Resources

One Church Many Tribes by Richard Twiss

A New Uprising for God's GloryIn this captivating chronicle of the Native American story, Richard Twiss of the Rosebud Lakota/Sioux sifts through myth and legend to reveal God's strategy for the nation's host people.With wit, wisdom and passion, Twiss shows God's desire to use the cultures of First Nations peoples--in all their mystery, color and beauty--to break through to those involved in New Age mysticism, Eastern religions, even Islam.One Church, Many Tribes is a rallying cry for the Church to work as one so that the lost may learn to walk in life with beauty, along the path of the Waymaker.

First Nations Version: Psalms & Proverbs

Discover the rich tapestry of human emotion and divine wisdom with the First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs. The latest volume from the critically acclaimed First Nations Version translation brings the ancient Sacred Songs and Wise Sayings of the Hebrew Scriptures to life through the vibrant, poetic imagery of Native American oral storytelling.

Warrior in Two Worlds

by Don Standing Bear Forest

In this world of division, strife, fear, and pain, many of us suffer from broken ways, such as addictions, unhealthy relationships, and trying to be who we are not, in our effort to navigate this life and experience some enjoyment along the way. Don Standing Bear uses his gift of sharing his life's stories: the good, the bad, and the ugly, holding nothing back, to take his reader on an inspirational journey of healing from broken ways. As a Native American, who had ignored his heritage, he had heard it call to his heart with the beat of the native drum but did not answer the call until many years later, which became one important part of his story, but this is only part of his story. Addiction and feeling too far gone for redemption also plagued him, but this was not to be where his story ends. May you find in these pages the inspiration, hope, encouragement, and love that will help you move from the world of broken ways to the world of healing and wholeness, and may you find your true identity. May you "Walk in Beauty"

Unsettling Truths by Mark Charles

You cannot discover lands already inhabited.

Injustice has plagued American society for centuries. And we cannot move toward being a more just nation without understanding the root causes that have shaped our culture and institutions. In this prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah reveal the far-reaching, damaging effects of the "Doctrine of Discovery." In the fifteenth century, official church edicts gave Christian explorers the right to claim territories they "discovered." This was institutionalized as an implicit national framework that justifies American triumphalism, white supremacy, and ongoing injustices. The result is that the dominant culture idealizes a history of discovery, opportunity, expansion, and equality, while minority communities have been traumatized by colonization, slavery, segregation, and dehumanization. Healing begins when deeply entrenched beliefs are unsettled. Charles and Rah aim to recover a common memory and shared understanding of where we have been and where we are going. As other nations have instituted truth and reconciliation commissions, so do the authors call our nation and churches to a truth-telling that will expose past injustices and open the door to conciliation and true community.

Perpetuated in Righteousness

by Daniel Kikawa

"This book is the most important book of our time for Hawai‘i. It is critical that we remember God at this crucial crossroad in the history of our beloved islands. We Hawaiians knew the One True God . . . We must include our God in the current affairs of our islands or we will be doomed to failure; for only God is righteous, and the life of our land is perpetuated in righteousness. "Mom" Eaton is a full-blooded Hawaiian who spoke Hawaiian as a first language and learned her culture from her elders. She was the recipient of the Kalani Ali`i Award honoring her lifetime achievements, devotion to the Hawaiian culture, and for passing her knowledge and wisdom on to Hawaii's youth. "Marvelous! . . . My excitement deepened the further I journeyed into this fascinating book. If only the other peoples had the kind of clear and compelling picture of redemptive destiny that the Hawaiians now possess. . . . This is what we need done for every people group on earth. Daniel Kikawa and the Hawaiians are showing us the way." John Dawson International President - Youth With A Mission Board of Regents - University of the Nations Author of the Best Selling book "Taking Our Cities for God" and the highly acclaimed "Healing America's Wounds."

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys

by Richard Twiss

The gospel of Jesus has not always been good news for Native Americans.

