Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

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"And when I am gone, what then? I ask this spiritual question not about the afterlife, but about the present, the now. I am asking myself what happens in the world I know when I am no longer in the picture. Quietly meditating on this vision of the place I hold in creation has revealed some humbling thoughts. No, I am not indispensable. Yes, things will carry on. But there is more to it than that for I will not have left as a passive player in reality. I will have left my mark. I will have shared my love. I will have entered the active memory of those I may have blessed along the way. That echo of my heart will abide. A part of who I am, perhaps the best part, surfing the slipstream of time, never ending, the touch of a finger on still water, a ripple that goes on forever." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"Still I will rejoice and give thanks. No matter how difficult my life may be at the moment, no matter what may come in the days ahead, still I will rejoice and give thanks. I have been blessed by the gift of life. I have been given my chance to walk this beautiful Earth, to see its wonders and learn its hidden wisdom. I have loved and been loved. How can I be anything but grateful? How can I not offer my thanks to the Spirit? As a family in faith, each with our own story to tell, each with our own burden to bear, let us offer this common message of hope, of renewal and resolve, to all who struggle: no matter what tomorrow may bring, still I will rejoice and give thanks." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

A snapping turtle just after emerging from hibernating, buried in the mud. This is where the Native American legends of the Earth being brought into existence... and carried on the shell of a turtle originated from. - Reddit | iangoren98 Earth Unreal is also on Instragram. https://www.instagram.com/earth_unreal

There were many schools in Ontario so group members may wish to tune into this.

"My words will not last, no matter how wise they may seem, for time will dust them away, in its endless task of cleaning. But if by grace I am able to inspire one other soul to love, to take the risk of love, for the sake of love, then I will have written something that will forever endure, for it will be written on the heart of another human being. And though, one day, we will both step through the dust of time, and escape its ceaseless cycle, still our message will live and live and live again, for the reach of love is infinite, and the life of love is infinite. Words will one day pass away, but the love we release into creation will never be lost, for through it we are drawn to its source, a place of being more wondrous than any word will ever convey." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

On their epic migration from the great water in the west, through the lands without water, to the promised land beside the wide river in the east, generations of my ancestors were guided by two things: a firm faith in the Spirit and an equally firm faith in the common sense of staying together as a community. They were visionaries in the desert, but also people of inventiveness, imagination, and practicality. To survive their long journey they learned to be adaptable, coopera...tive and careful. They pulled together. They cared for one another. They never forgot how to celebrate along the way. For many people today, life may seem like a long exodus through a land unknown. If you feel you have been on a long migration, the saga of my ancestors may be spiritually sustaining: what worked for them can work for us." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston See more

"Put on the practical nature of the Spirit, the cloak of wisdom of your own innate common sense. Spiritual life may be 10% visionary encounter, but it is 90% trying to make life work in the here and now. Ideas are wonderful things, but experience is what is most often needed. We learn our catechism while we are living it. Therefore we need a pragmatic faith. We need something to believe in that works. The path we follow has been walked by saints, but it is a well-worn trail made by generations of everyday people, people who tried to live good lives, people who made sacrifices for the sake of others. We follow what we trust. We wear our history wherever we go. We put on wisdom like a shawl." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

"It’s especially important, she says, given the disproportionate number of Native people dealing with homelessness: In King County, Native people make up less than 1% of the area’s population but 10% of people experiencing homelessness." Excerpt from:

Chaos, violence and destruction are spreading across America. The justifiable rage in response to racial injustice has hit a boiling point. At the same time we are in the midst of a pandemic, and an apparent economic depression has arrived. Many of us are fearful, angry and fed up, and we don’t know what will happen next. I wanted to join the demonstrations, but things have gotten so out of control and dangerous (the rioting and COVID concerns), and I want to help, not make t...hings more difficult for anyone. While I am not perfect, I try to call out the unjust structures of society, speak truth to power, and say and do things that hopefully will make a difference for the better. The pandemic only makes everything more difficult. Ruth and I have not been able to get within six feet of our new-born grandson, which is understandable but frustrating. So we planted a garden on Saturday. It felt helpful, because there is healing in working with the sacred earth. There is hope in planting things that will grow. There is a future in cultivating new life. I guess you could say that we took matters into our own hands, to try to make a difference for good, even in a very small way. We all have the power to do that. Another opportunity to make a difference for good is Indigi Aid, a virtual telethon that will take place on June 11th beginning at 5 pm EST, streamlined on major social media such as Facebook and Instagram. It will feature Indigenous artists sharing their gifts in an effort to raise funds that will benefit Indigenous people adversely affected by the COVID pandemic. Please take some time on June 11th to watch Indigi Aid, and consider donating to help all our relatives. Pilamaya and God bless. See more

https://mamabishop.blogspot.com/

"I am passing out some true grit if anybody needs some. That is what my great-grandmother, Minnie Mae, used to say people needed in times like these. I am not sure exactly what true grit is but I think it is like medicine for the soul: it is good for you and it fortifies your sense of determination. And Minnie Mae was the most determined woman I ever met. She was 4’11 tall and weighed less than a hundred pounds, but she could be a force of nature when she had to be. She was ...a fierce lioness when it came to defending the poor in our little rural town. During the Depression years she used to hand out food to anyone who came to her backdoor asking for a meal. Those folks came in all sizes, shapes and colors. It did not matter to Minnie Mae. She was a source of strength, not a judge of worthiness. So I am going to take my true grit and keep my great-grandmother company while she is watching over us in heaven. True grit: I want what she had." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston See more

