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“I might die today or tomorrow. I’d like you to explain [in Blackfoot] why God sent his Son.”
Vincent Yellow Old Woman received this phone call from a friend who was waiting to pass away at the local hospital. “I’ve had ministers and priests in here telling me,” his friend continued, “but I wanted you to come explain it so I can have that assurance.”
His friend hadn’t forgotten the relevant passages of Scripture, and he wasn’t looking for more details or theology: rather, he wanted to hear an explanation from someone he trusted, in his own language. He wanted God to speak to him.
Vincent is a Blackfoot Elder, Pastor, Translator and former Chief of the Siksika Nation in Southern Alberta. He dedicated decades of his life to planting Indigenous churches and communicating God’s love to his people through the Blackfoot language. Although he’s now retired as a Pastor, he still receives many requests to speak in Blackfoot at funerals, church services and community events. The Blackfoot language touches his people’s hearts in ways that other languages can’t.
“I love our language,” says Vincent. “It’s powerful.”
That realization first came to Vincent when he was a child in the residential school system. He was punished for speaking Blackfoot, a painful experience that left a lasting mark on him. But it also showed him how important his language is.
“Right then and there, I valued my language. It’s your identity. It’s who you are.”
Vincent reflects on the ways that God has sustained him throughout his life, including in deep valleys, like when he lost his daughter. “I broke into a million pieces,” he remembers. “I thought, ‘I'm supposed to die first. Not my kids, not my grandkids. . .’ My faith in Christ has really strengthened me and allowed me to know that He's there in my darkest moments."
It’s because of this sustaining faith that Vincent is working diligently with the rest of the Bible translation team to translate Scripture into Blackfoot. He wants everyone in their community to have that same assurance, that God is always there.
Vincent knows—deeply and personally—why God sent His Son.
“John 3:16 is more than a favorite to me—I love it. It tells me everything about who God is, how much He loves me. If I were the only person in the whole world, He would have died for me.”
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