Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan – God Loves You. No Exceptions.

Whether you are a visitor to our area, a long time member of one of our congregations, or seeking a new church home, we look forward to welcoming you to the Episcopal Church in Northern Michigan.

A letter

Today I received a letter from my friend.

They spoke in one voice to mine-of-many.

I heard many voices but thought of them as one.

Speaking in tongues.

Ojibwe Mother, Kaash na ki-ing

Miigwech for these friendly voices.

Not long ago I heard anger and disdain.

No matter where I went I felt loneliness from pain.

I took Gisayehn, my older brother, to the emergency room for life-threatening withdrawals aho.

It seems like yesterday, but that was two years ago.

Now I took him to get treaty annuity money so he can enjoy his days.

He lives in a vehicle by himself, and that is where he stays.

He is my hero and many others, too.

Viet Nam poisoned his body and concussed his mind.

He came back intending to find his Anishinaabe Spirit, but military remnants drug him down.

Bodily expressions and spiritual ascension; he still has honorable intentions.

God save our nation, and Gchi Manitou save our Spirituality

Kaashnakiing is our reality, all of it.

I see Mother Earth and her company of thunderbirds watching over the people

Providing life’s matter, culture, and spiritual teachings.

Ngii-waabmaak Shkakmigkwe miinwaa nimkii-bneshwak waajiiwaajik, kawaabmaawaat bemaadzinjin gegoo wii-bwaa-mzhikaagnit.

Odawa & Eastern Ojibwe online dictionary

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE

November is Native American Heritage Month. Our Director of Reparations & Justice, Leora Tadgerson, is among several local Native American leaders featured on Media Meet on WNMU-TV and Radio this month sharing experiences and investigations of “Indian Boarding Schools: The History, The Heartache, and The Healing.” The Diocese developed Walking Together: Finding Common Ground to uncover, acknowledge and document the truth about Indigenous experiences in the Michigan Native American Boarding Schools, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Peace Center and the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University.

Also, we offer these poems by Tom Biron.

Veterans Day miinawaa

Ahaaw, Miigwech, thank you for your respect and the chance to explain.

Not so much explanation anymore.

It is a day to show respect and get more than I ever asked for.

Mnaadendmowin means respect, and bimaadiziwin means a good living.

Zaagidiwn is love, and the gift is in the giving.

I wonder how the world will be taken care of after I leave.

I use it as a thought about what we all might achieve.

As time goes by, I feel relieved.

I have met future families, and they share their beliefs.

That significant togetherness is humane.

And even if humanity ends, Creation will be the same.

My son taught me to wander beyond the world of humankind.

To consider only my history is limited by imaginary time.

When we are alive, our time ends.

Are we gone, or do we transcend?

Beyond this realm.

Beyond here, where we will once more be overwhelmed.

What can I do to understand, see, and feel real?

No matter the injuries endured, if we stay, we may heal.

We are a group of Christians gathered. We believe that every person is made in the image of God–beautiful, unique and beloved. The Baptismal Covenant is part of the fabric of our lives together. In that spirit, we seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are a community of advocates who strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.

Our lives are made rich by the people in our congregations and in our communities, including those of other faiths and belief systems, orientations, ethnicities, and identifications. Our message to you is simple, but heartfelt: God Loves You. No Exceptions.