REMINDER: NUMBERS ARE ON THE RISE... RISE ABOVE and MASK UP! #YaquiStrong

Ed Carriere, Suquamish Elder and Master Basketmaker and Canoe Carver, won a Life-Time Achievement Award yesterday from the Tulalip Tribe's Hibulb Cultural Cente...r Film Festival 2020. This is Ed's first such award from a Coast Salish Tribe vs. a State or National program. Ed and I and Woodlander Series producer Costa Boutsikaris also won the Best Documentary Short Film: Salish Sea Basketry https://vimeo.com/333492262 and Costa for Runner Up, Best Documentary Short Film Salish Cedar Canoes https://vimeo.com/353695322. Ed gave a live presentation on TV and I will post the link to the presentation once posted on the Hibulb web site. Ed was thrilled and showed his replicas of 2,000 year old Biderbost wet site pack basket, his Archaeology Basket with layered weaves from 4,500, 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 year old Salish Sea wet sites, and his recently completed nettle fiber gill net with split wood floats and pebble anchor stones as seen at the 2,000 and 3,000 year old wet sites of Biderbost and Hoko River. Tessa Campbell, Hibulb Cultural Center (HCC) Senior Curator Hosted the live TV program and HCC associate Lena Jones coordinated all and they and others are in the attached photos from the wonderful event. HCC has held these film feastivals for years, and the first time in 2020 virtually. I want to also announce that Ed won a Bloedel Research 2021 Creative Resident on Bainbridge Island for 3 weeks in the Spring. Ed applied and competed with about 100 applicants. Some history: Ed was one of timber industry barons Prentice Bloedel's main gardeners in early 1960s, working with his wife Virginia's supervision. As second gardener with lots of persons under him, Ed made $2.00/hr and asked Bloedel for a raise to $2.50. He did not go for request so Ed quit to prepare to go to school. Bloedel asked him to come to his office, and when he did, he was given a check for $50 to help him with mechanist education. Maybe they will give Ed the raise now?!....[Ed's and Dale's histories are in their Carriere and Croes 2018 book, Re-Awakening Ancient Salish Sea Basketry on Amazon] I added Ed’s Bio from Hibulb program to attachments. Thanks to all, Dale and Ed

"We will not let our hope be worn down by waiting because, to be honest, we are not waiting. The promise of a new day is before us, a promise we intend to keep for the sake of those who lost their lives to the virus, for the sake of the oppressed who have suffered too long, for the sake of our children who deserve the best tomorrow we can give them. No, we are not waiting to claim the dawn because others prefer the darkness. Look how many faithful people are walking together.... Look how many others around the world have joined us. Our strength is in our faith and that faith has never been stronger. We will not be discouraged by any roadblocks set up by the rear guard of a retreating fear. We will go over them or around them, but we will not stop moving forward. We will stay true to our principles even in an age when principles were thought to be a thing of the past. Decency, honesty, dignity and equality: we will never compromise what we know to be right. We are not waiting for the future because the future is already here." The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston See more

From March 19, 2015:

Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Awareness Photo Session at Ute Mountain/Towac, CO. Thanks to the following participants: Michela F. Alire (Ute Mounta...in Tribe), Gracious Jacket (Ute Mountain Tribe), Kia Whiteskunk (Ute Mountain Tribe), Cindy Littlefeather (Diné), Maryann Bullhead (Diné & Lakota), Belinda Running Wolf-Metteba (Cheyenne River Sioux), Kirsten Langmade (Organized Village of Kwetthluk/Yup’ik Alaska Native), Madeline Lamb (Muscogee Creek & Mojave) and Shasta Hampton (White Mountain Apache). Special thanks to the Ute Mountain Tribe for hosting and the use of their land. Dedicated to the missing Indigenous women and in memory of the Indigenous women killed. Red is the official color of MMIW campaign. According to some tribes, the color red is the only color the spirits see. By wearing the color red, it is our collective hope that we can call back the missing spirits of our Indigenous sisters & daughters and lay them to rest. ~TURKEYBOY See more

For Jackson Taken Alive -My name is Jackson Taken Alive. I am enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. I am 10 years old and currently enrolled at the... Cheyenne-Eagle Butte school. I like play basketball and play to participate in cross country next year. My plans are to finish school, attend college and play basketball. I travel all over Indian country with my dad and have attended many wacipis. My mother says I have been dancing since I could walk, and I enjoy dancing grass. I would like to say Thank you to the Baker family for putting on this special during this trying time. #BAKERGRASS2020 See more

Shoshone from Wind River Wyoming