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Michael Steven Wilson (Tohono O’odham) was a lay pastor on the Tohono O’odham Nation in the early 2000s when he started putting out water for migrants crossing the U.S.- Mexico border. He considered it a religious and ethical calling, but it put him at odds with U.S. immigration officials, his church, and his own Native nation. Growing up in Tucson, Ariz. in the 1950s, Wilson endured racism and poverty. He witnessed injustice in Central America while serving in the military — and he confronted questions about his Christian faith while in seminary school in the 90s. His experiences and observations informed his decision to help relieve the suffering of the migrants risking their lives to cross the Sonoran Desert. They are also documented in the memoir, “What Side Are You On?” Wilson is our August Native in the Spotlight.
Break 1 Music: Willie’s Ghost Riders (song) Gertie & the T.O. Boyz (artist)
Break 2 Music: Real Things (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)
Will this show be available for streaming and on Apple Podcasts and Spotify? The rest of the episodes for this week are available, but this one isn’t. Thank you!
I agree with the caller! I don’t see a heckuva lot of burden on my fellow white man’s conscience sad to say. But I understand what Wilson means in his explanation of it being indirect.
What a beautiful episode and topic. Thank you, once again, NAC.