The history of North America is marred by atrocities committed against Native peoples. Indigenous cultures were erased in the name of Christianity. As a result, to this day few Native Americans are followers of Jesus. However, despite the far-reaching effects of colonialism, some Natives have forged culturally authentic ways to follow the way of Jesus.

In his final work, Richard Twiss provides a contextualized Indigenous expression of the Christian faith among the Native communities of North America. He surveys the painful, complicated history of Christian missions among Indigenous peoples and chronicles more hopeful visions of culturally contextual Native Christian faith. For Twiss, contextualization is not merely a formula or evangelistic strategy, but rather a relational process of theological and cultural reflection within a local community. Native leaders reframe the gospel narrative in light of post-colonization, reincorporating traditional practices and rituals while critiquing and correcting the assumptions of American Christian mythologies.

Twiss gives voice to the stories of Native followers of Jesus, with perspectives on theology and spirituality plus concrete models for intercultural ministry. Future generations of Native followers of Jesus, and those working cross-culturally with them, will be indebted to this work.

Holy Smoke by Casey Church

Church argues that discipleship among Native peoples is best undertaken as a spiritual journey that has at its core biblical instruction and mentoring by individuals and families that model a lifestyle that reflects transformation in Jesus Christ. When accompanied by the ‘contextual’ use of Native rites such as the Sweat Lodge Ceremony, the Pipe Ceremony, and Powwow dancing and singing with the drum, participants who go through these ‘rites of passage’ experience an increased sense of spiritual well-being and self-esteem through this authentic Native expression of their Christian faith. The book illustrates deep reflection and integration of biblical teaching in the preparation and practice of these Native rites, transforming the old embedded meanings of these rites, while retaining their distinctive familiarity for participants. Church shows how the integration of biblical instruction, the practice of a biblical lifestyle, and contextual sacred and ceremonial rites in alcohol recovery and family camp ministries have together led to recovery and spiritual development in Christ. We commend this book to anyone who has a serious commitment to making disciples in Native American communities.

Reading the Bible in Turtle Island

by H. Daniel Zacharias and

 T. Christopher Hoklotubbe

Join the dance of North American Indigenous interpretations of Christian Scripture

In Reading the Bible on Turtle Island, Indigenous scholars Chris Hoklotubbe and Danny Zacharias explore what it means to read the Bible from the lens of Indigenous peoples in North America. Exploring the intersection of Scripture, Cultural Traditions, Hearts and Minds, and Creation, they affirm Creator's presence with Indigenous people since the beginning. By recovering these rich histories, this book offers a fresh reading of Scripture that celebrates the assets, blessings, and insights of Indigenous interpretation.

Indigenous culture has often been dismissed or deemed problematic within Western Christian circles, and historical practices have often communicated that Indigenous worldviews have little to offer the church or its understanding of Scripture. Hoklotubbe and Zacharias challenge this perspective, reasserting the dignity of these cultures that were condemned through colonial practices and showing how Indigenous interpretations bring invaluable insights to all of God’s people.

In Reading the Bible on Turtle Island, Hoklotubbe and Zacharias:

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  Affirm the dignity and value of Indigenous cultures and their contributions to hermeneutics.

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  Explore the intersection of the Bible with Indigenous traditions.

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  Delve deeply into the stories of Scripture alongside the complex histories of Indigenous communities in North America.

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  Celebrate the unique blessings and insights of Indigenous interpretation.

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  Offer a fresh, transformative reading of the Bible that speaks to all of God’s people.

Reading the Bible on Turtle Island is a vital resource for scholars who are interested in the intersection of biblical studies and social location, who are seeking to explore Scripture through an Indigenous hermeneutic, or who desire to learn more about the contributions of Indigenous worldviews to Biblical interpretation.

The True God of Hawaiʻi: The Case for ʻĪo

by Daniel Kikawa

This book is the culmination of over 35 years of research and interviews. Does Hawaiian culture and religion just come from the Kapu System where there was death with no mercy or grace for those who broke kapu (taboos), like death for men and women who ate together? If so, where did Aloha come from? The volume of evidence in this book for the existence of one benevolent Creator God of Aloha in Polynesia is overwhelming. This book contains the first volume of combined evidence of this God throughout Hawaiʻi and Polynesia.

