Ipomadi, the "Grandman"of the Wayana Tribe visited our Indian Life office in Winnipeg. He shared with us a photo of his family. One of his concerns and that of many of his community is the invading forces and influences of 21st Century civilization on his family, church, and community.
Above: Ipomadi along with his co-worker, World Team's Marco Schuurman. They were in Manitoba to investigate the Lord's purposes for the Indigenous peoples of ALTECO and to see how they can connect with the Indigenous people in Manitoba and Winnipeg's North End.
Poster announcing their previous meetings in Pennsylvania.
Recently, World Team's Marco Schuurman, and Ipomadi, the "Grandman" of the Wayana Tribe visited our Indian Life office in Winnipeg. Marco shared about the work in Suriname and French Guyana and translated for Ipomadi, who in addition to being his tribe's chief, serves as an elder in the Wayana church.
Indian Life: Did you come to know Jesus as a child growing up or later in life?
Ipomadi: I came to know Jesus in the children's club.
Indian Life: How did you become a follower of Jesus?
Ipomadi: We learned from the Bible about Jesus through the club in the church.
Indian Life: When was the first time that you realized that there was a different world out there and when did you first travel outside the jungle?
Ipomadi: The first time was in 1992 when I was 21. I travelled to Holland.
Indian Life: You are the current chief of your tribe?
Ipomadi: Yes, I am chief of the lower river area and there is another chief for the upper area.
Indian Life: Are you a hereditary chief or are you chosen by the tribe?
Ipomadi: It is hereditary but the people decide who is able to lead. I am not the oldest son but the youngest son but I was chosen to be chief. I had to be chosen by the village.
Indian Life: How long have you been chief?
Ipomadi: Since 2004.
Indian Life: That's a long time. Tell us about your family.
Ipomadi: I have a daughter studying in one location and a son in another place.
Indian Life: Are you concerned that your children might be affected by negative elements that you as the tribal leader are trying to protect your people from?
Ipomadi: That's why we pray. That the Lord protects them.
Indian Life: Do your people feel threatened by the outside world?
Ipomadi: Sometimes people have come from other tribes to escape the threat of modern civilization.
Indian Life: What is the biggest threat the church faces in your tribe?
Ipomadi: The government doesn't want the kids to read the Bible and they were not allowed to read the Bible in the boarding school. If they were caught spending time praying on their own time in their rooms, they were punished. Beaten. Because they were reading a Bible.
Indian Life: What encouragement could you give to your tribe and people elsewhere for these difficult days in which we're living?
Ipomadi: Do not give up. God's Word gives us hope and teaches us how to live our lives, following after Jesus. Don't give up. God loves you and He has a path for you to walk. He will give you the strength and direct you.
Indigenous Empowerment
ALTECO (www.alteco.org) is a consortium of organizations and individuals working with indigenous people groups in the Amazon region of South America to empower them in a holistic way.
ALTECO is an acronym for Amazon & Lowland Tribal Empowerment Coalition. The Amazon & Lowlands region of South America is inhabited by 400+ tribal indigenous groups. This area covers tribal territory within 11 countries.
“We speak today about a Third Wave,” stated World Team’s Marco Schuurman. “The First Wave was when the missionaries came over from other countries and made contact with the tribal people. The Second Wave was when the local Indigenous churches were getting into position. The Third Wave today is the tribal churches strong, healthy and they are looked upon by the local Surinamese churches as equal partners. So the Third Wave is now—the time for the Indigenous tribal churches to step up and for the other churches to say, ‘We see you as equal partners in our whole network.’”
“So empowerment is very important. Fifty years ago, we would have wars together but by God’s grace, we now are growing together and working together as equal partners,” said Schuurman.
Schuurman and the Wayana chief were in Manitoba to investigate the Lord’s purposes for the Indigenous peoples of ALTECO and to see how they can connect with the Indigenous people in Winnipeg’s North End.
