Tdohasan Sunray
When I drive southbound on I-5 from Seattle to Tacoma, there are many landmarks that jut out, but one in particular outshines the rest: the Puyallup Tribal Casino. Bright lights and a massive, electronic advertising display attract thousands of wandering eyes daily. What some fail to notice next to the hulking casino, is a much smaller and less lucrative enterprise — a little light on a hill: The Church of the Indian Fellowship.
I hear the reverend’s voice say, “Hello,” and he invites me into a building to sit at a large, conference-like table. The space is delicate, with paintings of Jesus and great chiefs from across the eras. The man sitting across from me is Reverend Irvin Porter, the current pastor of the 150 year old church. He hands me a portfolio with documents that detail its general history. According to the information on the papers, in 1876 the Presbyterian church made its way to Tacoma with the goal of conversion. Rev. Matthew Mann was the first appointed minister in the church’s history. It originally had 24 members, and by June of 1876 recorded upwards of 100 members. At the time, the Puyallup tribe had over one thousand acres of land in cultivation; the church that stands on part of this land became known as the Puyallup Presbyterian Mission Church.
The spirit of its Native congregants was invoked directly into services through the translation of hymns into the Twulshootseed language. The document from Reverend Porter states, “Rev. Mann conducted annual camp meetings in a fir grove near the Puyallup hop fields. They sang hymns in the Puyallup language and soon members of surrounding tribes were also attending.” With the growing popularity, another church building was dedicated in 1881 and used until 1890, when the church was moved again to its current location.
One document from the portfolio read, “In 1946, the congregation was organized as Church of the Indian Fellowship. The present building was constructed in 1951. The ministry from God’s people in this corner of the world continues to shine forth from this hilltop.”
“People have raised their families here,” Reverend Porter said. “Grandparents, great grandparents have gone to church here and are buried out here. So that’s kind of how it was in the beginning.” As I walk outside of the building, I see the cemetery with gravestones so old the dates are nearly inscrutable. The names, however, are pronounced, heavy and very much legible.
Despite such a long history, the church has faced its own set of problems. Like many churches – and possibly to an even greater extent than others – tribal churches have suffered drastic plummets in turnout, specifically that of youth. Today there are around 30 members, but many do not attend on a regular basis. Reverend Porter attributed much of this change to two causes. First, as time has gone on, fewer and fewer people have been interested in the idea of going to church, wanting to instead substitute something new in its place.
“A lot of them had been going here all their lives, and they really didn’t know anything else, and so they probably just wanted to either stop or find something else,” Reverend Porter said.
Most distressing, the church also had a series of pastors who were intolerant towards Native culture. Reverend Porter relayed a particular story: “One of the pastors said during her sermon, ‘Your ancestors went to hell because they weren’t living the right life.’ People stood up and left that service when she said that. That’s how bad it got.”
As one walks into the church’s sanctuary, they are sure to notice a wall with photos of previous pastors who have served the church. Reverend Porter’s photo stands out as he is the first Native pastor in its history. Despite the church’s long-standing white leadership, the church has remained true to its name as a place for Natives to be in fellowship in the Christian faith with a blend of Native touch.
With anything that requires faith, there are times of withering and times of flourishing. The Church of the Indian Fellowship has had its fair share of both. Although the number of active congregants isn’t large, they are committed and backed by a lineage of trial-tested faith.
Many of the members related their love for the church to the people they have come to know because of it. Teddy Peterson, a longtime member and Sioux & Ho-Chunk elder of the church recounted, “In 1970, I came to the Church of the Indian Fellowship for the first time. It was a friendly and welcoming church with Native Americans. I found a wonderful group of people who loved the Lord, and it helped my spiritual growth. My sisters and their children have been raised in this church. These past twenty years, we finally have a Native American pastor!”
Other members of the church feel similarly, including Deanna Charette who is Nez Perce, Suquamish, Sioux and Ho-Chunk. “It was great to have many grandmother figures in the elderly Native woman who reminded me of my own grandmother and a young pastor who worked with the teens. It was where I accepted Christ into my heart. I raised my children in this church as well,” Charette said.
Many echoed a sentiment of veneration for the church too, seeing it as a holy place. “For me the Church of the Indian Fellowship is a sacred place that we can gather not only as Christians but as natives as well. I personally like the little quaint church, but being a member also gives me a sense of belonging, and it’s somewhere I feel accepted. I like that it’s relaxed and everyone is welcome!” said another congregant named Jessica, who is Yakima.
Reverend Porter himself views the church in a similar light. He reflected on how much the church meant to him, saying, “Now having been here for 22 years, it’s pretty much a family.”
Families were brought up in this church, and some now reside in the graves adjacent to it. It’s not just historical, though. It’s breathing and moving, and that movement comes from the people within it. Every Sunday at 11 o’clock in the morning on the Puyallup tribal reservation, adjacent to the boisterous casino, there is a little light on the hill that shines brightly.