Yes, We Are Trying to Change Their Culture

At times, people will accuse missionaries of trying to "change the culture." I'm involved in a case now that involves a part of indigenous culture that really needs to be changed.

A month ago, I delivered a baby that almost died during labor. Those types of tragedies happen on occasion, and they are horrible. What makes this situation even more tragic is that the mother is only twelve. (Yes, 12.) She got pregnant when she was eleven.

She told our female chaplain that the 22-year-old man who is the father of the baby gave presents to her parents and her uncles. To show their appreciation for his gifts, her father gave her to him. She then had to live with him. He forced himself on her often and beat her the rest of the time.

The mother of this little girl said she didn't like the situation, but "That's how life is." As a woman, she has no say over what happens to her daughter. The girl, and the mother are the sole property of the father. The "husband" now is the owner of the little girl.

Where does this idea come from that a twelve-year-old girl is ready for marriage and motherhood come from?

The culture states that after a girl's first menstrual period, she is ready to be married and start producing children for her "owner". (Yes, the indigenous people use that word themselves.)

Well, can't the Child Protective Services do something?

Ecuador has very little money to protect anyone, let alone children. There is no justice in the jungle other than "jungle justice". Since the people of the community all agree that a twelve year old girl is marriage material and the property of her father, to trade for stuff like a cow or a chicken, there will be no protection for this little girl.

Well can't you do something?

If the girl wants to run away, leave everyone she has ever known and everything she has ever known, we can help her get to an orphanage in the capital. That means we take a child from the jungle from a community of 150 people maximum and move her to a city of 1.2 million people, where people will take care of her, but her friends, her family and her brain damaged child will never see her again.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will prevail on the people to change their attitudes and their society to treat all people with human dignity and human rights.

Do I want to change the culture of the untouched people? In this case,
YES, I WANT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE!

A culture that treats human beings, and especially children, as property is WRONG. I defy anyone to make a case that this aspect of the "untouched" culture is something that missionaries should not address.