Indigenous leaders across the globe declare Israel 'First of the first nations'

“I feel I was born for this moment,” former New Zealand Cabinet Minister Alfred Ngaro told those who gathered at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. Ngaro, from the Cook Islands and of Māori descent, arrived in Israel with representatives from other Indigenous groups across the globe, including Native Americans, Taiwanese and Fijians. Leaders, politicians, and even royalty came with one purpose: To affirm the Jewish people as the first of the “First Nations,” as indigenous people. “God’s brought us all here for this moment,” he said. 

Ngaro is the co-founder of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem, a platform for indigenous communities worldwide to express their solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.

He explained, “We’ve come here many times before in peace but now we’ve come here in war because our love is for the nation and the people of Israel. This is a solidarity walk for the Indigenous Embassy for Israel.”

Another attendee said, “This march is a small demonstration: we want to be visible and say that we stand with Israel.”

The walk was the initiative and dream of Canadian Native American leader, Grand Chief Linda Prince. She explained that through a brutal policy of cultural assimilation, her people had been stripped of their language, regalia and traditions, but that God had pointed her towards Israel as a key to the restoration of her own people.

Referring to Psalm 105:8-11, Prince reminded the march attendees that God swore the land to Israel forever and that He keeps His covenants.

“You are the first of the First Nation people, the first of the first nations,” she added.

The Grand Chief recounted a previous trip to the Jaffa Gate in 1999, after meeting with leaders at the Knesset. She shared how some were singing their ancient chants and playing with drums by the walls of the Old City. She said the chants had been lost, but reclaimed by their people.

“We regained knowledge of who our people are,” said Prince, explaining that they needed to go to Israel first. As Jewish worshippers came through the gate on their way for the evening prayers many of them were crying in amazement, exclaiming “You’re singing our song!” The indigenous delegation were confused and replied, “We’re natives from North America, what do you mean we’re singing your songs?”

A rabbi among them asked, “Don’t you know what you’re singing?” 

Prince explained what happened: “I looked at our drummers and then turned to the rabbi, “We don’t know what we’re singing anymore, everything you see here, our regalia, our songs, our dances, instruments, our language, all of this was outlawed; it’s called assimilation policy. But some of our songs went underground, and this song we sang was just a chant but we don’t know what it means.”

The response was: “Let us tell you what you’re singing. This is why we’re crying: You Red Indians are singing to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – you’re singing in ancient Hebrew, but how is it that you know his name?”

He explained to the group that in the song, they were calling out the name of God and “He will come” in Hebrew.

“We all burst into tears,” she said, saying how the conversation brought them full circle. “That’s why this gate is significant to us; we got restored… Satan tried to kill us all off, annihilate us, and when he didn’t succeed, they outlawed everything God created us to be as our creator, so now we’ve come back and reclaimed it.”

“We regained knowledge of who our people were in our song and dances, we have a treading anointing, and now we’re interceding for Israel,” Prince concluded.

Ngaro and the group met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to convey their message of solidarity and peace to Israel. In his speech, Ngaro greeted Israel’s president, saying: “As the Indigenous Embassy of Jerusalem, made up of a number of indigenous peoples from around the world gathered with you this morning we say ‘Hevenu Shalom Aleichem’ We bring peace unto you. We are here today because an ancient covenant of blessing was birthed in this land and then forged through three generations through the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob so that this covenant would be everlasting and enduring.”

Ngaro noted Genesis 12, in which God promises to bless those who bless Abraham’s descendants and curse those who curse them.

“This ancient covenant of blessing has traversed over the centuries of time and the distances of land and sea, continents and oceans. It has reached into cities, towns, regions and rural areas and every culture and people group in the known world…"

He continued: "So you see Mr. President we are here today as the fruit of this covenant and to return the blessing not in ancient stone but in hearts of flesh from the nations of the world of indigenous people to the nation of Israel and its indigenous people, the Jews.”

Ngaro ended his speech by expressing support for the president’s stated desire to build hope anew in Israel.

“Our goal is to bring a delegation of Indigenous leaders of the likes that have never been seen before, like our Fijian family here whose governmental leadership, both the president and prime minister, have stood alongside Israel both at the UN and the ICJ. We thank you for this opportunity to begin an enduring relationship of love and trust with the People of the Indigenous Embassy of Jerusalem.

“We will be constantly praying for you,” said one of the delegates. “We have come here to bless you.”