November is Native American Heritage Month, and you may not realize that Native Americans were the first mission field in North America. However, “as far as missions are concerned, we’re doing better all over the world than right here with the First People of our land,” Ron Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries says.

“After 400 years of missions, only four percent are estimated to have a relationship with Christ.”

(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings)

Native communities don’t connect with Jesus

Many Native people see Jesus as “the white man’s God,” especially when so much loss – land, language, culture, and lives – was carried out in the name of Christianity. Yet Jesus is deeply relevant to the Native experience. “Jesus was not a blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy like we see in some paintings. He was a tribal man,” Hutchcraft says.

“If you asked Him, He’d say, ‘I’m from the tribe of Judah.’ Our Native Americans would say, ‘I’m Apache, I’m Sioux, I’m Cherokee, I’m Choctaw,’ or ‘I’m Seneca.”

Along with tribal heritage, “He lived on land occupied by others – the Romans. He was from a place that people thought, ‘Nothing good comes from there.’ Some people may say that about Native communities,” Hutchcraft says.

“Jesus was also a victim of gross injustice, as many Native Americans have been.”

A rising movement

These connections are transforming Native young people through Hutchcraft Ministries’ On Eagles’ Wings outreach. More about that here.

Summer of Hope 2025
(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings)

“I have had the privilege of watching Native young people who are not only survivors, but more than conquerors, as they have told their hope story on that reservation basketball court. They have shown a boldness that would shame many of us,” Hutchcraft says.

“With a deep spirituality that the Creator has built into them, an understanding of suffering and injustice and abuse, and with the warrior spirit – when all of that comes under the Lordship of Christ, fasten your seat belt. They are a force,” he adds.

“They are hope with skin on.”

Hutchcraft Ministries’ Warrior Leadership Summit and On Eagles’ Wings Leadership Center focus on discipling Native young people to become pastors, missionaries, and youth leaders for their own communities. Here’s how you can help.

Header image depicts a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, c.1912-1915, titled The First Thanksgiving, 1621. (Wikimedia Commons)

Hutchcraft Ministries partners with Native American Christians to reach Native youth with Gospel hope. Ron Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries shares a perspective often overlooked during this holiday.

Hutchcraft says, “If I am a Native American, I may have, at very best, mixed emotions about Thanksgiving in terms of the history that it was the first chapter of.”

Following this early chapter of shared gratitude, the history between Native Americans and European settlers turned tragic. Land was seized, treaties were broken, and generations of Native people suffered displacement, injustice, and grief.

“Now, as for the holiday, for most Native Americans, it is still a great family day,” says Hutchcraft. “It’s a day with food, [and] although there’s a lot of poverty, it’s great to enjoy the meal.”

Hutchcraft also highlights how the heart of Thanksgiving and spiritual gratitude are, in a way, inherent in Native culture.

“Long before the Pilgrims came, the spirit of Thanksgiving has been really part of their spirituality. So for them to come to a Thanksgiving feast that [was] like, ‘We are thankful to the Creator,’ it’s interesting that it was not a new concept at all.”

It opens Gospel doors to discuss the God of the Bible – the true Creator – and Jesus Christ who gave His life for the sins of all people.

Hutchcraft explains, “For believing Native Americans, they would see…that we today have so much to be thankful to our Creator for, to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

As you give thanks today, take time to pray for Native Americans, asking God to reveal Himself and draw hearts to follow Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Element5 Digital/Unsplash.

Weston Francis with Hutchcraft Ministries is a member of the Navajo tribe. He knows that cultural preservation is a sensitive topic among his people, who have faced so much mistreatment by people from other cultures. 

But Francis stands on Exodus 20:3, where the Lord says, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

“There’s the talk of syncretism, of blending of traditional practices and redeeming of a culture — ‘As long as we slap the name of Jesus on this practice or this dance, it’s okay,’” he says.

(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings, Hutchcraft Ministries)

“But any culture around the world, the moment the want and need for preservation of a culture becomes more than your love for God, you have already crossed the line.”

Many things can become practical idols in a Christian’s life. Consider your own life, values, allegiances, family traditions, routines, and habits.

