"Let us say NO to forms of colonialism old and new. Let us say YES to the encounter between peoples and cultures. Blessed are the peacemakers. Here I wish to bring up an important issue. Some may rightly say, “When the Pope speaks of colonialism, he overlooks certain actions of the Church”. I say this to you with regret: many grave sins were committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God. My predecessors acknowledged this, CELAM has said it, and I too wish to say it. Like Saint John Paul II, I ask that the Church “kneel before God and implore forgiveness for the past and present sins of her sons and daughters”. I would also say, and here I wish to be quite clear, as was Saint John Paul II: I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the Church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.

I also ask everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike, to think of those many bishops, priests and laity who preached and continue to preach the Good News of Jesus with courage and meekness, respectfully and pacifically; who left behind them impressive works of human promotion and of love, often standing alongside the native peoples or accompanying their popular movements even to the point of martyrdom." 

-Pope Francis, Two Rivers Report

 

Upcoming Events

September 18-20- St. Joseph's Indian School Annual Powwow. Experience the vibrant culture, heritage and traditions of the Lakota (Sioux) people at St. Joseph's Indian School’s biggest event of the year! Since 1976, St. Joseph's Indian School has proudly hosted a weekend celebration of Lakota culture on our beautiful Chamberlain, South Dakota campus. This is a unique opportunity for friends like you from around the nation to come together, connect and immerse yourselves in the rich traditions of Native American culture. Find out more at: Attend Our Powwow - St. Joseph's Indian School

September 30- De La Salle Blackfeet School (DLSBS) invites all to join us in commemorating Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters this September 2025; help support our school ministry’s operations and secure our future growth and our students’ impact on the Blackfeet Nation Reservation community. For more information, check out: dlsbs.org

October 18- The Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, in conjunction with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are holding a one-day conference for Natives and non-Natives entitled, Walking the Red Road- Overcoming Obstacles on the Path. Registration ends on Wednesday, Oct. 8. For more information, contact Sister Sue Gardner at (231) 271-6651 or visit: Walking the Red Road: Overcoming Obstacles on the Path | Diocese of Gaylord

November 23rd- The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, in conjunction with the American Indian Catholic Outreach, will be hosting a Native American Mass at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City on November 23rd, at 3PM. This very special Mass will incorporate some of the original languages of this continent. Procession/ Recession will be sung in Kiowa by singers from Riverside Indian School. 1st & 2nd Readings will be in Cherokee & Kiowa. Prayers of the Faithful will be read in Comanche, Kiowa, and Potawatomi. On the altar concelebrating the Mass with the Archbishop will be the abbots of both Oklahoma monasteries and Fr. Bailey from the USCCB Native Affairs Subcommittee. For more information, go to: American Indian Catholic Outreach | Archdiocese of Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City, OK

The Church & Indian Country Podcast on YouTube

The month of The Church & Indian Country Podcast, we sat down with Deacon Roy Callison (Cherokee), and Michael Scaperlanda, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, to discuss the Boarding School healing initiatives in the state of Oklahoma. Check it out, and please share. https://youtu.be/VEGTT-R7kqc?si=0w4MBk1_QG3uqmeG

 

For a full list of all episodes of The Church & Indian Country Podcast, click the link: The Church & Indian Country Podcast - YouTube

 

Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise

Dear friends in Christ,

Welcome to the work of The Bishop's Subcommittee on Native American Affairs and its website.  The Subcommittee's mission and ministry is to assist and support each other in the challenges and joys that the ministry to the First People present.

Jesus Christ guides us in healing the history of injuries and many historical past conflicts of our Country toward the Native American Nations.  We as our diverse Church community embrace this mission with all of the saints who have gone before us especially Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Through Catholic Education, Parish leadership and Church evangelization ministry we develop mutual trust and cultural respect.

For those Christ has called to this ministry there is joy and wonder in encountering Christ in the people and families that make up such a rich tapestry of culture, spirituality and grace.


 

SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

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.

 

 

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