Singing a traditional Kiowa tribal song was OIMC’s John Jay following the Land Acknowledgement presentation.
Nearly 700 youth from the United Methodist Church (UMC) conferences, Arkansas, and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) gathered for Veritas 2025 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the weekend of February 21-23. OIMC had attending youth representing each region of the conference.
Veritas 2025, themed Ardor, meaning Passion, was hosted and celebrated by the Arkansas Conference Council on Youth Ministries (ACCYM) and invited the Oklahoma conference’s youth to join them. Veritas means truth, true facts, and a portion of the event was dedicated to the struggles of the Native People by celebrating and giving respect to the rich heritage and spiritual wisdom of the Indigenous Peoples, stated Rev. Dan Reed, a self-professed enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and chairman of the Arkansas Conference Committee on Native American Ministries. “We give thanks to the original caretakers of the land, who for over a millennium cared for the land, the Osage, Caddo, and Quapaw Nations” he added. During the Land Acknowledgement presentation Rev. Reed also cited the city of Fort Smith as a “significant historic marker as the last stopping point for so many tribes who were removed through the Trail of Tears”, recognizing some of the tribes, “the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole, and others.”
Rev. Reed encouraged the conference attendees to partner with their conference committees on Native American Ministry and “celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday. Help encourage your churches to donate to Native causes on that day, so we can look for ways we can support Native Peoples in our conference, in Oklahoma and elsewhere.” He continued “We encourage you to engage in cultural immersion trips in Oklahoma, in the Indian Missionary Conference, and participate in all ways that you can with them.”
Following the Land Acknowledgement presentation OIMC’s John Jay, representing the UMC of Apache, Oklahoma, performed a traditional Kiowa tribal song on the hand drum. During John’s singing a few onlookers could be seen with their heads moving in rhythm with the beat of the drum. Upon finishing his song “he received a standing ovation!” exclaimed Donna Pewo, OIMC’s Director of Connectional Ministry. “He’s a little shy and missed the ovation, because he immediately marched off stage when he finished!” she laughingly added. Bishop Laura Merrill, bishop for the UMC conferences, best described John’s performance as he “brought a tribal song – and I’ve seen him not just sing, but bring a beautiful message. It’s so good to be connected with such beautiful young people!”
“Our youth found time to play games and hang out together. We have some incredible youth within our churches.” Donna Pewo shared.