“We do it all the time, (with) our phones, our family, the people that we love. This (culture) is just one more thing that we put before God,” Francis says. 

“We need to be able to have the maturity and the diligence and discipline to recognize when we’re putting something more before our relationship with God.”

Every Christian on the planet faces challenges to put God first. Join in praying specifically for young Christians in Native America, that they would have discernment and discipline to follow Jesus over the traditions or values of their cultures. 

What could God do with a young person fully committed to Him? 

“I believe that when God gets a hold of a young Native American, they have an opportunity to reach people that you and I may never ever get to reach,” Francis says.  “I think that’s something that’s so beautiful, and that’s something that only God can do.”

Learn what On Eagles’ Wings does to raise up Native American Christians. 

Header photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings, Hutchcraft Ministries. 

Some of the Native Christians will also participate in Summer of Hope, an annual youth outreach on Native American reservations. Learn more about Summer of Hope here.

Weston Francis says students receive further discipleship in community at the On Eagle’s Wings Leadership Center. Read about the dedication last April of the Leadership Center here.

“We hear from the students even just this year of how they have craved for something like this, they have craved for a community of believers to walk alongside with and grow with,” says Francis.

Many of the students who come to the Leadership Center grow up feeling isolated and surrounded by brokenness. They have not experienced a healthy community before or felt so seen. After nine months, the students return home with the holistic skills they need to thrive and serve others.

Francis says, “We want to create disciples who are going to eventually create disciples.”

“And so if we can show them how to create a community, they can do that for themselves when they go back home.”

One graduate soon began a small youth group in his community and brought nine students to the Warrior Leadership Summit. He now leads a local ministry.

The Leadership Center further prepares the students by showing them their true identity in God’s eyes. When they encounter difficulties and spiritual attacks, they will be ready to counter with the truth.

Francis says, “Sometimes all you need to tell a young person is, ‘Remember what God says about you.’”

He says it is the first time many of the students see their own value and potential. With a little nudge and responsibility given to them, many go further than they thought possible when they started.

“The Leadership Center is built to help them figure out what the next steps are,” says Francis.

“A good chunk of them this year are in a gray area of figuring out, ‘Where does God want me?’”

Pray for the new leadership graduates to have confidence in God and glorify Him wherever they go. As they determine what to do next or how to do it, may they move forward in faith and lead others to Jesus.

Do you know a young adult looking for an opportunity like the On Eagles’ Wings Leadership Center? Learn how to apply at OEWLC.com.

Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings, Hutchcraft Ministries.

Weston Francis with Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is a follower of Christ and a member of the Navajo tribe. He says there is spiritual warfare behind the mistreatment his people have suffered. 

“I personally believe that the enemy knows that Native America has a voice because of our pasts. In a way, you would see that the enemy would want to take out the best of the best,” Francis says. 

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

“A big part of that I believe was the enemy trying to get Native America to hate who Jesus really was, by using people who didn’t know who Jesus was. Because if they knew who He really was like, and they knew His teachings — when He talks about to have love, to have mercy to have grace — that should have been more evident than what we see now.”

Instead, the things we see now include genocide, sexual assault and other evil acts, which Francis says the enemy would love Native people to dwell on. 

Today, Native men and women are more than two times as likely as white men and women are to be victims of violence in their lifetimes. (See more statistics like this in a 2023 document from the U. S. Department of Justice.)

But in the midst of the brokenness and the very real cries for justice, Francis remembers that God said that judgment belongs to Him (Romans 12:19).  

“That’s (what) my hopes rely on, to know that people are going to answer for the things that they did — in the same way that you and I are going to (answer) for the things that we do,” Francis says. 

Francis is part of a growing team of young Native Americans helping to bring the understanding of who Jesus really is into their communities. On Eagles’ Wings is a program that offers intensive discipleship and leadership development to young Native Americans, equipping them to reach out with the “hope stories” to young people just like them who desperately need Christ. 

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries via Facebook)

Learn more about the mission of On Eagles’ Wings here, but first and foremost join them in prayer. 

“Pray that young Native Americans would rise up to the calling that God has called them to be. Pray for the leaders that are spearheading this, because we are going to be held accountable and responsible for what we are doing,” Francis says.

