Broken Walls Breaking Through with God's Love

Elsie Ward : Nov 23, 2012
BrokenWalls.com

"Jonathan Maracle and Broken Walls have come to our community on an almost yearly basis, usually in the severe cold and darkness of January, and have encouraged our people, young and old, to embrace who they are as indigenous people through their music, workshops, teaching at leaders' feasts, home visits and school assemblies. They have stirred the hearts of the young people to rise up out of the despair and have dreams for their lives . . ."

EDITOR'S NOTE: During this month of focusing on the many contributions of the First Nations people, we'd like to highlight the vital ministry and hope, through music and encouragement, that Broken Walls provides wherever God sends them. –Aimee Herd, BCN.

Broken Walls is Christian band with a sound seldom heard within church walls but one that is embraced by many. Although they all come from diverse communities, Broken Walls has the appeal of a small town group. They also have an international audience but you would never know it by their humble demeanor. Jonathan Maracle still makes time to sing and assist with the sound, both at his local pow-wow and at his brother, David's café—Stage Red—and Kris DeLorenzi will take his gentle sound to cafes within his community whenever asked.

Broken Walls travel year round and have toured worldwide to such diverse places as Peru, Mexico, China, Hawaii, France, Germany, Switzerland, Wales, Australia, Israel, Costa Rica and extensively across North America. They have taken the healing quality of their music into many places where restoration and reconciliation are needed and have seen great results.

Broken Walls was conceived in 1995 by Jonathan Maracle (a Mohawk from Tyendinaga Territory in Ontario, Canada) while attending a conference called the Sacred Assembly in Ottawa / Hull. As different speakers shared their hearts, they spoke of the walls that have been built between the visitors to this land and the First Nations people. Jonathan began to see the need for these walls to be broken, wrote the song "Broken Walls" on the spot and performed it on the drum at this Gathering.

Broken Walls consists of Bill Pagaran (Tlingit) from Palmer, Alaska on the drums, whom Jonathan claims is the best percussionist that he has ever played with; Kris DeLorenzi (Italian) from Thunder Bay, Ontario is on bass and who provides backup vocals, has been working with Jonathan for the past 14 years; and Jonathan Maracle (Mohawk) who is initiator of the group, lead vocalist and guitarist and plays the Mohawk wind flute.

Frequently their tours will take them to places that other bands pass by, like small communities and reserves or into the prisons of North America where there is a captive audience in desperate need of hearing that God still loves them.

One of the places that they have been most often is a small reserve in Ontario that has had the dubious distinction of being called the Suicide Capital of the World—Pikangikum. Jonathan is determined to continue to visit and share love with this community until there is no longer a need. One of the teachers in this community sends this report:

"Jonathan Maracle and Broken Walls have come to our community on an almost yearly basis, usually in the severe cold and darkness of January, and have encouraged our people, young and old, to embrace who they are as indigenous people through their music, workshops, teaching at leaders' feasts, home visits and school assemblies. They have stirred the hearts of the young people to rise up out of the despair and have dreams for their lives . . . Their coming generates a great deal of excitement, and the people respond to their warmth, humility and sincerity of heart with sharing their hearts and struggles with them on a personal basis."

Because Bill is the president of a faith-based suicide prevention program called Carry the Cure, it is on his heart to help stop the plague of suicide among his people as well.

Broken Walls often travels to Alaska in the middle of winter to follow along the Iditarod Trail, sometimes during or sometimes after the Iditarod Race. This tour is not consistent with the usual romantic vision of life on the road. There are long nights and days of packing and unpacking their equipment and supplies on the small airplanes that take them from village to village, to set up wherever they can, in frigid, bone-chilling temperatures but every life that is saved and / or given hope makes the effort worth it.

Jonathan, Kris and Bill are frequently asked to speak as well as sing at many functions. Jonathan shares from the heart of a father and will speak concerning the value of diversity and the need for each person's unique gifts in society as a whole. He also welcomes any opportunity to speak within non-native church environments on the issue of preaching the Gospel to First Nations people from a relevant cultural perspective. It should be evident that the love of Jesus can be expressed equally in and through every culture on earth as He is co-Creator of us all and Jonathan is well equipped to speak to this issue with grace.

Kris speaks as a friend giving insight into what he has learned in working with and ministering to First Nations people from a non-native perspective.

Bill has the heart of a big brother and is frequently called upon during tours to present 'Committed to Life' assemblies to high school students which brings a more personal approach to offering hope to the oppressed and teaches the young people how to deal with anger, resentment and conflict in proper ways. He will also present workshops to help people identify someone at risk of suicide and teaches them what resources are available to them.

Broken Walls is currently working on an album that they hope to release in the New Year entitled "The Path." This release will be their 9th album and they are looking forward to the response from their many fans throughout the world. Jonathan is working on a solo flute album to be released under Ohwihsha which is due out this year entitled 'The Clearing.'

In spite of all that they have done, their music and the gifts that they bring, they are still relatively unknown within the wider Christian community. They are still largely an untapped resource in reaching the unseen mission field among us which is our indigenous population—the host people of this land.

CLICK HERE to listen to samples and purchase Broken Walls music.