ministries is to encourage Indigenous Peoples to realize and fulfill the destiny the Creator has given them through his Son Jesus Christ and to partner with them in developing culturally significant ways to express their worship of the Creator and to make him known to others. Through Rain Ministries, we will also encourage and facilitate reconciliation between Christian churches and First Nations people.

Terry is also the lead translator of the First Nations Version (firstnationsversion.com) of the New Testament. The idea for this project began in 2002 while Terry and Darlene lived on the Hopi Indian reservation in Northern Arizona. They were looking for ways to tell the story of the Bible to Native North Americans, in a culturally relevant context. Terry had no idea that he would end up leading a group of Natives to translate the entire New Testament and now parts of the Old Testament.

To purchase FNV go to https://firstnationsversion.com/books

To donate to the Wildmans go to https://firstnationsversion.com/donate

For music go to https://firstnationsversion.com/music

Our friend from Panama joins us for a conversation. Jocabed Solano is the director of Indigenous Memory and a missionary at Unidos en Misión. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in theological studies at NAIITS. She is from the Gunadule Indigenous nation and is Panamanian.

Jocabed has been kind enough to learn English, which is not her first or second language, so she could share with us some of the teachings of her people. My favorite part of this episode is learning about the hammocks that are prevalent in Jocabed’s community and island and how they connect them to the cosmos.

What is “Indigeneity”? The word derives from Latin to mean “born or originating in a particular place.” For Native American and First Nations people where a person is born is vital in the formation of their identity. “We, as Human Beings, are constantly developing our identity, from birth to the end of our lives. We build our identities based on our relationships to relatives, friends, community, geography, language, and other social factors” (Pamela D. Palmater, Beyond Blood: Rethinking Indigenous Identity, Page 7).

But what if a person has been removed from their place of origin and does not know where they come from, who their relatives are, and are not taught their history, customs, language, and knowledges? On today’s episode, we sit down to talk with two women who are on a journey to reclaim their ties to their land, people, heritage, culture, and history.

Ji-gaabiikwe Campeau is a Nakawe-iniikew (Saulteaux woman), Nêhiya-iskwe (Cree woman), and Metis woman and is a registered member of the Yellow Quill First Nation, a signatory of Treaty 4. She is the mother of Kenadee and they currently live in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Christina Marie Quintanilla resides on the original lands of the Yokuts in Southern California. Her family is Indigenous from both sides of the US and Mexican border.

In 1999, Charles Robinson was asked to speak to an elementary school classroom regarding Native Americans. Dressed in his tribal regalia, the teacher introduced him as “a real live Indian.” Charles discovered very serious misperceptions regarding Native Americans and has since developed programs to reach students with historical facts about North America’s first inhabitants.

To learn more go to TheRedRoad.org

My favorite part of today’s episode is when Charles talks about the infamous White Vans that show up across America in most Indigenous communities every summer. I have dubbed these white van caravanners as the Big White Van Search Party because they go around looking for souls to steal, I mean save.

As Charles reminds us and caravanners that once they come in, they do a little babysitting, visit for a little while, take pictures, and record stats to report, that little change will occur if there is no partnership with those who are part of that community.

Raymond Minnicon or Ray or Uncle Ray, is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation and the Gurang Gurang nation of south-east Queensland. He is also a descendant of the South Sea Islander people, with deep and abiding connections to the people of Ambrym Island. He leads Scarred Tree, an Aboriginal, Torres Strait, and Australian South Sea Islander ministry based in St John’s Glebe, Sydney.

I (Donnie) have heard Uncle Ray speak a few times, mostly at the NAIITS Symposium, and am always astounded by Ray's wise words. But, also bewildered because of how he and his people in Australia have suffered under their government for too long.

My favorite quote from Uncle Ray is, "Reconciliation is reconciliation with other humans. But, it is also with our total environment, and the whole of the cosmos–the air, the land, the sea, the sun, the moon, everything that He created."

https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-library/ray-minniecon/

Susie Silversmith was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Klagetoh, Arizona. Susie is born into Tsinaajinii (Black Streak Wood), and born for her father’s clan which is Honaghaahnii (One who walks around). Her cheis (maternal grandparents) are Totsohnii (Big Water), and her nalis (paternal grandparents) are Todichiinii (Bitter Water).

Susie is married to Richard Silversmith, they have two sons and 3 beautiful granddaughters: Jenuine, Aleia, and Nayah. Susie graduated from high school in Fort Wingate, New Mexico. She is an elder, speaker, and volunteer at the Denver Christian Indian Center. Susie was also a member of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery task force, which reported to Synod in 2016.

https://www.crcna.org/news-and-events/news/synod-repudiates-doctrine-discovery

Dr. Randy Woodley has been our friend, mentor, and teacher for quite a few years now. he earned a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies and remains active in ongoing discussions in a variety of areas concerning spirituality, earth-care, racial and ethnic identity, diversity, peace, social justice, eco-justice, interreligious dialogue, Indigenous studies, agriculture, and spirituality.

Randy and his wife Edith, are the founders of Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds. Through Eloheh they invite people to a new relationship with Creation and model sustainable farming practices and Earth justice.

Dr. Woodley's has written a variety of books:

The Harmony Tree: A Story of Healing and Community (Children's Book)

Mission and the Cultural Other: A Closer Look

Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview: A Decolonized Approach to Christian Doctrine

Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision

Decolonizing Evangelicalism: An 11:59 p.m. Conversation

QUOTABLE: “When we talk about peace, peace-making, and peace-building, we don’t ignore things. But we work through them. We don't work around them; we work through them. And, to do that we have to sit down and talk with one another.”

Dr. Terry LeBlanc has been active in full-time vocational ministry with the Native North American community since 1978. He was CEO and Director of Indigenous Pathways overseeing iEmergence and NAIITS, which is formerly known as the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies. To learn more about NAIITS go to naiits.com

Terry has recently stepped down as CEO and director of NAIITS to spend more time with his wife Bev whom he has been married for over 50 years. Terry has been the recipient of three fellowships and the Student of Highest Distinction award. He completed his Ph.D. at Asbury Theological Seminary and was awarded the DD honoris causa by Acadia University in 2015 and by Knox College in 2019.

*Potential Explicit Content—the word a** is used a few times in the podcast.

Indigenous grandmas not only carry around a bag full of bingo daubers, candy, and Kleenex, but they also carry wisdom, stories, and jokes. Lenore Three Stars is part of the cohort of Indigenous Grandmas, also known as Badass Grandmas, under the auspices of Liberated Together. They offer a course entitled Decolonize with Badass Indigenous Grandmas.

From LiberatedTogether.com: "Our Badass Grandmas share their stories, journey of decolonizing their faith, relationship with the land, as well as Native American history and some of their own art and research. This cohort is for non-binary folks of color impacted by patriarchy and women of color. "

Today, Lenore shares with us her faith story and journey of decolonizing and deconstructing her faith. My favorite quote from Lenore for this episode is: “It is hard to shake that influence that what you have from your culture is not good enough for Christianity.”

Lenore’s personal website: https://www.lenorethreestars.com