He says there is much lament and forgiveness that needs to take place. 

“God says in Ephesians 4 to have compassion and be tender hearted, and to ‘forgive as I have forgiven you.’ It’s real easy to ask God for forgiveness. But it’s so hard for us to give that same mercy and that same grace to people.

“When we choose to forgive, when we choose to love and have mercy, that’s when we’re most like Jesus.”

Header photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries.

Weston Francis with Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is a follower of Christ and a member of the Navajo tribe. He is part of seeing God bring the hope of the gospel to his people.

“These are statistics that humble me, and that also sober me to the reality of my people and the tribes of Native America. We have the highest rates of suicide, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse. Even now more that has been coming more to light is the missing and murdered indigenous women and the rates that they are two to three times that than the rest of the United States,” Francis says. 

(Image courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

On Eagles’ Wings is a program founded in 1992 to raise young Christian Native Americans. They are in year two of an expanded, gap-year program.

“On Eagles’ Wings is first and foremost to reach and save the lost. Now we are in a unique position to create disciples, and therefore send them — so, having the mindset of reach, teach, and then send,” Francis says.

The best way to reach a young person growing up in deep brokenness on a reservation is with another young person who has gone through the same thing but has a life-changing relationship with God through Jesus. Francis says a person’s relationship with God is “the difference maker.”

Francis knows the barriers that exist when it comes to Christianity because he had to overcome them.

“I grew up hearing a lot of the stories about Church history from older people, older Native Americans, about how the Europeans came over to the United States — how the Bible was used as a tool to enslave but also in a way to sanction mass genocide amongst Native American people.

“It took people convincing me and spending time with me to show me in Scripture, where Jesus is vastly distinguished from the people who use the Bible for their gain,” he continues.

Watch for further news about God’s powerful work among Native Americans, and join in praying for the ministry of the growing On Eagles’ Wings team.

“When we are praying for the young people we’re going to try to reach and minister to, we pray, ‘God, would you keep them alive till we get there?'” Francis says.

“A lot of these young people that we are ministering to grow up in – you know, (in) Native America, (where) you’re already born into an uphill battle.” 

Header photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries/On Eagles’ Wings. 

Brad Hutchcraft with RHM says, “These young leaders are sharing in some of the hardest hit places, most devastated places, by whether it is abuse or alcoholism, or violent crime, or missing and murdered indigenous women, all of these awful statistics that are out there. These are young, native Christians who are saying, ‘Hey, we want to be about bringing hope to our people.’”

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

Instead of one short month in the summer, students in the expanded program have nine months of discipleship, field experience and more. Hutchcraft says this new On Eagles’ Wings Leadership Center has exponentially grown the ministry’s capacity to invest in young adults.

“It’s all about equipping them and trying to shore up some of those spots in life, some of those gaps that maybe they’re not getting covered at home, or maybe they’re not getting covered in school,” he says. 

“It’s beautiful to see how these students grow in just a few months time. The things that they are talking about, the ways that they’re diving into God’s Word. It’s just beautiful to see how God is working in their hearts, drawing them even closer to Himself.”

RHM is following God’s lead one step at a time to help these young people take their next steps, whether that be to college, the workforce, local ministry or one-day international ministry.

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

“(Jesus) wants to use these Native young people to do what only they can, which is share about the shared challenges that they’ve had. Their ‘hope stories’ are filled with saying, ‘We have been who you are, but we have found hope and His name is Jesus,’” says Hutchcraft.

“We really do see a future where On Eagles’ Wings will be able to go more international. The reason for that is worldwide, it is very real fact that indigenous people reaching other indigenous people with the hope of Jesus. That’s the best model.”

You can come alongside young adults with On Eagles’ Wings through prayer support.

“We just love when people say, ‘Hey, I’m going to pray for these young warriors. I’m going to pray for their protection. I’m going to pray for the peace of Christ to rule in their hearts. I’m going to pray for them to stand firm, and I’m going to pray for them to make a difference,’” Hutchcraft says.

Visit hopefornativeamerica.com to learn more ways to support this ministry.

Header photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings/Ron Hutchcraft Ministries. 

