davidjames August 21st, 2010

This might be one of the best shows EVER…I had read about this in the news some time ago and it was moving even then, now hearing the inside story…wow…in the US there actually was a large network of Indian schools, the last and largest in Carlisle PA, of course it was all done in the name of Christianity…like so many other awful events in history. The only difference here is that it was an afterthought after we slaughtered and essentially wiped out the "fighting" population of native peoples. Although they didn't have the concise slogan "Kill the Indian in the Child", it was the same program from a Christian viewpoint…put them in these schools and remove all trace; clothes, hair, language, and tradition of their native heritage and make them good christian children. These schools were abandoned a long time ago, probably a century ago, I honestly don't know why it stopped, maybe they ran out of funds, I don't know. But the history of this country's actions, slaughter, lies, broken treaties and exploitation is long and well documented…if there was ever a nation that needed to follow the example of others it is us in this case. This is the kind of thing that should have headlined the news for weeks, but of course it was an afterthought in our media. As Steve said this really is world changing history that we've had the opportunity to watch. It is sad that the themes of things like forgiveness take a back seat to other shallow interests in the media. Envisioning this and wishing that is could happen here makes me weep…my only complaint with this interview is that it was so short…I think one of the shortest I've heard…maybe the guests were under time constraints…I do know, I would have enjoyed hearing a lot more from them, glad for the web sites….once again though…great show!!! One to share with my friends

Frances Miller August 31st, 2010

Whitewash = Hogwash. 50,000 Native Indian Children were murdered in Canadian Residential Schools. Their bodies lie in mass graves. The graves have been located by infrared heat analysis. These so-called Christian Natives are doing nothing but helping the government and high church leaders evade responsibility and shield the identify of some of the perpetrators of these crimes who are still living and can be legally prosecuted. Under the banner of 'forgiveness,' they block the whole truth from being told. There is an agenda of deception behind all of this!

Steve Boone September 5th, 2010

I thought for a while about how or even if I should reply to the last comment. I am white and didn't lose anyone to the system set up so anything I say can sound really self righteous and self serving. But I do know a lot of the people behind the movement. I don't know the number of children killed at residential schools, it was thousands for sure, even one is way too many. There are mass graves and there are people still alive that committed terrible crimes at the schools. The stories I hear from people that I work with and know well keep me up at night sometimes. I will only speak for myself not for my friends. I don't know anyone that wants these crimes covered up or the truth to be hidden. I want the opposite, I want the truth to be revealed. I also want to help people forgive their oppressors. That's easy for me to say I know. I have nothing to forgive in this case. But I do have other things to forgive and it's not easy even though my issues are nowhere near as dire. If we as individuals do not forgive those that have hurt us then we imprison ourselves. We become slaves to hurt, anger and bitterness. We can't move forward. The movement to forgive is based in Jesus' commands and the desire to be free. It is not based in a desire for deception or helping criminals escape the legal punishment for their crimes, and I pray that those things do not happen under any circumstances.

Bruce Szwast September 6th, 2010

Thanks Steve for resurrecting this story of the inevitable culture clashes that have existed since God said 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it'. I have been preoccupied with a mission to convince others (of like mind) that sincere young earthers are not condemning others who do not agree with us. In fact what we are saying is that unless we understand and preach the whole counsel of God, these cultures clashes turn out to be the disasters that we feel necessary to apologize for when in fact we should apologize to God for not standing together against the forces that cause these disasters.

Since the beginning there have been two cultures 1) those that stood for God and 2) those that stood for evil. The forces of evil nearly destroyed the people of God before God intervened with a worldwide flood. Judging from what I see today, I have to believe that the forces of evil were scoffing at the notion that God created all that we see and we are responsible to Him. The message of Adam, Abel, Seth, … Noah was 'we stand on what God has said: I will return and redeem My people. Oops, culture clash.

After the Tower of Babel incident, we see the world in general moving out to repopulate the earth. They took with them a knowledge of God which eventually turned into the worship of nature and of man himself. Noah, Shem… stayed at home (I have to believe Jerusalem – Salem, the city of peace). When the time came, Melchizedek from the city of peace, not only blessed Abraham for the victory over the forces of evil, but also blessed Abraham and his descendents with the mission to build (or rebuild …) the 'city on the hill' Jerusalem. When the people of God were rescued from Egypt they were blessed with the mission to subdue the Promised Land. Oops, culture clash. And the city was rebuilt…). The place where Jesus, God with us, came to live and die to redeem His people.

With Jesus' Ascension came the Great Commission, to go out into all the world, and find all those scattered peoples and teach them the true knowledge of the Living God. Oops, culture clash: Rome, Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Pitcairn Island…

Don't get me wrong, I am not dismissing the agony of the culture clash. I am sure that there were many success stories, those who have been rescued from the forces of evil. I have met two real American Indians. One, a coworker who was grateful for an opportunity to succeed. The other, a current chief of the Appalachia Indians who was in Tallahassee for a taping of the History Detectives. He had a Jewell Cross that went back to days of Spanish missionaries who taught his people about the Living God. He was grateful for Christianity; but the History Detectives told him that the symbol of the cross was merely a symbol of American Indian culture. Oops, culture clash.

Maybe that is where we are today. A media and a government that has become so secular that they have brought disaster on all peoples and then have the audacity to blame it on the so called religious right. Imbedded in their message is the thought: we are scoffing at the notion that God created all that we see and we are responsible to Him. The message of the church is (or should be) 'we stand on what God has said: I will return and redeem My people. Oops, culture clash.

Bruce Szwast

Thomas September 10th, 2010

Steve Boone I want to preface this comment by saying that I applaud you for making an attempt to reconcile relationships between Whites and Indigenous peoples, what you are doing is a ot more than most Whites, as far as publicly accepting what your people did was wrong. But if you want Christianity to gain credibility with Natives, lobby for land and resources to be restored to them. Also, has your organization demanded that a investigation be done in those areas where crimes were commited? Maybe you have, but if not you might encounter alot of backlash from your people, and it might even cost you something to demand justice, but Jesus paid the price because He loved us, so he sacrificed Himself. I know one thing, many Natives would stop viewing you with suspicion if you did go that extra mile..God bless you

Steve Boone September 10th, 2010

Hey Thomas, thanks for the kind words.

You raise a critical issue that is not easy to deal with either personally or as an organization. I am basically the only white guy in our organization. The founders are a french voaguer desendant and a Cree woman. I am the only one in the organization that hasn't lived on a reserve for a significant amount of time. So everyone is personally deeply involved in the struggles for justice. Some on our board have been or are members of tribal councils. I know that I have lost friends because of my stands for Native peoples, and thats ok. We kind of stand out because we are almost entirely a Native organization, and we are certainly Native lead.

I said that this was a difficult issue. It is because the Gospel has social, political, personal and justice ramifications. The hard part is following the path laid down by the Creator with honesty and integrity no matter where it leads.

Thanks for the blessings!

Bruce Szwast September 11th, 2010

Thanks guys. We have to talk about this and try to understand the true history of how America became America. The palate has many colors.

I mentioned a Chief of the Appalachian Indians. Over 3 AM coffee in a Hampton we discussed the meaning of life, our views on history, and our glorious future with the Lord of Glory. Insomnia has its rewards.

Here are some links of interest. God Bless

http://winhttp.nsula.edu/regionalfolklife/apalachee/Epilogue.html

http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/apalachee.html

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/pdf/407_crystalcross.pdf