WHEN THEY FORGET by Robert Soto

March 24, 2010

WHEN THEY FORGET by Robert Soto

Psalm 106:12-13 "Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel."

I sat in the middle of a quiet courtroom with my two lawyers and a lawyer flown in by the federal government to represent the Department of Interior in their opposition to me, and to prove that I did not have the right to sue the United States government. I sat there and tried my best to listen and understand all that was going on. As I looked around, I heard the voice of their lawyer who was not quite making his arguments understood by the judge, who seemed a little bewildered by the lawyer sent by the United States government. I heard the words of a judge trying to make sense of all this in view of the words being said by the lawyer. I heard my lawyers who were calmly trying to help make sense of the government's lawyer's argument that the problem was not one of religious freedom but that it was a political matter; because after all it is the federal government that has been given the right to determine who can and who cannot worship our Creator as Indian and who has been given the power to determine who is and who is not American Indian.

With each word I heard I wished that I could add to the confusion that was making its way in the stillness of the courtroom air. But as I sat there all I could think of is the power we have given to a government to know what is best for the people who once lived and made this country their home. I heard words by a lawyer that reflected the character of a country who believes in its self-proclaimed philosophy of separation of church and state. I heard the words of a lawyer sent by the most powerful nation in the world who in reality had no clue as to what our God-given rights to worship God the Creator as God the Creator meant us to worship, as Indian people. Today I saw what happens to a nation when they forget God and all He has done for them. David wrote, "But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel." I saw a nation who will never understand our people and our spirituality, but they have separated what we see as one - God the Creator working in and out of our lives and everyday affairs. Today was a good day to win.

Robert Soto, Lipan Apache and pastor of:

McAllen Grace Brethren Church
The Native American New Life Center
Chief of Chiefs Christian Church