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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact
January 17, 2024
Confronting our shameful history can heal and humble BY MICHAELA DRAIN
I
t is difficult to listen to stories in which you or someone you love is the bad guy. There are a lot of things that must go right to make this moment healing. The storyteller must feel comfortable enough to be really honest and the listener must be humble enough to actually hear. This creates a space for even the toughest of tales to invite God’s peace and presence into our future together. On November 15, 2023, I was honored to be one of the U.S. Army Chaplains that Fort Sill leaders and Comanche tribal elders form a prayer circle at Chief’s Knoll to pay welcomed the Comanche their respects. Photos (including cover) by Chris Gardner. Nation Elders in a tour of the sacred sites around Fort Sill. also got to share about what our local The tour is a part of Fort Sill’s Acts of The tour group journeyed through United Methodist churches do to create Healing Project. The project is helping various grave sites, Medicine Bluff, more sacred spaces for worshipping and the Fort Sill Museum stopping to to promote deeper understanding together. between the military and Native tribes. share stories and pray at each spot. Hearing the stories of the people I was grateful to and the land was cathartic. Humbly be a part of the tour as listening helped me, as a local, to someone who was born confront my previous lack of curiosity and raised here. As a about my friends and neighbors. United Methodist, I have Sharing the stories in these sacred always been blessed to spaces allowed us all to acknowledge eat and worship with the pain of the past and look forward my Native American to the hope of continued reconciliation neighbors through the in the future. various ministries of I encourage you all to continue the Oklahoma Indian sharing the stories of your church and Missionary Conference. its involvement in history. Some of At that moment, I got to our churches have been around for a represent the Oklahoma Comanche Elders Leru Parker, LEFT, and Francine Army National Guard. I long time. They hold the hurtful and Frisch view artifacts.
