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The Blessed Life

My name is Merritt Youngdeer. I’m a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, North Carolina. My grandparents, like many tribal members from all across our country, attended Carlisle Indian Boarding School.

Which Road Are You On?

Which-Road

Life wasn’t easy for me. There were temptations and troubles in my home. There were tears and sorrows in my heart, and my pride was very hurt by my failures. But I tried to keep faith in the Indian religion of my fathers.

Pursued by Hope

I stood before the judge as a desperate 24-year-old, over­whelmed by the consequences of my life choices. I felt com­pletely defeated by addiction, and the word “hope” had no meaning in my life. All of society’s efforts to reform me had failed.

In Our Darkest Hour

It was the winter of 1979, and my wife Kathy and I were rejoicing in the birth of our first-born son. We named him Nathaniel Ara Ross. I was working in a factory on night shift to make ends meet. At night when I came home, I would check on Nathaniel. Those precious days were filled with joy and wonder.

My New Life in Christ as a San Carlos Apache

Broken Chains

In San Carlos, Arizona, where I was born and raised, many of the Apache have a certain place where they go every Sunday to worship. They call this “holy ground.” There the people sing until noon, and then they eat together. Afterwards they pray and instruct the people, young and old, much as it is done in Sunday schools and churches.