NOTE: Attached are the changes and/or new resolutions and Social Principles regarding Native Americans from 2008 General Conference. There are others from previous years (also in Appendix of text) that were not changed.
Social Principles
¶163.G Ammended by 2008 General Conference as follows:
Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, destructive of good government and good stewardship. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized by the practice. Where gambling has become addictive, the Church will encourage such individuals to receive therapeutic assistance so that the individual's energies may be redirected into positive and constructive ends.
The Church acknowledges the dichotomy that can occur when opposing gambling while supporting American Indian tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Therefore the Church’s role is to create sacred space to allow for dialogue and education that will promote an holistic understanding of the American Indians’ historic quest for survival. The Church’s prophetic call is to promote standards of justice and advocacy that would make it unnecessary and undesirable to resort to commercial gambling—including public lotteries, casinos, raffles, Internet gambling, gambling with emerging wireless technology and other games of chance—as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or governments.
The petition was approved by General Conference 2008 without ammendments. Submitted by General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
SAND CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE SUPPORT
The United Methodist Church will contribute $50,000 to the development of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Research and Learning Center, and the General Conference directs the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns to work with the United States National Park Service in the conveyance of the funds and in the development of the Research and Learning Center.
Rationale:
On November 29, 1864 at Sand Creek, Colorado, Colonel John Chivington, a Methodist lay preacher as well as commander of the local military district of the United States Army, led a combined force of 800 soldiers in an early morning attack on a Native American village in which the people had been given a guarantee of safety and security by United States representatives after their having been moved from their previous homelands to that location by the government.
As many as 180 men, women, and children of the village were killed in the event which has come to be called the Sand Creek Massacre. The United Methodist Church at its 1996 general conference expressed deep regret and apology for the actions of a prominent Methodist and reiterates its sorrow and its concern for the well-being of all Native American people.
The United States Government has designated the site of the event the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, and the National Park Service (NPS) which has management responsibility for the site has proposed development of a Research and Learning Center to promote awareness of the site and its use for Native American services of remembrance and commemoration.
The NPS estimates that $2,000,000 will be required to establish the Research and Learning Center, and the NPS proposes to raise $1,000,000 of this amount from the private sector which it will match
The Protection of Native American Sacred Sites
Amendments to Resolution 148 approved by General Conference 2008.
In 1978 and 1992, Congress passed legislation entitled "The American Indian Religious Freedom Act," and “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act” which declared that it was the policy of Congress to protect and preserve the inherent right of American Indians to believe, express, and practice their traditional religions.; Native American love for and identity with the land resonates with the theology of land in Scripture. The loss of sacred land leads to a loss of identity and even freedom for the people of Israel (Genesis 15:13), and that loss of freedom can prevent full religious expression, as the Psalmist asks, “How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalms 137:4) Native American religious understandings of the sacredness of land resound and even precede the Christian theology of land by thousands of years. Today a crisis exists in that there is no real protection for the practice of traditional Indian religions within the framework of American constitutional or statutory law, and courts usually automatically dismiss Indian petitions without evidentiary hearings.; While Congress has passed many laws that are designed to protect certain kinds of lands and resources for environmental and historic preservation, none of these laws are designed to protect the traditional sacred sites of Native American tribes for the purpose of Native American traditional religious practice.;
The only existing law directly addressing this issue, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, is simply a policy that provides limited legal relief to aggrieved American Indian religious practitioners.; The 1992 General Conference of The United Methodist Church went on record as supporting the rights of all Native Americans, Christian and traditional alike, Therefore, the General Board of Church and Society shall continue to support legislation that will provide for a legal cause of action when sacred sites may be affected by governmental action; and proposed legislation should also provide for more extensive notice to and consultation with tribes and affected parties.; On behalf of the whole United Methodist Church, the General Board of Church and Society may enter and support court cases relating to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.; The General Board of Church and Society shall communicate with the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, declaring that the position of The United Methodist Church, expressed through the 20080 General Conference, is to strengthen the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 and preserve the God-given and constitutional rights of religious freedom for American Indians, including the preserving of traditional Native American sacred sites of worship. Social Principles, ¶ 164A.
Native American Tribal Sovereignty
Adopted as submitted, General Conference 2008
Indigenous people were once sole occupants of this continent. Scholars vary greatly in their estimates of how many people were living in the Americas when Columbus arrived in 1492; however estimates range from 40 million to 90 million for all of the Americas. 1 <> American Indian tribal populations wereas decimated after the arrival of Europeans. This decimation was rationalized according to (a) the European belief in their "discovery" of the new world, (b) the arrogance of “manifest destiny”,
(c) the cavalier destruction of the Native concept of tribal communal land, and (d) lack of immunity to diseases carried by Europeans to the Americas. ,According to the 2000 census, the American Indian population stands at 2.48 million people.
