Statement of Self-determination
Episcopal News Service. February 9, 1995 [95029]
We, the indigenous peoples of the Episcopal Church, gathered at the National Indigenous Peoples Congress, Seminole Nation, January 28 through February 2, 1995, as brothers and sisters in Christ, affix our names to this document as a joyful declaration of our identity as free and equal members of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.
We publish this statement to proclaim the Good News of our freedom in Christ and to announce a new hope for Christians throughout the world.
We are the sons and daughters of many proud and independent sovereign peoples. We are the heirs of ancient heritages who honor the memory and courage of our ancestors. We are the stewards of a great tradition. We are the survivors of a tragic history. We are the keepers of a bright future for our children.
Therefore, we proclaim our God-given right to determine our own destiny as we accept full responsibility for shaping our future under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
To this end, we extend the hand of forgiveness and reconciliation to all who will journey with us in justice, faith, and compassion.
We respect the spiritual traditions, values and customs of our many peoples, and we incorporate them as we celebrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We affirm our rightful place within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.
Therefore, we proclaim our spiritual role as equal partners in the full life of the body of Christ as we accept the obligations of leadership in this new vision of the Church.
In this new relationship, we extend the hand of friendship to all people of faith who will journey with us in equality, dignity, and devotion.
We embrace the wisdom of our elders who are caregivers of God's creation.
We take up the cross of Christ as we stand as one people united for peace, mercy, and justice.
We speak for the poor, the hungry, the dispossessed, and the forgotten. Therefore, we proclaim our vision of a renewed church healing a broken world as we lift our share of the burden in order to build a new community.
To this end, we extend the hand of love to all who will journey with us in commitment, sacrifice, and humility.
In support of this statement, we pledge ourselves in love, faith, and hope.
We call upon our generations both past and present to bear witness to our pledge, and to add their strength to ours in fulfilling these declarations.
We call upon the church to acknowledge the sovereignty of indigenous peoples and to support us as equal partners in the recreation of a new community.
Most of all, we call upon God though the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to bless and sanctify all that we now undertake for the sake of God's people and for the glory of God's holy name.
Amen.
Proclaimed and signed at Wintertalk VII, National Indigenous Peoples Congress, Seminole Nation.