With all the talk about Pope Francis canonizing Mother Teresa, there’s a lot of focus on saints this month. Many people are familiar with the original saints, Saint Andrew, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint Mark, but in the Roman Catholic Church, about 810 individuals have been canonized since 450 AD. The Catholic Church isn’t the only religion that grants sainthood. The Episcopal Church has recognized many Christians for their diligence, benevolence and dedication to the faith. One of these men, David Pendleton Oakerhater, is celebrated this month for his commitment to bringing Christ to the Native Americans.
Born to Cheyenne Indian Parents
Oakerhater was born in the 1840s, but the exact date is a mystery. Actually, many of his accomplishments are not dated, simply because there are no records, just oral history. Lois Carter Clark, an Oklahoman scholar, spent years gathering data about Oakerhater to help the church understand his importance in its history. Oakerhater was actually named Noksowist, or Bear Going Straight, at his birth. He would later assume the moniker Okuhhatuh, or Sun Dancer, most likely because he was one of the youngest men in Cheyenne history to complete the ritual.
Oakerhater joined his first war party at the age of about 14. The tradition was not necessarily for the younger men to participate, but to watch and gain experience for the future. He became a respected warrior and went on many raids against the U.S. government and the white settlers who encroached upon the Indian Territory. In 1875, the Native American tribes and the United States fought in what is known as the Red River War. Oakerhater was captured and taken to Fort Marion in Saint Augustine, Florida.
When Oakerhater was in Florida, he began to go by the name Making Medicine. He was taught English and learned American customs to help assimilate him into the community. Although he learned quite quickly, he never gave up his Native American heritage, and he began to draw pictures. He was talented and caught the attention of a U.S. senator’s wife, who sponsored Oakerhater in a move to New York to learn agriculture and scripture.
Becoming a Deacon
While Oakerhater was in New York, he was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal faith. He was made a deacon and chose a Christian name, David Pendleton, to honor his sponsors. Senator Pendleton got Congress to pass a bill for money for schools for Native American children in the Indian Territory. Oakerhater would be sent back to his home in what would become Oklahoma to witness to the tribes and care for ill tribal members.
Oakerhater spent many years working at the mission in Watonga, Oklahoma, and when he retired, he continued to preach in the area. He not only served as a deacon in the church, but as a Native American holy man and chief. Upon his death, the missionary work in the Watonga area ceased, but his legacy lives on today.
It was in 1985 that Oakerhater was given his status as a saint. He is the only Native American Anglican saint to be celebrated. His original artwork can be seen in the Smithsonian, and at Saint Crispin’s Conference Center and Camp near Wewoka, Oklahoma, there are copies of these works. At St. Paul’s Cathedral, in Oklahoma City, there is a chapel dedicated to Oakerhater. The national shrine dedicated to Saint O-kuh-ha-tah is at Grace Episcopal Church in Syracuse, New York.
Oakerhater could have been bitter at his lot in life, but he chose to merge Christianity and his Native American heritage and help his people at a time of turbulence. If you ever get a chance to visit one of the sites that honor him, make sure you check it out.