Yesterday morning I sat in my home here on the Navajo
Reservation and watched a live webcast of the "Evangelical Immigration
Table". I felt impotent, tired, angry and frustrated. For on my screen
Christians were rallying around and celebrating the introduction of a
bi-partisan immigration reform bill that was being introduced by the "Gang
of 8" Senators. I felt this way
because for nearly a decade I have been talking, writing, speaking and praying
about the importance of intentionally including the voices of indigenous
peoples in the process to "comprehensively and justly" reform
immigration law. I have walked the halls of Congress and hand delivered letters
to Senators and Representatives, I have spoken on the boards of churches and
Christian organizations, I have built relationships with national Christian,
academic and political leaders, I have written blogs, published articles,
spoken at conferences and presented seminars, all asking, imploring, our nation
to intentionally reach out to, and include the voices of Native peoples in the
dialogue on immigration reform.
But to no avail. Because on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, without
ever consulting members of the Native community, the Gang of 8 introduced their
plan to comprehensively reform our nation's immigration laws. And I watched
on a live webcast, as my non-native friends, my partner organizations, the leaders
of the church, even our politicians celebrated this milestone and congratulated
themselves.