Native Americans 'Hand over' a Bishop-elect, Share Strategies for Mission at Winter Talk III
Episcopal News Service. February 14, 1991 [91038]
American Indian leaders representing 18 dioceses in the Episcopal Church and 17 tribes across the United States concluded the third gathering of Winter Talk, a four-day leadership conference, with a "handing over" ceremony of Bishop-Elect Steven Charleston to participants from the Diocese of Alaska, where he will serve.
A native of Oklahoma and a member of the Choctaw Nation, Charleston has annually led the winter gathering of Indian Episcopalians.
"From the Maori people of New Zealand, who several of us visited last summer, we have learned of their custom to accompany one of theirs who travels far to a new assignment," said Owanah Anderson, staff officer for Native American Ministries of the Episcopal Church and a member of the Choctaw Nation. "The Maori accompany their tribesman to 'settle him in.' Unfortunately, not all of us can travel to Alaska in March for Steve's consecration; therefore, here, in his native state, we Oklahoma Indians ask that you from 17 other dioceses join us to give our son our blessings and good wishes as we hand him over to his new spiritual family, the Alaskans."
The Oklahomans then led the bishop-elect to the Alaskans. "The Choctaw is a matrilineal society, and in our tradition, I am Steve's mother," said Anderson. "As a Choctaw grandmother, I charge you to look after our son and to support him and nurture him and his family."
"We Athabascans are also a matrilineal society," responded the Rev. Helen Peters, a deacon and eldest of the Alaskans attending Winter Talk III. "Maybe I'll become your mother. There is something magnificent in the future for you. You are chosen, Steve. My daughters told me to tell you to hurry and get up to Alaska and start sharing."
Although the "handing over" of Charleston from one tribe to another was the highlight for many of the participants, Winter Talk III sought to engage Indian leaders on developing strategies for more effective mission and coping with reduced national church funding for ministry.
The 58 participants of Winter Talk III identified several important needs, including more effective evangelism efforts, programs to combat substance abuse, and alternative approaches to development of leaders.
While the discussions were intense, a sense of love and joy permeated St. Crispin's diocesan conference center. There was a sense of community throughout the entire gathering -- from the opening welcome by the Seminole Nation tribal chairman (St. Crispin's is located on ancestral Seminole land) -- to closing words by Sioux elder Dr. Helen Peterson, who commented, "We are a tribal people. This is important. But sometimes we let our tribalism divide us. Here, we have seen a spirit of community engulf us and enfold us. Let us remember that if there isn't love in everything we do, it's wrong; if everthing we strive for is not in love, it is without basis."
"What we most wanted to achieve at Winter Talk is to give each participant tools to take home," said Dr. Carol Hampton, Native American Ministry field officer. "Every participant comes from a constituency. He or she is a member of the Episcopal Council of Indian Ministries board, or a General Convention deputy, or a member of the evangelism team or of the team that went to New Zealand, or a seminary senior, or an appointee to one of the national commissions or task forces, or was designated by one of our diocesan, provincial, or regional committees. Each person here has a base back home with which to share his or her learnings or inspiration or spiritual renewal."
Several innovative approaches to solving problems resulted from the exchange of stories. For instance, when the Rev. Ron Campbell of South Dakota said, "On the Sisseton Reservation, we're having babies being born drunk," the Rev. Duane Fox of North Dakota reported that the church at Fort Berthold Reservation co-opted the tribal council, school district, Indian Health Service, and other governmental agencies to build an effective alcohol prevention program to combat fetal alcohol syndrome.