While the GOP and the Democrats continue their on-going debate about the role of government in easing the plight of the poor, Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia has steadfastly continued ministry to some of our nation’s poorest people. Through the years we have reported these mission endeavors. (To view past articles, go to www.religiousherald.org and type “Standing Rock” in the search space).
When I learned that WMUV was encouraging its members (and others) to make pillowcases to distribute to Native Americans living on the Standing Rock reservation, I thought it rather odd, to be honest. My attitude was that receiving a pillowcase as a gift would generate about the same excitement as a kid getting socks for Christmas. That’s because every kid I know has never been without socks. I have learned, however, that for many Native Americans in this country a pillowcase is almost as scarce as a pillow to put it on.
Jim White
|
In fact, I have learned a lot more than that. For example, in many ways American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) living on reservations constitute the poorest of the poor in this country. One of my tutors was Daniel McCool, a newspaper reporter from Colorado.
“There are 550 federally recognized Indian tribes in control of 55 million acres of tribal trust land, and another 44 million acres of Alaskan native land. In addition, tribes control purchased lands and accustomed-use areas. According to the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, tribal governments control a natural-resource base of over 140,625 square miles, containing more than 730,000 acres of lakes and impoundments, and over 10,000 miles of streams and rivers.
“Combined, this land would constitute the fifth largest state in the United States. It’s almost the size of Montana and 40,000 square miles larger than Colorado. According to the Indian Data Center, reservations contain 44 million acres of grazing land, 5.3 million acres of commercial forests, 2.5 million acres of farmland, 4 percent of U.S. oil and gas reserves, 40 percent of known uranium deposits and 30 percent of Western coal.”
The uninitiated might believe that with these resources the 1.6 million native Americans enrolled as tribal members would be well off. Not true.
Standing Rock, where the WMUV has led mission experiences for the past five years, is the fourth largest in the nation. Straddling the border of North and South Dakota, it is larger than the state of Connecticut, but, according to statistical information published by the Sioux Tribe, has only 8,570 inhabitants. That computes to 2.7 people per square mile.
While the wide open spaces might provide plenty of elbow room, there aren’t many jobs. The unemployment rate for Standing Rock is over 80 percent. Desolate land, extreme weather conditions and the sheer distance to places of employment make this area a difficult place to live and work.
As a whole for other reservation dwellers the unemployment rate is about 50 percent with 30 percent of those who have jobs living below the poverty line.
As one would expect, the economic conditions give rise to a plethora of other social ills.
According to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Native Americans continue to experience higher rates of poverty, poor educational achievement, substandard housing, and disease.1
When compared with other racial and ethnic groups, AIAN youth have more serious problems with mental health disorders related to suicide, such as anxiety, substance abuse and depression.2
A 2010 report indicated the percentage of AIAN adults who needed treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem the previous year was almost double the national average for adults (18.0 vs. 9.6 percent).3
American Indians/Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as their non-Hispanic white counterparts and almost twice as likely to die from the disease.4
The causes of these conditions and their solutions are complicated by federal treaties with the AIAN peoples, by tribal pride and traditions, by substandard educational opportunities and by general hopelessness. Promises broken have given native Americans good reason to be wary of promises made.
But at least for some of the residents of Standing Rock, the 400 volunteers from churches in Virginia and North Carolina are creating trust by building relationships. Hand-in-hand, heart-to-heart, is more than the WMUV theme for Standing Rock missions. It is a promise made. And kept. Year after year.
And little by little, pillowcase by pillowcase, people are opening themselves to the strangers from the Mid-Atlantic region. But providing pillows and pillowcases was just the beginning of missions during WMUV’s annual missions trek the last week of July. A medical team provided basic attention to health needs, a construction team provided a new roof for a pastor’s trailer and a traveling team took a carnival to children.
Next summer you can bet that WMUV will be back in Standing Rock. I am already making plans to be among the volunteers when they go. I hope you will consider joining us. Training is needed and provided by Maria Lynn and her assistants with WMUV. If you can’t go, you can volunteer to pray. They have a plan to help you do that. Or you can help in other ways. This past summer it was pillowcases. One year is was underwear (churches promoted the gifts with “undie Sundays”). And donations are accepted.
While politicians talk about what to do — or not do — the body of Christ is at work bringing hope to the poorest of the poor in our country. You won’t see it on CNN or Fox, but you can read about it in the Herald!
Jim White ([email protected]) is executive editor of the Religious Herald.
1 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (2003). A quiet crisis: Federal funding and unmet needs in Indian Country. Washington D.C.: Manuel Alba and Mireille Zieseniss. http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/na0703/na0731.pdf.
2 Olson, L. M., & Wahab, S. (2006). American Indians and suicide: A neglected area of research. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 7(1), 19-33.
3 According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health report, June 24, 2010.
4 According to statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control and reported earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health.