Native

Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God by Kaitlin B. Curtice

Curled up on the sofa, listening to some great music, and a flame crackling on the candle next to me I settle in to read the poetic, thought provoking, courage giving, enticing, and lovely words of Kaitlin's book Native.

The book covers so much, oftentimes only giving huge topics a glancing blow. Subjects like purity culture, gun control, and the bankrupt morality of the church and its followers. Still I came away from reading this book feeling fuller, more alive, and empowered. Empowered to take on white supremacy, patriarchy, and all other forms of racism and hate that have saturated our society.

Thoughts

I left the church last year. I am still struggling a whole year later though with wanting to be an atheist (or at the very least agnostic). I just cannot bring myself there... for some reason.

I feel that those who have deconstructed and de-converted and are atheist/agnostic are committed. They are brave. They are not controlled by deeply entrenched dogma and indoctrination. Because I cannot follow suit I am afraid that I am not committed. That I am succumbing to fear. That I am still struggling with the echos of the phobias that religion engrained in my psyche for decades. So, with a bit of trepidation I ordered a copy of Kaitlin's book. I know that as a hetero presenting upper middle class white man it is essential that I seek out and center the voices of the marginalized, disenfranchised, and silenced. I was hesitant to order her book though because it felt to "christian". I was worried that it would center the dogma that I was so desperately trying to free myself from.

When we believe that ours in the only faith that contains the truth, violence and suffering will surely be the result. Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh (quoted by Kaitlin in Native)

While the book definitely has a christian bent to it - it did not feel toxic, oppressive, or repulsive. Rather Kaitlin spoke about the earth, its creation, and her people's interaction with the land through the lense of her people - The Potawatomi. The Potawatomi's view of the creator, creation, and their roles as care takers was a refreshing take on the over used ideas of judeo-christian empire.

White supremacy has done untold damage to our planet. To its inhabitants. To the animals and landscapes. Kaitlin highlights this system of hate and oppression with a scathing, poignant, and tenacious recounting of stories both old and new. White supremacy is rooted in christianity - realizing our manifest destiny to rule the planet, to subdue it, to rape and pillage it of its resources, to not care for the land or the generations that will come after us who have to live with our selfish decisions rooted in greed and hate.

To care for the land, our planet, requires that we confront capitalism that festered in the basement of supremacy and was fueled by christianities stranglehold on morality, governance, and society for far too long. It is time to throw off the shackles and embrace one another in love. That means everyone - not just those who are white or are coded white but the poor, those who are LGBTQ+, foreigners, and the BIPOC people in our midst everyday.

Closing

I was especially struck by how Kaitlin pointed out that in the Prodigal Son parable the most important theme is the one of returning:

If we can return to the essence of our identities, we can teach the children around us to know who they are from a young age, and perhaps one day, when they are older, when they create the future, they will work together to change things and to heal systems we had no idea how to heal.

If we can return to the ways of our ancestors and those who cared for this land before it was taken from them then we can begin to reverse the systems of hate, supremacy, oppression, and extraction that have wrought so much damage.

Recommendation

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found it to be a fairly easy read - and I highlighted many parts of the book so I could find them easier in the future.

I would highly recommend this book, even to those who are atheist and/or agnostic. Kaitlin does not push her religion on you. It feels more like what the bible should have been all along - a recounting of stories and tales passed down from generation to generation. Not the words of a far off, calloused, patriarchal, oppressive, genocidal, maniacal god...