Excerpt from Indigenous Bible College's Newsletter: Celebrating the Publication of Native Mending the Soul Workbook

They say that “hurt people hurt people” and conversely, “healed people heal people”. That is our hope at IBC, to see healthy Native leaders bringing healing to their people and the world. At IBC we are witnesses to the impacts of the trauma and abuse our students experience. Their pain and stories reflect the state of reservations across North America. High prevalence of violence. Sexual assault rates. Historical trauma impact. Addiction. Fatherlessness. Suicide. American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times more likely to experience violent crimes and at least 2 times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes than any other race. Our experience is that over 95% of young Native Americans have experienced abuse.

We must be willing to walk alongside students as they face the healing process as they grow into the leaders God calls them to be. Since 2013, Mending the Soul (MTS; mendingthesoul.org) has offered healing through the hope and freedom only Jesus can provide. After several years of utilizing MTS the original authors recognized the need for a uniquely “Native” process of healing. They asked IBC to help write a new workbook to address this need. This began a collaboration between Native staff members from various tribal backgrounds who had walked through and/or facilitated MTS groups. We knew we had our work cut out with questions like “How do we represent all tribes, not just those of the Southwest?” and “How do we reflect this through content and design?” Unique areas of healing were identified, such as God and culture, historical trauma, and the generational effects of boarding schools. The process extended beyond written content to design and artwork, as we wanted to be sure that any indigenous person could pick up these materials and see themselves represented on the pages. Throughout the process we saw God’s hand on our journey, uniquely but corporately equipping us with writing skills, design experience, and even financial provision from donors. There is no question that Jesus’s heart of healing is for our Native people!

Collaboration on the process has been a journey of healing in and of itself. As stated by artist, Christina Tree (Navajo), “I was honored to contribute my artwork, which resonates with many Native tribes in their journeys of pain and healing. It felt deeply meaningful to be a part of this process.” Designer Daniel Esplin (Navajo), “Collaborating on the Native Mending the Soul workbook was an incredible journey, working alongside fellow Native believers to craft a resource uniquely suited for Indigenous Christians. The highlight for me was designing the book, infusing it with Native artwork, pictures, and stories that speak to the indigenous Christian, making it a healing guide truly tailored for our people with Jesus at the center.”

After four years of writing, designing, and beta testing the Native Mending the Soul (NMTS) workbook, we are excited to share that it has finally gone to print and will soon be available to the public! (Email info@indianbible.org for information on purchasing a copy). We are already witnessing the healing results of this collaboration and participants have shared how they see themselves represented in both content and design. May our Native people represent “healed people, healing people” for generations to come.

My Thoughts:

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime... Outlands Paradigm & Embodiment

(See "in the trenches") videos bottom of the post.

Tessa: "...praying a seemingly-farfetched prayer..." 2025 Q1 Newsletter

Further Resources:

Mending The Soul (videos)

https://www.mendingthesoul.org?wvideo=oaj2yw3zvs

https://www.mendingthesoul.org?wvideo=w5tw6duebk

Credits: www.mendingthesoul.org