Imagine dedicating your entire life to helping others without expecting anything in return. That's what John Roberts did. A remarkable figure in the world of missionary work, he was born in 1853 in Wales and ventured to the American frontier around 1883. His journey stretched across the arid landscapes of Wyoming, where he spent an impressive 65 years supporting and advocating for the Indigenous people, particularly the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes at the Wind River Reservation. His mission was both deeply spiritual and profoundly social, offering a textbook example of cultural empathy and social advocacy that resonates even today.
Roberts arrived at the reservation brimming with the fervor to empower rather than impose. His encounter with the tribal communities was not that of a savior complex but as an advocate who respected and embraced their cultural heritage. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, missions were often perceived as an enterprise driven by colonial impulses. However, Roberts deviated from the norm. He forged strong, respectful relationships with native leaders and took considerable time to understand their ways of life, even learning their languages. He collaborated with them, offering support in education and healthcare without stripping away their autonomy.
The heart of Roberts' contribution lay in education. Recognizing the vital role it plays in empowerment, he established schools on the reservation where he taught both English and Native American languages. This bilingual approach was revolutionary, preserving indigenous culture while simultaneously providing tools to navigate the dominant society. It was a refreshing contrast to the assimilationist policies that stifled native languages across America during that era.
But Roberts didn’t stop at education. His compassion extended into the realm of healthcare. He recognized the impact of untreated illness on communities with limited access to medical care. Engaging directly in healthcare initiatives, he helped set up clinics and trained local individuals in basic medical practices. His approach became a beacon for missionaries and reformers, illustrating that genuine aid often means enabling people to build their resources rather than fostering dependency.
Roberts was indeed a man of faith, but unlike some contemporary missionaries, his faith wasn’t blind. He saw the disparities and hardships that the arbitrary impositions of borders and reservations caused. Instead of being complicit in these inequities, he worked from within the system, tirelessly advocating for better living conditions and fair treatment.
There's a deep irony in a man of faith stepping into a government role, yet that's exactly what Roberts did. He even served as a government-paid missionary, a position criticized by both religious purists and secularists. Critics pointed out the potential conflict of interest, questioning if such missions were merely cloaked extensions of colonization policies. However, John Roberts' legacy challenges these notions. He was an example of working within flawed systems to facilitate genuine change—not typical of government appointees of his time.
Even so, it's important to view John Roberts with a critical lens. His missionary work, while infused with respect and cultural understanding, was still part of a larger system where religious missions often sought to change indigenous cultures under the guise of good intentions. From a contemporary perspective, the concept of missions can conjure feelings of cultural imperialism. Roberts' work, albeit compassionate, was intertwined with this broader context.
Gen Z, raised in a more culturally diverse and aware environment, might see a figure like Roberts as a mixed product of his time—enlightened in some ways but ensnared by the pervasive attitudes of a deeply unequal era. It's essential to acknowledge the complexity of his legacy, recognizing both his genuine respect for indigenous cultures and the inherent conflict of his missionary role.
The story of John Roberts forces us to grapple with the dual narratives of help and harm, empowerment, and control. It's a lesson in the nuanced understanding required when evaluating historical figures. History often shows us that individuals can be both complicit in a system's ills and transformative forces within it.
John Roberts personifies how boundaries can be transcended when empathy and cultural respect are at the forefront. His life teaches us that genuine change doesn't come from erasing culture but by building bridges of understanding. It's something worth remembering as we navigate today's global challenges, where empathy and respect are still often scarce.