JERUSALEM — An emotion-filled gathering of about 200 tribal leaders from North and South America, Canada, various Pacific island states and Africa took place in Israel as diplomats and dignitaries assembled for the launch of the “Indigenous Embassy.”

Standing together with members of several North American tribes — including the Cherokee and Navajo First Nations in the United States — proudly displayed a collection of their artwork. Other aboriginal groups from Canada and around the world also donated objects to the new embassy.

The embassy — created by the Indigenous Coalition For Israel and spearheaded by Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum — is located on the campus of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in central Jerusalem’s Nahalat Shiva district. That museum, which recounts the stories of the many Christians who held a role in establishing the State of Israel, was founded by Dr. Mike Evans, a noted evangelical leader.

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The Feb. 1 event, held earlier this month, was supported by indigenous peoples from Puerto Rico, Singapore, Taiwan, Samoa, American Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji and South Africa.

The World Bank defines indigenous people as “distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced.”

According to Amnesty International, 476 million indigenous people currently live in more than 90 countries. They belong to more than 5,000 different indigenous peoples and constitute 5% of the world’s population.

The ceremony, punctuated by the frequent joyous shofar (rams horn) blasts, marked the first-ever establishment of an embassy for indigenous peoples.

Dr. Sheree Trotter, director of the Indigenous Embassy, said she hoped the center would serve as an information hub hosting academic gatherings and would lead to an Indigenous NGO at the United Nations.

All the speakers — many wearing traditional clothing — proclaimed their alliance with the Jewish People, whom they honor as the indigenous people of the Bible. Speaker after speaker noted that the Land of Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jews where Hebrew was spoken and where their spiritual heritage (the Torah and Judaism) developed.

“Israel is our elder brother,” said MĀori leader Greg Motu. 

Many of the speakers spoke of their support for Israel. Referring to the genocide charge brought against Israel recently before the International Criminal Court of Justice in The Hague brought by South Africa.

Regent Xami Thomas, chief of the Khoi Kingdom of Southern Africa, apologized for “the horrible thing the ANC government did to the People of Israel.”

Some in the audience wept as he declared, “The allegation is without any substance. If Israel is not the indigenous people, there are no indigenous people.”

Cook Island MĀori leader Alfred Ngaro spoke of the valor of the soldiers of New Zealand’s Maori Pioneer Battalion who fought in the pivotal World War I Battle of Beer Sheba on Oct. 31, 1917, which marked the beginning of the collapse of Ottoman Turkey’s four century-long occupation of Israel. Two days later, Great Britain issued the Balfour Declaration promising to restore Palestine to the Jewish people.

A message was conveyed from Queen Nanasipauʻu of Tonga in which she quoted The Song of the Sea (Ex. 15:1–18) about the Israelites celebrating their freedom after generations of slavery and oppression by the Egyptians.

Chief Joseph RiverWind of the Arawak Taino Tribe of Puerto Rico noted five centuries ago his ancestors welcomed Sephardi Jews fleeing persecution by the Spanish Inquisition.

“Our parents planted a love for Israel in our hearts,” he said.

Hassan-Nahoum said he was “grateful” to the Indigenous Coalition For Israel leadership for “pursuing this initiative, especially during a time of war,.”

“The Jewish people are the indigenous people of Israel, and so we are thrilled with the support of the global First Peoples community,” he said. “The idea of the embassy is to help change the narrative among indigenous people worldwide.”

He added, “The main narrative of our haters is to try to separate the Jewish people from their native land,” the Jerusalem deputy mayor explained. She said other indigenous people who understand what it is to be a people from a land are optimally poised to fight this false narrative.”

Gil Zohar was born in Toronto and moved to Jerusalem in 1982. He is a journalist writing for The Jerusalem Post, Segula magazine and other publications. He’s also a professional tour guide who likes to weave together the Holy Land’s multiple narratives.