Pope mentions Natives

'Americans . . . a people of hope'Here are excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's homily Thursday at Nationals Park:

Americans have always been a people of hope: Your ancestors came to this country with the expectation of finding new freedom and opportunity. . . . To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves. Yet hope, hope for the future, is very much a part of the American character.Indians respond:National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Joe A. Garcia welcomed the comments and recognition from the Holy Father. "This is an historic moment for Indian Country," said Garcia. "I commend Pope Benedict XVI for making this bold, and very true, statement with the world watching. Native people have suffered greatly since the arrival of European settlers as they were displaced and then later subjected to U.S. government policies of termination and assimilation."Comment:  As brief as these remarks were, they're better than the pope's previous utterances on Natives. See Pope Insults Indians and Another Insult from the Pope for more information.