Over the next months this page will provide opportunities to learn the true history and current realities of Indigenous people. It is these truths, truths that have been ignored by most for hundreds of years, that will bring healing for both Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people.
Some of these opportunities will be calls to individual action, and some will be activities that congregations and small groups should coordinate and participate in together. All these opportunities can be easily promoted by sharing links on social media or other communication platforms.
Here are some initial activities that you can share with your circles and networks. Watch this page as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for additional opportunities to engage.
Some of the events that have taken place as part of the Truth and Healing Movement have been recorded. Watch them and other video resources here!
Some of us know the tragic history of the Osage Nation and Osage People. Part of that story will be told on the big screen as a major motion picture in October. "Killers of the Flower Moon", Directed by Martin Scorsese, is set in 1920s Oklahoma. It depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.
You are encouraged to support this moment in Indigenous and cinematic history! See the film in select theaters now.
NEW: A study guide is now available to help audiences think more deeply and critically about Killers of the Flower Moon, the very real history it brings to light, and the effect that history still has today. Download the guide below and begin a discussion with members of your community.
Study Guide
This event will be rescheduled early in 2024. More information will be available soon along with the new date and time.
Indian people have unique and beautiful ways of understanding the world. Indigenous wisdom – as it relates to living in relationship with Creator, Mother Earth, and other created beings – should be centered if we want to provide better care for our home and all our relatives. Indigenous Thought and Theology provides an introduction to this wisdom and examines Indigenous ways of understanding, respecting, and interacting with this wondrous world we inhabit.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: Indigenous Thought & Theology
7 - 9 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
JOIN THE CLASS
Since 1970, an annual march and rally organized by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) have taken place on the fourth Thursday in November, a day known as Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, but a day that many Indigenous people and supporters have come to know and commemorate as the National Day of Mourning. This tradition and commemoration serve as a solemn occasion to honor Native ancestors and Wampanoag stories, while fostering greater awareness and understanding among the American public about the destructive presence of pilgrims and settlers in around Patuxet, currently also known as Plymouth.
You are invited to Plymouth to stand in solidarity with the Wampanoag people and the United American Indians of New England at this year’s National Day of Mourning and gain deeper insights into their vital mission.
Day of Mourning
Gathering Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Pebbles Restaurant – 76 Water St, Plymouth, MA 02360
In 2013 the annual American Indian and Alaska Native Symposium at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago was renamed in honor of Vine Deloria Jr., an alum of Augustana Seminary, Rock Island, Ill., a predecessor school of LSTC. The symposium has been held in November each year since it began 15 years ago and is co-sponsored by the Pero Center for Intersectionality Studies at LSTC and the ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations. All events will be accessible online, and the theme is tribal sovereignty.
At the height of the American Indian Movement and beyond, Vine Deloria Jr. played a significant role in strengthening tribal sovereignty for federally recognized tribes in the United States. Throughout his work — from serving as executive director of the National Congress of American Indians to serving as a law professor at the University of Arizona during his retirement and so much in between — Deloria influenced how Native Nations, Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people understand Indigenous self-determination and explore ways to further tribal sovereignty. During this year’s Vine Deloria Jr. Theological Symposium, participants will hear from scholars and leaders who continue this work. Attendees will learn what tribal sovereignty means and how securing sovereignty is justice work.
Learn more about this year’s speakers
DOWNLOAD FLYER
Symposium Chapel Service
11:30 a.m. Central time
The Rev. David Wilson (Choctaw), Preaching
Bishop of the Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church
Symposium Lecture
6 p.m. Central time
Stacy Leeds (Cherokee)
Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
Governments, organizations, churches and individuals around the world have been honoring Mother Earth, Indigenous peoples and Native Nations with land acknowledgments for the past two decades. Since the ELCA repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the church has also been committed to practicing land acknowledgments at every expression of the church. This class will introduce participants to the history and purpose of land acknowledgments, how the church has been committed to doing land acknowledgments, and how and when to use them. In addition, at the 2022 Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA voted to encourage all expressions and affiliate ministries to consider land back practices when opportunities arise. Class participants will learn more about the land back movement and reparations and how best to engage in these restorative justice practices.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Presentation: Land Acknowledgement and Land Back Movement
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
WATCH NOW
Indian people have unique and beautiful ways of understanding the world. Indigenous wisdom – as it relates to living in relationship with Creator, Mother Earth, and other created beings – should be centered if we want to provide better care for our home and all our relatives. Indigenous Thought and Theology provides an introduction to this wisdom and examines Indigenous ways of understanding, respecting, and interacting with this wondrous world we inhabit.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: Indigenous Thought & Theology
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Some of us know the tragic history of the Osage Nation and Osage People. Part of that story will be told on the big screen as a major motion picture in October. "Killers of the Flower Moon", Directed by Martin Scorsese, is set in 1920s Oklahoma. It depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.
