Dozens of Christian leaders, including IFA’s President/CEO Dave Kubal, gathered on the morning of the National Day of Prayer at the Congressional Cemetery to offer and receive forgiveness for the atrocities committed against Native Americans. Former Ambassador, Governor, Senator Sam Brownback read the proclamation that President Barack Obama signed into law in 2009. Receiving the apology was Dr. Niegel Bigpond, a full-blood member of the Euchee (Yuchi) Indian Tribe, and Mary Faus, representing the Ojibway and Cree tribes.

Standing under a Native American healing pole representing a house of all the people of the world, National Day of Prayer President Kathy Branzell emphasized the critical importance of speaking the official apology that was signed by President Obama. “An apology needs to be said,” she explained before Ambassador Brownback read it aloud. “When Christians pray the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14, asking God to heal the land, this act of corporate repentance for the blood shed on the land is a necessary first step.” At the same time, similar events took place in 36 states. The breadth of this across the nation has never happened before.

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The Congressional Cemetery houses the final resting place of 36 Native American leaders who came to Washington to make treaties. Many died of “white man’s diseases,” some may have been killed, and some found that the treaties were empty promises from the U.S. government.

Bigpond recognized that it is hard for some Native Americans today, who have also suffered from promises made and not fulfilled by the U.S. government. However, he spoke words of hope that this is a time of rebuilding and replanting and that the powerful exchange this morning would have a lasting impact.

“The spilling of innocent blood defiles the land,” stated Brownback before reading the proclamation. “This doesn’t heal the land–it lances the boil so healing can begin.” Bigpond hopes that all his people would receive the apology and would see the significance of it, that healing could be released in the nation.

Faus read aloud a forgiveness prayer that was first publicly prayed on the National Mall in October 2016. “We forgive every atrocity and broken covenant ever designed to destroy us as a race of people. We break every curse, and renounce every lie, purposed to decimate us as human beings. . . . We stand in the gap for those who are unable or unwilling to forgive, and call upon the Master of Life, to forgive us for harboring unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, bitterness and rage. We repent of every curse spoken over America by our ancestors and we release the power of forgiveness to bring healing and the peace of Creator God to this land.”

During the international broadcast of the National Day of Prayer national observance, Pastor Bill Elliff shared that power and liberation result from repentance and real forgiveness. Towards the end of the broadcast Matt Lockett, who is white, and Will Ford, who is black, shared the story of how God brought them together in ministry through a prayer meeting at the Lincoln Memorial. Years later they learned that Ford’s enslaved ancestors were owned by Lockett’s ancestors. Personally, they have offered and received forgiveness for this wrong. Their message of freedom in forgiveness inspired them to ask, “What story line do you want to be part of?”

We had the opportunity to interview Ambassador Brownback about this special event. He shared an insight that we found profound and helpful. “The spilling of innocent blood defiles the land. The left focuses on the spilling of the blood of Native Americans and African Americans. The right focuses on abortion. These are three strands of poison that comes together to defile the land,” Brownback said.  We are thankful for his leadership, and the leadership of the National Day of Prayer Committee, in dealing with these sins.

The Bible teaches that if we confess our sins to the Lord, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). But there is another verse that indicates the blessing that results from confessing our sins to each other. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (Jas 5:16). We agree in prayer with Dr. Bigpond for healing to be released throughout the communities of native people in America.

For more information about the National Day of Prayer and to watch the national observance, go to nationaldayofprayer.org.