First Native American declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church

Born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon (near what is now Auriesville, New York) of an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk father, Kateri was orphaned at four years of age when smallpox took the lives of her parents and brother, left her badly scarred, and with extremely poor eyesight.

Following the epidemic, her entire village was burned. Adopted by an uncle, Kateri moved with her new family to the community of Kahnawake. For the first time, she saw Jesuit priests--men the people called "Blackrobes". Their mission was to win as many Native American Indian people as possible to the Catholic faith.

Kateri's uncle, however, despised Christianity. Fearing her uncle's anger, for many years she only watched the Jesuits as they engaged in their work. In her heart, however, she harbored a secret desire to become a baptized Christian.

After she was baptized, she spent long hours praying and talking to God. She also remained single, and because her friends and neighbors did not understand such a decision, was held in contempt.

Children laughed and threw stones at her each time she strayed from her uncle's longhouse. In the village, Kateri was referred to as "the Christian," and "the Algonquin." The terms were used in derision.

Life in her village became unbearable for her, and others sympathetic to Kateri's desire to live her faith and learn more about it helped her to flee to LaPrairie, Québec, Canada. Once there, she decided to become a nun.

The priests advised that she should wait until she was more mature to make such a decision, but she convinced them she was ready, and was accepted as a mission sister.

But, Kateri's life was short. She contracted tuberculosis and at only age 24, died from the disease in 1680. Those with her stated that after her death, she was transformed into a very beautiful woman, and that all of her smallpox scars disappeared.

She was venerated by Pope Pius XII in 1943 and beatified in 1980 by Pope John Paul II. Known as the Lily of the Mohawks, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin, was canonized on October 21, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American Indian to be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Her feast day is July 14, and she is the patron saint of the environment and ecology.

Sources: Wikipedia; National Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine website; National Women's History Museum website.

KB Schaller (Cherokee/Seminole heritage) is a journalist, novelist and historical researcher. A version of the above article appears in 100+ Native American Women Who Changed the World, winner of a 2014 International Book Award, Women's Issues category. Her debut novel, Gray Rainbow Journey is winner of a National Best Books Award. She is also author of the sequel, Journey by the Sackcloth Moon.

Schaller's books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and other bookstores. She lives in South Florida. You can contact her via email at: soaring-eagles@msn.com. Her website is: http://www.KBSchaller.com.

Editor's Note:

For some of our readers, this may be a controversial issue-the canonization of saints by the Roman Catholic Church. We believe the Bible teaches that all those who are followers of Jesus having accepted Him as Savior are saints. Indian Life does not believe that only people who are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church or any church or religious order are called saints. However, we believe that Kateri Tekakwitha was a remarkable Native American woman and certainly deserving of recognition, especially in K.B. Schaller's column Outstanding Native Women.