In Solidarity With Indigenous Peoples

WHEREAS, the Catholic history of America finds roots in the Indigenous communities of the continent, from the Tolteca-Chichimeca elder St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, to the witness of the Algonquin-Mohawk St. Kateri Tekakwitha, to the Martyrs of La Florida, to the uniting leadership of the Lakota healer, the Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk; and

WHEREAS, it was under the appearance of a young Indigenous woman that Our Lady of Guadalupe brought her evangelical message of hope to St. Juan Diego and inspired the evangelization of the Western Hemisphere; and

WHEREAS, the practice of Catholicism and the celebration of Holy Mass by North America’s Indigenous peoples has continued uninterrupted for more than four hundred years — predating the establishment of the current nation states of the continent; and

WHEREAS, while the Word of God was first brought to the Western Hemisphere by European missionaries seeking to bring the Good News to its peoples, the policies of the colonial powers, and ultimately new political nation states, failed to respect the long-held traditions and rights of Indigenous peoples; and

WHEREAS, despite the many good works of the Catholic Church to minister to Indigenous tribes and First Nations over the centuries, the fallen nature of man manifested itself, including in the Church’s role in boarding and residential schools where, for more than a century, the government-sponsored school system separated families and sought to expunge aspects of Indigenous culture, language, and religion; and

WHEREAS, the Knights of Columbus has a long history of supporting Native American and First Nation communities, including a call by Supreme Knight Edward L. Hearn in 1903 for the Government of the United States to investigate the wrongs done to native tribes in the southwestern United States and for it to recognize the religious liberty of Catholic Native American school children who were denied the right to attend Holy Mass; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, at the 137th Supreme Convention, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson announced the launch of the Native Solidarity Initiative, which included a partnership with the Diocese of Gallup to establish a shrine dedicated to St. Kateri Tekakwitha; and

WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Council partnered with many Knights of Columbus jurisdictions to ensure that basic supplies were brought to Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada as part of the Order’s Leave No Neighbor Behind Initiative; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, the Order provided financial resources and thousands of volunteer hours to support the historic Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to Canada under the theme “Walking Together,” during which the Holy Father celebrated Mass and met with members of the country’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations stating, “I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools;” and

WHEREAS, the Order has partnered closely with Native American and First Nations entities, including the Black and Indian Mission Office, to increase the representation of Indigenous voices in initiatives dedicated to the promotion of Catholic Social Teaching; and

WHEREAS, members of the Knights of Columbus in Mexico, the Philippines, and other jurisdictions have worked with Indigenous people in their communities thereby exemplifying the important Columbian principles of charity and unity.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Knights of Columbus recommits itself to building strong relationships with Indigenous communities through our many charitable and catechetical programs; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on governments, and all people of good will, to continue meaningful strategies of reconciliation that recognize the rich history and culture of Indigenous peoples rather than creating a new series of injustices through further cultural imperialism and policies rooted in political expediency; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we renew the consecration of the Knights of Columbus to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization, most especially as we prepare to celebrate the quincentenary of her appearance on Tepeyac Hill; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we commit this work, and the efforts of our ongoing Native Solidarity Initiative, to the heavenly patronage of St. Juan Diego, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk, and the Martyrs of La Florida, that their example of Christian unity and love amidst the difficulties of their days will enhance the unity among all people of the Western Hemisphere.

In Solidarity With Indigenous Peoples

Resolutions