History of Inculturation at Past Conferences

This document summarizes the cultural adaptations made at liturgies at the National Tekakwitha Conferences from 1978 to 2010. A detailed list of specific adaptations from year to year can be found in the appendix of this document. This research is ongoing and this is a preliminary document as more research needs to be done on past conferences and future conferences need to be documented. It is important to understand, however, that Native American liturgical adaptations have a long historical precedence back into the 1600s, have the approval of the local Bishops, the Tekakwitha Conference, as well as the Ad Hoc Committee for Native American Catholics of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, now the Diversity committee's Native American subcommittee currently chaired by Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM cap. Hopefully this document will encourage greater sensitivity and understanding of the unique character and gifts of Native Catholics as well as the full participation of these distinctive cultural groups within the universal Church. 

Leadership and Presence: 
Since 1978 the conference has stressed that the most important inculturation symbol is Native people themselves as the body of Christ. Native Bishops, priests, sisters, deacons, and lay people have had a central role in the liturgies at the conferences. Native people have lead the procession, sometimes in significant numbers, presided at some of the liturgies in their role as bishops, priests and deacons, have served as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, pesented the gifts at the offertory, and sang in Native choirs. This has never been to the exclusion or alienation of non-Native participants but rather to present the Church as Native and to nurture Native leadership through the visible sign of Native leaders. Conference liturgies have consistently included the elderly, the young, women and men and members of a wide variety of tribal groups to symbolize the inclusiveness of the community. 

Music: 
Consistently liturgies at the National Conference have utilized traditional Catholic hymns, various Native religious musical forms (different according to the cultures represented) and the adaptation of Catholic hymns to Native lyrics and/or Native musical instruments. Because of the wide variety of Native languages, English is a common language at the conference. However the musical language of each group, particularly of the host group, is both a gift of the Creator and an important symbol for that group and the continuity of Native peoples in the Church. 

Language: 
The use of Native languages at the Conferences is essential. Some tribal groups have many speakers of their languages and tragically some groups have few or no speakers and only certain phrases of the language are spoken.. In all cases it is important that Native languages be welcomed and utilized as far as possible at the conference, particularly during times of prayer. In past conferences entire liturgies have been prayed in a specific Native language, certain prayers have been said by Native spiritual leaders in the Native languages, Native language songs have been used, and the readings, especially the Gospel, have been read both in English and Native languages. The Our Father was sometimes prayed in the local Native language. In sign language or all were invited to pray together in their own languages. Because of linguistic differences and the fact that all people within specific groups are not fluent speakers of their language, mass booklets and conference bulletins have been used to encourage full participation , even by non-speakers, and to explain the meanings of the songs and prayers. 

Native Musical Instruments: 
The drum, an instrument common to most Native people but used in a variety of ways, has been consistently used at Tekakwitha conference liturgies since 1979. Depending on the cultural context, rattles, flutes, and bells might also be used. The human voice is another essential instrument and hymns have been used at all Tekakwitha liturgies expressing the importance of music in both the Native and Catholic ritual traditions. The guitar has been adapted into Native liturgical music, as have the organ and even Gregorian chant, which is sung in Native languages. 

Native Prayer Instruments: 
The National Conference liturgies incorporate prayer instruments sacred to many Native Americans and some specific to regional groups. Native conference participants have used sacred items such as eagle staffs, eagle feathers, eagle feather fans, sacred pipes, incense (smudge), water, cedar or other branches as sprinklers, colors to mark the four directions of the world, and representations of Kateri Tekakwitha placed in Native designed shrines. At some liturgies pipe carriers (those designated to pray with the sacred pipe) have carried their pipes in the liturgical procession. The pipe and other prayer instruments have been placed in honored locations r at some of the conference liturgies. 

Environment: 
Each Conference liturgy has paid particular attention to how the liturgical space reflects both Catholic and Native tradition. The altar has been covered with Native made quilts, blankets of Native design, or animal skins. The sacred colors of host tribes have been used for the corporal and purificators. Vessels have been made of Native pottery, basketry or metal. The area around the altar has been decorated with trees and flowers, local agricultural and natural produce, Native vessels, colors marking the four directions, eagle feathers, carved wooden podiums, and tribal insignia. Some conference liturgies have also been held outdoors. 

Vestments: 
Liturgical ministers at the conferences have consistently used vestments of Native design. Native bishops have miters of Native design made of beads or cloth. Priests and deacons wear stoles of Native design depicting geometric or floral designs and/or sacred sometimes clan animals. Native lay people at some conferences wear Native clothing when bringing up the gifts, reading the readings or leading the liturgical processions. 

Native Ritual Traditions: 
Cultural adaptation at the Tekakwitha conferences has included Native forms of prayer and ritual since 1978. This has been done not only at sunrise or other prayer times but also within the liturgy itself. At many conferences Native deacons or leaders conducted the penitential rite using smudging (purification with smoke) as a sign of contrition and cleansing. At the elevation of the eucharist, the sacred elements have been presented to the four directions at some conferences reflecting Native ritual spatial orientation. Several conferences incorporated prayers with a sacred pipe, a prayer instrument sacred to many Native communities, at the time of the opening prayer, penitential rite or offertory. Native leaders, some ordained by the Church and sometimes others whose traditional authority is recognized by the community, conducted these rituals. It is essential that these rituals be conducted only by Native peoples approved by the local community. This principle, that only Native leaders may use Native symbols at public worship, is supported by the Ad Hoc Committee for Native American Catholics of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (now part of the diversity committee) and the Tekakwitha Conference itself. Sacred movement has also been used in some liturgies, such as in leading the Our Father in sign language, performing sacred dances such as the Southwest Eagle Dance or a Yaqui prayer dance after communion. Dancers have sometimes been part of the liturgical processions. Other parts of the liturgy, such as the memorial acclamation, have been punctuated by brief periods of sacred movement. In addition to the gifts of bread and wine, at different conferences Native people brought gifts at the offertory emblematic of God's goodness in their own environments such as corn or squash or wild rice. 

Native Planning: 
The Tekakwitha Conference has been welcomed warmly into the dioceses where it has been held. We have created this document to detail the forms of inculturation and liturgical adaptation already utilized at past conferences. The conference planners strive to work together with the local diocese. It is important that the leaders in the diocese understand and are sensitive to Native culture and the past traditions of the Church. We have no less a model than John Paul II at whose liturgies when visiting Native nations in the United States and Canada most of the adaptations mentioned in this document, including the use of sacred pipes and Native rituals, have been used.