Methodist Bishop Hosts Political Rally for Virginia Native Americans

Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church, message board ^ | 11 Sept 2007 | Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church

[mbarker12474]

We will be Celebrating Native American Tribal Rights Theme: Journey of Faith: Tears, Trial, and Triumph Starting with a reception on Friday evening at Williamsburg United Methodist Church, also celebrating with Native Tribal Dancers

Opening Celebration on Friday September 14th The Custalow Brothers of the Mattaponi Tribe have been together for 40 years. The Custalow Brothers are sons of the late Solomon Dewey Custalow of the Mattaponi Tribe. They will be singing for the reception of Friday evening starting at 6:30pm

The Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe will be performing tribal dances on Friday evening.

Saturday 8:30am Continental Breakfast 9:30am Opening Program with Chief Anne Richardson

Our Native American Distinguished Panel Chief Anne Richardson, Chief of the Rappahannock Tribe

Angela L. Daniel "Silver Star" and Dr. Linwood Custalow are co- authors of "The True Story of Pocahontas." Their book will be available and they will do a book signing.

Bishop Charlene Kammerer, bishop of the Virginia Conference, United Methodist Church.

Sharon "Sun Eagle" is multi-talented, being a musician, storyteller and artisan. She is one of the speakers of Powhatan Algonquin on the Mattaponi Reservation in King William County.

Chief Walt "Red Hawk" Brown from the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) "People At the For of the Stream" (Baptist Pastor)

Darlene Jacobs, the Director of SEJANAM, South Eastern Jurisdiction on Native American Ministries and Programs

Rev. Larry Jent, pastor and musician in the United Methodist Church

Closing Message will be given by Rev. Dr. John Kinney, Dean of Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia. We will close with communion.

The registration fee $35. This covers reception, breakfast, snacks and lunch. $20. if you register for Saturday only.

Online registration is no longer available. You can mail your registration to....

[mbarker12474]

Virginia's native american tribal leaders are curiosly seeking "recognition" by the state. The Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church devoted their 2007 annual conference session to this political cause, and now our Bishop Charlene Kammerer is hosting a "convocation on religion and race" to further this pursuit of special victim class rights.

Every school child in Virginia studies the Virginia native Indian culture, and passing down the state highways on the middle peninsula, one sees state road signs pointing the way to their modern reservations. It is therefore hard to be sympathetic with their claimed desire for "recognition," unless "recognition" actually means "special victim class status leading to government preferences for individuals who have only the most tenuous connections to people in another era who had some claim to oppressed status."

[Gopher Broke]

Yet another reason I left the United Methodist Church...after my family were lifelong members.

Political correctness trumps the Bible......the Methodist church is more of a social club than a church.

[Resolute Conservative]

A few months ago I talked my wife into leaving our Southern Methodist Church of 7 years for a Baptist Church ( I was raised Baptist ). She could not believe the difference in doctrine, discipline and the complacency. Worlds apart.

[PeterNJones]

I don't know if "recognition" means special victim class. My understanding is that sure, they get some government benefits, but it is more about being honored as a cultural group. Check out A Cultural History of the Native Peoples of Southern New England: Voices from Past and Present for an idea of how these people still hold their cultural values - unique values - even though they may drive cars and appear "modern."