I’ll never forget the moment I was told I had to abandon my culture to follow Christ. It wasn’t from a white missionary or someone unfamiliar with my people. It was from my own Native pastor. I had just become “saved” at my Native church in high school, and I was hungry to follow Jesus. But when I asked about our ceremonies and traditions, I was told I had to leave those things behind. That they were part of the old life. That I couldn’t be fully Native and fully Christian.
That was the first time I heard the lie out loud. And it’s one I’ve spent years unlearning.
The Colonial Lie That Sticks
The myth of the “savage” was not just a misunderstanding. It was a tool of colonization. It helped settlers and missionaries justify land theft, cultural erasure, and forced assimilation. It claimed that Native peoples were wild, uncivilized, and in need of saving, not just spiritually but morally and culturally. That falsehood did not die with the boarding schools. It still shapes how many churches view Native identity today.
This lie does more than distort the Gospel; it undermines it. It warps how Native people see themselves.
Roots in Empire and Christendom
The idea that non-European peoples were spiritually inferior did not begin in America. It came from Europe. In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued a papal bull titled “Inter Caetera.” It declared that lands not ruled by Christians were free to be claimed by European powers in the name of Christendom. This decree became the foundation for what is now known as the Doctrine of Discovery. It gave European nations the supposed divine right to take land, enslave people, and erase cultures as long as it was for the sake of God and the empire.
This doctrine labeled Indigenous people as pagans to be converted or conquered. It did not just authorize colonization. It sanctified it.
Its impact continues today. It still lingers in mission models that demand cultural erasure. In theology, it treats Native spirituality as dangerous. In churches that act as if Native identity is something to overcome to be accepted. In 2023, Pope Francis formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery and acknowledged the immense suffering it caused. That is a start. But the harm is still here. Still felt. Still shaping how many of us experience Jesus.
Which One Is the Pretty Doll?
In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted what is now known as the “doll test.” Black children were shown two dolls. One white. One Black. Then they were asked questions like, “Which is the nice doll?” and “Which one is pretty?” Most children, including Black children, pointed to the white doll as having positive traits and the Black doll as having negative ones. The internalized message was clear. Whiteness was good. Blackness was bad.
Now imagine how that plays out for Native youth today. Not with dolls, but with regalia and Bibles. With church services that gloss over our history. With Christians who tell us we can follow Jesus only if we become less like our ancestors. Only if we conform.
The Mascot Problem
This internalized harm is not limited to the past. It is ongoing. Studies have shown that Native-themed mascots at schools and in sports cause real psychological damage to Native youth. Research published by the American Psychological Association and reported by Indian Country Today confirms that these mascots lower self-esteem, reduce feelings of community value, and limit academic aspirations for Native students.
When our identity is reduced to a caricature, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that we were created with intention. Harder to believe that we are loved as we are. Harder to believe that we are sacred.
The Truth: We Were Made Native on Purpose
Here is the truth. We are not savages. We are image-bearers.
Acts 17 says that God marked out our appointed times in history and the boundaries of our lands. That means He knew who we would be. He knew the people we would come from. Our Native identity is not an obstacle to overcome. It is a reflection of the Creator’s design.
Following Jesus does not mean rejecting our culture. It means walking with Him in it. It means seeing our songs, languages, values, and ways as gifts that can glorify Him. Jesus did not come to erase our identity. He came to redeem all people, from every nation and tribe. Including mine. Including yours.
Reclaiming What Was Stolen
This is why contextual ministry matters. At Haskell Indian Nations University and across tribal campuses, I work to help students reclaim what the enemy tried to steal. We hold prayer walks around campus. We sit in Talking Circles to share stories and confess to one another. We create spaces that honor Native values, such as humility, community, respect, and reverence for creation.
And we tell students a truth many have never heard before. You do not have to choose between Jesus and your people. You can walk with both.
That is not syncretism. That is healing.
A Call to Our Partners
To those of you who walk with us, thank you. Your prayers and support are helping to undo centuries of lies. You are planting seeds of hope and healing in Native communities.
This is not just about history. It is about identity. It is about discipleship. It’s about a generation of Native Jesus followers learning they were never a mistake. They do not have to trade who they are to walk with the One who made them.
Because we were never the savage. We have always been sacred.
