The Black Jesus

“YOU NEED TO TAKE A HOLD OF THE BLACK JESUS”.  I have been sharing with people about this concept.  It is not about Jesus being black but the reality he was not White.  On a trip to Washington DC I was visiting an Inner-City church and I came across a post card of sorts and it was a picture of the Black Jesus.  I was a little stunned because I like most have only ever seen a blond haired, blue eyed Jesus.  Of course I like the picture of Jesus with long hair and brown skin but I am Indian, oh I meant American Indian.  In the first part of the 19^th Century there was a point in history that would change the way we as Lakota and other Indigenous Nations would exist.  It was around then the churches took federal funding to destroy the Indian and save the man tactics for the government.  It was a thought the Indigenous people were equal but had an inferior culture.  Now we can debate this for a long time but it does not matter, because we are in this situation now; it was disastrous to the American Indian Life.

                I have heard of stories when a white man came to the door the children would run and hide.  The preachers and priest use to visit homes seeking to share their faith and messages.  My own mother was made to go to school with a threat of having her father sent to jail.  I know some of you know the feeling of a white man coming to the door and then running and hiding.  We had fear of the welfare lady coming and we hid in our home back in the inner-city.  The churches and other federal agents sought to destroy the Lakota culture and take away the central facet of the culture, which is language.  No one really talks about the involvement of the “Church” being an agent of the government but it goes to show you, good intentions do not always bring good results.  We know there are instances wrong doings committed by the church and I am developing thought about these happenings.

                I have a difficult time talking about race because in my understanding we come from one creator and not many creations.  Thus, the human race is one but just like siblings fights break out and the further you go from your cousins the less they mean to you.  So we end up with different cultures around the world with different shades of brown.  I have not seen a red man or a black man or white man or yellow for that matter, maybe the closest I have to a red man was when I saw this white guy who got sunburned but he was more pink than red.  I am sorry but we need to realize we are but one race and different cultures is what divides us.  My message of the “Black Jesus” is to share with people who do not have a clue about the Savior or Wanikiya.  Lakota people sought for a savior and sang the songs to call the Wanikiya(Savior) to come and save them.  Now we have so much white guilt and white hatred people are fueled in these ways.  It is a trick to keep up from the Knowledge of the Savior. 

                I am not going to seek to expose the wrongdoings of people who came to Lakota country and did it with government monies, such as the churches.  It is just an interesting point in our history that they were giving money to churches to make the Indians “Christians”.  It did not work, and we have many confused individuals in Lakota Country.  We can see what the effects are when you look around the Reservations.  It is a sad state of affairs and you can see the destruction left behind by the policies of the Government and the Churches.  There is a constant feeling of not being good enough among our Lakota people.  I am not good enough and neither is any race among mankind.  We must begin to embrace truth and see what are past has done to our future and present.

                Now me being a Follower of Jesus I need to preface my idea about being human.  We as a race of people will never be good enough to stand before a Holy or Wanka Creator.  So the idea needs to be clear and concise because we have not found a Great White Savior because it does not exist.  We can argue religion or ways all day, but in the end we need to understand Jesus was more than dark skinned man, he is the Savior or Wanikiya.  The dignity of the Lakota Man has been stripped away by the Government and the Church because it took away his identity.  We need to begin to think differently in regards to our future.  Embracing a black Jesus will help you to know the lighter your skin does not make you better or worse. 

                I have written about some issues we need to address and they are banking and Casino.  We have many issues but these are important to get the ball rolling.  We can walk in two worlds, making money to support our future is imperative.  Look, Rapid City does not mind if we come to their city and spend our money but what if we took the land back and put up the casino, and started making money?  It would be a good responsible move in regards to being American.  If there are any Council members reading this I hope you think about it and begin the process of studying who owns the land where Sioux Park sits in West Rapid City?  Then begin the process of developing a plan and locating monies to build a convention center and make the government responsible for better health care at Sioux San.  We must humble ourselves as Lakota and begin to work together.  Each tribe can donate machines so we can have our set machines through the compact with the state.  I can imagine the State of South Dakota will not be happy but in the end, it will be a federal issue and the trust land will be our responsibility.  We could use our own people to police the facility.

                It is time we begin to change our future as the Lakota Nation.  The Great Sioux Nation was a great idea our forefathers gave us and now we need to use our brains take back our dignity. 

                We as humans are equal but until people take a hold the person of Jesus, we will continue to struggle with untruth.  We as the Lakota Nation can change our destiny and the United States Government will need to honor their word through the treaty.  I hope that we can now move forward and begin to set a path of healing in regards to what the “Church” and U.S. Government has done in the name of civility. 

                In closing this blog of old, I would like to share with you my latest understanding.  Many people actually are not sharing the person of Jesus; they are sharing a set of rules.  I like the idea of the Black Jesus because it shares with people an idea, this idea is to understand Jesus is not just for the White people but he is for all people I have seen many pictures since I first saw the Black Jesus and they were from many cultures and yes I did see a picture of Jesus in buckskin.  My question to you is, can you handle the Black Jesus?