Mormon Stories #1227: Sarah Newcomb - Honor (THRIVEDAY 2019)

When Faith and Identity Collide: Sarah Newcomb's Journey Between Mormonism and Indigenous Ancestry

What happens when the religion you've committed your life to conflicts with the deepest parts of your cultural identity? This question lies at the heart of Sarah Newcomb's story, documented in Mormon Stories podcast episode #1227 from THRIVEDAY 2019. Newcomb, a member of the Tlingit First Nations from British Columbia and Alaska, describes a profound spiritual reckoning, one that forced her to choose between institutional belonging and ancestral authenticity. Her testimony raises uncomfortable questions about how the LDS Church has historically engaged with Indigenous spirituality and cultural preservation.

The tension between Mormonism and Native American identity is not new, but Newcomb's articulate account offers a contemporary lens on an old institutional problem. For researchers, historians, and believers exploring faith transitions, her narrative reveals how well-intentioned religious participation can obscure rather than honor indigenous heritage.

Background: The Tlingit, Metlakatla, and Religious Displacement

Newcomb traces her lineage to the Tlingit people of the Eagle clan, whose ancestral homeland spans British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. She identifies with a specific community: Metlakatla, Alaska, a Native American Indian Reservation established in 1887 when a small group broke away and migrated southward into the Aleutian chain islands.

This geographic specificity matters. Metlakatla has a documented history of Christian missionary influence and institutional control over Indigenous religious practice. When Newcomb eventually joined the LDS Church, she inherited not just personal faith commitments, but centuries of colonial religious displacement affecting her people.