When Cultures Collide

                                                          

The Yakama People, and all Native Americans, have a very rich and beautiful story to tell.  Despite years of robbery and oppression from our government, being a forgotten people in society, and living in “fourth” world poverty (third world poverty surrounded by first world wealth… stop and think about this for a minute!!), the American Indians still strive to teach their youth the fullness of their traditions and values.  On one hand it is admirable that they continue to hold onto what they have known and believed from the beginning of their existence.  On the other hand it seems to me as if they strive in vain.  So much of who they are as a people is tied to the land, and for many tribes across our nation, land is one thing that has been slowly taken from them since Columbus sailed the ocean blue.    

The tribes in the Pacific Northwest for generations moved with the seasons in order to survive.  In the spring tribes would travel to the river for Salmon, in the summer they would head to the valley to harvest berries, in the fall they would climb the hills and mountains for the picking of roots and the hunting of deer, and in the winter they would rest at the base of the Cascade Mtn. Range with hopes of surviving the harsh winter.  They relied on God’s provision for life and sustenance in a way I never have before.  They KNEW that the salmon would offer itself as a sacrifice every spring so that God’s children could live.  For sake of time I won’t delve into their Creation story with this post, but I hope to unpack it soon… pretty incredible.  So rich was their tradition!  BUT… today the land on which they relied on so heavily has been sliced and diced and served up to the highest bidder.      

            In the midst of it all, many Natives press on in hopes that their history will not soon be forgotten by their youth.  On Friday, all of the interns attended a traditional Pow Wow, where the elementary kids dressed up in full Regalia (what ignorant Americans like myself would have simply called an Indian “costume”).  This Pow Wow was a glimpse into the valiant efforts by the elders to hold on to what tradition they have left to pass on to the next generation.  Here are just a few picks of the beauty that is Native American Culture.

- Robert