Showing Respect for Language Caused Change of Attitude

From SPARK

Brief Summary

Making audio recordings of Christian material in the local language can help to reverse some problems caused by holding to a goal of complete assimilation to the surrounding Anglo-American culture.

Introduction

The Jicarilla Apache Nation is located in the scenic mountains and rugged mesas of northern New Mexico near the Colorado border. The reservation sits on the Continental Divide, consisting of almost one million acres. In the north are mountains, forests, canyons, valleys, and small lakes; in the south there is semi-desert with sandstones and mesas. The town of Dulce, New Mexico, is the Jicarilla Apache Nation Headquarters, and most of the Indian people live there. The population is about 2,000.

In 1980, there were three Protestant churches in Dulce. Dulce Assembly of God was founded in 1958 and had about 35 members in the 1970s. Jicarilla Apache Reformed Church (Reformed Church in America) had 51 members. Jicarilla Baptist Church (Southern Baptist) had 32 members. A Roman Catholic church was off the reservation.

Key Factors

• Complete assimilation to the surrounding Anglo-American culture had been a previous goal of Christian churches.
• Years before, a Sunday School teacher had placed students in a closet for speaking Jicarilla.
• Three theologically different churches existed in Dulce, New Mexico, the Jicarilla Apache Nation headquarters, yet less than 6 percent of the population attended one of these churches.

What Was Done

Ed and Judy Young with Gospel Recordings, Inc., and their six children went to Dulce, New Mexico, in September 1980. Ed made contact with the three churches and talked them into a common project. They put him in touch with a few of their people, and he began to record four Gospel Recordings scripts with three people. First he recorded “Fear Not” with Cicilia, 52, and Avis, 58, from the Reformed Church. Then he recorded “The Prodigal Son” with Anthony, from the Baptists, “Christ Our Victory” with Avis, and “The New Birth” with Cicilia.

A short cassette tape (only 15 minutes long) was made of these four stories, and the three churches agreed to put all their names on the label. The churches divided up the town, and most of the homes were visited by one or other of the cooperating churches. There was a very good acceptance of these first recordings. They sparked the interest and enthusiasm of many. The recordings were talked about, and people giving out tapes were stopped in the market to be asked for tapes. Some people started going to church again who had not gone for a long time. Some new people started going to church who had not done so before.

Early in April 1981, however, Avis' house was burned down. The three pastors met, and together they selected six more scripts to be recorded for a second tape. Ed and Judy came back to Dulce and found that enthusiasm was now running high. On April 21, Wilma, a language teacher from the Reformed Church, sang and Ed recorded six songs: “Jesus Loves Me,” “Tell Me the Story,” “I Have Decided,” “Where He Leads Me,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Jesus Is All the World.”

The next day, Cicilia recorded the script for “Jesus the Mighty One,” and as she did so, she had some friends sitting by who were helping her come up with the wording. Ed was recording the script with Cicilia and her friends when a police car pulled up. Out got a couple of burly Jicarilla police. They entered the church building where this was going on and confronted Ed. “Are you here making recordings in the language of our people?” they asked. Ed had not gotten permission from the tribal headquarters. He felt a bit nervous. “Yes,” he admitted. “Let us hear some of it,” they demanded. He turned on the tape recorder, and they listened to some of “Jesus the Mighty One.” They asked, “Haven't you done any music?” He played a song Wilma had recorded. Then they smiled. The biggest one said, “Hey, you know, I play the drums over at the other church. My friend here, he does an instrument. We have a little band getting going. How about recording some of our stuff?” Ed was greatly relieved (!) and agreed to do that.

Avis still faced some massive house problems. Even though he potentially had an enemy who might not have liked his previous recordings of “Fear Not” and “Christ Our Victory,” and who might have set his house on fire, he agreed to record some more. For the second tape he did “Death and Resurrection.” As the week went on, Wilma, who had sung for it, also did “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit,” parts I and II. Ardella sang another rendition of “I Have Decided,” different from Wilma's. Ardella also did “A New Nature,” and “Where Could I Go?” Anthony (who had recorded “The Prodigal Son” before) did another script, “The Cruel Master,” which is about alcoholism. Max did scripts for “Prayer Is Talking to God” and “How to Walk the Jesus Road.” Marjori did “The Return of Christ,” and Calvin, a tribal councilman, did “Barabbas.” More songs were “Happy, Happy Home” and “I Know the Lord Will Make a Way.”

Results

One older man revealed that in years gone by, his children had gone to Sunday School, but the teacher had put them in a closet for having spoken Jicarilla in class. He had stopped letting them go to Sunday School. Now, he said, the churches have shown that they do actually respect the language. He had forgiven them, and he had come to church himself. This shows that making audio recordings of Christian material in the local language can help to reverse some problems caused by holding to a goal of complete assimilation to the surrounding Anglo-American culture. Previously widespread disdain for Native American culture had barred the language from the missions and the churches they founded.

Ed finished on April 27. He had worked with eight language helpers and the band. One lady gave Judy a present of their style of a beaded necklace with a tribal emblem in it before they drove their camper and trailer away. The hour-long cassette tapes were processed in Los Angeles, and Dulce Baptist Indian Mission received a large order to jointly distribute. The people were happy (well, most of them), the pastors were happy, and the police were happy.

Helpful Information from the Author

By: Judy Young, Gospel Recordings, Inc.

Date entered:

Date range of story: 1980

Location: New Mexico, U.S.A.