Chippewa Christian country singer

An article about Peter Lewis Whitebird, a Native American Christian country music artist:

Native American ministers in music"I am half Chippewa, and the Whitebird family are the hereditary chiefs of the Bad River Indian Reservation in Odanah, Wis."

"Though Peter is proud of his Native American heritage," said Perkins, "he will tell you that he has found his true, eternal identity in Jesus Christ through his new birth, and his study of the truth of God's word, the Bible. He understands the heartaches that life can bring, and God has used the pain in his life to make him a wiser, humbler man."And:"My calling is not to make music," said Whitebird, "or to simply entertain, but to communicate the true life message of Jesus Christ as a minister of the Gospel.

"Music is a vehicle, allowing me to cross barriers that would not otherwise be open to me. I want what I do to make a difference in people's lives. Jesus is the life difference."Comment:  It would be interesting to compare the reservations where most Indians still practice their traditional religions with those where most Indians are Christians. Which ones would have the highest rates of dysfunctionality: unemployment, substance abuse, crime, etc.?

I don't know, but I believe studies have shown that the "red states" (aka the most Christian states) have the worst "family values." That suggests Jesus is indeed the "life difference"--but not in the way Whitebird meant.

For more on the subject, see Hercules vs. Coyote:  Native and Euro-American Beliefs.