An Indigenous Jesus: Methodological and Theoretical Intersections in the Comparative Study of Religion

Indigeneity is a relational category that is predominantly, albeit not exclusively, applicable to Indigenous peoples. As a central theoretical site of discourse in Native Studies, indigeneity tends to be characterized by politicized relationships and provides powerful rhetorical strategies and counter-narratives. Facilitating decolonization as well as illuminating the structural and systemic relationships between the indigenous and the colonial, Indigenous theory recognizes the often complex inter-relationships attending the delineation of ethnic, social, and religious identity. The historical Black Elk, for example, illustrates how Lakota and Catholic religious identities co-exist in an ongoing site of discursive tension. This article argues that the historical figure of Jesus can be re-cognized as an indigenous Judean, complicating contemporary efforts in which the quest for the historical Jesus occurs in a predominantly Christian discursive context.

Indigenous and Roman Catholic Canonizations of Nicholas Black Elk: Postcolonial Issues and Implications of Black Elk Speaks

This article explores questions surrounding the status and teachings of Nick Black Elk, in dialogue with certain postcolonial and decoloniality theorists, as well as with commentators on Black Elk’s spirituality. It highlights liberation spirituality and theology in analyzing the religious hybridity of Black Elk and his actions of decoloniality. It also shows how Black Elk’s recent nomination for Roman Catholic canonization might continue to support certain shifts in various areas of Christian spirituality in light of Lakota influences: to respectful approaches to visionary mysticism and dreams; to positive affirmations of embodied spirituality; to ecological connections, consciousness and responsibility; and to a transformed sense of spiritual intimacy with nature.