Sermons
St. Peter's Episcopal Church

Despite the tough conditions though no one seriously entertained leaving. Their experience of religious intolerance in England intensely magnified the desire of the Pilgrims to stick it out — to establish their own religious community, and to make a success of it. In a very real way it was the best of times for this small industrious group as they managed to use the sea and forests to their advantage; and they were befriended by the local Indians who helped to ensure their survival.

And so after all the hardship of that first year — the sweat and toil that went into the first harvest, the Pilgrims prepared to give great thanks and they invited their Indian friends for a three day feast of Thanksgiving. And it is a scene that to this day tantalizes the imagination — where a people with the strange ways and customs of the English join together with the Native Americans of the region to celebrate their common blessings.

Of the Indian that the settlers named Squanto the pilgrims said that he was "a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take their fish, and to procure other commodities, and (he) was their pilot to bring them to unknown places." That first Thanksgiving feast for the Pilgrims must have seemed for all the world like being granted a Vision of the Kingdom of God-where diverse people gather around a table to offer praise and thanks for their many gifts and blessings.

And yet if that first Thanksgiving seemed a vision of The Kingdom of God; that vision would soon be reduced to a mere glimpse and eventually fade to become something of a vague and distant dream. For the history of the relationship between settlers and Native Americans would steadily deteriorate and become one of the ugliest chapters of our American history. A quick glance around the world today reveals that division along the lines of racial, religious and cultural differences are alive and well. And so on this Eve of Thanksgiving we may well ask from where will we find a way to reclaim that image — that vision of a diverse people united by a common spirit rendering great thanks for common blessings.

In his book, On the Rez, Ian Frazier examines at length the lives of modern-day American Indians, and finds against all odds a young girl who transcends a culture and an environment on the reservation that many have written off as nothing but a caldron of despair. In a culture riddled with enormous alcohol and drug abuse, Ian Frazier retells the story of an adolescent girl — a Lakota Indian named SuAnne Big Crow. SuAnne has a unique story. From early adolescence in her school and in her community SuAnne assumed a leadership role in opposing substance abuse.

At age nine she had witnessed her godmother's son come home drunk one night and proceed to shoot himself in the chest. It was SuAnne who called the ambulance and the police and then stood by her distraught godmother until help arrived. SuAnne gave little thought to the concern that she might be socially excluded by her peers for her tough stance against drugs and alcohol; and in the years to come she was credited with flat out saving several kids lives.

From a young age SuAnne showed promise in almost all areas of athletics; quality that was heightened by her determination and attitude. SuAnne was an excellent runner but the sport that she came to love was basketball. Her hero was Magic Johnson of the Lakers, and by 5th grade she was already quite a player. By the time SuAnne was in eighth grade she was 5'5" and good enough to start on the Pine Ridge High School Varsity Team. Her coach played her on JV though, in order to keep peace with the older players who had waited for a spot on the team.

In the Fall of 1988, at age 14, SuAnne Big Crow was a freshman, and became a full member of the Pine Ridge Lady Thorps Varsity Team. Pine Ridge played both Indian and Non-Indian teams and the coaches knew through experience that some of the away games would be played in somewhat hostile circumstances. Occasionally at away games the players would be insulted, their own fans would not feel welcome, the opposing gym would be filled with hostility, and even the officials were prone to call fouls on Indian players at every opportunity. When Pine Ridge went that year to play the Non-Indian team at Lead, South Dakota they knew that they were traveling to a court where they were harassed regularly.

Getting ready in the locker room the Pine Ridge girls could already hear the noise from the gym. And the hometown fans were yelling fake Indian war cries. The usual routine for the pre-game warm up was for the visiting team to run onto the court in line, take a lap or two around the floor, shoot some baskets and then go to their bench on courtside. After that the home team would come out and do the same; and then the game would begin.

As Pine Ridge prepared to take the court they lined up from tallest to smallest with the tall players in front. As the team waited in the hallway leading from the locker room to the gym the heckling got louder. The Lead fans were now yelling names like "squaw" and "gut eater" and they began to taunt the players by waving food stamps at them — a not so subtle reference to the Reservation receiving Federal Aid. Other's yelled "Where's the cheese?" meaning that if Indians were found in a line anywhere it must be to get commodity cheese. Then the Lead High School Band [apparently with faculty consent] joined in with fake Indian drumming and a fake Indian tune.

Doni De Cory, the tallest Pine Ridge Player, and first in line, was the first to break down. She told her teammates "I can't handle this" — at which point SuAnne quickly offered to go first in her place. Doni gave her the ball and the 5'5" freshman SuAnne Big Crow now stood first in line. SuAnne came running out onto the court dribbling the basketball with her teammates in tow. On the court the noise was deafening. SuAnne ran right down the center of the court but instead of taking a full lap she came to a dead stop at center court. Taken by surprise some of her own teammates were caught up short and bumped into one another.

In the next moment SuAnne turned to her teammate Doni De Cory and tossed her the ball. And then SuAnne stepped into the jump-ball circle at center court in front of all the Lead fans. She took off her warm-up jacket, draped it around her shoulders and began to do the Lakota shawl dance.

Now SuAnne knew all the traditional Lakota Indian dances but she choose the shawl dance because it is a young woman's dance — graceful, modest and show -offy all at the same time. Everyone now began to watch and SuAnne began to sing in Lakota-swaying back and forth in the jump-ball circle, doing the shawl dance, using her warm-up for a shawl. The entire crowd went silent; and in that quiet all you could hear was that Lakota song. Just a suddenly as she began, SuAnne stood up, dropped her jacket, took the ball from Doni, and ran a lap around the court dribbling expertly and fast.

The fans began to cheer and applaud as she sprinted to the basket and laid the ball up and in the basket with the crowd nearly exploding. On that day the actions of SuAnne Big Crow, a mere 14-year-old girl, immediately took on the status of myth and legend.

Jesus said "I have come in order that you may have life,and have it more abundantly." In his life and ministry Jesus was ever reaching out to include people in his vision of the kingdom. The poor, marginalized women, strangers, sinners and outcasts were all among those invited to the table. Jesus ever worked toward reconciliation that others might embrace a fuller vision of the kingdom of God. One reason for telling the story of SuAnne Big Crow is to remind us that reaching out beyond ourselves has far more power than most people ever imagine.

Aside from going on to win that basketball game against Lead, the actions of SuAnne Big Crow on that day had far reaching consequences. "It was funny," said SuAnne's teammate Doni DeCory but after that game the relationship between Lead and us was tremendous. When we played Lead again the games were really good, and we got to know some of the girls on the team. Later when we went to a tournament and Lead was there we were hanging out with the Lead girls and eating pizza with them. We got to know some of their parents too. What SuAnne did made a lasting impression and changed the whole situation with us and Lead. We found out that there are some really good people in Lead.

For the gathered people of God, Thanksgiving is ever a reminder to seek out our neighbor. It is a reminder that God calls us to something beyond ourselves. It would be ever so easy to settle for a life huddled on the sidelines — relegated to the margins of existence; but above all God invites us to get up and Dance — to dance our way into the fullness of life. To ever count our blessings; to ever offer our thanksgivings; to ever embrace, in all its richness and texture, full vision of the kingdom of God.