Sonja Thomas brought up a very interesting topic in the immigration of Catholic missionary priests from India to America, and specifically Montana. Thomas brought up the idea of Asian settler colonialism, or placing Asian immigrants in settings with Native Americans. Thomas also brought up how we view the difference between Missionaries and “Imported Priests”. How when a white priest travels to another country they are called a missionary, but the opposite is called an “imported priest”. This differentiation highlights the vestiges of imperialism that linger on today. I am interested in how the “imported priests” interacted with the Native Americans living on the reservation. Thomas said that in theory, the Asian settlers would stand in solidarity with the priests due to that common experience of displacement. It is interesting to see that these Indian priests bring white catholics back to India on tours of religious pilgrimage sites. All of these ideas gets me thinking about the influence of Catholicism throughout the world, and especially on places where white Catholic missionary priests first landed.<\/p>\n
Growing up, my mother went to a private Catholic school in Mumbai, India. All over India, the most prestigious schools are these Catholic schools set up by the British. These schools scattered across India, even in areas where catholicism is not widely practiced are a constant reminder of the oppression imperialism brought and the Doctrine of Discovery which sanctions the disposition of indigenous peoples. In addition, this disparity in education between private and public schools in India reinforces the caste system, as people of a lower caste would not be able to afford private schooling. \u00a0My mom grew up in a Hindu household, but was forced to learn Catholicism and practice it in school. She attended mass, read the Bible, and interacted with clergy. Even when run by other Indian people, the schools impose catholicism and the echos of British imperialism onto their students.<\/p>\n
The oppression that the British subjected Indians to is similar to the oppression that Americans subjected Native Americans to. Thomas talked about violence that Native Americans experienced with Catholic schools on the reservation. She mentioned the history of physical and sexual abuse, the separation of children from their families, and the erasure of Native American culture and replacing them with Catholic traditions. To this day these destructive practices take place on reservations. Historical trauma, according to Wikipedia, is “the cumulative emotional harm of an individual or generation caused by a traumatic experience or event.” Historical trauma is shared by Native Americans, Indians, and so many more who were once under rule by British imperialists.<\/p>\n
The presence of the past is a double edged sword in this case. The existing catholic schools are a constant reminder and perpetrator of the destruction of indigenous peoples. On the other hand, they remind us of to acknowledge historical trauma that exists in these communities. It forces us to work to find solutions to this systemic oppression of native peoples.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sonja Thomas brought up a very interesting topic in the immigration of Catholic missionary priests from India to America, and specifically Montana. Thomas brought up the idea of Asian settler colonialism, or placing Asian immigrants in settings with Native Americans. Thomas also brought up how we view the difference between Missionaries and “Imported Priests”. How … <\/p>\n