Given the North American experience with government-sponsored, Christian-run, Indian boarding schools, the answer would seem to be always. There may in fact be exceptions to missionary predation, such as Quaker assistance to Palestinians, but evangelizing as an integral aspect of missions by definition takes something essential from those targeted.

by Jay Taber on Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 11:43:12 AM EST

First, Native America is well aware of what missionaries are really about- and that they're BAD NEWS.  Stories such as this are not unusual- I've met people who were victims of "Indian Schools" run by churches- one man was regularly sexually abused- and that was in the '70's!  This is but a continuation of the treatment we've had for many generations! Some examples:

This isn't well known- quote: "Estimates indicate that, from the early to mid-1960s to 1976, between 3,400 and 70,000 Native women- out of only 100,000 to 150,000 women of childbearing age- were coercively, forcibly, or unwittingly sterilized permanently by tubal ligation or hysterectomy."  (Dr. Marie Ralstin-Lewis, 2005 Wicazo SA review, pgs 71-72).  I would suggest reading pgs 75 and 76 of that article.   This is nothing unusual in our experience, but it is horrible.  NOTE:  the 3,400 figure is what is acknowledged by the US government- but research indicates it is closer to 70,000- almost half of our women*!!!

It is well documented that Hitler sent people to study the US reservation system and used that to develop their system for the "final solution".

Most people don't know this- but while slavery has been outlawed since the civil war, at the same time Native Americans are documented as being sold as slaves into the early 20th century (in California- and I believe connected with the missions).  

Think about the reservation system- In some cases Native Americans were branded or tattooed when they were going to leave the reservation... and several years ago (early 90's) an elder at a powwow showed me one such marking (a number- on her arm).  The reservation system was only a little better than out and out slavery.  And it was VERY VERY common for children to be taken out of the arms of their parents and put up for adoption or in "orphanages" where their connections to their own people/families were systematically destroyed (and may I add that these were almost always CHRISTIAN orphanages!!!  I would also remind the reader of the person I met who experienced regular and systemic sexual abuse!  That, by the way, was common!)

It was against Federal Law for most of us to practice our culture/religion (except on the reservations- and there it was discouraged).  When the bill granting us freedom of religion was before Congress in 1979, the churches fought strenuously against it.  They didn't want us to have the freedom everyone else took for granted.   My tribe's practices were against the law- even our existence in the southeast (our homeland) was against the law (and the churches were VERY unhappy when we gained back our rights)!

The Klan claims to be Christian.  You know their history and how they are.

I remember from my dominionist cult days sermons about slavery being in the Bible and thus "an institution of God"!

I expect things like this to grow and get more and more abusive.  I just hope that the word DOES get out- to the mainstream press and to the public!  What you've described is what my people were put through for generations.  It's now spreading like a cancer- and the same cause (Evangelical flavors of "Christianity") is to blame.

* These figures obviously don't include all of the Native Americans who kept their identity hidden during that period- and there were a lot of us.  Remember, it was against the law for us to even EXIST, so the only way we could survive was by passing as white (or in some cases, as black).

by ArchaeoBob on Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 01:03:44 PM EST

The Transformations video series produced by George Otis vividly demonstrate the assault on local cultures. The videos are used as testimonials and teaching tools for spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare. After the spiritual warfare and the expulsion of witches and other demons, when the population has been converted to "Spirit filled" Christianity, these communities supposedly become utopias of happy people with reduced crime, and magical healing of both humans and the environment including miraculous healing of AIDS.  The facts on these locations prove otherwise, and the movies themselves are heartbreaking if you look beyond the propaganda and think of the consequences to these communities.  

One heartbreaking scene is in the Transformations movie on Fiji, "Let the Sea Resound," as an island population is praying and fasting in apology for the killing of a missionary many decades ago by their ancestors.  Then they burn their native artifacts, carved wood masks, etc. in a bonfire.  There are numerous references in these movies as well as books on spiritual warfare to the destruction of artifacts of various populations as part of the process of removing the demon spirits.  Additionally, the leadership of the New Apostolic Reformation travels around the world praying for the destruction of other religious sites and artifacts including Roman Catholic sites.  And, as I reported in my article Talk2Action article, Killing Mother Theresa With Their Prayers, some of their leadership happily reported that believed that one of their spiritual warfare missions in 1997 may have resulted in the death of Mother Theresa and Princess Di. www.talk2action.org/story/2008/10/20/195730/89

They report that they believe their spiritual warfare has also resulted in the naturally occurring destruction of other religious buildings and statues including the burning of transcendental meditation center in California featured in the first Transformations movie.

by Rachel Tabachnick on Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 01:22:44 PM EST

Kevin Annett's film Unrepentant https://www.fpcn-global.org/content/UNREPENTANT-KEVIN-ANNETT-AND- CANADAS-GENOCIDE tells a similar story, only in Canada.

by Jay Taber on Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 02:46:19 PM EST

The "final solution" reference noted above was the subject of a film http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual& videoid=48191243 by Apache filmmaker Joanelle Romero, titled American Indian Holocaust.

by Jay Taber on Thu Jul 30, 2009 at 06:51:04 PM EST

Thanks for sharing it. I thought I would watch a few minutes, and ended up watching the whole thing. Very heartbreaking. I hope Mr. Ryska's work will help the Akha people.

He mentioned the Karen tribe as being more able to assimilate. They are the great silversmiths who make the Hill Tribes Silver jewelry components, but how much are they being also taken advantage of? I am now wondering about the practices of one wholesaler in particular...

by phatkhat on Fri Jul 31, 2009 at 03:15:47 AM EST

there are similar problems with the complex New Tribes Mission/Wyclif Bible Translators/Summer Institute of Linguistics in Latin America: making native communities dependent and clearing their land for oil companies and cattle ranchers, etc. ... I assume, that they are also active in Thailand but as far as I know, they are non-charasmatic/non-pentacostal and therefore not too close to YWAM & Co.

by Entdinglichung on Fri Jul 31, 2009 at 12:38:57 PM EST

Tribalism http://www.scribd.com/doc/17701736/Tribalism is a largely misunderstood and maligned social and political entity. Until industrial societies stop attacking indigenous peoples, nothing fundamental can be accomplished by international institutions like the UN.

by Jay Taber on Fri Jul 31, 2009 at 01:31:54 PM EST

came to mind as I watched this intriguing video.  First, was it credible?  I believe it was since I believe this site to be.  But the video struck me as kind of similar to what I've seen in theatres, mockumentary.  I believe it is a credible story... and only my completely jaded/critical mentality causes me to question anything about it.  Second,  do these missionaries who are abusing children really believe they are working for a greater good... or are they just using the Christian faith as a means to an end... pedophilia?

My insecurities with news media aside... this is a powerful story that needs to be discussed.

sd

by deatons on Sat Aug 01, 2009 at 11:06:46 PM EST