You are encouraged to support this moment in Indigenous and cinematic history! See the film in select Theaters on Oct. 20.
This Indigenous people’s day, communities across the country are honoring Indigenous people with festivals, presentations, museum exhibits and more. Download the 2023 Indigenous People’s Day event guide to find a celebration near you!
The general population knows very little about the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Even the most basic topics are often grand mysteries. This is by design; for centuries the colonial project has prioritized the complete erasure of Native people. “Indian 101” explains some of these basics to build a foundation for students to stand in solidarity with Indian people across the United States as we work together to dismantle longstanding systems of oppression.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Indian 101”
7 - 9 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Barbara Tucker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a lifelong resident of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, located in what is currently known as northeastern Oklahoma. She retired as an educator after serving for 36 years as a caring teacher, counselor, principal to students and schools throughout the Cherokee Nation. She is just as dedicated to learning as leading and has achieved two masters to degrees during her career. She has been married to her husband David for 46 years and has three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Barbra’s mother, Annie O’Field, was sent to boarding school as a young girl along with Barbara’s Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam.
Nichol LeBeau is part of the Oceti Sakowin from the MniCoujou band. Her grandparents, Gilbert and Marcella (Ryan) LeBeau, and an auntie, Donna LeBeau, all attended boarding schools. She listened to her grandmother share her experiences at boarding schools and the impacts of boarding schools her grandmother was seeing on her own family. This led Nichol to seek a master’s degree in counseling to help heal her community and other Indigenous communities. Nichol currently works at the University of Arizona in the Native American Student Affairs (NASA) center as the site-based counselor for Indigenous students and other students from other cultural centers. Nichol moved to Tucson about seven years ago from South Dakota and does not miss the snow. Nichol credits her spirituality with grounding her when times get tough and helping her find a balance in life. She is a SunDancer, which is a four-day ceremony to facilitate healing with prayer and intention.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Presentation: A Conversation With Descendants of Indian Boarding School Survivors
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
George McCauley is a citizen of the Omaha Nation in Macy, Nebraska. He graduated from Flandreau Indian Boarding School in 1971. He came to Minneapolis, Minn. at the end of that summer and has lived there ever since. He has been sober for the last 47 years. In his early sobriety he got a job in the graphics department at The Red School House which was an AIM survival school in Sant Paul, Minnesota. After running the Food Shelf at the Division of Indian Work for 11 years, he took a job at the Minneapolis American Indian Center where he worked with a team in the India Child Welfare Act (ICWA) program to design and implement the first web-based case management system and court monitoring system for ICWA Tribal workers and ICWA Social Workers across the nation to collect data on ICWA compliance.
George also has a passion for acting. He has been in several productions including plays, interactive education videos, independent films and a show on the History Channel. He was also an extra in Martin Scorsese’s film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which will be released widely on Oct. 20. George has been happily married to Sandy White Hawk for 21 years. Together they have 4 children, 6 grandchildren, and one great grandbaby. They live in Shakopee, Minnesota.
To learn more about George, read his full biography.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Presentation: A Conversation With George McCauley, Indian Boarding School Survivor
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
The general population knows very little about the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Even the most basic topics are often grand mysteries. This is by design; for centuries the colonial project has prioritized the complete erasure of Native people. “Indian 101” explains some of these basics to build a foundation for students to stand in solidarity with Indian people across the United States as we work together to dismantle longstanding systems of oppression.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Indian 101”
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced its Truth and Healing Movement, inspiring us to grow in better and right relationships with Indigenous people and tribal nations on Turtle Island. This workshop will explore the truths we seek to learn and the healing we hope to experience, as well as how the movement began, among Indigenous people and within the ELCA. It will also explain the work the ELCA has done recently and how you can participate in this justice movement.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
10 - 11 a.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
The United States is not the only country where Indigenous people of the land have been persecuted and have experienced genocide at the hand of colonizing forces. It is common for Indigenous peoples to be denied rights that are inherent and just around the world.
