Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
WASHINGTON, DC-Families in more than half of Native American homes in Arizona now speak only English at home, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey data covering 2011-2015 showed that 53 percent of people who identified as American Indian in the state said they speak only English at home, up from 49 percent in the previous five-year survey. The increase comes despite efforts by tribes to keep their cultures and their languages alive, t...
A short time ago, after a short courtship our son was married. “The time is short,” he said. “We’re thirty.” So he married Dallas, a short girl. Actually, she’s not short at all. She’s a world-record holding power lifter. That’s right. She carried our son over the threshold. I, on the other hand, am not built for lifting large objects. In ninth grade I lay on my back, hoisting barbells straight up above my face, and somehow the whole contraption got away and fell on me. I’m...
The Second Arrow By Crying Wind My neighbor Charlie enjoys archery and has a target set up in his back yard. Sometimes I watch him shooting arrows at balloons or apples or even pumpkins. He's a very good archer but sometimes even Charlie misses the target and an arrow will end up sticking in the side of his garage. One day when I was standing behind him watching him shoot at empty cans on a bench, the first arrow went straight through a can but the second arrow glanced off...
Our close friend, Glenn, died in a car accident a few weeks ago. We met him when we were older and wiser 20-year-olds and he was only 18. We would have celebrated a 50-year friendship this coming December. We reared our children together, and we also went through the same abusive church leadership situation for over 20 years. I didn’t talk much about our church situation in my book, Walking with the Creator Along the Narrow Road, published by Indian Life Books, because I didn...
Miss Navajo Nation 1997-1998 *Native American Music Awards Best Female Artist *Advocate for victims of domestic violence Radmilla Cody was born on the rural Navajo Reservation. She was reared by her Navajo, maternal grandmother, Dorothy, who taught her to speak the Navajo language. Even though Dorothy discouraged her granddaughter from speaking English, Radmilla became fluent in both languages. Grandmother Dorothy also taught her to card and spin wool. Cody always wanted to...
One of our spiritual ancestors named Paul wrote in the holy book called the Bible some wisdom on how to approach the work that we do in this life. There are different categories of work that we all do as we journey in this life on this earth-that the Creator, Jesus, gave us to do. There are also different types of relationships that we have with each other as we journey through our lives. We have relationships with our spouses and children, and we have relationships with our a...
They had traveled for miles early in the morning, in wet weather, just to visit me. Everything had gone as planned so far . . . until . . . until they faced an ugly evil villain who stands tall and proud at the entrance of the visitor processing center. He is known by many names, but he is best known as Metal Detector. To visit me-or any other inmate-a person must go through a series of security procedures. Some are simple, others a bit bothersome, yet all necessary. Walking...
Summer was so lovely with visits from lots of old and new friends. My mind is still dreaming about new ways to fix lobster and other seafood. However, with boxes and baskets of tomatoes, squash, and corn surrounding us, it will be better to get on with “harvest” thoughts. GREEN SQUASH/CORN & GROUND BISON 2 green summer squash 1 pound ground bison-buffalo (or ground veal) 1 10-oz. package of frozen yellow corn 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 4 mus...
Beverly Thomas had a mother’s love and faith to depend on as she grew up. But her world fell apart when her mother died. In the midst of her trauma, she lost sight of the one her mother lived for and tried to find love, fulfillment and relief in other ways. It took a baby to remind Beverly of the praying world of faith her mother raised her in. And Jesus was there, ready to be with her the very day she asked Him to be. Has your world been shattered by disappointment or someone’s death? You don’t have to live in the dull...
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS—September 10, 2017) I remember how heart-broken I was in May 2016 when 11-year old Ashlynne Mike was found murdered and violated on the Navajo Reservation. That morning I had awakend to an Amber Alert. I then followed the story of Ashlynne’s abduction throughout the day until her body was found near Shiprock, New Mexico. Later, I took part in a vigil at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, celebrating her life and coming to terms with the reality of assault on Native American women around the cou...
The Wind River Reservation is in Wyoming, about halfway between Casper and Jackson. My parents live in Casper, though I didn't grow up there and don't know the area very well. My dad, however, works for USDA Wildlife services in Wyoming, and the main character in Wind River would also work for USDAWS, if the film had its facts straight (Director/Writer Taylor Sheridan has him working for Fish & Wildlife, but they don't shoot coyotes who kill sheep. That's my dad's job.) All...
PIMICIKAMAK, MB-Megwan Muswaggon felt nervous the first time he stepped on the pitcher's mound at the Canada Summer Games. The softball player from the small northern community of Pimicikamak says the game means a lot to his community. "I don't play for myself, but I play for the youth back home," he said. "Just for them to start playing ball and just to not give up and just to give them hope." The Indigenous community of fewer than 5,000 people is representing the province...
