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This article is from Today's
Native Father, issue #130,November/December, 2003. Related articles from this issue: |
The Real Test: Forgiving One's Own People |
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The True Story of Maskepetoon In his book Stories from Indian Wigwams and Northern Campfires, Rev. Egerton Young tells the inspiring story of Maskepetoon. Maskepetoon was a fierce warrior chief of the Plains Cree when this tribe was still strong. His name means “Crooked Arm,” perhaps due to the wounds he carried from fighting his worst enemies, the Blackfoot tribe. It happened that George McDougall, a missionary, made friends with the Crees and travelled with them. Each night at the campfire he conducted a religious service. One night he read the story of Jesus’ suffering and death. As he spoke of Jesus’ prayer, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” Maskepetoon was observed to be deeply moved. But nothing was said to him. The next day as they rode across the prairie, they met another Indian band. In this band was the man who had secretly killed Maskepetoon’s son years before and reported the death as an accident. Unknown to him, Maskepetoon had since discovered the murder. Everyone in Maskepetoon’s band expected him to seek revenge. Instead, tomahawk in hand, Maskepetoon rode up to the man who had broken his heart and said, “You murdered my son. You deserve to die. But for what I heard from the missionary last night at the campfire, I would have buried this tomahawk in your brains. He told us that if we expected the Great Spirit to forgive us, we must forgive our enemies, even those who have done us the greatest wrong. You have been my worst enemy. But as I hope the Great Spirit will forgive me, I forgive you.” And he gave way to bitter tears. The Cree word for “forgive” means “put out of mind.” Maskepetoon did this and became a faithful warrior for Christ. The True Story of “Tom” Tom* was happy. Four days of sobering up and rest at the pastor’s house had been good for him. Best of all, he had trusted Jesus to forgive his sins and had become a new man. He was almost ready to face life again. But on day five he woke up unhappy. Thoughts of his past life returned to haunt him. He knew that physical problems and injuries from his years of drink-ing would make it hard for him to get a job and a wife. He didn’t like being a member of a racial minority. Worst of all, memories of his step-mother were stirring up his anger again. Tom had lost his mother when he was three years old. When his father announced that he was getting married again, Tom had been excited about getting a new mother. But his new mother had turned out to be very different from his first mother. She was mean to him, gave him all the dirty work, beat him and threat-ened to beat him harder if he told his father. Tom still hated her to the core of his being. “Tom,” the pastor said, “You’re going to have to deal with this anger and hatred before you can have joy again. You must forgive your step-mother.” “Never!” Tom replied. “I can never do that. Don’t even talk to me about it.” “O.K.,” said the pastor. “But if you don’t deal with it, you’re going to slide right back into the slop you just came out of.” “I don’t care,” said Tom. So, the pastor left him to think it over. With a long face, Tom walked around the house for three days. Finally he said, “I think I’m ready to go home and make peace with my step-mother.” He left, and several days later he came back very excited. He said, “I asked my step-mother to forgive me for being mean to her all these years, and she did. We had a wonderful time together!” That was the turning point in Tom’s life. Learning to forgive has helped him stay true to Christ, overcome his physical handicaps and deal with his feelings about being a member of a racial minority. *Not his real name Stories reprinted from Today’s Native Father, July/August, 1990. |
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