Living in Color by Randy Woodley

"We would never give Picasso a paintbrush and only one color of paint, and expect a masterpiece," writes Randy Woodley. "We would not give Beethoven a single piano key and say, 'Play us a concerto.' Yet we limit our Creator in just these ways." Though our Christian experience is often blandly monochromatic, God intends for us to live in dynamic, multihued communities that embody his vibrant creativity.

Randy Woodley, a Keetowah Cherokee, casts a biblical, multiethnic vision for people of every nation, tribe and tongue. He carefully unpacks how Christians should think about racial and cultural identity, demonstrating that ethnically diverse communities have always been God's intent for his people. Woodley gives practical insights for how we can relate to one another with sensitivity, contextualize the gospel, combat the subtleties of racism, and honor one another's unique contributions to church and society. Along the way, he reckons with difficult challenges from our racially painful history and offers hope for healing and restoration.

With profound wisdom from his own Native American heritage and experience, Woodley's voice adds a distinctive perspective to contemporary discussions of racial reconciliation and multiethnicity. Here is a biblical vision for unity in diversity.

First Nations Version:  New Testament

A New Testament in English by Native North Americans for Native North Americans and All English-Speaking Peoples

Many First Nations tribes communicate with the cultural and linguistic thought patterns found in their original tongues. The First Nations Version (FNV) recounts the Creator's Story—the Christian Scriptures—following the tradition of Native storytellers' oral cultures. This way of speaking, with its simple yet profound beauty and rich cultural idioms, still resonates in the hearts of First Nations people.

The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this new Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations. All readers will experience the Scriptures in a fresh and new way.

Native American Contextual Ministry 

by Casey Church

Casey Church is convinced that if Native American churches are to be effective and fruitful, they must take advantage of the Native cultural context. He believes that they must do whatever is necessary to help lead every lost Native person to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As a result of his research on organizational change, barriers to change, and the best approaches to making change, Church is able to help pastors and church leaders develop a better understanding of the transitions and changes they will face when they transition to a Native American Contextual Ministry. Dr. Church introduces ideas and approaches for making change and transition achievable without anxiety and fear. Learning about the process of change and transition will provide ‘handles’ that can be used to manage change and transition to create the Native church of the future. Written specifically to encourage those who are ready for change, this book contains personal experiences, specific situations, proven approaches, and practical advice for pastors and laity to approach change and transition with confidence.

Forgotten Awakenings by Doug McMurrey

Douglas McMurry provides an enlightening narrative of America's spiritual landscape during the initial contact between whites and Natives in the West. Focused on the Pacific Northwest, this book reveals how tribal prophecies and the teaching of missionaries led to a remarkable--but largely forgotten--season of mutual respect. The story contrasts the journeys of two men: trapper-mapper Jedediah Smith, and Slough-keetcha, the Spokane teenager-turned evangelist and chief, known to the whites as Spokan Garry. These two young leaders crossed the Rockies in opposite directions during the 1820's. McMurry masterfully describes how the awakening's ethos interacted with and transformed the existing indigenous and trapper cultures, emphasizing human dignity and moral responsibility. Drawing from historical accounts, the journals and letters of trappers and missionaries, and tribal histories, the author vividly portrays the heroic and tragic events of this forgotten era.In this Second Edition, Doug adds his perspective about how this story of beginnings might have implications for today.

Dreamcatching by Ray and Sue Martell, Richard Twiss

Sue and Ray Martell have tackled the stacks of notes, letters, and sermons of Richard Twiss to give us a glimpse into Richard's early journey into contextualization. These preserved words come to us years after Richard's passing, and are insights into his genius. His words flowed from his heart and soul so naturally through his pen. There is a great need to increase the body of literature useful for training contextual practitioners. This book is a welcome addition, and will be used in that way. - Casey Church