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Every year Native children have the opportunity to leave behind the sedentary lifestyle of television and video games to learn more about their rich heritage by participating in Native Camp during the summer at Wewoka Woods Adventist Center in Wewoka, Oklahoma. Their schedules are packed with a wonderful array of activities, but most importantly they learn that Jesus loves them very much. In 2009, forty-six young people from the Cherokee, Sac and Fox, Seminole, Creek, Dane’ (Navajo) and several other tribes came to Native Camp and spent nearly a week together making new friends and learning new things. For some of them it was the first opportunity they have had to come to summer camp.
When summer camp is mentioned the first thing that people may think of is the activities. With this in mind Wewoka Woods made sure there is never a shortage of fun and exciting things to do! Swimming, horse-back riding, and water-tubing behind the camp ski boat are among the most popular activities. However there are other activities that the young people have enjoyed very much. In the Craft Department, headed by Michelle Landelius, they had the opportunity to work on projects that no other groups of campers were able to do this summer. For example, in honor of the craftsmanship of the Native tribes of old, each Native camper was able to make reed baskets.
An important aspect of Native Camp that separates it from most camps offered is the health component. This year Francis Rivera (a registered nurse from Enid, OK) came and presented a class on the importance of health in general, and the prevention of diabetes in particular. Ms. Rivera made the classes fun, exciting and highly informative. It was so enjoyable that one camper asked if they could stay in the health class rather than go to the next period. On Monday morning each child participated in a health screening which involved a fasting blood sugar test, their weight recorded, and their blood pressure taken. On Friday, each camper repeated the health screening process. Due to the healthy (and delicious) camp food and a high level of physical activity during their week’s stay, on average, blood pressure was dropped, the fasting blood sugar was down eight pounds, and each child lost 2 lbs.
Native Camp recognizes that the programs for young people should be geared to reconnect them with the ways of their ancestors. Several of the young people in Native America have lost touch with their rich heritage. This year students from Holbrook Indian School in Arizona came and helped reintroduce the Indian culture. They told stories and helped teach in the craft department. For some of the campers, it was the first time they had heard stories from a Native American perspective.
While all of the different facets of the Camp program are important, there is one part of the program that is most valuable, the real reason we have Native Camp: the opportunity to introduce all to Jesus. Camp staff is chosen not only for their abilities, but their spiritual maturity as well. The Camp philosophy within the staff is; “At the end of the week, if all the camper remembers is the horses, swimming, and other traditional camp activities, this mission was incomplete. The foremost purpose is to introduce Jesus to each and every camper that comes to us.” Every activity began with prayer. The staff held a special program on Friday afternoon to talk about Jesus. At the end of the program, nearly half of those Native youth in attendance raised their hand to signify that they wanted to ask Jesus in their heart. Names were taken and efforts were made to contact a pastor if they had one and if not, given to a local Seventh-day Adventist Pastor for follow-up.
Written by: Jim Landelius
Photos taken by: Jim Landelius