Thankfully, the United Nations has done the work to declare what these rights are and how countries should observe them to honor and protect Indigenous peoples. What is unique about the United States is that it has not made a commitment to this declaration – a declaration that was greatly influenced by the U.S.
Join Vance Blackfox and Dr. Rosalee Gonzalez to learn more about the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Read the declaration.
Presentation: United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People
7 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox and Dr. Rosalee Gonzalez
Dr. Rosalee Gonzalez Xicana-Kickapoo, has twenty-five years of international experience in the promotion and protection of Indigenous peoples, women's, and human rights. She is an elected leader of the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas and is Co-Founder of Indigenous Women Rise--a convenor for the Women's March in the US (2017). Dr. Gonzalez's academic research is informed by her engagement in the international indigenous peoples' movement.
She is former faculty at Arizona State University where she taught human rights, critical race theory, social work/welfare, and criminal justice. She worked for two United Nations Secretariats in Geneva and New York Headquarters. Dr. Gonzalez is the former Executive Director of the US Human Rights Network, a member-based network building a people-centered human rights movement in the US.
Read the Truth in August
Throughout the summer months, congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations are encouraged to choose a book to read together. A book written by a Native author should be selected, and time near the end of the month scheduled for the readers in your congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations to gather and discuss the book together.
The bookshop Native Reads, which is also listed on the resource page, lists only books by Native authors for your convenience.
Let us know what book your congregation and organization read together, posting a photo of your group on your social media pages with hashtags #ELCA and #TruthAndHealing.
Visit a Powwow in August
Visit a powwow near you this summer! According to Powwows.com, powwows are a way for Indigenous people to meet, dance, sing, renew old friendships and create new ones. They are a time to renew Native American Culture and preserve the rich heritage of American Indians. Visit powwows.com to find a powwow in your area and join the celebration with your Native neighbors.
Please take time to learn more about powwows here and powwow etiquette here before your visit!
On July 27, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (10:30 a.m. Central time), attend a fireside chat between Native Americans in Philanthropy CEO, Erik Stegman (Carry the Kettle First Nations – Nakoda), and Dr. Sarah Kastelic (Alutiiq), Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. This will be followed by a panel discussion with moderator, Brittany Schulman (Waccamaw Siouan), when Dr. Kastelic is joined by Indian Child Welfare champions, Erin Dougherty Lynch, Aurene Martin (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), and Dr. Joannie Suina (Pueblo of Cochiti) as they discuss the historic reaffirmation of ICWA, what’s next, and how philanthropy can support the sustainability of this vital work.
This discussion is a part of the Native Americans in Philanthropy Member Education series. The series is open to the public to highlight the benefits of NAP membership.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Presentation: Protecting ICWA
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern time
The general population knows very little about the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Even the most basic topics are often grand mysteries. This is by design; for centuries the colonial project has prioritized the complete erasure of Native people. “Indian 101” explains some of these basics to build a foundation for students to stand in solidarity with Indian people across the United States as we work together to dismantle longstanding systems of oppression.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Indian 101”
7 - 9 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced its Truth and Healing Movement, inspiring us to grow in better and right relationships with Indigenous people and tribal nations on Turtle Island. This workshop will explore the truths we seek to learn and the healing we hope to experience, as well as how the movement began, among Indigenous people and within the ELCA. It will also explain the work the ELCA has done recently and how you can participate in this justice movement.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Read the Truth in July
Throughout the summer months, congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations are encouraged to choose a book to read together. A book written by a Native author should be selected, and time near the end of the month scheduled for the readers in your congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations to gather and discuss the book together.
The bookshop Native Reads, which is also listed on the resource page, lists only books by Native authors for your convenience.
Let us know what book your congregation and organization read together, posting a photo of your group on your social media pages with hashtags #ELCA and #TruthAndHealing.
Visit a Powwow in July
Visit a powwow near you this summer! According to Powwows.com, powwows are a way for Indigenous people to meet, dance, sing, renew old friendships and create new ones. They are a time to renew Native American Culture and preserve the rich heritage of American Indians. Visit powwows.com to find a powwow in your area and join the celebration with your Native neighbors.
Please take time to learn more about powwows here and powwow etiquette here before your visit!
