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Mashpee Wampanoag of Massachusetts tribal member Sherry Pocknett was recently honored as one of over 20 other semifinalists from the six New England states. And Pocknett would go on to win the coveted James Beard award for Best Chef of the northeastern U.S.-the first Native American woman ever to win the honor. Nicknamed the "Academy Awards of the food world," the James Beard award is the highest honor in the U.S. food industry. It is also considered to be among the country's...
The odor makes my eyes water. The walls are covered with dried clumps of hair and soap scum. The ¼" of scum lies silently at the bottom of the broken sink. To label it filthy and unsanitary is an understatement. Ad Seg (the Hole) doesn't have inmate workers. There are no inmates assigned to keep the common areas of this ancient building clean. In a regular facility inmates are assigned to clean the hallways, tiers, benches and showers. If left neglected, the showers...
Q: Recently I was hurt by a person in a position of leadership and authority. Although this person has apologized to me, he has not had to face any other consequences for his behavior. I'm finding it difficult to accept his apology and just forgive him. I still hurt, and it doesn't seem fair for this person not to be punished in some way for his actions. I'm a Christian, and I know that the Bible says I am to forgive and forget. How do I forgive when I feel that justice has...
I'm a Native from the Navaho Tribe. I have been incarcerated since 1999. When I came to prison, I was a religious person who only believed in God when I was in trouble. I was a backslider and read the Bible but had no understanding of it. About 2005, I wept in tears and asked God to forgive me of my sins. I felt ashamed because I was the only Native at the altar weeping in tears, but something happened there at the altar. I felt an arm around me and heard a voice that said, "I...
Question: My husband and I became Christians two years ago. We are glad that we know the Savior, but we struggle with some things. Our families follow the traditional ways, and they are angry because we don't participate in feasts and ceremonies anymore. My cousin told me that if I really loved my grandparents, I would live the way they taught me to live. That really hurts me. How can I show my family I love them without turning my back on the Lord? Answers: You have not told...
He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. Psalm 91:4 Devotion: The psalms are often songs of comfort. When we are attacked and tormented in our life, we can take comfort in the fact that God has promised to protect and shield us much like this drawing demonstrates, showing up to protect the man under its large wings. God is our refuge, He is faithful. We must learn to trust Him and His Word....
Q: Our Indigenous church has a problem between those with low incomes and those who have a good paying jobs. Most of our leaders are the ones with good incomes, but the low-income people don't want their leadership. They tell the ones with good jobs they aren't Indians anymore. How should we deal with this? I don't want our church to break up. A: I am glad we have a book to rely on for answers. Many problems like this one would not have to be if the Bible was taken to be the...
Christianity is not a religion but it is a personal relationship with Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she will tell you that he or she has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior. At the moment of conversion, when a person calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ that person is instantaneously saved from the wrath of God. A person has to be saved before he or she can have a personal relationship with God. Adam and Eve the first human beings on earth were...
Dear Friends, A few weeks ago, my wife Krystal and I took a short camping trip to the small town of Nordegg, Alberta. Our two children have been serving at Camp Chestermere as Camp Counsellors for the summer, and as such during the week, it has just been Krystal and I. To answer your question, yes, we have been enjoying our time alone together. The weather was beautiful, and we had never really gone away by ourselves since we became a family of four. I thought it would be...
Question: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12 What does this mean? And why should it matter to me? Answer: In the Bible we see where the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Beloved Son, has been given more than 300 names and titles. Each name gives us a word picture or description of who God is. It is God's way of revealing Himself to His creation. I love the book...
Change. Change is constant. Here at ILM, a lot of change has been happening. In the last two months we have welcomed a new general director, and we have also set up a satellite office in Chestermere, Alberta. We have experienced a ton of training, packing, moving, looking for misplaced boxes and building new relationships. In fact, I think that has been our favorite part: meeting new people and building new relationships. We relish hearing from you and learning of the ways...
The birth of our son Joseph Seth was truly an extraordinary answer to prayer, and we call him our "miracle baby." He was born 25 years after Sheila and I married, and his birth has been one of the greatest blessings in our marriage. When he was a baby, Joseph was dedicated to the Lord by Associate Pastor Randy Jost at the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa. Sheila and I were so thankful to God for giving us a son, and we made a commitment to raise him up in the fear of the...
Learn about this ministry through our interview with Dan DeGaris-Director of Development, Indigenous Ministry What are the top two challenges marriages face today across the board? Couples face so many challenges these days and Covid-19 has certainly added to them. However couples will always have to deal with two common issues. One is our differences. As couples we have different interests, life experiences, personalities, desires and expectations and they all can impact our...
