By Sarah Eagle Heart

My dear relatives,

We are entering a great time in Indigenous Episcopal history, I can feel it. I feel the Spirit so strongly I am deeply humbled to be here in this time and place as a witness and servant to history happening. I have been reminded and guided by this passage time and time again in the past four months:

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. -- Isaiah 40:31

The first instance occurred when our indigenous leaders gathered at General Convention in unity, it was quite the vision. After the Native American/Indigenous Reception in Anaheim, Indigenous leaders and friends of Native American/Indigenous Ministry gathered in a room at the back of church and sat in a circle to talk about the important issues and resolutions coming to General Convention. Then they took action. They networked with friends in the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. They testified at hearings and showed up in great numbers to the Program, Budget, and Finance hearings. We sang the doxology in Lakota to a large crowd.

The second instance was when I was asked to be a panelist at the Global Economic Forum with the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson. Never in a million years did I think I would be there and was honestly quite nervous. Cornelia Eaton from the Area Mission of Navajoland smudged me beforehand and I was at peace to tell the story of urgency and poverty on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The third instance was when we also had two wonderful clergy running for a seat on Executive Council, The Rev. Debbie Royals and Deacon Terry Star. Both supported each other in candidacy and worked hard to ensure our voice would be heard on Executive Council. Deacon Terry Star was elected and we have re-joined the council after a 6 year absence? (need to double check that fact. I believe Frank Oberly was the last native American).

The fourth instance was when all of our resolutions passed. We received funding for A155 Program for the Alleviation of Domestic Poverty and A150 an Endorsement for the Oklahoma Consultation for Leaders in Indigenous Ministry (please see links to resolutions for more information). The fact that we received funding for these resolutions when the Episcopal Church is facing a projected $23 million reduction in income during this triennium demonstrates the commitment The Episcopal Church has for Native American/Indigenous Ministry. During this time of unique opportunity and urgent need, we can do more than just respond; we can dream and collaborate for solutions. We all must be a part of this time in history. It is integral that the church hears your needs, your ideas, and your willingness to be a part of shaping programming for our people.

We had a record number of resolutions pass at General Convention. Many contributed to that success, including 2006-2009 ECCIM:  Malcolm Chun, Bishop Mike Smith, The Rev. Ginny Doctor, The Rev. Mark MacDonald, The Rev. Robert Two Bulls, The Rev. Coke Smith, The Rev. Rosella Jim, Cornelia Eaton, Erma Vizenor, and Frank Oberly, as well as former missioner Janine Tinsley-Roe. It could not have been accomplished without these individuals who have diligently advocated for Native American/Indigenous issues.

Many have paved the path we now walk on and I would be remiss not to thank them including our former missioner Owanah Anderson, who held this post for 14 years. I will never forget laughing around a kitchen table with The Rev. Canon Brian Grieves and Owanah Anderson last July, being completely enthralled with the combined knowledge of two Episcopal greats, who were so intent to ensure their legacy included a full report on Native American/Indigenous Ministry for the past 30 years. We worked from breakfast to dinner. I am extremely grateful for Owanah’s council, as well as other elders and current leaders who have opened their email accounts to me. I’ve asked elders to share reflections during each issue of Waters.

Brian will retire on October 16 from his position as the Director of Advocacy and Senior Director of Centers at the Episcopal Church Center. He joined the Church Center staff in 1988, and has served under three Presiding Bishops. He is the recipient of the Francis Nevin Sayre Peace Award by the Episcopal Peace Fellowship on July 21, 1997.  In October 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and in June 2006, was presented with the William Scarlett Award from The Witness for “devotion and life commitment to upholding a vision of justice, peace, and social change.”  In 1993, he was elected a lifetime Honorary Canon of St. George's Cathedral, diocese of Namibia, in recognition of his long time work against apartheid.  In 1997, he edited the book “No Outcasts”, a compilation of former Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning’s public ministry. Rarely is there a person such as Brian: a kind and stern boss, a strategically intelligent colleague, a witty friend, and dedicated lover of ministry. A person able to recognize callings, quietly fighting behind the scenes, and always striving toward doing the Great Spirit’s work for the benefit of all. Brian has fought for the rights of disadvantaged for decades and I could not be more grateful, not only for myself, but for the generations to follow.

We have been offered a gift from the Lord in our brothers and sisters of The Episcopal Church. We cannot grow weary or faint now. We have just begun. We will continue to vision in the next several months. You are invited to be part of this visioning. Please continue to educate yourselves and your communities on the importance of our triennium work. Please continue to email and ask questions. We need your voice, so that we can soar.