For you we beat this drum
Dancing, drumming and Indigenous Christian worship at the Canadian National Gathering.
Justice, reconciliation and building relationships were at the heart of the Christian Reformed Church’s (CRC) Canadian National Gathering held in Ottawa in May. The four-day conference was an opportunity to hear from Christian indigenous leaders and elders who shared their stories and challenged the largely white audience to sit, listen and learn. Most of the 150 attendees had already completed a year-long learning and action journey called Hearts Exchanged during which they studied Canada’s colonial history and took steps towards reconciliation in their own communities.
This may be the first CRC conference program that included a “words to know” section with entries like “Settler,” “Eurocentric,” “BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour),” and “Dominant culture.” Delegates were challenged to think about making space for cultural differences within their own churches. They also attended breakout sessions about beadwork, drumming and storytelling.
“Let us live in a Haudenosaunee way as followers of Christ,” invited Adrian Jacobs Ganosono, the CRC’s senior leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation. In a local context, that means having a posture of listening to our Indigenous Christian brothers and sisters and building a community of trust so we can, as Rev. Dr. Ray Aldred, says “find a shared pathway together.”
A new worship experience
On the first evening of the Gathering, Mohawk/Scot drummer Jonathan Maracle began worship with drumming. Attendees were invited to move in step with African American Choctaw Pawnee hoop dancer, Dr. Kenny Wallace. Gradually, a line of dancers began lacing through the auditorium.
“Creator we are one / for you we beat this drum / we dance this dance for you / for you are the holy one,” rang the lyrics of a praise song written by Maracle who led a team of musicians and singers alongside Ruth Ann Dykstra Schuringa, Worship Director at Mountainview CRC in Grimsby. Times of worship always featured cross-cultural collaboration.
“We learned that the drum is the instrument that Creator gave to the people of Turtle Island [North America] and how the beating of the drum is the heartbeat of ‘He who holds the heavens,’” explains Heidi Siebring, a delegate from Northwestern B.C. “With each step of the dance, we offer prayers to the Creator, for this was the teaching of the drum from time immemorial.”
Siebring and other delegates attended Maracle’s breakout session on drumming where they learned how colonization took the ceremony of the drum and dance out of Indigenous hands and called it evil.
“The message of the cross, according to European missionaries, was that Indigenous people had to give up their ways of honouring Creator (the drum and the dance) and assimilate to the way of White Christianity,” recalls Siebring. Maracle demonstrated how the drum has always been a sacred instrument. It’s always represented the heartbeat of Creator.
How to do things differently
“One of the things I came away with was that we need to somehow bring the drum into Terrace (B.C.) CRC,” said Siebring. “Whether that’s having someone drum to bring people into the worship gathering or at some point in the service. Personally, I think it’s a small way to start.”
But when asked for a step-by-step process for introducing indigenous spiritual practices into worship services at home, organizers reminded delegates that it’s not the job of the colonized to tell those in power how to make amends. Delegates were challenged to build relationships with local indigenous people and find authentic ways to incorporate Indigenous Christian worship depending on the context. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
“Never travel faster than the speed of trust,” as one wise leader said. Building trusting relationships takes time and hard work.
Questions and hope
“My hope and prayer is that we can become a church that recognizes and celebrates the spiritual gifts of indigenous Christians and indeed all cultures that make up our church community,” says Anita Struyk, Siebring’s sister and fellow delegate. “Our indigenous and BIPOC brothers and sisters have a lot to offer us.”
During a workshop on Indigenous matriarchs, Michelle Nieviadomy, a Cree woman and Assistant Director of the Edmonton Healing Centre, entrusted delegates with these hope-filled words: “We all carry a piece of the Creator in us. We need to love ourselves, love the land, love one another and love Creator.” May we experience God’s love as we walk the Good Road together.
Meghan Kort wrote this article with a lot of help from the three delegates who represented Terrace CRC: Anita Struyk, Heidi Siebring and Sharon Bandstra.
When the Indigenous People talk about and worship their Creator, they are not talking about nor worshipping the Triune God. Nor does the Indigenous culture or worship recognize Jesus. We ought to be a bit more careful and questioning before we start recommending the incorporation of pagan cultural practices in Christian worship services. If we want to make Indigenous Christians feel more welcome, there are other ways to do do that.
Ed, I am curious as to what makes you think these cultural ways of worship are pagan. I think you are confusing syncretism and contextualization. There are many good articles on the differences. As an Indigenous Christian woman I value the ability to worship in a contextualized manner and not solely through the ways of the Euro-western lens. God is the God of all nations.
Great article Meghan, I just re-read it for the second time. Listening with our hearts is such a challenge for so many who, by no fault of their own, have been steeped in a very neat, certain, White Eurocentric approach to the Christian faith. I continue to pray that our Hearts are softened and transformed by the grace and love of Christ our Creator. So grateful for the likes of Harold, Adrian, Jonathan and Cheryl Bear; we are blessed to be the recipients of their humility and wisdom.