June 27, 2021 - "Racism and the Native American Experience"

An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.
 
An item that has been in the news lately is the discovery of the remains of over 200 children at a former indigenous residential school in Canada.  Both Canadian bishops and indigenous leaders are pushing for a papal apology because this particular Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, which was founded in 1890, was run by both the local Catholic Church and the Canadian government until it closed in 1978.  Calls are being increased for Pope Francis to make a formal public apology for the crimes and abuses committed against indigenous children at the schools on behalf of the Catholic Church.  Since similar schools were run in the United States, it is timely that we look at racism and the experience of Native Americans.  The information that I am presenting on this comes from a background sheet entitled “Racism and the Native American Experience.”  Here is the link for this background position paper for those who wish to consult it directly:  racism-and-native-american-experience.pdf (usccb.org).
 
In the November 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, the Catholic bishops of the United States urge all Catholics to acknowledge “the scourge of racism” that still exists in our hearts, words, actions and institutions. Racism is rooted in a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of people of a different race. It does not reflect the inner life of God—the Triune unity of three-in-one—that we are called to imitate. Racism manifests itself in sinful individual actions, which contribute to structures of sin that perpetuate division and inequality. The Native American experience offers a particular illustration of racism in history and today.
 
When Europeans arrived on the shores of this country, they were often blind to the dignity of indigenous peoples. Colonial and later U.S. policies toward Native American communities were often violent, paternalistic, and directed toward the theft of Native American land. Native Americans were killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery, and raped. These policies decimated entire communities and brought about tragic death.
 
The results were massive forced relocations of people as endured by the Cherokee people on the “Trail of Tears” and of the Navajo in the “Long Walk.” Thousands of men, women, and children died during those forced removals. Schools and orphanages began “Americanizing” Native children by forcing them to abandon all facets of their culture, including their native languages. The devastation caused by national policies of expansion and manifest destiny, fueled by racist attitudes, led to the near eradication of Native American peoples and their cultures.
 
The effects of this evil remain visible in the great difficulties experienced by Native American communities today. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate health care, poor schools, the exploitation of natural resources, and disputes over land ownership in Native American communities are the legacy of these evils today.

In Heritage and Hope: Evangelization in the United States (NCCB [National Conference of Catholic Bishops] Pastoral Letter, 1990), the U.S. Catholic bishops wrote, “As Church, we often have been unconscious and insensitive to the mistreatment of our Native American brothers and sisters and have at times reflected the racism of the dominant culture of which we have been a part.” All Catholics are called to give renewed attention to historical and present injustices resulting from racism against Native Americans, better integrate the needs and contributions of Native Catholics, and work for greater justice for the descendants of the first Americans.
 
Let me leave you with this closing thought:
 
“We ask the Catholic community to join us in seeking new understanding and awareness of their situation and in committing our Church to a new advocacy and action with our Native American brothers and sisters on issues of social justice and pastoral life which touch their lives.” –U.S. bishops, 1992:  A Time for Remembering and Recommitting Ourselves as a People.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John