Pprior to European contact, the indigenous nations of this continent were sovereign, aautonomous and self-regulating. ;
During the American Revolution, American Indian tribes and confederations of tribes wereas recognized as sovereign indigenous nations in nation-to-nation relationships with the major European powers. Later, these relationships were maintained with the newly-formed U.S.government, whicho formulated 371 treaties with Indian nations between 1778-1871.;
1 MSN Encarta website 2007
Treaties are regarded as binding, sacred and enduring texts by American Indians and Alaska Natives, comparable to the U. S. Constitution and U.S. Bill of Rights. Therefore, it is disturbing that the U.S government ignored its trust responsibilities through the violation of treaties and other promises.;
Tribal sovereignty is an inherent international right of Native nations, and it encompasses various matters, such as jurisdiction over Indians and non-Indians on tribal lands, education and language, child welfare and religious freedom. Land is both the physical and spiritual foundation of tribal identity, as stated by Kidwell, Noley and Tinker (2001) in their book, A Native American Theology: "Land is today the basis upon which tribal sovereignty rests, the rights of Indian people to live upon, use and to govern in a political sense the members of the tribe who live on the land and those whose tribal membership gives them an association with it" (p. 15).; Early U.S. Supreme Court decisions support and affirm tribal sovereignty, most notably the Marshall trilogy of cases in the 19th century, and Winter v. S. (1908). However, recent Court decisions have ignored previous precedent and contradicted earlier rulings undermining tribal sovereignty.;
A survey conducted by an independent research firm demonstrateds that 75 percent of the American public supports tribal governance over Native lands, and 74 percent believe that federal and state officials should make tribal self-governance a priority. ;
A United Methodist Resolution 2 <>outlined support for the rights of Native people relative to self-determination and sovereignty, which includes the right of Native people to:
be self-determining, and make their own decisions;
plan for a future in this nation, and to expect a fulfillment of commitments that have been made previously by the government, as well as equitable treatment of those who were not afforded legal protection for their culture and lands; and
2 Resolution 146 (2004 UM Book of Resolutions).
exercise their sovereignty consistent with treaty provisions, executive orders, and acts of Congress.;
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has appealed to religious institutions and their congregations to urge the U.S. government to exercise moral responsibility in upholding treaty obligations and trust responsibilities with Native peoples. NCAI has implemented the Tribal Sovereignty Protection Initiative as a proactive effort to counter recent threats to tribal sovereignty from the federal government, especially within the U.S. Supreme Court that has disregarded the historic agreements with American Indian tribes.
Therefore, be it resolved that:
The United Methodist Church reaffirms its support for tribal sovereignty and commends the following guiding principles for the total Church:
Guiding Principles:
1. We believe in redemption, transformation, and reconciliation; people can change and that is representative of the incarnational witness in the world.
2. We believe in John Wesley’s directive to connect social and personal holiness; that advocacy and action, speaking out in the public square, truth-telling in love are intrinsic to who we are as United Methodists.
3. We believe that the intentions and politicization of Christianity distorted the Gospel/Good News for the purpose of colonization and must be decolonized.
4. We affirm that American Indian sovereignty: -Is a historical fact, is significant, and it cannot be disregarded in favor of political expediency. -American Indians have a right to self-govern. -Preserves culture, land, religious expression, and sacred spaces. -Ensures survival-allows for the survival of American Indian people
5. We need to demythologize and move from fiction to fact in our understanding of American Indians and Indian Country.
6. We affirm the sacredness of humankind -Affirming all persons as equally valuable in God’s sight. -Resources of the world are sacred and deplore practices of exploitation
7. We reject stereotypes and frames that depict American Indians as less than sacred or in harmful or distorted ways.
8. We observe that there are belief systems of Native American Indians and non-natives and that they do not always have commonality. (i.e. “Fair play” /Justice-
e.g. land claims, treaties vs. constitutional rights, citizen’s rights)
In response to the Tribal Sovereignty Protection Initiative, the United Methodist Church:
1. Calls upon the United States government to exercise moral responsibility in upholding and honoring all treaty obligations and trust responsibilities to Native peoples;
2. Directs the General Board of Church and Society present this resolution to Members of the United States Congress, the President of the United States, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Congress of American Indians; and
3.Urges all clergy and laity to educate themselves and their congregations about historical and contemporary aspects of tribal sovereignty, including action steps that concerned individuals and congregations can take to support American Indians and Alaska and Hawaiian Natives.
