"Decolonizing our table means recognizing that sacredness moves and breathes all over the place, in all people, in all creatures, in all things, so communion becomes the space in which we say everyone and everything is loved.”

I received an advance copy of this book and it has been such a beautiful gift to read during this time in history! Curtice, an indigenous Christian woman, speaks with an incredible combination of boldness and gentleness as she invites us into
new, more expansive ways of understanding ourselves, God. and all of creation. She tells of her own journey of decolonizing her faith and makes space for all of us to consider our own journeys. She shares her personal experiences with vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of all people entering into the work for the good of us all, whether you are part of a marginalized group, a dominant group, or some combination. This was an important read for me as I work to separate out my culture from my understanding of Christianity/God/the Bible. I can't recommend this enough!

Resonant memoir probing the realities of modern living and history. I appreciated Curtice's attention to the particulars of her journey of grounding into identity, learning from ancestral ties, and speaking into the reality of dominant and indigenous cultures in this present era. We have so much to learn, so much to remember,

Kaitlin Curtice has given us a great gift in writing and publishing this book. She takes us on a journey as she talks about identity and soul-searching as we navigate our faith and seek relationship with God.

Kaitlin is part of the Potawatomi Nation and she writes about her process of reconnecting with her Native American roots and how that impacted her Christian faith.

She is a gifted writer, using beautiful imagery and poetry as she tells her stories.

Favorite quotes:

"As I learn more about my own story, I am realizing that the bloodline of God is connected to everything, no matter how it was first created in the beginning."

“If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become.”

"As humans, we are simply asked to walk in the mystery of our identities one day at a time, one step at a time, one question at a time. We are simply asked to know and be known with the whole of creation and our relatives in humanity. But to do that, we have to accept, challenge, and process who we are along the way."

“We’ll never solve the way to a new life in our heads; we have to live our way into a new kind of thinking.”

"The point is that while we are here, Mystery asks us to set aside what disrupts our humanity and belonging for the chance to see what is good and to fix the things that have been broken by hate."

"What does it look like to deconstruct and reconstruct as a people, as kin, to take on the work of creating a postcolonial church for the sake of all of us, for the sake of the oppressed, for the sake of the earth? Is it possible?"

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

This book really challenged me, made me think and helped me to understand a small part of the Indigenous experience within the church. It challenged me to think more about decolonization and other concepts. Kaitlin has a beautiful way with words, poetic and powerful. Anyone looking to understand more about an Indigenous perspective on faith would benefit from reading this book!

(RNS) — Potawatomi Christian author and speaker Kaitlin Curtice did not write her latest book with the intention that it would be read during a pandemic, but she has been surprised by the ways “Native: Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering God” speaks to this moment in history.

The book, released Tuesday (May 5), is structured around another disaster — the Potawatomi flood story — and the theme of starting over again afterward.

“Today, with this global pandemic, we are sort of asking what life will look like on the other side, how we can begin again,” Curtice said.

“So, in ways I never could have planned, this book is just what we need right now. We aren’t in a literal flood, but we are definitely in a world that is reeling and tired and we need to ask what beginning again might look like.”

RELATED: Looking to an Indigenous flood story for lessons on grieving during the pandemic

In “Native,” Curtice describes her journey of finding herself and finding God, of connecting with her Potawatomi identity, reckoning with the church’s historic treatment of indigenous people and other marginalized groups and the impact that has had on her Christian faith as a former worship leader.

She hopes sharing her own story will help readers examine their life stories, she said.

“Even though this is a book that covers a lot of difficult topics, I want it to be a book that is considered an invitation to those conversations. I want people to read it and be fueled to continue learning from Indigenous peoples, from those that are on the margins, from those that haven’t been listened to,” she said.

Curtice answered questions via email from Religion News Service about her new book, why it’s important for readers to understand who and where they come from and what gives her hope.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Please find the link to the rest of our coverage at Religion News Service below.

Had Kaitlin on our Instagram Live to discuss the book because I knew our audience would connect with this book!

I love @kaitlincurtice and all that she brings to the world— her voice is a beautiful one and her perspective is a needed one. I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to hear her speak at @evolvfaith — the way she invites us into a deeper and richer engagement in the world around us and respect for the world too is incredible. We need to listen to Native voices, like Kaitlin’s Potawatomi one, and humbly learn from a people we have far too long neglected, ignored, silenced, and worse. Definitely recommend reading this one (or Glory Happening, her first book) and continuing to read from other Indigenous voices.

⭐️⭐️⭐️— liked it.

This book is a must-read. Curtice explores the history of colonization and Native Americans in the United States, along with her own story of connecting with her culture and heritage. This book and Curtice's voice are a much needed perspective.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Curtice explains that her book comes from the perspective of a white-coded Indigenous woman. As a fellow white-coded Indigenous woman, I really appreciated that. This book really spoke to me as someone who was raised white and has begun the process of enrollment and connecting with my tribe. Curtice does a wonderful job of discussing Christianity and Native culture. I highly recommend this book for anyone raised outside of their Indigenous culture or for anyone who struggles with their Indigenous identity and how that aligns with Christianity.

