Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 1044
MAYER, Ariz.-Some Indigenous farmers are trying to bring traditional food back to their communities. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a farmer from the Hopi Tribe, is focusing on bringing Hopi corn back to the dining table – not only for the health benefits but also to connect his people to their culture. Johnson, who also is a faculty member at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment, refers to corn as "our mother." "Corn represents our mother, a...
The ministry impact of the Cass Lake Alliance Church continues to go on strong! Started as a Native church plant in the 1930s, it continues to reach out locally while celebrating its historical impact globally. The church, located on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota, has raised over the years two gifted musical singing families-The Smith Family and The Berge Family-whose collective ministries span almost a century. Both families have traveled and have sung...
In 1957, Harvey Gabriel heard scripture read out loud in Kanien'kéha for the first time. When he got home, he asked his mother why Kanien'kehá:ka didn't have a Bible in their own language. "Oh, that's a big project," she replied. "And who's going to translate it?" Those words stuck with him, but it wasn't until 1974, as he was firing up his lawnmower after supper one day, that the idea finally came to him. "When I retire, I'm going to translate the Bible," he told himself. "...
OTTAWA, Ont.-In June 2022, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs began a study on emergency preparedness, and security and sovereignty in the Arctic. In June of 2023, the standing committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs released its report studying Arctic Security and Sovereignty and Emergency Preparedness of Indigenous communities. Among other findings, the committee says that Indigenous Services Canada is failing to provide First...
Todd and Krystal, our director team, are looking forward to helping facilitate the Bighorn Vacation Bible School (VBS) in Bighorn, Alb., July 17–21. The theme is "Jesus is the Greatest Chief!" Two dedicated believers, Wacey and Violet, have graciously opened their land for the event in the Bighorn Community, and a leader named Tyson will teach the children. We are so excited to assist in this outreach! When we are able to reach children of a family for Jesus, this often l...
If you haven't heard the news yet, we're excited to announce that we at Indian Life we are working on putting together a 365-day devotional! The devotional will be split into three volumes to make it more accessible. It will include submissions from 42 indigenous followers of Jesus, who are from 15 indigenous nations, 30 indigenous communities, 8 provinces and 4 states! Can you believe it! Wow! We are so excited! We ask for prayer regarding the development of this devotional....
If you’re attending these events, come by and meet us! If you would like ILM to participate in your event, contact Krystal at admin@IndianLife.org Jesus the Greatest Chief VBS—July 17–21, Bighorn, AB Every Story Matters Conference (ILM hosted)—Sept. 15–17, North Battleford, SK STEER Conference—Oct. 6–7, Bismarck, ND ILM Banquet—Oct. 21, Winnipeg, MB Indigenous Couples’ Getaway—Nov. 17–19, Rock Nest Ranch, Houston, BC Seattle Missionfest—Nov. 3–4, Seattle, WA...
WASHINGTON-A divided Supreme Court ruled recently that the federal government is not required to take "affirmative steps" to guarantee water for the Navajo Nation beyond the water rights that were granted in an 1868 treaty. The 5-4 ruling said that if the court agreed with the Navajo, it could lead to a situation where the government is forced to build "pipelines, pumps, wells or other water infrastructure" that were not specified in the treaty. "It is not the Judiciary's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Gila River Indian Community could get up to $233 million in federal funding for water conservation, one of the first to get the money under a program aimed at encouraging water cutbacks in Arizona, California and Nevada. The tribe will get $50 million from the Inflation Reduction Act this year in exchange for agreeing to leave 125,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead that it would otherwise be entitled to. There is an option for the tribe to do so again in...
Brent Maracle's Mohawk name, Sakonese- riiosta, means, "He makes the day good for them." Maracle received the moniker from elders of his Mohawk tribe. Each tribal name among the Mohawk is unique, and each member is responsible for making his or her name honorable. "Whenever anyone calls me by my name, it reminds me of my responsibility and obligation," Maracle says. "Jesus is the One who brings eternal life and makes the day good. I see my name as a reflection of my...
Mavis Etienne-Cree (Mohawk) is one of the people featured in the Indian Life Ministries book, Keepers of the Faith. Indian Life Ministries' team member Jody Dickson recently caught up with this hero of Indigenous faith to get an update on her life. Q: In the book, Keepers of the Faith, the author talked about your creativity and your art. How did you get started? A: A teacher came to the local community center to teach beadwork and knitting. I loved it and progressed. I began...
GLENDALE-Navajo artist Di'Orr Greenwood got emotional while speaking at the unveiling of the skateboard stamp that she designed in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service. "This moment is very big for my community as it is the first stamp that means our Native and Navajo community are featured on a nationwide scale," Greenwood said. "When the youth see it and they see how far it brought me, they're going to pick up right where I left off and go even farther than I did."...