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced its Truth and Healing Movement, inspiring us to grow in better and right relationships with Indigenous people and tribal nations on Turtle Island. This workshop will explore the truths we seek to learn and the healing we hope to experience, as well as how the movement began, among Indigenous people and within the ELCA. It will also explain the work the ELCA has done recently and how you can participate in this justice movement.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
10 - 11 a.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
There was a time in relatively recent history in our church when Lutherans were committed to leading and being in solidarity with Native people in the United States. One of the ways in which this was accomplished was by the formation of the pan-Lutheran organization known as the National Indian Lutheran Board.
A panel discussion about the National Indian Lutheran Board will be hosted on June 21.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Panel Presentation: National Indian Lutheran Board
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
You are invited to join the screening of “Native Nations: Standing Together for Civil Rights,” a one-hour documentary exploring the role of the Lutheran church in the American Indian civil rights movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In the documentary you will learn how Lutherans were first convinced by the American Indian Movement to respond, how Lutherans responded by standing in solidarity with the Movement and Indigenous people in the United States, and about the creation and work of the National Indian Lutheran Board.
A panel discussion about the National Indian Lutheran Board will be hosted on June 21.
Film Screening: “Native Nations”
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
The general population knows very little about the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Even the most basic topics are often grand mysteries. This is by design; for centuries the colonial project has prioritized the complete erasure of Native people. “Indian 101” explains some of these basics to build a foundation for students to stand in solidarity with Indian people across the United States as we work together to dismantle longstanding systems of oppression.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Indian 101”
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Read the Truth in June
Throughout the summer months, congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations are encouraged to choose a book to read together. A book written by a Native author should be selected, and time near the end of the month scheduled for the readers in your congregations, ministries, synods, and organizations to gather and discuss the book together.
The bookshop Native Reads, which is also listed on the resource page, lists only books by Native authors for your convenience.
Let us know what book your congregation and organization read together, posting a photo of your group on your social media pages with hashtags #ELCA and #TruthAndHealing.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced its Truth and Healing Movement, inspiring us to grow in better and right relationships with Indigenous people and tribal nations on Turtle Island. This workshop will explore the truths we seek to learn and the healing we hope to experience, as well as how the movement began, among Indigenous people and within the ELCA. It will also explain the work the ELCA has done recently and how you can participate in this justice movement.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
May is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Month.
All congregations are encouraged to choose any Sunday in May to share the truths about the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women using the resources provided here. In addition, worship resources will be available for use in services on each congregation’s #MMIW Sunday. We know it will be the first time many congregation members have heard about this crisis, and we hope these resources continue to inspire conversation and learning in ministries and communities across our church.
ELCA #MMIW Sunday is also a day to encourage members and guests of your congregation to wear red to bring greater awareness to MMIW. Remember to post a photo on your post social media channels using the hashtags #MMIW and #ELCA.
September is the month of remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools for the ELCA’s Truth and Healing Movement. There will be opportunities to learn about federal Indian Boarding School policies and to address the ongoing trauma those policies have caused. As a church, we are committed to understanding our role in this tragic and sinful history so that we can journey towards healing together.
ELCA Advocacy Action Alert
While active in the Senate, the House must be urged to move forward the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act toward passage. Your voice is needed. Learn more and act here.
The Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative is intended to organize Lutherans to seek and tell the truth about Lutheran involvement in Indian boarding schools in the United States and their impact on Native peoples. Hundreds of ELCA members have already participated in the Initiative during phase one this past year, and phase two has recently commenced.
Join us to hear more about the Initiative, what we have learned, and how you can get involved. You can also learn more at
www.elca.org/IndianBoardingSchools.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Presentation: The ELCA’s Truth Seeking and Truth Telling Initiative
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced its Truth and Healing Movement, inspiring us to grow in better and right relationships with Indigenous people and tribal nations on Turtle Island. This workshop will explore the truths we seek to learn and the healing we hope to experience, as well as how the movement began, among Indigenous people and within the ELCA. It will also explain the work the ELCA has done recently and how you can participate in this justice movement.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
Class: “Introduction to the Truth and Healing Movement”
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
Presented by Vance Blackfox
Sept. 30 is the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. We will be participating in this National Day of Remembrance by wearing orange shirts!
This year we encourage you to support the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) by purchasing a NABS branded orange t-shirt from their online store.
Order yours TODAY, while supplies last! Otherwise, any orange shirt will work.
Remember to post a photo of you and others in your orange shirts on your social media channels using the hashtags #ELCA #TruthAndHealing #DayOfRemembrance.
We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
