The+Conversion+of+the+Ojibwe

=**The Conversion of the Ojibwe**=


 * Peter Jones and his Mission**

As the Ojibwe faced changes to their lives in the form of the loss of their land, alcoholism, and new ways of living, so too, did they face changes to their religious beliefs. White missionaries entered the Great Lakes region in an effort to bring the Gospel to the pagan Native Americans, but struggled in doing so. However, the ones who would finally bring the Natives to accept Christianity would be Native preachers themselves.

Led by Rev. Peter Jones (of mixed Mississouga and Ojibwe blood) in the 1820’s, the effort to Christianize the Ojibwe people in the Great Lakes region began to see success and spread from Ontario to Minnesota by the mid-eighteenth century. Though missionaries of different Christian sects proselytized to the Ojibwe during this period, the most successful were the Anglican and Methodist (of which Jones adhered to) denominations. Catholicism also had a strong foothold in the region through various missions.

As mentioned before, the Ojibwe’s responded more to the ministers of Native American decent, rather than those of white decent. This would make sense as the Ojibwe would be more trusting of those that were not of their enemy’s ilk. But even so, there were doubts of whether the Ojibwe would accept the Christian God, as Rev. Jones himself admitted “There was a time when I thought that the white man’s God was never intended to be our God; that the white man’s religion was never intended to be the red man’s religion”. But being able to speak English he was able to be an intermediary between the white man’s religion and those of his Native culture, which served to facilitate conversion. It also helped that the Natives were already familiar with Christianity because of the Methodist and Episcopal communities that flourished in the northeastern United States after the American Revolution,


 * Accepting Christianity**

The adaptation of the Ojibwe religion to Christianity was “immediate and precise”, as the converts found ways to accept the path to God (The Great Spirit) through Jesus Christ as opposed through “a variety of different mediums” as they had done in the past. Immediately, converts began to denounce traditional practices, such as attempting to obtain favors by way of manidoos, or spirits. Some went even as far as destroying their religious symbols and sacred objects. However, not all converts directly denounced their past traditions. Some found ways to incorporate Christianity into their traditional culture by retaining familiar titles, such as calling God “The Great Spirit”, and referring to Jesus as Kechimanidoo Ogwison (The Great Spirit’s Son). Natives also adapted the tradition of dreams and visions as a way to get closer to God.

Though many among of the whites doubted that Natives could be made into Christians, they were certainly surprised to see the similarities that Natives shared in their worshipping practices, in the way they sang hymns and in the way they prayed. This made an impression on many a incredulous white man.

Furthermore, with the conversion of the Ojibwe, there also came the building of many missions, schools, and cabins, which grew in appeal as Natives felt their futures became increasingly unstable as a result of the situations with their land being taken away and being forced into new means of survival. The Christian religion was also used to check widespread use of alcoholism in the Native American communities. Non-converts had seen the success that this new religion had in control the devastated effects of alcoholism and found Christianity more appealing as a result.


 * References**

Jones, Peter. //History Of the Ojebway Indians With Especial Reference To Their Conversion To Christianity//. London : A.W. Bennett, 1861. Print

Waucaush, Chad M. //Becoming Christian, Remaining Ojibwe: The Emergence of Native American Protestant Christianity In the Great Lakes, 1820-1900//. Diss. Michigan State University, 2009. Ann Arbor: UMI, 2009. Print.

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