The Honesty of a Child’s Voice
The little girl is five years old when her mother takes her on a bus ride across the West to see her Papi (who may or may not be her father, but loves her nonetheless, after his own fashion)–but we know from the very beginning this is no family vacation. Far from it. The mother … Read more
Kateri Tekakwitha Canonization Confirms a Longstanding Indigenous Tradition
Native American Christians have a special reason to celebrate this holiday season. One among them who lived in the 17th century was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in October. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, in life a young Mohawk/Algonquin woman who began Catholic instruction in secret because of her family’s opposition to the teachings, … Read more
Sen. Daniel Inouye Remembered
The remembrances for Senator Daniel Inouye, the veteran Democratic lawmaker from Hawaii, have been flooding the media since his death earlier this week at age 88. He is particularly esteemed in the Native American community for his advocacy on behalf of initiatives to protect Native American heritage, such as the Native American Graves Protection and … Read more
Heavenly Voices from the Barrio and Elsewhere in Los Angeles
This year’s Las Posadas celebration at the Autry, scheduled for December 16, features the Harmonies Girls Choir, whose voices have graced stages as diverse as the Hollywood Bowl and the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. They will perform classic choral arias as well as traditional and contemporary Mexican songs dedicated to the Virgin Mary. … Read more
Virginia Scharff on the New Visibility of Women . . . in the West and Elsewhere
When Virginia Scharff thinks about how women have figured in the history of the West and of this country, all she has to do is take a look at November’s elections. On the campaign trail and at the voting booth, women made themselves heard in a way they hadn’t for decades. “Women made a huge … Read more