(See R. 215)
Gambling
Amended Resolution 203 – General Conference 2008
The Social Principles state that, "Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized by the practice. Where gambling has become addictive, the church will encourage such individuals to receive therapeutic assistance so that the individual's energies may be redirected into positive and constructive ends. The church should promote standards and personal lifestyles that would make unnecessary and undesirable the resort to commercial gambling—including public lotteries—as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or government" (¶ 163)
When asked which commandment is first of all, Jesus answered, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:29-30, NRSV). Gambling feeds on human greed and invites persons to place their trust in possessions rather than in God. It represents a form of idolatry that contradicts the first commandment. Jesus said “You shall love your neighbor as yourself'." (Mark 12:31b, NRSV). In relating with compassion and love to our sisters and brothers, we are called to resist those practices and systems that exploit and leave them impoverished and demeaned. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:9-10a: "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." Gambling, as a means of acquiring material gain by chance and at the neighbor's expense, is a menace to personal character and social morality. Gambling fosters greed and stimulates the fatalistic faith in chance. Organized and commercial gambling is a threat to business, breeds crime and poverty, and is destructive to the interests of good government. It encourages the belief that work is unimportant, that money can solve all our problems, and that greed is the norm for achievement. It serves as a "regressive tax" on those with lower income. In summary, gambling is bad economics; gambling is bad public policy; and gambling does not improve the quality of life.
We oppose the growing legalization and promotion of gambling. Dependence on gambling revenue has led many governments to exploit the weakness of their own citizens, neglect the development of more equitable forms of taxation, and thereby further erode citizens' confidence in government.
We oppose the legalization of pari-mutuel betting1, for it has been the opening wedge in the legalization of other forms of gambling that has fostered the growth of illegal bookmaking. We deplore the establishment of lotteries and their use as a means of raising public revenues. The constant promotion and the wide advertising of lotteries have encouraged large numbers of persons to gamble for the first time.
We express our concern for the increasing development of the casino enterprises which haves taken captive entire communities and corrupted many levels of government with its fiscal and political power. Public apathy and a lack of awareness that petty gambling feeds organized crime have opened the door to the spread of numerous forms of legal and illegal gambling.
We especially express our deep concern at the rapid growth of two forms of gambling: Internet Gambling: Because computer usage is available in the privacy of one’s home and even in churches, the potential for access to gambling websites and addiction to Internet gambling is great. Internet Gambling is an international problem and it is virtually unregulated which has led to corruption, money laundering, and funding of terrorist organizations. Individuals and local churches should seek to educate themselves on the easy access to Internet gambling websites. The social cost of addiction to Internet gambling is great and leads to bankruptcy, suicide, and family discord. Young adults and senior citizens are among the most vulnerable populations at risk to gambling addiction. Parents and caregivers should take steps to ensure that children and the elderly with access to computers not be exposed to Internet gambling websites. Local Churches and Annual Conferences should provide educational resources for parents and caregivers on the dangers of Internet gambling and enact strict oversight of church-owned computers.
U.S. Tribal Gambling: We grieve over the expansion of gambling onto tribal reservations and lands. Gambling expansion on tribal lands has fostered racism and hate crimes, has caused discord between and among tribal members, and has led to divisions in churches and families. While we support tribal self-determination and self-governance, resorting to gambling as a form of economic development is regrettable. We acknowledge and recognize the dichotomy created when the Church’s positions oppose gambling and at the same time support tribal self-determination. We urge annual conferences and local churches, which reside near tribal casinos or are facing expansion of tribal gambling ventures, to build partnerships with churches on reservations and Indian lands to foster mutual trust and understanding of tribal history and of the United Methodist position on gambling without resorting to diminishing tribal sovereignty.
