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The heat was unbearable. My body didn't want to peel itself off the bunk. I tried to convince myself that maybe today I could take a break and just veg out . . . until I saw him. He was all alone, and scurried frantically about. He moved left. Then right. Forward. Then left and right again. I was intrigued, and soon found myself mesmerized by his movements. His rhythmic walk invited me to join him. I have lots of time on my hands, as I wait in Ad Seg (the hole) for my...
Whenever I've spoken to a group of people or when I wrote my first two books, I've focusd at some point on experiences that I've gone through from birth until later adulthood, including my being a residential school survivor. One reason I do this is from wanting to connect with people more deeply. When I focus on my story, I hope my account can connect with other people's stories and make my main points more visual and relatable. We all love stories. That's why most of us grew...
It's a new year. That time when my dentist says, "Out with the old teeth; in with the new." That time when we leave some things behind. In January 1973, I left trumpet lessons behind. I picked that thing up, and neighbor dogs would clap their paws over their ears and howl. Little kids would yell, "Mama! Make it stop!" In January 1974, I left piano lessons. And picked up the guitar. I'm so glad. Pianos are hard to carry. In January 1983, I left behind a moustache. And some...
A young Kiowa brave stood quietly in the midst of blackberry bushes and waited for a giant elk to approach him. "Welcome, my brother," the brave, named Broken Face, reached out his hand and stroked the neck of the elk. "And how is Bear Killer on this fine day?" The elk snorted and shook his mighty antlers. When the elk had been young, he had been attacked by a bear. The bear had raked the elk's hide with his sharp claws, leaving scars that still showed after ten years. The str...
How are you with silence? I wouldn’t want continuous silence, but I enjoy special moments of stillness. I especially like quiet. My dad once told me that it was because I grew up in Wyoming. Dad really missed Wyoming in his last years. I don’t live there any longer so I miss it too. I remember nature’s concert as the Wind River flowed around a big bend in the pasture. Water rippled over rocks here and there, adding high notes to the river’s music. I can still hear that sw...
It happened twice, two days in a row. Both times I was forgotten. Time moved, but I didn't. I was left alone, cuffed, in a stand-up-only cage. I love business. I truly enjoy the art of growing a business and pivoting to keep up with demands and market trends. Business comes easily to me. I am intrigued by the working parts, especially sales and P.R. (Public Relations.) All businesses are based on sales, and to sell itself, a business needs P.R. The image of the business is...
QUESTION: We talk a lot about reconciliation in our country. Is God's definition of reconciliation the same as the government's? What does the Bible say about reconciliation? ANSWER: Achieving reconciliation between indigenous people and government has been an important subject matter in recent years as we have aimed at the hope of attaining a harmonious, healthy and equitable relationship between the parties that addresses the historical and current grievances unjustly faced...
Sometimes letters we receive include delightful artwork. Thanks to Dustin for sharing his gifts with us!...
Our vision at Indian Life ministries is to restore hope, healing and honor within indigenous communities through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. One outreach of Indian Life ministries is that of Intertribal Life newspaper. It is a one-of-a-kind newspaper in North America. That's right. No one else produces what Indian Life does. To God be the glory. Intertribal Life newspaper is filled with 50 percent Indigenous news and 50 percent gospel truth. That means that if a story...
I don't like New Year's resolutions. Year after year I have declared, resolutely, to do or not do something, and year after year without fail, I fall short. I may last a solid two or three months, but I always quit, give up, and fail. And you know how I feel? Awful. Like I have failed. I hate failing. The precious time between Christmas Day and New Year's Day is transitional. It's those precious seven days when we are still living in the old (2022) but are anticipating the...
I have a few times, but there's always been a good reason for it. The road was icy, the road was muddy, the car was too fast, the sun was in my eyes, I was adjusting the stereo, I was reading the map, my wife was tickling me, etc. etc. Yup, there's plenty of solid (and not so solid) reasons for my missing the road! Whatever the reason (or bad excuse) was, my truck came to an abrupt stop! Never mind that I'm a five-million-mile driver. I was in the ditch! Not the place I...
God's Word makes it clear that children are to be looked upon as a blessing. He speaks about the worth of children throughout His book, the Bible. "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him" (Psalm 127:3, NLT). God's Word also tells us the importance of protecting children. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones" (Matthew 18:10, ESV). The world we live in often does not recognize the value of children. Sadly, evil abounds. But the Word of...
When I was adopted as a two-year-old, I went through a volatile time, like many foster children do, when they can't stay with their biological parents or family. I was moved around 12 times before settling with the Stelters who raised me. Then, by age five, I went to various child psychologists and psychiatrists to help me with my behavioral problems. I was even put on liquid valium to calm me down, but according to my child welfare file, it didn't work that well. The file...
