One of my teachers was Sr. Jose Hobday, OSF. She and her people felt the impact of the so-called discovery doctrine, whereby when the early settlers arrived in America, the land where they settled was considered their own. The result was displacement, reservations, poverty, isolation, and illness.

Indigenous people teach us that this land is not for sale. Earth is our mother, a source of love and beauty. The native way can be understood as poetry without sound, as a loving quest of patience and anticipation. Sr. Jose urged us to be people of a moist heart, to listen, to fast and pray. She often quoted Thomas Merton, who advised us to pay attention to native people if we want to develop an authentic American spirituality. During this week of thanksgiving, we remember Sr. Jose.