Undoing colonialism

I’ve been told that I have a problem. Well, not me in particular, but all of us as Christians. Many people still blame Christianity, or a Christian worldview, for our current environmental crisis—a world view that places the focus on another world, or God’s statement that we “have dominion” over the world. Many Christians have responded by uncovering those parts of our faith that emphasize the holiness of the earth and the importance of creation care.

But a different part of our response has created a problem as I learned on a delegation to Grassy Narrows First Nation this summer. As more and more Christians have become aware of the damage being done to the non-human world, we have changed our faith. As we become involved in building more sustainable communities, in community gardens, and in teaching our children about finding the beauty of God in this world, what it means to be a Christian has changed.

Change is not necessarily a bad thing—if certain radical believers hadn’t decided to redefine themselves back in the 16th century, there would be no Mennonites. But one of the ways that we have changed is the incorporation of elements of indigenous traditions. And this is a problem. This change runs the spectrum from a broader cultural focus on New Age wholeness and creation-centered spirituality, to those who participate in sweat lodges and vision quests. Non-indigenous people—Mennonite, Christian, and non-Christian—have tried to adopt more of the spirituality of the people who lived in this land before we settlers arrived.

This summer, I participated in a Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation to the Grassy Narrows reserve in northern Ontario. CPT works with communities around Ontario as an ally to those fighting for indigenous self-determination. I was blessed to be able to meet with members of the community who fight against alcoholism, sexual violence, and corruption within the community and the unjust practices of logging companies and the Ontario provincial government. The problems and discrimination are ongoing, as is the struggle.

One activist, a member of the delegation who has experienced discrimination throughout her life because of her indigenous heritage, made it clear that the correct way to apologize for centuries of colonialism is not to co-opt the spirituality of the communities we systematically dismantled. In many cases, it is one of the few things they have left.

Our delegation discussed the effects of clear-cut logging on traditional hunting lands with Shoon, who spends much of his time teaching skills that have been lost in the past few generations to young people on the reserve. In the discussion, I was faced with painful questions: How can I undo the damage that allowed my ancestors to settle here? How can I, as a college student, fight against the practices of Weyerhauser and other paper companies that cause so much devastation in these communities?

There are no easy answers to this problem that we have. There is no doubt that the traditional teachings of Christianity have been used as tools for colonialism and environmental destruction. But incorporating Indigenous teachings into our faith doesn’t necessarily undo that damage.

Undoing colonialism begins with undoing the colonial practices of cultural appropriation and material destruction that we non-indigenous peoples are complicit in. It continues with becoming an effective ally by giving traditionally marginalized communities the space to speak. This includes educating ourselves, and those around us, on the reality faced by those living in a society that privileges white men.

We as non-indigenous Christians do have a problem, but there is hope because we are also a people who follow the God who proclaimed, “freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4:18)

We non-indigenous Christians cannot proclaim freedom for the oppressed with one hand if we steal with the other. Just as we cannot proclaim this message without working to heal our hurting environment. This is difficult place to stand, but we are not called to the wide and easy road, we are called to be followers of Christ.

John Bergen is a student at Oberlin College in Ohio. He participated in a CPT delegation to Grassy Narrows this summer.