I enjoyed the many quotations in your book. In many ways, I think our Indigenous worldview is much closer to Jesus’ than Western Christianity, and we understand him better. The Western worldview does not understand story well but Indigenous people do. His purpose to convert people to a more harmonious way of living is what all great Indigenous leaders have taught. When one reads his stories, it’s easy to see why our Indigenous people can relate to Jesus. My wife and I have not considered ourselves Christians for well over a decade but we are Indigenous tradition-keepers who follow Jesus. Western Christianity has proven too many times its inability to live up to the values of Jesus. Western Christianity is not compatible with Indigenous values but the teachings of Jesus are. How does your background as a Christian pastor dovetail with your Indigenous spirituality? What are some of the communalities? And the differences?

As I hung out with more and more Native people throughout my years, I discovered there were a lot of those Indigenous values that my parents and others retained without ever having to teach them, they were caught, more than taught. A lot of the friends I chose and direction in my life was towards that end. I decided early on, maybe in the 5th grade or so, that I would spend my life seeking a more authentic expression of what it means to be Indigenous.

When and how did you begin this education?īeing assimilated was the norm in my community for people with Native American ancestry, including my parents and many of their friends. Your introduction notes that you were not raised with much Native American culture. Of utmost importance, he says, is that many Indigenous people view Jesus and his teachings as separate and unique from Christianity-“In many ways,” he says, “I think our Indigenous worldview is much closer to Jesus’ than Western Christianity, and we understand him better.”Īt a time when more than a few Christian leaders are being called out for their exclusionary and intolerant political positions and support of autocratic-leaning politicians in this country and around the world, we couldn’t be more thankful to Randy for providing a good stark reminder of who Jesus was, why he attained prophet status, and how all of us could scarcely find a better way to live our lives than his example.ĭon’t miss Rachel Jagareski’s review of Randy’s Becoming Rooted from Foreword’s January/February issue.īecoming Rooted impressively distills Indigenous philosophy and cultural practice about our connections with the natural world. In this week’s interview, Randy Woodley opens our eyes and hearts to Christian spirituality as seen and understood by Native Americans. Reviewer Rachel Jagareski Interviews Randy Woodley, Author of Becoming Rooted: One Hundred Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth

Becoming rooted by randy woodley