Nothing brings up memories like Christmas. The good, the bad and the ugly-our favorite Christmas and our worst Christmas. People want to be happy at Christmas. They smile more and laugh more-even carols say, "Joy to the World" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." When my children were small, every Christmas was magically filled with love and laughter and gifts and toys and food and friends. We celebrated Thanksgiving by putting up our Christmas tree and decorating...
Recently a California delivery truck spilled 150,000 tomatoes across Interstate 80. To help us ketchup on this juicy story, news crews reported that the truck hit a central divider spilling its cargo. One car got stuck in the mess, causing a chain reaction of crashes involving four vehicles. Is this how they make pizza sauce now? I'd love to report that a truck came right behind hauling hot peppers, cilantro and onions, but it's not true. I'm told no one was seriously...
I don't know how many times I have watched different versions of the Cinderella story. My favourite may still be the original Disney cartoon, where the birds and the mice attempt to help poor Cinderella attend the ball where she meets her prince. She ultimately needs a fairy godmother to turn her rags into a beautiful gown and her pumpkin into a royal coach. I've probably watched every Christmas movie about a prince meeting the ordinary girl and falling in love. The girl comes...
No warning is given. The instant brightness burns through my eyelids. I only have two options: open my eyes to the light, or cover up and try to avoid it. Here in Ad Seg (the Hole) I have control over little. Although I can flush my toilet when I use it, the system limits me to only two flushes every thirty minutes. I'm allowed to shave when I shower; however, I only receive three showers every seven days. And although I have a light switch, the wizards behind the steel...
QUESTION: I have a husband who is a Christian, but he is not Indigenous. I have children from an earlier marriage living with us. Their relatives want to see them, but they aren't Christians. Should I let them? My kids need to know their background, but I am afraid of the non-Christian influence. ANSWER: I would like to say a word about the first part of your letter, though it isn't the main part of your question. The part I refer to is "but he is not Indigenous." If there is...
Christmas had always been a time for me to get things. Right from my first memories of toy trucks under the tree, it was that way. I remember the Christmas when I decided to do it differently. . . . In Canada we have Kijiji (it's like Craigslist), where I posted an ad, "Free Boosting. Anytime, Anywhere around Calgary. Just call me! Merry Christmas!" I added a picture of some booster cables, gassed up the old Jeep 4x4, and started to field the calls that came in. It was really...
Have you ever noticed that we can be encouraged by someone's words at one moment, and then utterly discouraged the next? One parent may celebrate with a child who comes home with an 80 percent on a test. However, the other parent may ask what happened to the remaining 20. Your boss may discipline you for the way you handled a customer, but a co-worker may empathize with you over how hard the customer was. One teacher may point out all of the things a student is doing wrong, wh...
Summer is leaving and autumn is arriving. Some call it Fall. I sometimes wonder if that is because it is related to the Fall of Man from the Garden of Eden. We are falling away from green grass and colorful flowers and heading for white and brown frozen things. I'm not really depressed about it, as it may sound; I enjoy cuddling under a soft blanket and reading or watching a movie as storms rage outside. I just know that life is more difficult in winter. This changing season...
Shortly after Abigail Echo-Hawk, M.A., began her job as director of Urban Indian Health in 2016, she was astonished at what she discovered when she opened a file drawer. Inside was a 2010 comprehensive survey which asked Native American women residing in the city if they had ever experienced sexual violence. The survey of the148 women participants revealed that 94 percent had either been coerced into sex or had been raped at least once. But what astounded Echo-Hawk most was...
QUESTION: Some people use traditional medicine for healing when they are sick, and some go to a medicine man to put curses on people. Is it right for a Christian to go to a medicine man for healing or is it wrong. Since becoming a Christian I have gone for healing because our family needed help to live, but I prayed for the Lord to forgive me if it is wrong. ANSWER: Your question is one that, to answer it as thoroughly as possible, would take the whole of this newspaper and...
Prescription eyeglasses A wedding ring Nose ring Dog tags These are four items from our family that now call the bottom of Buffalo Lake, Alberta home. For the last 14 years, our family has headed out with special friends to go camping each year. This is a special time for us, and there isn't much, if anything, that gets in the way of these plans. Our kids have grown up at the campsite. They've fallen asleep under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of nature and a crackling ca...
Last year, I was asked to write a song about a man I didn't know. The friend who requested it sort of figured it wouldn't be hard to figure out something to write about the guy, but I was at a total loss for words, not knowing anything about him! So I made a bunch of phone calls, sent a few emails and fired off a myriad of texts in my quest to find out all I could about this unintroduced stranger. My hunt was successful!! I found out he was 87 years old, a USMC veteran...
