"The Catholic community is blessed, enriched and profoundly challenged by the faith of Native Americans in our midst. We ask the Catholic community to join us in seeking new understanding and awareness of their situation and in committing our church to new advocacy and action with our Native American brothers and sisters on issues of social justice and pastoral life which touch their lives." — excerpt from the 2003 "Native American Catholics at the Millennium"

Message from the Chairman

Thank you for visiting the web page for the Subcommittee on Native American Affairs.  Our country's Native peoples are the true "first Americans." I'm very grateful for my own Native American ancestry (Prairie Band Potawatomi). Yet the history of America's Native peoples has often been difficult, and the challenges facing them -- even today -- remain complex.

---Most Reverend Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap, Archbishop-designate of Philadelphia

The Subcommittee Mandate

The Subcommittee on Native American Affairs is under the direction of and assists the Committee on Cultural Diversity within the Church by working directly with the standing committee and collaboratively with other USCCB committees to address the pastoral concerns of Native American (North American Aboriginals) Catholics to affirm the gifts and contributions of Native American Catholics and to provide more opportunities for Native American Catholics to engage in the life of the Church and help shape its evangelization mission.

This mandate includes the following areas of responsibility:

The subcommittee is directly responsible for outreach to Native American Catholics under the direction of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church.

Events to note:
Roman Pilgrimage of Peace with Blessed Kateri Tekakwith: October 19- October 26, 2011 Sponsored by the Black and Indian Mission Office.