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-On April 18, the On Eagles' Wings (OEW) Center hosted a dedication and open house. The purpose of the facility is to be used for Native American youth for a "gap year"-a nine-month program that will equip 35 to 60 young people at a time with tools to make a difference and be leaders for Jesus. OEW is a vision of the Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, which was founding in 1991 and is currently headquartered in Harrison, Arkansas, where OEW Center was built. OEW includ...
PHOENIX – Most museums ask guests not to touch the artifacts, but once a month, Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park encourages visitors to throw mud at a more than 800-year-old structure. The va'aki, popularly called a platform mound, was built sometime in the Classic Period (1150-1450 C.E.) by the Hohokam, according to city of Phoenix archaeologists. The mound "is the last visible part of the village of Pueblo Grande that you can still see," said Laurene Montero, Pho...
As a chaplain in our prison system, we provide a continuum of therapeutic care to people currently incarcerated or in transition from incarceration, and their families, as well as to those who are struggling with mental health issues, addiction, and or criminal behaviour. Our services are transformative and transitional in nature, supporting individuals towards positive life changes. In support of receiving Intertribal Life newspapers, our participants are hungry for the next...
Our vision at Indian Life ministries is to restore hope, healing and honor within indigenous communities through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In addition to our newspaper, books, and exciting partnerships, we work towards achieving our vision through hosting conferences. In 2021, we hosted Indian Life Ministries’ first conference. It was titled, “Let’s Talk About Reconcilation.” The next year our focus was “The Gift of Reconciliation.” Both years, a number of Indigenous followers of Jesus were asked to share their...
OTTAWA, Ont.—Federal ministers recently announced that Indigenous women's shelters in Canada will receive $103 million in funding from the federal government, to help women and girls who have been victims of violence. The investment is intended to provide at least 178 shelter spaces and transitional houses. The funding will support 22 projects in 21 communities across the country, off and on reserves, in the north and in urban areas. The funding does come with a couple of prob...
OTTAWA, Ont.-In March 2023, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, announced that the Government of Canada has signed Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund agreements with 24 Indigenous governments and organizations. These grant agreements, totalling $120.7 million, will support traditional hunting, harvesting, food-sharing, and community food programs in 112 eligible isolated and northern communities. "This new...
CHESTERMERE, Alb.-Indian Life Ministries is excited to announce a new book in their line-up: Stories from the North, by Bill Jackson. "Bill told us that any time he entertained people at his home, he always asked for stories and asked if it was okay if these stories were someday shared in a book," says Krystal Wawrzyniack of the Indian Life Ministries director team. "He knew this could be the last time he saw these people, and wanted to make sure he heard their stories. I...
OTTAWA, Ont.-Two days before his coronation, King Charles III met with Canadian Indigenous leaders for a conversation that many people hope will bring a new chapter in the relationship between the Crown and Canada's Indigenous people. While King Charles previously met with Canadian Indigenous leaders during a May 2022 visit to Canada, this was the first time a British monarch met with First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives together. The meeting at Buckingham Palace was...
WASHINGTON-Supreme Court justices pressed government attorneys in March on their argument that the treaties that put the Navajo on reservation lands implied an intent-but not a duty-for the government to provide water to the tribe. "Could I bring a good breach-of-contract claim for someone who promised me a permanent home, the right to conduct agriculture and raise animals, if it turns out it's the Sahara Desert?" Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Frederick Liu, the assistant to the...
CHESTERMERE, Alb.-A Saskatchewan First Nations woman has won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for best audio journalism. Journalist Connie Walker, who is from Okanese First Nation, won the award for her Gimlet Media podcast: Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's. The concept began when Walker learned a surprising story about her late father. She discovered that while performing a routine traffic stop as a RMCP officer (Mountie), her dad recognized the driver as the priest from St. Michael's...
PHOENIX-The FBI is investigating scams by fake rehab groups that target the Indigenous community, offering substance-abuse recovery or mental-health services at pop-up facilities to rake in government money, FBI officials say. Bogus organizers defraud the government out of money meant to help people at their most vulnerable, Phoenix FBI Agent Kevin Smith said. The fraud starts when scammers scout potential victims by going to places as varied as flea markets and medical...
RED DEER, Alb.-On January 27–29, 2023, Indian Life Ministries, Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Family Life Canada joined forces to sponsor the third Indigenous Couples' Getaway in western Canada. Eighteen couples attended this premier event held in Red Deer, Alberta, joined by three speaker couples-Kirby and Bernadette James, Conrad and Florence Flett, and Gord and Bev Mills-as well as musicians Kene and Milly Jackson, and several volunteers. The conference was b...
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-The Super Bowl LVII held in Glendale, Ariz. in February offered unprecedented opportunities for showcasing Native Americans this year. In the days before the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles even started, Indigenous artist Lucinda "La Morena" Hinojos was the first Native artist to be selected by the NFL to create the official artwork, which was featured on each of the 60,000 game tickes, as well as on the game ball and around the...