THUNDER BAY, ON-A First Nations election this fall could make history. Darian Baskatawang, 21, is running for chief of Whitesand First Nation, located about 250 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont. If he wins, he'll likely be the youngest elected chief Ontario has ever seen. The previous record holder is Wade Cachagee, who was 27 years old when he was elected chief at Chapleau Cree First Nation in 2001. But Baskatawang may face a hurdle his older electoral opponents...
FOXBORO, MA-Jacob Ventura, a citizen of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe, is hoping to make history in Massachusetts. Ventura, a Republican, is running to represent the Bristol and Norfolk District in the State Senate. If he wins, he will be the first citizen of a federally-recognized tribe in the Legislature, according to The Foxboro Reporter. "I think we're going to win," said Ventura, who maintains a presence on Twitter and Facebook. "We have a great team of supporters and...
Indian Life has changed my life in so many ways. Digital media would do me no good as we are not allowed to use any kind of devices. [ILM Correspondence Coordinator] Sister Rilla has been such an inspiration in my life. No one has ever been that dedicated to me as she has been.... W.A. My name is F.C. and I've been reading The Sacred Road book, given to me by [Rilla Unger, ILM Correspondence Coordinator] some 25 or more months ago. I'm new at this belief and since that day,...
The Indian Life Ministries staff and Board of Directors wishes to express our extreme gratitude and best wishes to our long-time, faithful editor, Jim Uttley, Jr., upon his retirement from Indian Life. Jim has served the Lord as editor of the Indian Life newspaper for over 20 years sharing his giftedness and heart in the production of this award-winning publication. His love for the First Nations people of North America has been evident through his work on the newspaper and...
It's with a lot of excitement and not a small amount of angst that I put pen and ink to this issue of the Indian Life newspaper, our first in the partnership and merger of Indian Life Ministries and the Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada Inc. It's a huge step for both organizations! In case you are not too familiar with NEFC, we are a Canadian association of Native churches and have been operating since 1971. There are 17 churches affiliated with us at present. They are...
MUSKOGEE, OK-The descendants of former slaves held within the Cherokee Nation are entitled to tribal citizenship, a federal judge ruled in a long-running controversy that has stretched through three U.S. presidential administrations. In the landmark decision, Judge Thomas F. Hogan settled the biggest issue in the dispute. He said a treaty signed in 1866 guarantees citizenship to the former slaves-more commonly known as Freedmen-and, by extension, to their descendants. "The...
OTTAWA—In a speech to the United Nations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada has let down its 1.4 million indigenous people and that his government would do better to improve their lives. When the prime minister was elected in 2015, he pledged that his administration would work on its relationship with aboriginals. In his September 21, 2017 speech, Trudeau noted to the U.N. General assembly the history of Canada’s colonization as being filled with “humiliation, neglect and abuse.” Indigenous Canadians, compris...
In an answer to much prayer (and a long-time prayer), Intertribal Christian Communications (Indian Life Ministries) and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Inc., form a new partnership. For many years, ILM staff and Board have been praying for a First Nations believer to join ILM as Director, and the Lord has chosen now to answer this prayer! With this new partnership, NEFC Executive Director, Kene Jackson, will provide new leadership, wisdom and experience for ILM....
My life story begins in a small log house in the middle of Berens River, a remote First Nation community on the southeast shore of Lake Winnipeg on June 3, 1962. My story actually started with my mother Lilly MacDonald Everett who became a follower of Jesus when she was 18. She was a great prayer warrior who gave powerful prophetic words. She married my father, Tashie Everett, and had nine children but miscarried three. Five of those children were born before me. My mother...
ST. JOHN'S, NF-A $50-million settlement was reached in May between the federal government and hundreds of students who attended residential schools in Newfoundland and Labrador, ending a 10-year legal battle. The Prime Minister's Office confirms that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will apologize in Labrador. An exact date and location have not been confirmed, but an update is expected soon. Starting in the late 19th century, about 30% of children of Canada's native peoples, or...
TULSA, OK-The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is welcoming a federal court decision that confirms the boundaries of its reservation in Oklahoma. By a unanimous vote, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday said Congress never "disestablished" the reservation even though portions were parceled out during the allotment era. In a statement to The Tulsa World, Chief James Floyd called the 126-page decision a "complete and unqualified victory." "Today's unanimous decision is a complet...
The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services congratulated Chief Charlene Belleau and Esk'etmc First Nation upon opening the new Sxoxomie School, which will welcome students from preschool to seventh grade. "It gives me great pleasure to share my congratulations and best wishes to Chief Charlene Belleau, and the entire Esk'etemc community on the opening of their new school," said Philpott. "This milestone reflects our shared commitment to safe and healthy...
WASHINGTON-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a report to the White House in late August that he will not call for the removal of any national monuments but will recommend downsizing an unnamed "handful" of monuments. The report follows a four-month review of national monuments that were created or expanded since 1996 by presidents invoking the Antiquities Act, in what critics have called an overreach of federal authority. Environmental groups had feared that the review...
