wfn.org | TV show will feature Native American Christmas, diverse celebrations

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Dec. 1, 1999 News media contact: Linda Green·(615) 742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-34-71BP{647}

NOTE: Art is available with this story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- A Christmas story based on the Native American
tradition of gift-giving will be highlighted on a holiday television special
focusing on diverse celebrations of faith.

Excerpts and artwork from The Give-Away by Ray Buckley, a United Methodist
and Native American author, will be shown during "An American Christmas," a
one-hour special that will air on CBS at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time Dec. 24,
during the slot normally occupied by "The Late Show with David Letterman." 

Portions of the show were filmed in Buckley's Nashville, Tenn., home, and
the segment will feature a backdrop of artwork Buckley did to illustrate the
book. The art represents a variety of North American wildlife and plants and
includes designs by various Native American tribes.

Produced by the United Church of Christ Office of Communication, the
National Council of Churches and the National Interfaith Cable Coalition,
the show also will air on Odyssey, the interfaith cable network, at 2 a.m.
Eastern time Dec. 25 and at 3 p.m. Eastern time Dec. 26. The network's
offerings include "News Odyssey," the cable news show produced by United
Methodist Communications in Nashville.

Buckley's book is simply the story of Christmas, based on the tradition
shared by many Native people known as "the give-away." Abingdon, an imprint
of the United Methodist Publishing House, released the book in September.
Buckley is director of the United Methodist Native American Office of
Communications.

"An American Christmas" is filled with the music and visual images of the
Christmas season. The program illustrates the variety of ways -- cultural,
ethnic, regional, and liturgical - that Christmas is celebrated in North
America at the end of the 20th century. 

The special tells the Christmas story through a group of children preparing
for their annual pageant. At the final rehearsal, the group is led through
the Christmas narrative by Joe Fredericks, father of one of the children and
the pageant's adviser. Together, Joe and the children wrestle with the
question: Why bother to tell and re-tell the Christmas story, especially at
the dawn of a new millennium?

The show sweeps the viewer along from the principal action to real-life
vignettes and music from different cultures and traditions. Saxophones on
New York City streets, Native American folk art and a Mexican-American
Posada in San Antonio, Texas, help illustrate the diversity of spiritual
expression.

Buckley, who is a Lakota/Tlingit, said that in many Native American
cultures, what matters is not what someone has but what the person is able
to give away to others. 

"It is not the value of the gift, but the giving itself that is culturally
relevant," he said. "Giving a gift that may not have significant monetary
worth, but significant spiritual or personal value is a sign of a giving
heart."

In the Lakota tradition, he said, all living things created by God are often
referred to as "people." The Lakotas have a phrase, "mitaque oyasin," which
means "all my relations" and refers to all human beings, four-legged
animals, and those that can fly, swim and crawl.

"In The Give-Away, the four-legged and those that can fly gather for council
to discuss the needs of the two-legged (human beings). In an attempt to meet
the needs of humanity, they offer the most precious parts of themselves. In
the end, it is the Creator who chooses to give away the greatest gift for
humankind - the Son of God," Buckley said.

Because of a love for Christ that defied persecution, Native Christians
survived "the cultural dismemberment that the church often brought," he
said. Native Christians have existed for more than 500 years and have left a
legacy of music, testimony and art, he said.

Most of the Native cultures found the message of Jesus to be consistent with
the "truth that God had given their ancestors," he said. Some Native people
found that the story of Christ's birth fulfilled tribal prophecies. Some of
those who chose Christianity also wanted to maintain their culture and
worship God with expressions that were relevant to their traditions. 

"In many ways, Native people are beginning to gain confidence that the work
of God within Native people has cultural significance not only to the
church, but to the world at large," Buckley said. "Native people, including
Native Christians have much, and the desire, to give away to the world."

Buckley wrote The Give-Away for his brother Rick, who lives with him. Before
being adopted into the Buckley family, Rick was the victim of abuse and
neglect. The family soon discovered Rick's "enormous capacity to love," and
the celebration of Christmas is one way in which Rick shares love with as
many people as possible, Buckley said.

Each October, Rick begins decorating their apartment for Christmas, and in
November, he invites as many people as possible to view the decorations and
hear the Christmas story.

"The Give-Away is a retelling of the greatest story," Buckley said. "It is a
story of the 'why' of the birth of Christ, as our Native grandparents might
have taught their grandchildren. It is, above all, a love story. The story
of a love so great that One 'gave away.' In light of that magnificent event,
we too must choose to 'give away.' "

Buckley said he is "humbled by the response" to his book. Not only is it
being featured in a segment of a television special, but also churches
across the country are using the story for their Christmas programs. Some
churches have developed musicals around the book, and others have made
slides of the book's artwork to show to the congregation while the story is
read.

In addition to airing the special, the United Church of Christ will also
soon make available a study guide for "An American Christmas" on the
denomination's World Wide Web site, http://www.ucc.org. The guide will be
downloadable for churches to use in classes and youth groups.

The United Church of Christ, with national offices in Cleveland, has some
1.4 million members and more than 6,000 congregations in the United States
and Puerto Rico.  

# # #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://www.umc.org/umns