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Robert Dancing Man Richards, of Plant City, dancing during Native American worship service at the Fellowship Hall at Thonotosassa United Methodist Church Sept. 9, 2007. Richards is part Dakota Sioux and Santee Indian. The worship began two-and-a-half year

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By SARAH ROTHWELL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 15, 2007

Updated: 09/13/2007 05:45 pm

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THONOTOSASSA - The scent of white sage incense lingers. Native American men, women and children dance and sing, lifting their hands in praise of the Creator. Some wear clothes reminiscent of their tribal heritage. Others drape shawls over their shoulders, covering the jeans and T-shirts underneath.

At the center of the room, drummers play songs of worship. Among the musicians sits Dock Green, leader of the Native American services at Thonotosassa United Methodist Church.

'I don't call myself a preacher,' said Green, 65, of Plant City. 'I don't write up a sermon. I read the Bible and pray a lot. This ministry is not the work of Dock Green; it's the work of the Lord.'

The first Native American service at Thonotosassa United Methodist, 11905 Fort King Highway, was Jan. 15, 2005. Today, the 50-person congregation meets at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday monthly. Members gather to worship Jesus Christ using Native American traditions, including ceremonial dance, smoke offerings and the passing of a prayer feather.

'When the Europeans came to this country, they wanted the Native Americans to become Christians but said, in order to do that, they had to give up who they were,' said Vickie Swartz, 54, of Sarasota. 'That is changing. Now, there are services like this where Native American people are free to be who God created them to be.'

The majority of Green's congregants began celebrating their heritage later in life. Swartz, of Cherokee descent, grew up with little knowledge of her people. As an adult, she began attending Native American powwows, gatherings held across the country to celebrate tribes. Swartz soon incorporated Cherokee practices into her daily life, including a commitment to the Christian faith.

Lon Hazelwood, 61, embraced his Chippewa background while attending a Michigan college. He joined a Native American student association and fought for the removal of Indians as university mascots. Constrained by the standards of the 1950s, his parents had rarely discussed the family's Native American history.

'To survive, our people assimilated,' said Hazelwood, now a Zephyrhills resident.

Green had a similar experience. He grew up in a Christian household, barely aware of his Creek and Cherokee heritage. In the 1990s, a near-death experience (he was revived during open-heart surgery) inspired him to attend a powwow.

'I went into surgery one man and came out another,' Green said. 'I went to my first powwow and started playing the Indian flute.'

For years, Green played the flute at cultural gatherings and for patients at Tampa General Hospital. In 2003, he ran into an old friend, Dennis Roebuck, lead pastor at Thonotosassa United Methodist. From there, the Native American service was born.

'The church wanted to provide a facility where they Native Americans could worship within their culture,' Roebuck said.

Green's services begin with a prayer and smoke offering, followed by prayer requests and updates from the congregation. A feather is passed around, and only the person holding it may speak. Then, Green relays a message.

At a service Sept. 9, he spoke about the need for Native Americans to forgive past transgressions against their people.

'If you want peace and joy, you have to look back and forgive,' he said. 'Love and hate can not reside in the same heart. It is a choice you have to make.'

'Yes,' said a congregant.

Plant City resident Rachel Pugliese, 14, listened intently. She sat wrapped in a yellow shawl, a garment representing modesty.

'I come with my grandparents,' she said. 'We go to powwows, and I've been dancing ceremonial dances since I was 7.'

Pugliese's grandmother, Sandra 'Whiteowl' Paul, said young people should take pride in their heritage.

'If a child knows who they are, they are less likely to get into trouble because they have self-confidence,' she said.

Green hopes the formation of Native American churches will make it easier for people, young and old, to take pride in their history. He hopes more Native American people will open their hearts to Christianity.

Many tribes are historically connected to the faith, he said.

'The Cherokee people believed Jesus came to them 2,000 years ago,' he said. 'They just didn't know him by that name. They believed he was the son of the sky father. They believed the word of God would come to them in the form of the talking leaves, which is the Bible. They were hungry for God. They were waiting for the Bible to come to them.'

During services, Green reads mostly from the New Testament. He plays his flute for Jesus and sings the Cherokee 'Ye ho wah,' meaning Creator. He lifts his hands in praise.

Closing his message Sept. 9, he urged the congregation to welcome the future, not dwell on the past.

'Keep your eyes forward,' he said. 'We cannot change what was done to us in the past or what we did in the past. We can only do from this moment on.

'Now, let's sing and dance.'

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Native American services

WHEN: 6 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday of each month

WHERE: Thonotosassa United Methodist Church, 11905 Fort King Highway

INFORMATION: Call (813) 986-7135

Keyword: Worship Service, for audio and additional images of the Native American service. Sarah Rothwell can be reached at srothwell@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4845. Keyword: Worship Service, for audio and additional images of the Native American service.

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