EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume One, Number Five May/June 1992 A Native American Reflects on the Quincentenary As "Caesar is Lord" was foundational for participation in the Roman world, "Columbus discovered America" is foundational for conversations in this hemisphere today. The Quincentenary celebrates the power of the colonizer to determine the context and dictate the functions. Since 1492 the spirit and spine of Native America have been effectively submerged; generations have taken their bearings from the Christ bearing Colonizer (Christopher Columbus). If Native Americans do not use the colonial formulas for confessing Christ, Western Christians often claim that we are not "real Christians". They believe we are questioning the ability of these formulas to satisfy their spiritual needs. They bristle at being defined as Christ bearing colonizers, when they "were only trying to help." by Bill Baldridge,a Cherokee, Professor of Native American Christian Ministries, Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, KS. (From ESA (Evangelicals for Social Action) Advocate, Jan/Feb.1992, 10 Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood PA 19096.) Home     Table of Contents