As a child and as a teenager and even as an adult, several times I would act in a certain way that wasn't helpful in my moving forward in maturity. I would make mistakes and endure their consequences. Many times, I would not change my behaviour, which meant changing my mind, until I got caught doing something inappropriate, or unacceptable to my own welfare or the welfare of the community. One evening I listened to a preacher online who explained that the word "repentance"...
When I was five years old, my twelve-year-old cousin, who was a bully and who teased and tormented me without mercy, pushed me into the river. I couldn't swim and would have drowned but a man who was fishing nearby saw what happened, jumped into the river and saved me. This left me with a life long fear of water. When I was eight-years-old, I was in a car with three uncles and two aunts. We were on a country road, and as we crossed an old wooden bridge, the bridge collapsed...
Q: With marijuana now being legalized in many areas of Canada and USA, is it okay to use it? I'm told it has many medicinal properties. A: History tells us that culture is ever changing, adjusting itself to the whims and wishes of the day. John Wesley was credited with saying, "What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace." Such is true of the issue of the legalization of marijuana in our present culture. As always, the believer in Christ needs to evaluate...
In the holy and sacred book that was passed down from our spiritual ancestors, we read the story of a leader, Paul, who shared wisdom and advice about weaknesses. In 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 we read his story: "I was given a thorn in my flesh. . . . Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that C...
Ah, winter. That season when our mothers draped us in 40 pounds of parka, thick mittens and winter boots so heavy you could barely walk to school. "You'll catch your death of cold," mom said while she wrapped four or five scarves around my head and pulled them so tight that I could see stars. I had to feel my way to school. If I fell over, I rolled a little, but I couldn't get up. I just stayed in a snowdrift until school was over and someone had mercy on me. Other than that,...
When it comes to trios, they're one of history's most well known ones. Nope, we're not talking about the Three Stooges or the Three Musketeers or even the Three Blind Mice. Look in almost any manger scene you see this season and you'll find them: The wisemen. Although technically, scholars tell us there may have been more than three of them, they were still among the first to worship Jesus after He was born. And we can take some pointers to apply in our own lives from the way...
Q: I have children with a man I was not married to, but I've met someone else I care about deeply. We want to marry, but I am struggling with the decision to do so. I am a Christian (although my relationship with the Lord is off and on) and need help knowing what would be right in the Lord's eyes. A: First some questions to consider. How is the relationship between your children and their father? How long have you been separated and had you separated before and got back...
Flowers are one of the special gifts God gave us. Flowers adorn our births, weddings, anniversaries, and our deaths. Flowers speak for us when we can't find the words to say, "I love you," "I'm Sorry," "Goodbye." Every Indian tribe has legends about flowers. Besides being beautiful, many flowers were used for ceremonies, healing, medicine and food. I've always loved the flower called Indian Paint Brush. Its red petals are one of the first to bloom in the spring and last until...
WWII U.S. Marine Corp veteran who worked in secret and confidential files, Washington DC Nearly 800 Native American women served in the U.S. military during WWII. For several reasons their contributions-as were those of all women who served in the armed forces during that era-were largely unrecognized. Perhaps the chief reason for such oversight in the WWII era is that, regardless of race or ethnicity, women as a gender were largely restricted regarding the capacities in...
Almost every person who makes a living public speaking has experienced a zipper malfunction on stage. This has happened to me twice. The first time it happened, I was speaking to a group of pastors. I stood there helpless, wishing my sweater were longer. Another preacher friend of mine had it worse. As he was speaking, someone in the front motioned towards the zipper region. It took him a minute to realize what was being communicated. Problem was, there was a large crowd in...
My Native American family of Creek and Cherokee descent was at best a nominal Christian family, but I have fond memories of attending vacation Bible school and going to church on rare occasions as a child. Although I wasn't taught the Word of God during my formative years, at the age of six I made a profession of faith at the conclusion of a Vacation Bible School-but throughout my teen years, I never felt secure in my relationship to Christ. As a teen, I fell victim to drugs...
Q: I am proud to be a child of God. Right now, I am struggling with the problem of determining which things in my Native American culture will fit in with my Christian faith and which things do not. Is it possible to have all of both worlds? A: I reread your question, and it seems your faith is somewhat shallow or you have just become a believer very recently. I may be missing something or not understanding but it seems in your question there is very little to say that you...
