On Tuesday, March 12 in the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Ms. Marie Dick, a newly-inducted Young Center Fellow, presented her research on the peace talks, speeches and presentations of Lawrence Hart, a peace chief of the Southern Cheyenne tribe and a Mennonite minister.
“A good story grabs my attention,” Dick said. “I was invited onto this project two years ago, and I really came into it cold. So, I started with very limited knowledge about him, his culture, related history, etc.” Throughout the presentation, Dick stressed to her audience that the Cheyenne tribes were indeed warriors, but the story that is often not properly conveyed is that they were peace leaders as well. According to Dick’s research, the Mennonite and Cheyenne tribe worked together and ultimately preserved the Cheyenne language throughout their time together in Oklahoma. “Born out of this project, I am interested in looking for connections across various cultural groups to see if or what, commonalities exist in organized structures that are similar in terms of peace practices and justice, and related historic, academic and contemporary-mediated presentations of those practices.”
When Dick is investigating for her own personal research projects, she makes sure that the research question drives her to where she searches for more detailed consideration and exploration. Dick said, “It depends on what I am looking for, or what I am seeking to answer, do, etc. This particular project has multiple phases. Much of it has been historical and contextual work of late.” However, throughout her studies Dick mentioned that the point of her research that she finds particularly interesting about Lawrence Hart is that, at first, he has had a difficult time learning this culturally-diverse background. Dick said, “Early on, he had no interest in pacifism and he struggled with the Mennonite stance on pacifism. He wanted to fight and he wanted to be a warrior like his ancestors.”
After his grandfather’s death, Lawrence Hart left the military and was called upon to become a peace chief for the Cheyenne, where he also became a Mennonite minister. Hart gave advice to his people and reminded them to always act with kindness. Dick commented, “He isn’t that instructive. What he is doing is showing a way of life. I think one of his messages is that of empowerment — the personal choices we have in terms of how we live our lives despite external pressure or forces.”
“He was told that it was a hard life; he knew it would be a hard life,” Dick commented on her research. Peace chiefs such as Hart are instructed to give up any worldly goods they possess when asked because they are expected to live a life of complete servitude, and they take that oath when they become peace chiefs.” “It isn’t all about preaching, it is about living that lifestyle.” Peace chiefs live by example, and they make sure to help others understand how violence and aggression are not always the right choices. Hart would rather smoke a pipe with an enemy than fight him face-to-face.
“He’s coming from a culture that deals with circular types of storytelling and circular types of communications, so I’m interested in how he is able to deal with a culture like communication persuasion and go back and forth between these different ways of communication,” said Dick. This skill ultimately helped Hart in his work as a peace chief by being able to relate to both the religious missionaries as well as his Cheyenne tribe. He was able to explain things in an orderly fashion for the Mennonite missionaries, while simultaneously relaying that information back to the Cheyenne to keep the peace among the two groups.
Hart also created the “Return to Earth Project.” This initiative involves faith-based groups assisting American Indian tribes to purchase burial sites so they can bury the remains of fellow Native Americans that are currently preserved in museums across the United States, thus providing their ancestors with a proper and respectable burial. Dick believes that Hart has been a full-time pastor for over 40 years while always advocating peace. An individual cannot retire from the position of peace chief; one must remain a peace chief for life. In view of this, Hart is still a peace chief today, speaking out for his people, reminding the public of the Cheyenne people and promoting peace where ever he goes. “It is a busy life, but a life well lived,” Dick said.
However, Hart’s teachings are not solely designed for the Cheyenne and the Mennonite. His message of embodying and promoting peace in our daily lives is relevant to everyone, including college students. Dick commented, “I think it’s really worth asking of oneself, and answering it in concert with others. It is my opinion that awareness and conscious living, living through deliberate choices, are helpful in this regard. Looking to individuals who advocate peace and/or model it in their lives provides me with ideas on how to promote peace in my own life.”