Bridges Over Walls

The Wall of History - Christianity & Indigenous America

Nov 3, 2023

Exploring the painful legacy of Christianity on indigenous communities in the United States. Cultural sensitivity in ministry and the challenges of bringing together Christianity and indigenous culture. The role of apology and repentance on an individual and societal level. Building resilience and tenacity in cross-cultural relationships.

27:54

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Quick takeaways

Reconciliation with indigenous peoples requires cultural sensitivity, trust-building, and nurturing long-term relationships.

Misunderstandings arise when Western individuals fail to grasp the communal nature of indigenous societies; bridging cultural gaps requires observation, curiosity, and a willingness to learn.

Deep dives

Reconciliation and Building Trust

The episode explores the history of pain and trauma inflicted by Christians on indigenous peoples, leading to the mistrust and lack of welcome towards Christianity. The guest, Sister Seth Cantu, emphasizes the need for reconciliation and highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and trust-building when engaging with communal societies. He shares the example of short-term mission trips that left a sense of abandonment among indigenous communities, stressing the importance of nurturing long-term relationships based on trust and respect.

Introduction

3min

Cultural Sensitivity in Ministry

16min

Bringing Together Christianity and Indigenous Culture

4min

The Role of Apology and Repentance

2min

Building Resilience and Tenacity in Cross-Cultural Relationships

3min

If you hang out in Christian spaces long enough, you’ll probably hear someone bring up the idea of “reaching the community.”

But what do we mean when we say that? And what’s in our mind when we imagine our community? Long before we ever set foot in a neighborhood or mission field or city, the history of Christianity and the perceptions that come with it have already arrived before us. And when Christians have left behind a legacy of pain and trauma, it’s not surprising that we aren’t always welcomed into those spaces with open arms.

When Christian immigrants began pouring into the United States from Europe, we don’t see a group of people that treated others like Jesus did. Instead, we see that it was Christians who pushed people from their home lands - and they often did that in the name of their God. It was Christians who brought disease and slavery and terror into the lives of so many indigenous peoples, and who would repeatedly break their own treaties to take even more from others.

With a history like that, it’s no wonder the word “Christianity” is often unwelcome.

Pastor Seth Cantu serves as the lead pastor for a church in Madras, Oregon and with a church plant on the Warm Springs Reservation in central Oregon. I wanted to ask him - “With all of the horrible things Christians have done to indigenous peoples in the name of God, is there still hope for reconciliation? And if there is - what might that look like?”

We explore all that and more on this episode of Bridges Over Walls!

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Bridges Over Walls

The Wall of History - Christianity & Indigenous America

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Reconciliation and Building Trust

Understanding Cultural Differences

Support, Curiosity, and Mutual Respect

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts