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Brink of Spiritual Destruction: Losing Indigenous Heritage, Culture, Storytellers

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Racism, spiritual terrorism and the loss of Indigenous culture are among numerous social issues targeted by the Turtle Island Project, founded in northern Michigan in August 2007.
Two Midwest pastors started the Turtle Island Project because the world is sitting on the brink of important cultural, economic and religious issues that will either allow humans to prosper in harmony with the Earth or become the only species to cause its own extinction.
Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Dr. George Cairns say some if not many Christians belittle the knowledge and heritage of Indigenous cultures like Native Americans, Celts and other centuries-old religions/beliefs aligned with nature and the environment.
They believe we can all learn a lot about nature and the environment by listening to Earth-based cultures.
Rev. Hubbard is a Lutheran pastor. Rev. Cairns is an ordained United Church of Christ minister.
Both have extensive backgrounds in interfaith and multi-cultural work.
The Turtle Island Project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula promotes respect for the environment and Native Americans.
Turtle Island Project volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson reports

On Sept. 25, 2007 Rev. Hubbard spoke to college students, tribal educators and others at the annual United Conference at Northern Michigan University.
Topics included diversity and issues like the abuse and sexual mutilation of girls and women in Africa and racism against Native Americans
Rev. Hubbard said some Christians are too quick to dismiss Native American teachings.
Hubbard said whites can learn a lot from NA storytellers, myths and other Earth-based teachings.
Rev. Hubbard says Native Americans know that not everything can be described in words alone.
On August 11, 2007 - Dr. Hubbard spoke to religious scholars and authors in Ann Arbor - during the kick off of the Read the Spirit project.
Hubbard warned that some Christians think their beliefs are perfect to the exclusion of all others.
On August 28, 2007, Rev. Hubbard was invited to join a national Native American radio talk show conversation on racism by whites who live in towns bordering reservations - the same issue that Nimrod Nation highlighted as Watermeet, Michigan is on the edge of a reservation.
During Native America Calling, Rev. Hubbard told host Harlan McKosato that racism in northern Michigan is insidious.

Turtle Island Project main website:
http://www.turtleislandproject.org
Turtle Island (myspace)
http://www.myspace.com/TurtleIslandProject
Turtle Island Project websites/Blogs:
http://groups.msn.com/WhisperingTurtle
http://turtleislandproject.wordpress.com
TurtleIslandProject@charter.net
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Lakota words for God, Creator, Grandfather: Tunkasila Wakantanka Gitchi Manitou
Lakota: Mitakyasi: "all my relatives"
http://www.dlncoalition.org/home.htm
Heraclitus "The essence of things"
http://www.thebigview.com/greeks/heraclitus.html
http://www.spaceandmotion.com/books/philosophy-book-her...

Bishop Rt Rev. Steven Charleston
President and Dean of Episcopal Divinity School, Professor of Theology
Cambridge, Mass.
http://www.eds.edu/indexDyn.asp
http://www.wfn.org/1999/05/msg00107.html
http://www.nah.uiuc.edu/faculty/treaty/NCcharleston.htm...
http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2001-07-0...
http://www.bluecloud.org/shiningthrough.html
http://www.thewitness.org/agw/charleston042204.html
http://edoc.vox.com/library/posts/tags/steven+charlesto...
http://www.interfaithcreationfest.org/program.html#keyn...
Jamestown summit remembers Native saints, prepares for future generations:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78695_91767_ENG_HTM.htm
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/hires-image/elo_jamestow...
Photo by Carlyle Gravely
© 2007 Episcopal Life Online
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February 2008 United Nations Report on Racism and Human Rights violations and racial discrimination reported by Indigenous Peoples.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/I_P_I/message/18971
http://www.treatycouncil.org
Yoopernewsman

6 responses // Brink of Spiritual Destruction: Losing Indigenous Heritage, Culture, Storytellers

  • I feel so blessed to have watched this video and I thank you.

    I especially liked the arguments presented with regard to religious tolerance. The part that talked about that to deny that god's presence was just as much a part of the tribes of Africa, North and South America as his presence was with the tribes of Israel and Palestine.

    We are all one family, what we do unto others we do unto ourselves.

    I loved the part of the presentation that talked about our connection with nature and morphing from animal to human and back; that we are interdependent with the planet it is our home. That all nature sings the song that is God; and as brother Jesus said let him who has an ear; listen!
    jubal
  • Catchy headline too. Brink of spiritual destruction... this rings very true to me.
    jubal
  • Thank you Jubal for the comments.
    I am making sure Rev. Dr. Hubbard & Rev. Dr. Cairns see your comments.
    You are corret: We are all one people
    Yoopernewsman
  • http://www.jonjaramillo.com/nonviolence.htm
    Please share my paper with them on the subject.
    jubal
  • "We come closer to the truth when we connect with what’s alive in people than when we just listen to what they think.” (Killian 8)
    jubal
  • Well, Hedges indicted us with a passionate plea to examine war, the ultimate form of miscommunication, in all its apparent intricacies—warning us about its seductive and addictive qualities. He demonstrated that many, many people voluntarily give up their free will to indulge in patriotism, nationalism, and to fight the wars oblivious to the suffering their actions are bringing to bear on the innocent victims. We are deceived by the myth through systematic deception and propaganda designed to conform us into the “us and them” mentality. We are driven by fear of chaos and violence. And in defending our nation and our way of life we are actually oppressing the people who are becoming our enemies; we are the ones to blame for the hatred directed at our nation.
    jubal

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