by Rev. Drew Hogan
“I hope that in the future, at school, when we’re talking about native culture and our history with natives that I’m in a better position to say ‘there is more to this than we’re being taught here’. I really think that it should be part of all our curriculum or how they were treated and how they felt.”
Keegan, a high schooler from Lake Oswego UMC, shared these hopes after attending SLAM Trips (Students Learning About Missions) this past summer in central Washington.
SLAM Trips is a decolonized service and learning trip for students, led by Native Americans on the Yakama Reservation. This relationship-based trip goes beyond what is typically taught in textbooks by forming connections with people who hold histories that are often marginalized and haven’t been privileged in classrooms. Keegan echoes what many students feel after attending SLAM Trips: a resolve to share a fuller history, one made tangible through the stories passed down from parents and grandparents, still shaping lives today.
Marina, a youth from the South Sound Co-Op church in Washington, said, “All the more I can learn is all the better.”
The hosts of SLAM Trips regularly remind students and leaders that our education system often discusses Native American communities in the past tense: “Native Americans were…,” “Native Americans once lived…,” and similar phrases. On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, people can celebrate the vibrant and living presence of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples worldwide—those who continue to enrich our communities, reservations, and spaces where their cultures and spiritual gifts are vital and sacred parts of our world.
Luke, a youth from Portland First United Methodist Church, acknowledges that learning and challenging our perspectives isn’t always easy, but he offered this hope and challenge for the Greater Northwest Area of The UMC.
“I would really like you to try and keep an open mind and learn things that you may not know much about,” he said. “It can be difficult going outside your comfort zone and exploring different possibilities, but it’s always – I feel – a good experience in the end.”
Many of the students and adults who participated in this summer’s SLAM Trips are eager to continue learning and growing as they prepare for the 2025 trip. As the GNW Area lives into eliminating racism, people are invited to join Keegan, Marina, Luke, and the other 120 students and adults from the Greater Northwest Area who attended SLAM Trips.
Together, participants will build relationships, learn, and acknowledge the painful aspects of United Methodist history—particularly the church’s role in the oppression of Native peoples in this region.
If you are interested in serving with the Greater Northwest Area on SLAM Trips in 2025, the GNW has reserved two weeks: July 6-11 and July 20-25. Please reach out to your annual conference representative: Murray Crookes (Alaska, munrahcito@gmail.com), Drew Hogan (Oregon-Idaho, PastorDrewHogan@gmail.com), or Sheila Miranda (Pacific Northwest, SMiranda@pnwumc.org). Additional registration details will be available later this fall.
