Wounded Knee and Christianity revisited

Today we visited the "battle" site of Wounded Knee. Nothing but tragedy. The saddest thing is not simply this one historical butchering, but the fact that the US Government has been so slow to claim the evil that occured here. The sign finally reads "massacre", but the word massacre simply covers the word "battle." There is no exhibit saying, look, we were really really bad people here. There is no massive apology from the South Dakota Senate. Nothing. Just a sign, which although the name is changed, still reads history from the very same white perspective that called this a battle. Wounded Knee empitomizes, but does not nearly encapsulate, the suffering and destruction of a people. While History cannot be changed, it can be ignored and I believe, without any public acknowledgement on site of the destruction, we do this. I must admit, this last week has left me with serious questions about God and evil and prayer.

Tonight we heard from a minister and elder in the community. He believed that some of the difficulties of the Church here do not simply stem from Christian antipathy, but reflect the challenges felt across the nation in rural areas. Money shortages and secular distractions exist today all across the plains, not just Pine Ridge County!