Oakland church bans Lakota funeral

Pastor says Indian drum ceremony inappropriate for Christian institution

By Laura Ernde, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND - It may be called the American Indian Baptist Church, but this Oakland house of worship has made it clear that a traditional Lakota funeral ceremony is not welcome there.

Deacon Paul Brown said it would be inappropriate to have a Lakota drum ceremony inside a Christian church.

And the deacon is not willing to hand over the pulpit to a medicine man without a pre-service interview.

"It's like having two religions trying to meet at the same place," said Brown, 73, who is a Chickasaw Indian. "In the Bible, you can't serve two masters."

As a result of the conflict, the family of American Indian activist Muriel Waukazoo said they'll hold her funeral elsewhere.

"We'd like to do it in a traditional way. That's what my mother believed. That's what she fought for all her life," Martin Waukazoo said.

Embracing tradition

The church, at 1315 102nd Ave., was founded in the 1950s by Southern Baptists who wanted to provide a place of worship to American Indians who held Christian beliefs but were not accepted at white churches, Brown said.

Brown said the incident made him realize the church needs to have a written policy on use of the church to prevent future misunderstandings.

The church is affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention but has the right to make its own decisions about the use of its facilities, said Terry Barone, leader of the convention's communications group.

Several members of the small congregation joined the Waukazoos at the church Monday night in an attempt to change church officials' minds.

Cindi Adams of Oakland, a member of the church since the mid-1980s, said American Indians who embrace Christianity shouldn't have to give up their traditional beliefs.

"I embrace my culture. I respect my culture, and I have a great love for my culture. And for someone to tell me there's something wrong with that, it was heart-wrenching for me," she said.

Continuing the fight

Martin Waukazoo said he sees the conflict as a continuation of the civil rights battles his mother waged in the name of preserving American Indian cultural traditions.

In 1970, she climbed Mount Rushmore with other women elders to assert the Lakota claim to the Black Hills. A year later, the United Natives of America voted her Indian Woman of the Year.

Born in Rosebud, S.D., her Lakota name was A Strong Hearted Woman. But she was known to many as simply "Grandma."

She died Sunday at the age of 88.

Thanks to Dorinda Moreno for passing this on!

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