Native is a profoundly beautiful, thought-provoking book. Framed by the Potawatomi flood story, Curtice invites her reader into a journey of discovery - what it means for her to be a white-coded, Christian citizen of the Potawatami Nation, what it means to confront the rampant racism in our history and culture, what it looks like to decolonize our faith, and how hard and beautiful the journey is. I'm deeply grateful to Curtice for the way her work teaches the reader to discern between the racist, colonial superstructures, doctrines, and practices that have been erected over the Bible and what Scripture actually teaches us. I'll be recommending this book to several friends and family members.

What an important book for this time! I appreciate the author's honesty and passion, and her invitation to consider the depths of racism in American culture. Given that this book is also a reflection on her Christian faith, I would have loved to hear more from her about how the Gospel speaks into her story, and how she sees the Gospel through the lens of her heritage.

The author shares her experience of connecting with her indigenous heritage and exploring how her identity shapes her adult beliefs. While this book touches on many important topics related to the author's lived experience of being Native American, too many of her insights are borrowed from the works of more established indigenous writers. At times it feels that everything of substance has a footnote. Canadian readers will find that the reader is writing exclusively to a US audience.

An interesting book that was well written, but I struggled to finish it. I love the concept and the way the book was structured, but something about it didn't 'click'.

A well written and fairly interesting book about the author's Native heritage and understanding of the P0tawatomi religious traditions of her ancestors. Curtice focuses on the flood story of the Potawatomi people in her book.

I liked that this book made me consider concepts and truths I hadn't before. It gave me a new perspective on some issues. It is what one of my friends calls a "cranial book". There were parts I couldn't relate to because my history is different than the author's. But overall, I did enjoy the book. It is well-written, educational, entertaining and thought-provoking.

In some ways, Kaitlin writes as one traveling with you on a journey. And in others, she writes as a teacher and guide. Going back and forth between the two was a little disorienting, and overall there were half a dozen missing pieces or obvious questions with no hint at resolution or even exploration. I'm really not sure where "rediscovering God" from the title comes into play within the book, unless by God she means nature..

That being said - Kaitlin's voice and story is important, much-needed, and one that every single one of us should pay attention to. Although I very much wish the book were written differently, I'll continue reading what she writes and following along via social media. I hope this is not her last book.

I enjoyed the quality of Curtice's writing. Her natural sentence rhythm kept the words flowing and also had a very calming effect as I was reading, even when she was grappling with many of the harsh and hostile subjects of American history.

As an admittedly nonreligious reader, I still felt an affinity to the concepts and connections that the author makes between her own native heritage and modern christianity.

Glad to see this perspective represented.

Kaitlin's beautiful book is a masterful blend of poetry and ferocity. As someone who is just beginning the work of decolonizing her life (and faith), I found Kaitlin's story essential to my understanding of how whiteness and evangelical culture in this nation is so deeply rooted in empire. These were not things I knew growing up in a conservative, Southern household. We just didn't have the framework for such knowledge, nor did we have relationships with people who did. I am grateful for Kaitlin and for the emotional labor she put into this book. It was challenging and sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary if we, as believers, actually want to make the Church a place that looks--and lives--like Jesus.

Another important aspect of Native for me was the push it gave me to dig deeper into my own Scottish identity, to push further into understanding the culture of my ancestors, just a few generations removed from me, instead of settling into the blandness of being a "white" person in America.

Kaitlin's writing style might not be for everybody, but the point of her narrative most certainly is.

What an unearned gift she has given us through this book, a generous sharing of her journey of reconnecting to her Native heritage, an unprecedented glimpse into her life and culture. It is a poetic expression of injustice, but what sets her book apart is that she accomplishes this without the slinging of shame commonly paired with it. What a grace-filled way to call out our abuses of the land and of the people who inhabited this land before it was taken over by white colonizers, my skin folk, of my faith tradition. I am finding it difficult to capture in words this rare quality she has. I received this book before publication date and yet I have lingered way too long attempting to express what this book has given to me. The fruit has already shown itself to me by way of changed thinking and new actions taken.
Through the sharing of her own story of identity and belonging, somehow I felt more connected to my own. Her gift is creating the space where each of us can celebrate ourselves and each other, while also addressing the dark systems of oppression that threaten it all. This books sears into my realization of complicity, but at the same time it heals and spreads hope. Kaitlin Curtice gives us an invitation to a different way, one of wholeness and connection. Connection with each other, with the land, with all creatures, and with the real history of this nation. I learned more about Indigenous Peoples in this book than I did in all of my years through the classroom. I will continue this learning, as it is my work to do. Again, the author was so generous in her sharing, and I am so grateful.

I’ve been sitting here for a week trying to write a review for “NATIVE: IDENTITY, BELONGING, AND REDISCOVERING GOD” by @kaitlincurtice knowing full well I wouldn’t get it done until today…⁣
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Today happens to be May 4h, a day I also knew was coming and dreading. ⁣
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Deep down I know I am not done grieving the loss of Rachel. ⁣
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The best thing I can say about #NativeBook is something I would expect RHE to take note of. After a year of grief and lament, here is a book to get you all back in the fight. ⁣
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“𝘐𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳, 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥? 𝘐𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.”⁣
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So To Kaitlin I say #EshetChayil ⁣
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To the rest of you - go buy this book⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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#rememberingRHE #BecauseofRHE