The church has a key role in fostering responsible government and in developing health and moral maturity that free persons from dependence on damaging social customs. We urge national, tribal, state and local governments to read, analyze and implement the recommendations of the National Gambling Impact Study report released by the United States in 1999. We encourage tribal governments to wean themselves from gambling as a form of economic development; and we encourage and fully support tribal efforts to diversify economically away from gambling. We support the strong enforcement of anti-gambling laws and, the repeal of all laws that give gambling an acceptable and even advantageous place in our society. It is expected that United Methodist churches abstain from the use of raffles, lotteries, bingo, door prizes, other drawing schemes, and games of chance for the purpose of
gambling or fundraising. United Methodists should refrain from all forms of gambling practices and work to influence community organizations and be supportive of American Indian tribes in developing forms of funding that do not depend upon gambling. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon local churches to reach out with love to individuals who are addicted, compulsive or problem gamblers and support efforts at recovery and rehabilitation. We oppose coalitions, groups, organizations, and campaigns which claim opposition to gambling, yet at the same time undermine or oppose tribal sovereignty, which fosters a climate of hate and racism. An alarming trend is the attempt to use local churches in order to increase support for this destructive agenda. We believe that these groups operate contrary to Christian teachings. Therefore we strongly discourage United Methodist members and local churches from participating in such efforts.
Economic Development for Native American Peoples
Approved by 2008 General Conference (Revision of Resolution #215)
Christians are called to celebrate and protect the worth and dignity of every human being
and to struggle against oppression and exploitation. We are called to "proclaim release to
the captives . . . to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18, RSV).
Economic realities, such as "one world economies" and "mega-mergers," can have a negative impact on both the rich and poor of this world. Native American spirituality speaks to and challenges inequities with its understanding of how to care for the whole family of God. Native American United Methodists believe their cultural understanding of stewardship is God-given and has been distorted from its intended purpose; God's creation has been used with greed rather than care. Native Americans in The United Methodist Church believe that the Church must take a proactive stand for reform of church and society that will introduce a radically different model of economic relationships into the new century--a God-centered model. The United Methodist Church believes that models of economic development should not have a negative impact on Native American people.
For more than five hundred years, Native Americans have lived and survived in the context of first, colonialism and second, capitalism and have been impacted by the economics of greed. Many have been forced to live in poverty; however, a small segment of the Native American population is surviving through tribal economic development based on gambling. Unfortunately, tribal gambling casinos have had negative social consequences beyond and even within tribes. The need for economic development and growth is critically acute in most Native American communities across the United States. Economic conditions are appalling, with some reservations facing exceptionally high rates (some as high as 80-90 percent) of unemployment well above the national average.
In fact, many reservations have very high poverty rates in the United States and rank very low in health and education indicators. There is little or no tax base on many reservations. Equity for investment is practically nonexistent or equity comes from questionable sources and at an exorbitant rate. As a result, some tribes have resorted to gambling endeavors in an effort to improve their economies. However, the vast majority of tribes remain in desperate need of meaningful, diversified economic development.
Economic development encompasses everything from job creation to reform in tax codes, from the creation of banking institutions to the expansion of tribal autonomy; development of basic physical infrastructure (roads and sewers);, telecommunications to bridge the digital divide;, fiscal literacy development for Native American people. Collectively, these basic essentials are requirements for effective economic development.
Tribal sovereignty is historical, legal, and sacred to American Indian people. We affirm autonomous decision-making by Native American tribes. After all, the primary goal of economic development is to create self-sufficiency in Native American tribes. Ultimately, sovereignty ensures and enables tribes to deliberate and map out a strategy that will hopefully lead to self-sufficiency. The U.S. Department of the Interior has grossly mismanaged tribal lands and has lost track of billions of dollars in mining, logging, and other royalties that should have gone to benefit Native American tribes. Fiscal accountability and ethical management of trust funds is an absolute necessity in the quest for tribal economic self-sufficiency.
Therefore, be it resolved that The United Methodist Church:
1. Supports the efforts of sovereign Native American nations to create means and methods of economic development that do not depend on gambling and do not disrupt or destroy sacred sites.
2. Urges the U.S. government to affirm tribal sovereignty and work with Native American tribes in a genuine partnership to support economic development and trust reform.
3. Directs the General Board of Church and Society and the General Board of Discipleship in collaboration with Native Americans to develop educational tools for local churches and individuals as a study on contemporary Native American issues; especially tribal sovereignty as it relates to effective economic development. The studies should also include the Church’s role in influencing contemporary mission and ministry with Native people and create strategies and actions which can allow active participation of local churches in assisting Native Americans to find a God-centered alternative to gambling as a form of economic development.
4. Authorizes the General Board of Church and Society to work with the National Congress of American Indians and other Native American organizations in advocating for federal economic development programs and initiatives.
5. Encourages the General Board of Church and Society to facilitate participation of United Methodist Native Americans in the work of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other advocacy events which influence economic development for Native Americans.
6. Urges the General Board of Global Ministries to support funding of economic development projects of Native American tribes.
7. Urges the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits to invest funds in Native American financial institutions and community organizations.
