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EAGLE LAKE — Rev. Sunshine Reyes, Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Columbus was the guest speaker at Eagle Lake Noon Lions Club on Thursday, Nov. 16.
Sunshine has lived in Columbus for a year and a half. She spoke eloquently about Native American people and herself. She was born on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe of the Flathead Reservation.
During her presentation, Sunshine answered many questions that have been asked about Native Americans.
It is currently politically correct to refer to them as ‘American Indians’.
In the 1970s the term ‘Native Americans’ came into usage. Since that time, the term ‘Native American’ has gradually expanded to include all native people of the United States, Central America, Mexico and many U.S. Territories.
However, the term ‘American Indian’ is limited to a person who is a member of a federally recognized Tribe, which is defined as an American Indian tribal entity that is recognized as having a government relationship with the United States. These communities have responsibilities, powers, limitations and obligations attached to that designation.
These Tribes are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Furthermore, federally recognized Tribes are those who possess certain inherit rights such as self-government and tribal sovereignty, and are entitled to receive certain federal benefits, services and protection because of their special relationship with the United States.
Many more important questions were answered, and thought-provoking concepts were introduced to the Lions by Rev. Reyes during her presentation.
