The Story of John Goins

I was raised in Faithism in the state of New Mexico with very little exposure to any other religion. There were eight of us and we were home schooled by my mother and grandmother, and we were taught to have no trust in the world or its followers. Because of being so insular our interaction with the outside world was very limited. One of our neighbors was also Faithist and they had four children. We are Hopi family now living on the Hopi reservation in Arizona.

My siblings and I were raised with the worship of Jehovih and a deep reverence for the Oahspe Bible. As a kid I remember it always sat next to a small New Testament with a gold cross on it and a big King James Bible next to that. On Wednesday evenings my grandfather would read from the Psalms and the Gospel of Matthew or some of the other books in that New Testament, and on Thursday nights he would read verses from the Oahspe Bible. On Wednesdays and Thursdays we would have family discussion about the chapters. On each day verses were read from the Oahspe, but without discussion. There was always prayer before and after reading and we made offerings of corn or cornmeal and flower.

That’s the only religion I knew of except when I had to go into town (while still living in New Mexico) one day as a teenager with my father to pick up supplies. I had gone into town before, but never really noticed things. The churches and other religious buildings were foreign to me in the sense that I had not paid attention before, and the statues seemed odd. I was intrigued. In the stores, some of the people would say “God bless you.” I thought it was a little offensive for people to say that because we were taught that “God” was not the same as the All Holy Creator. I asked my grandfather about it and he explained that the statues were from Christian tradition. He also explained that “God” in Christianity is used in a similar way to how we use the Creator’s name. That wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to know more.

One afternoon I rode my bicycle into town (without permission of my parents), I stopped in at the library. I was amazed to see all the books. It was the first time I had been in there. I asked the lady at the desk where I could find books about Christians. She pointed me to the way and I began reading as much as I could, but I was lost in a vast sea of knowledge in those books and didn’t know how to navigate. I read for months as much as I could, secretly leaving my parents house to get there and back as quickly as possible. I wanted to know what Christians believe and wanted to compare their beliefs with those of my own. I could see similarities but there were the obvious differences. We share the Old and New Testaments but our beliefs in what the Bible taught were very different. The New Testament in the library was very different than the one in my family’s home. Many things in their versions I couldn’t reconcile with my own faith.

I studied a few other religions, but I finally gave up on my pursuit of that subject. It was daunting to find out how many different sects there are in the Christian religion and the violent history of some of the old religious groups. I was not taught these things in home school. I resigned to the fact that my religion was peaceful and did not have a desire to war with other religions whether they were Jews, Christians or Buddhists. Eventually I confessed to my parents about my secret trips to the town. As punishment, I was given extra chores and had to promise never again leave without their permission.

My grandfather and I discussed the things I had read about, and I told him there was no mention in the books about Faithists. He said there are Faithists in other parts of the country and in the world, but we are separated by distance, but that our spirits are always united. He always said, “We are our own tribe.” In a journal he wrote, “As Faithists, we have our own beliefs and practices. We have our own culture, songs and special way we use our language. We are never alone because Jehovih and His spirit sons and daughters are with us.” He added that not all Faithists are the same, because there are some who use the Oahspe for financial gain or to hurt others. He warned about staying clear of those groups.

Although my exposure to the things of the world have been limited, and some might think I’m a simpleton, I think of myself as being very blessed by our Creator in keeping me and my siblings away from the darker influences of the world. Today I have my own children and I teach them what I was taught as a child. I teach them about the world and what it offers as compared to what the Creator offers for us in the spirit world.

I am blessed to be in the Faithist tribe with my brothers and sisters, wherever they are on this planet and however many of miles we might be separated. We have a tribe of our own, and we need to remember that.

Editor’s note: John’s grandfather passed away in 2006 and his grandmother passed a year later. Both his parents have also died. He lives in Arizona with his wife and four children. John’s brother is shaman in the Order of Mukagawin.