Peru partners and PC(USA) commit to ‘walk with Indigenous communities’
by Scott O’Neill | Presbyterian News Service
The “Walking with Indigenous Communities” webinar is set for 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 14.
LOUISVILLE — A fourth and final dialogue session, hosted by PERUSA, a PC(USA) World Mission ministry which features partners working in Peru and the U.S., will focus on Indigenous people’s rights in recognition of November being National Native American Heritage Month.
This session, scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 14, will feature Jorge Arboccó, National Director of Peace and Hope, a member of the Peruvian Joining Hands Network, a PC(USA) partner network, and Madison McKinney, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Oyate tribal member who is descended from the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma, and a member of the Advocacy Committee on Women and Gender Justice. To register for this online webinar, click here.
The session will also be broadcast on the Red Uniendo Manos Perú —Joining Hands Perú account here.
This South-North Dialogue Series, which has occurred quarterly in 2024, allows participants to hear and learn about relevant issues from two different perspectives and cultural contexts, while also learning about similarities within our globalized world, according to Chenoa Stock, PC(USA) mission co-worker serving Peru.
Peace and Hope carries out campaigns and projects that advocate for land rights policies, environmental justice for Indigenous land that has been contaminated by the extractive industries and human rights as these communities demand justice and reparations for victims of the environmental and social impact created by exploitation. Arboccó lives in the jungle area of Peru and works with Indigenous communities. His presentation will focus on the role of the church, employing a social perspective.
“Peace and Hope recognizes the ancestral rights of indigenous communities of the Amazon, a vision for this population that is historically excluded in public policy in Peru and Latin America’s overall agenda,” said Arboccó. “There have been more than 30 assassinations of Indigenous leaders in Peru in the last few years, which illustrates the importance of saving the Amazon rainforest as well as the lives of those who protect it.”
McKinney will share her personal experiences as an Indigenous person and PC(USA) member. Currently living in Minnesota, she will share her insights and reflections on the importance of re-vitalizing Indigenous languages, which were essentially abolished by Christian missionaries. Her conversation, titled “Land, Language, and the Pursuit of Liberation” will be based on Colossians 1:16-17.
“As the church confronts its legacy of colonization, my discussion will examine the spiritual impacts on Indigenous peoples,” said McKinney. “It begins by exploring the deep connection between Indigenous language and the land and will focus on the historical exploitation of the Dakota language by Presbyterian missionaries, urging the current church to confront the ongoing spiritual ramifications. Although practicing Indigenous spirituality has been legal for 46 years, Indigenous peoples still face barriers to true religious freedom. Where is God calling us to go?”
Simultaneous interpretation, Spanish–English and English–Spanish, is available for this session, and a Q&A session will follow to allow participants to gather more information from the speakers.
Stock, who serves and accompanies PC(USA) partners in Peru, feels like the series offers attendees a chance to support struggling communities in the region.
“Walking with Indigenous Communities,” the informal title for this webinar, offers participants a chance to learn about the different experiences of Indigenous communities in Peru and the U.S. and how our partners and PC(USA) congregations members are walking alongside to support them in their struggles and help find voice in the challenging situations of land, language and identity. By listening and sharing together, we learn that these experiences, through different country and cultural contexts also share similar threads woven throughout our stories.”
The South-North Dialogue Series began two years ago. It was created to re-connect with Peruvian partners and their ministries in the post-pandemic world. It’s evolved to highlight issues that are not limited to Peru but inclusive of global systemic issues. Earlier sessions this year focused on confronting racism, addressing climate change in local communities, and women/gender equity.
“These sessions are designed to dialogue, listen, and learn,” said Stock. “We’re not trying to solve global systemic issues but rather try to become a small part of the solution through growing our awareness and understanding of issues that are not isolated to developing countries but are happening all around us and our congregations.”
Register for Walking with Indigenous Communities here.
Click here or here for more information on Native American Heritage Month.
Previous recordings of the South-North Dialogue Series can be viewed on Zoom after entering a passcode:
Confronting Racism — (passcode: dgG?v$p6 )
Addressing Climate Change — (passcode: m#0zP%Q0 )
Women/Gender Equity — (passcode: 7rRR7$u+)
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.