“Native American young people largely are immune to all kinds of mission efforts.”

(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings/Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

Members of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries’ On Eagles Wings team make progress where other Gospel workers cannot.

“It’s because the messengers are from the same tribe as the people they’re reaching,” Hutchcraft says.

“It’s Native young people telling Native young people.”

In a similar way, you can break spiritual ground in places where some believers can’t go. You don’t even have to pack up the family and move.

“Tribes are not just about Native Americans. We’re all in a tribe. In fact, we’re probably in several. There are political tribes, sports tribes, and music tribes,” Hutchcraft says.

“Why is that significant in terms of the witness of Christ in the world? Because we listen to people from our tribe. We have shared life experiences.”

You might be the only Christian who can reach your “tribe.” Think of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

“He doesn’t ride right in and have a crusade in the Samaritan village. He reaches one Samaritan woman and sends her to her people,” Hutchcraft says.

“The Bible says, ‘Many [Samaritans] believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.’ What validated Jesus to Samaritans was someone from their tribe.”

Pray for courage to be Christ’s ambassador and start Gospel conversations. Look for helpful tools from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries in the coming weeks!

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Bruno Millennial/Pexels.

It’s a time to recognize the achievements and culture of Native Americans. But it’s also a time to remember that the U.S. government has often broken treaties and forced cultural assimilation on First Peoples. Read more at nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.

Brad Hutchcraft with Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says that in November, we “celebrate the rich histories, diverse cultures, and important contributions of our nation’s first people. What we love is right now, we get to celebrate some of those who are with us for several months. We get to celebrate with them not just their past but also the future of what the Lord is doing in their lives.”

Training program

These six young Gospel workers are going through a nine-month training program in the On Eagles Wings Leadership Center. They identify both as Native Americans and followers of God. Their mission is to share the story of Jesus on reservations and in Native American communities around the country.

Ask God to strengthen them. Hutchcraft says, “As people walk through the month of November or sit down at the Thanksgiving table, our prayer would be that people take a few moments and say, ‘Really, What is God doing in Native America? Who are these incredible Native American people? And what is their history?”

“And then they can say, ‘Wow, we can be part of the future of these leaders.’”

Header photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings/Ron Hutchcraft Ministries.

Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says to learn why, we simply need to follow the money and the trail of historic racism. “If Native Americans are underreported, and under-represented . . . then guess how the decisions are made about where money is allocated.”

Hutchcraft says many reservations face very dangerous health conditions.  “We are not keeping our treaty obligations that we made with the First Americans a long time ago: to provide proper health care for them. And we don’t know who’s there. And we don’t know what the situation is.”

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries on Facebook)

This story began over 400 years ago, Hutchcraft says. “Native Americans have been forgotten over and over again.”

COVID-19: a new chapter in the story

Hutchcraft says the COVID-19 pandemic shines a spotlight on the deep flaws in the healthcare system for Native Americans, particularly the understaffing and lack of resources. One reservation in South Dakota, for instance, has 45 beds for an area twice the size of Rhode Island.

“Then you have the Navajo reservation,” Hutchcraft says, “where the statistics right now are horrible. In fact, the Navajo Nation, if they were a state, would be number three per capita in deaths from COVID-19. In other words, you have New York, New Jersey, Navajo. Of course, nobody knows that. Because once again, they are the Forgotten People.”

In addition, Hutchcraft says 40% of the reservation has no running water. Native Americans often live in crowded homes and suffer from more underlying health conditions than any other ethnic group in the United States.

Aztec depiction of smallpox, a disease brought to North America by Europeans. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

This story started with plague, too. When the Europeans first began colonizing the North American continent, diseases the First People had no immunity to, especially smallpox, decimated their population. “This is another layer of grieving for an already grieving people,” Hutchcraft says.

Jesus enters the story

Christians, Hutchcraft says, must not overlook Native Americans like so many have for centuries. “There is a moral debt to do something about this and become a voice for the Forgotten people so they’re not forgotten in our church, in our Bible study, and in our small group.”

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is committed to raising up young leaders among the First People to reach them with the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. They could use your support.

Reservation at Laguna, New Mexico. (Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)