A Time to Remember by Owanah Anderson

A Time to Remember:
70th General Convention in Phoenix
By Owanah Anderson, Choctaw Elder

It’s with both pride and poignancy that I remember the 70th General Convention held in mid-summer of 1991 in blazing hot Phoenix. Episcopal News Service ran a front-page story proclaiming that we, the Native peoples of this land, “were the best kept secret of the Church. They are often omitted and forgotten, overshadowed by larger minority groups . . . but Saturday, they let their voices be heard.”

I look back now after 21 long years and remember the Phoenix Convention with both pride and poignancy. It was our moment in the sun – like none other before or since. For that one brief week, it was Camelot.

The Diocese of Arizona invited the Navajo Area Mission to join in hosting convention and a Navajo Hataathlii (holy person) stood beside the Navajo Bishop at opening ceremonies.

At the second major worship service, our four Native American bishops were on the dais: Suffragan Bishop Harold Jones of South Dakota, Bishop William Wantland of Eau Claire, Bishop Steven Plummer of Navajoland and Bishop Steven Charleston of Alaska. A dozen other Native church leaders processed to the dais including the late Hui Vercoe of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Joining them were the Most Rev. Edmond L. Browning, Primate, and Indian Ministries staff, Carol Hampton and I.

That worship service was stage-managed by an energetic young Navajoland priest, Mark MacDonald who is now National Indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada. I vividly remember voices at that worship service as we stood on a 10-foot tall platform before 3,000 in an arena setting: the resonate voice of Margaret Hardy, Martin Brokenleg, Steven Charleston, Ginny Doctor, Ron Campbell and Bob Two Bulls. There was anguish; there was pride; there was a bit of wry humor. In a sobering litany of slavery, eviction and humiliation, I remember Fr. Two Bulls’ sardonic mention of John Wayne.
More good things happened for Indian ministry at Phoenix than has happened before or since. It was, in fact, the highlight and stand-out of the six General Conventions I attended, dating back to the first Anaheim Convention in 1985.

Convention voted:
• TO found Episcopal Council of Indian Ministries (ECIM) under the office of the presiding bishop, keyed to promote self-determination through an Indian majority membership. ECIM was challenged to respond to the directives of Oklahoma II identified in 1986, and design programmatic initiatives responding to stated needs in Indian Country.

• TO designate Celebration of Survival of Native Americans as an appropriate observance of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage at National Cathedral, as the Episcopal Church’s official observance.

• TO oppose oil exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, affirming resolutions of both Alaska Diocesan Convention and Executive Council.

• TO support efforts on local, state and national levels to ensure American Indian religious freedom.

• TO open the process for change of canons to permit Navajo Area Mission voice and vote at General Convention.

• TO advocate for fair and just settlement of Indian claims and to call on Congress to create a commission on treaty and civil rights of American Indians.

Anglican Indigenous Network was birthed at the Phoenix Convention. The late Sir Paul Reeves, Maori, had been named Anglican Observer at United Nations. He asked me to get a group of indigenous peoples assembled so he could suggest a coalition of native peoples missionized by Church of England but who are now a minority in their own homeland. In addition to a body of American Indians, Bishop Vercoe, the Most Rev. Michael Peers Primate Canada with his First Nations staff person, and Native Hawaiians joined the late evening gathering. We met in Bishop Browning’s suite. I had no budget for General Convention entertaining. Carol Hampton, Native American field officer, and I huddled. Then we ordered $15-worth of iced tea and a paltry plate of cookies. Thus was begun a ministry that yet lives.

Other dreams of Phoenix took wings and soar yet. Some dreams sputtered and died. ECIM was crippled and morphed into a committee of Executive Council. Celebration of our Survival is still remembered and defined by some as apex of Native Ministry; Religious Freedom for Indians is assured and Navajos have voice and vote in General Convention. Congress has failed to create a commission on treaty and civil rights. But the caribou still migrate unapprehended in the pristine wilderness of Arctic Wildlife Refuge, safe—thus far—from oil exploration.