An upcoming conference on Saturday called “Walking the Red Road” organized by the Diocesan Native American Ministry welcomes all to attend an open dialog with the church and to listen to the words of apology from bishops, who will also discuss how to experience reconciliation and healing moving forward after decades of enduring trauma.
Sister Susan Gardner, director of Native American Apostolate and parish life at St. Kateri Tekakwitha church, has been working in Peshawbestown for the last nine years. She said when she first came to the diocese, Native Americans voiced that they wanted a conference or event where people could come to learn about their history and the struggles they’ve faced, and this is one way the church has been able to extend their support and efforts. Before the COVID pandemic, Gardner said the Diocese of Gaylord held three conferences.
While it’s taken a few years to organize again after the pandemic, this is the fourth conference to help continue building a bridge between Native Americans and the church. Gardner said bishops in the church signed an apology letter addressed to Native Americans in August, with the 50-page document highlighting the wrongdoings of past boarding schools and suggestions on how they can move forward together.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of the Interior, between 1819 and 1969, the United States operated or supported 408 boarding schools across 37 states (or then-territories), including 21 schools in Alaska and seven schools in Hawaii. In Michigan, five boarding schools were identified, with Holy Childhood School of Jesus in Harbor Springs being the last boarding school in the country to close in 1986. Based on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative investigation’s initial analysis, approximately 19 Federal Indian boarding schools accounted for over 500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian child deaths. The department expects the number of recorded deaths to increase as the investigation continues.
“It’s just really to try to build a bridge between the Native Americans and the Catholic church and to make up for the trauma and pain that the boarding schools caused the Native Americans and how that trauma has been handed down from generation to generation,” Gardner explained.
Before working at St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Gardner worked in Canada for six years, where she also heard the heartbreaking stories of indigenous people and the struggles they face to this day.
“I was working with the first nation, the Cree, and they were already into healing and telling their stories. So hearing their stories — I know the stories are very hard to listen to because of all of the trauma and all the things the children were forced to endure,” she said.
As of last week, Gardner said they had around 75 people registered for the event, with half of the attendees being Native Americans and half being nonnative.
“That’s always been the case because there’s always been people who are interested in learning more about the natives because, of course, the more we learn about somebody, the more we can understand them,” she said. “... Anyone who wants to come can come. It’s to learn what the natives have suffered and that they (attendees) will understand how this has affected their life in so many ways.”
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Gaylord, people will have the chance to participate in various discussions. Speakers like the Rev. Henry Sands of the Little Traverse Bay Band and Bkejwanong First Nation, Ontario, will talk about being native and Catholic later in the afternoon, while in the morning, the Rev. Michael Carson, secretariat of cultural diversity in the church, will talk about “keeping Christ’s promise: Apology from the U.S. bishops, where do we go from here?” The honor song will be performed by the Spirit Lake Drum group, Little Traverse Bay Band, and there will be a prayer in Odawa done by Joan Denemy of Little Traverse Bay Band. If people are interested in attending or learning more, contact Gardner at 231-271-6651 or go online to DioceseofGaylord/ NativeAmericanConference.
“This event will have more content and more time for discussion and we’re hoping that we can go forward from here and start to begin listening to the native stories and working towards healing and reconciliation between the church and the Native American community,” she said.
