Indigenous People's Community Church
of the Apache Nation of Colorado
VISION
Serving the Indigenous community
The Indigenous People’s Community Church (IPCC) of the Apache Nation of Colorado was established with the intent of providing traditional ceremonies for the Indigenous community. The IPCC is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Indigenous religious thought, beliefs and practices. In addition to regularly scheduled weekly, monthly, quarterly and seasonal ceremonies, IPCC conducts baptisms, weddings, funerals, rites of passage, naming ceremonies, community honoring ceremonies, etc. for its members. Bimonthly sweatlodge ceremonies are held at the IPCC Ceremonial Center.
IPCC promotes a sober, healthy and spiritual lifestyle that strives to maintain healthy and cooperative relations with the fungus, flora, fauna, water, air, earth, fire and sky. Participation in ceremony requires a sponsoring member from the Church. Sponsors are responsible for the conduct of their guests. Remember that IPCC is an Indigenous church for Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous people are always guests and should behave accordingly.
CREED
The founding principles and teachings of IPCC are rooted in Mexicayotl.
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It has taken our community over 20 years to acquire a piece of land upon which we can build a lodge and hold ceremonies. Therefore, we expect participants to have respect for the work that has gone into making this happen. Only those individuals who have trained and been certified by the Indigenous People’s Community Church (IPCC) will be allowed to run ceremonies at this site. The training is rigorous and takes many years and a devotion to serving the community.
Toteoohui - Our Sacred Path
"We do not have the capacity to imagine a god greater than ourselves, therefore we cannot possibly understand creation/creator, hence we should focus on being good, respectful elements of creation instead."
- Atekpatzin
Prayer as an Act of Resistance.
The American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 (AIRFA) (42 U.S.C. § 1996.) protects the rights of Native Americans to exercise their traditional religions by ensuring access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.
“On and after August 11, 1978, it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.” 42 U.S.C. § 1996 (2011).
The Act was amended in 1994:
H.R.1308 — 103rd Congress (1993-1994) Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 - Prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States or any State (the government) from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except that the government may burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person: (1) furthers a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.
The act sets forth provisions pertaining to judicial relief, attorney's fees, and applicability.
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It declares that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to interpret the clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the establishment of religion; (2) the granting of government funding, benefits, or exemptions, to the extent permissible under that clause, shall not constitute a violation of this Act; and (3) as used in this Act, "granting" does not include the denial of government funding, benefits, or exemptions.
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These laws were enacted precisely because citizens of the United States of Indigenous lineage were continuously prohibited from exercising their First Amendment right.
Indigenous communities have been holding our ceremonies for several decades even when the ceremonies were outlawed. Ceremonies were disrupted, raided and elders were jailed. Still we prevailed.
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Everytime an Indigenous community gathers to pray, it is an act of resistance against centuries of genocide. Consequently, IPCC needs to be cautious about details of our ceremonies; where they are held, when they are held and under what circumstances. We do not post where our ceremonies are located for our own safety. We serve the Indigenous community and we do the best we can to keep the Indigenous community safe.