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June 25: Battle of Little Big Horn
On this day in 1876, Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting
Bull defeated U.S Army troops lead by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong
Custer. Despite treaties promising that
Native Americans would own their sacred Pahá Sápa (called the
Black Hills) “as long as the rivers run and grass grows and the
trees bear leaves,” once gold was discovered the army began a violent campaign
to take the land back.
Have you ever had someone break an
agreement with you?
More than 10,000 Native Americans gathered
at Little Bighorn, disobeying the US War Department’s orders to return to their
reservations. Despite being outnumbered and losing earlier battles, Custer
pressed on to the camp without waiting for reinforcements.
Custer had only 600 men when he
tried to take on 3,000 Lakota, Dakota and Cheyenne warriors. Custer and every soldier with him was killed
in the battle. Also called Custer’s Last
Stand by some, this battle fed into the stereotypes that Native Americans were
wild, uncontrollable killers. As a result,
the US government would increase their efforts to force the tribes onto
reservations and seize the land promised to them without remuneration.
Have you ever felt the government was being unfair or
breaking its own rules?
Jesus and the gospel writers believed that the Romans
were hypocritical and named their writings “Good News.” More than a pithy
title, the Good News was also the
name of Ceasar’s newspaper. By using the
title, Jesus and the gospel writers are implying that real good news comes from
God.
If God came to earth to bring justice, what do you
think God should do first?
Our history is full of stories of betrayal and racist
actions. Today, spend some time “talking
story” (as they say in Hawaii). Ask an
older relative to tell you stories about what their life was like when they
were younger, read about history through the eyes of a minority group or share
your memories with a loved one.
Prayer
of the Day: God of wind and rain, help us to remember the stories that have
shaped our ancestors. Bless those who
experience your sacredness in the rhythms of the earth and help us to make
amends for the hypocrisies of our government.
Amen.
Biblical
Text of the Day: Deuteronomy 30:1-5
When all these things have happened to you, the
blessings and the curses that I have set before you, if you call them to mind
among all the nations where the God most high, your God
has driven you, 2and return to the God most high,
your God, and you and your children obey God with all your heart and with all
your soul, just as I am commanding you today, 3then the God most high, your God will restore your fortunes and have
compassion on you, gathering you again from all the peoples among whom the God most high, your God has scattered you.
4Even
if you are exiled to the ends of the world, from there the God
most high, your God will gather you, and from there God will bring you
back. 5The God most high, your God will bring
you into the land that your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it; God
will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors.
