Here are a couple of posts from Kim:
Just 2 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be involved in Journey to Mosaic (J2M). It was in the Denver, Colorado area during our denominations annual conference for missionaries and pastors. It was life changing, eye opening and many other emotional and unexplainable words that I have not even defined yet. Since this is Black History month and I am still trying to wrap my head around what to do with the information I received, the history realized and not being able to go about life quite the same, I am very much thinking, “now what”? In light of that, I felt I needed some type of action plan for myself and for any one around me willing and wanting to engage in education and journey.
Journey to Mosaic is defined as by our denomination as: a multicultural ministry experience to explore the historical and present-day injustices related to the ethnic communities.
Our first full day of the journey, we drove 3 and a half hours to visit Amache, a Japanese internment camp and also the site of the Sand Creek Massacre. Some of you may know about these historical events, but I really had no idea. If you want to learn more, here are 2 very good documentaries to learn more.
I am not writing this for any other reason than for education. I had no idea a lot of this information and I should, I need to.
I wanted to follow up from my post from yesterday about my experience of Journey to Mosaic. Our first full day we visited Amache and then the sight of the Sand Creek massacre. While we were looking at the sight of the massacre, one of our professors read a 1st hand account of the massacre. Some of which you could read here: http://sandcreekmassacre.net/witness-accounts/
We were told and shown a tree over the horizon that sprung up from the blood of the dead because so many people were killed at that spot.
After this reading, our professor asked how we were feeling. Some people were able to respond, but others of us, said nothing. It is difficult to explain, but to do my best, I had never felt those emotions before. I couldn’t put words or feelings to it because I had never experienced it. This was so hard and I know I am not doing it justice here.
I had never heard this before. I knew the general history of how lands were stolen, people were killed and they were given less than ideal lands, but the story of the Native American is so much more than what is written in most history books and for that I am really sad. I feel like if we don’t REALLY know the actual history than we are very likely to repeat it. Maybe not in the same exact ways, but even though packaged differently, still similar. So, again, I am giving information here. More information to give people ideas of actual stories, real stories of and real voices of those who lived and died trying to just be who they were. Theirs is a story we should know and learn and grieve. Why do I think this is important? Well, I will speak for me and me only. It is very easy to go through life with a way of thinking that is comfortable for me and doesn’t affect me. However, when you know truth and understand it, you can’t go about life the same way. That is where I am right now. I am trying to figure out my response because for me, there has to be one. I can’t go about life not seeing those that are different and not having a response to their tragedy, their stories, their voices. SO, for me, I want to learn more to be better, to be a better human because we have to be.
Here are more links and info if you want to learn more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUCIMqlztd0&t=1122s
To learn more about the Sand Creek Massacre, here is a great documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnPT1qYa64
The Santiago Partnership