A pastor in Wyoming recently went viral for comments regarding Native American culture during a sermon. This led a TikToker named friendly.atheist blasting the pastor’s alleged attempt to “condemn the tribe’s sacred ceremonies.” Responding to the pushback from the Arapaho tribe, the pastor “is now claiming she’s being persecuted.”
Pastor Sarah Lucas preaches at the Foundation for Nations church, located on private property within the Wyoming Wind River Indian Reservation. In her sermon, she comments on Native Americans participating in a traditional Sun Dance. She describes the pipe and the dance as a “cycle they’re caught up in” and states they need to “tear down the altars.” The video has since been deleted. However, the TikToker has incorporated it in his video response. His video has been viewed over 308,000 times with over 56,000 likes and nearly 3,000 comments.
However, over a hundred Arapaho tribe members peacefully protested outside of the church. During which, they demanded that “Lucas stop using her Christianity to belittle their culture.” Meanwhile, the pastor has also been asked to leave the Wyoming reservation. The tribe argues that she is not welcome in their community. A statement by Lucas reads that she is “willing to be martyred for the faith.” The TikToker responds, “Calm down, lady. You are not a martyr. You’re a pastor facing consequences for saying something idiotic.” He believes it’s part of a larger ploy to strip away indigenous traditions. He argues that the tribe is a “community that refuses to be colonized all over again.”
Uproar Over Wyoming Pastor’s Comments
The man’s response has sparked an online uproar over the Wyoming pastor’s comments. However, many are not surprised by her actions. One commenter states, “Here’s what happened: A White woman.” Others argue she shouldn’t even be there to begin with. One says, “She shouldn’t have been allowed to build on the rez.” A third comment reads, “She’s literally bringing back residential school vibes.”
Others are criticizing Lucas for her statements. One commenter says, “No hate like Christian love.” Another argues, “Mind you, [Native American] practices are older than Christianity.” Meanwhile, several encourage the tribe to keep speaking out, saying, “Thank God for protesters. Keep up the good fight.”
It is unclear what the tribe’s next actions will be. However, Lucas allegedly has no intention of apologizing or leaving the reservation.
