History
Less than 2% of American Indians are Christians after 200 years of evangelism.
The percentage is even lower in our urban areas. In a recent survey of West Coast cities, it was found that ONLY .2% were attending any church.
There are a number of reasons for this:
- Indian wars – where even women and children were massacred i.e. Wounded Knee, Sand Creek, resulting in hatred for the White Man.
- Broken treaties, resulting in lack of trust.
- Reservations – the worst land given and corrupt Indian agents resulting in despair, hopelessness and anger.
- Boarding schools for the purpose of taking the “Indian out of the Indian” resulting in broken families and resentment towards the “White Man’s religion” – Christianity.
The Results
- High alcoholism rate.
- Highest suicide rate is among reservation youth.
- High drug abuse rate.
- Broken families.
- Missionaries and weekend evangelism teams have had little effect in helping reach the spiritual needs of the Native American.