What do ten pounds of bacon, Jesus birthday, and Indigenous persons have in common this week?
Federal Way United Methodist Church and connecting communities,
What do ten pounds of bacon, Jesus birthday, and Indigenous persons have in common this week?
Ten pounds of bacon can seem like a lot to eat. Just like climbing a mountain, it’s a manageable task one bite at a time. This past weekend, our United Methodist Men gathered to enjoy fellowship as well as a whole lot of bacon!
A couple of weeks ago, many of us went to the local Khalsa Gurmat Center opening. Personally, I had a great time learning more from my new young host about his faith, culture and calling to be a surgeon one day at the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!). To learn more about the school opening, check out this link.
Starting this Sunday, we will begin our season of Advent. If you want to learn more about what Advent is click here. We will be using the book “Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Experience” as our guide. There is a daily devotion, book, small group study and youth guide available. Use this link to the Kindle book if you are interested in studying along with us.
This will be my first Advent season with our church and I’m looking forward to learning and serving alongside you. It’ll be great to anticipate, wait and build excitement to celebrate the birth of Jesus so soon. You might be like my family, we decorate for Christmas after this week and not before. Or you may have already been setting up your lights and trees for the holiday season.
This particular week is often referred to as Thanksgiving week. I was recently talking with one of our newer members of our church. She is Robin "Zape-tah-hol-ah" Starr Minthorn. She has a Ph.D. and serves as Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at the University of Washington Tacoma. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Robin through our mutual United Methodist connections over the years and am thrilled that she, her husband and daughter are now active members of our community. I asked Robin to share her thoughts as an Indigenous person concerning this holiday season. I’m grateful that she took the time to share her thoughts below. She’s an incredible person and I find her writings below to be both thought-provoking and timely.
“My thoughts on "Thanks-taking":
As an Indigenous person to this land (though I am a guest within my current residency of Federal Way), I would like to take this time for us to not just be "thankful" for all we have and who we are but for each of us to situate ourselves in place and contributions to the colonization of Indigenous peoples. When we omit the narrative of thanksgiving to be one of inclusion and highlight the narrative of thankfulness we are also omitting the genocidal history and false narrative of bringing together a people that were then persecuted for who they are (the Indigenous Peoples). We need to each acknowledge our own complacency in advocating that the true history of colonization be taught in our churches, schools and communities that still upholds the settlers narrative of "American" history. Indigenous People have suffered and are still suffering from the ramifications of colonization and displacement. My question to the Church is how do we acknowledge our role in perpetuating a savior and missionary narrative within our work, our conversations and way of being? We need to own our roles and do more to advocate, to share in space and community to honor Indigenous Peoples in our areas and practices. Ah-ho (thank you) for reading and taking in these words.
Below, are some considerations for your reading/viewing pleasure:
Oppression and Empowerment of Native Americans.
6 Native American girls school us on the real story history of Thanksgiving.
Robin "Zape-tah-hol-ah" Starr Minthorn, Ph.D.
(Kiowa/Apache/Nez Perce/Umatilla/Assiniboine)
She/Her/Hers
Associate Professor
Director of Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
University of Washington Tacoma
"Bay p'ay tday, Bay p'ay tday"- Don't give up, keep trying!
For more information on the book, "Reclaiming Indigenous Research in Higher Education" visit this link
For information on the book, "Indigenous Leadership in Higher Education" visit this link.
I recognize that at UW Tacoma we learn, teach, and live on or near the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish people. We at UW Tacoma are specifically situated on the traditional territory of the Puyallup. We have a responsibility to acknowledge our Indigenous connections, as well as, histories of dispossession and forced removal that have allowed for the growth and survival of this institution.”
So, what do ten pounds of bacon, Jesus birthday, and Indigenous persons have in common? We live in a beautiful, diverse, and gifted world where we can celebrate how much bacon we consume and still learn about how we can learn from one another. I pray that we engage one another with a deep desire to know one another and honor our stories and gifts.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this weekly email.
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor DJ
he/him/his