Institutionalized Oppression Started with Ministries

PREFACE: This is the third of six articles I wrote as a guest columnist for the Anchorage Daily News "Voices from the Community" series, it was printed Wednesday, December 11, 1991 (http://www.adn.com/). The pictures weren't included in the article.

“Thanks to an army of missionaries from Western Europe [originally], Native Americans will be celebrating Christmas throughout the country. Relatives, family, and friends will reaffirm their loyalties to one another through the exchange of gifts and party favors. Sadly, that’s all this season means for some people – an exchange of gifts. With all the tit-for-tat going on, you’d think it was a formula for validating one’s self-worth by how much you gave or received.

Christmas commemorates the birth of a man renowned worldwide as someone rich in spirit, wisdom, and compassion for all humankind; a man revered as the son of an all-seeing, all-loving, all-forgiving God – Jesus Christ. He was honest with himself…walked his talk and treated others like he wanted to be treated.

My Inupiaq grandparents were indoctrinated by missionaries at the turn of the century (1900) like many Native people in Alaska. From their case history I have less than perfect admiration for organized religion or dogma. But as Herbert Spencer was once quoted as saying, ‘There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot help but keep a man in everlasting ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation. Unlike the missionaries’ contempt for unfamiliar spiritual beliefs prior to investigating them, I educated myself about Jesus by reading the New Testament in the Bible and seeing media documentaries on him.

By virtue of Jesus’ example and followers who perpetuate his teachings, we’re to focus on the positive qualities among ourselves and the rest of the human race. Why then do you suppose Christian missionaries in Alaska and in the Lower 48 could only see what was unfamiliar in Native people? Whose example were they following when they whipped children and washed out their mouths with soap for speaking their own languages? How honest were they in walking their talk when oppressing the religious practices (such as dancing) of Native people? Rather contradicts the Christian covenant, doesn’t it?

Some would suggest just forgetting the whole thing ever happened. Write it off as a blundering mistake by Western Society’s first moral diplomats. After all, there were only a few of them and their intentions were good.

But the institutions they represent have deep roots in America’s foundation. Not to mention direct influences on attitudes and policies in municipal and state government institutions. Why do you suppose it took so long before Native Americans were even given the right to vote?

I am sure that the powers that be, governing popular opinion, would have Native people follow Jesus’ lead and forgive the atrocities plagued upon them by their Western Counterparts. As if to say, ‘We taught you about Jesus, a loving man who saves sinners’ souls. We needed to fulfill a perquisite to being saved and sinning against you provided us an excuse to meet our salvation.’

Recently some ministries here in America have begun apologizing for their fore-bearer’s actions. None too soon, either. It’s difficult for moral humans to live with a guilty conscience. Especially when you worship an all-seeing, all-loving, all-forgiving, God whose only requirements of you are to be honest with yourself, walk your talk, and treat others as you would like to be treated.

As easy as it is to say you’re sorry, it takes true humility to ask for forgiveness. If you think about it, it puts you in a humble beggar’s role rather than a commanding giver’s role.

Ever see an adult make children apologize to someone they’ve offended? Only later to see the same children stick their tongues out at the person they apologized to when the adult wasn’t looking. Ever received a forced apology from a child? Did you well up with compassionate love or feel even more violated when the child apologizing stuck their tongue out at you later?

Well, what’s symbolically different about that and what Native people are experiencing now that some ministries have apologized? Since ministries were the first institutional diplomats of morality for Western Society it’s only right that they do. It’s where institutionalized prejudice against Natives was first ingrained. Whatever prejudice started there has only permeated into other institutions like schools, jobs, government, and court systems.

Native Americans I’m sure are grateful for the small gifts received from Western Counterparts; they show America’s got a conscience if nothing else. With the separation between church and state, it’s now easy for states to have no moral conscience to dictate what actions they take. Especially when it comes to separating Natives from their land…to exploit their resources. So what else is new?

This country has as many [church] denominations in it as there are teepee poles in a teepee, and they all meet at the top somewhere. If they could just see that they’re also pullers in a giant blanket toss with Jesus as their jumper, they’d be more careful how they supported him through their actions. At present, Native Americans have suffered infinite Pearl Harbor attacks on their cultures. All for what? For treating visitors as they wanted to be treated.”

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