The first Native American to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church is St. Kateri Tekakwitha. She was born in 1656 in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon and after being taken prisoner by the Mohawks, her mother, an Algonquin, married a Mohawk chief.

When she was four years old, she got smallpox, which left scars on her skin. When she was younger, the wounds caused her shame. She frequently appeared with her face covered by a blanket. Even worse, the pandemic claimed the lives of her whole family. After that, Kateri Tekakwitha was brought up by her uncle, a Mohawk clan chief.

Despite her reputation as a patient, hardworking, and skilled worker, Kateri refused to get married. When her adoptive parents proposed a suitor, she declined. As a result, they punished her by assigning her more work, but she resisted and continued to be quiet. Eventually, they had no choice but to concede that she had no interest in getting married.

At the age of 19, Kateri Tekakwitha converted to Catholicism, taking a vow of chastity and pledging to marry only Jesus Christ. Her decision caused great disapproval, with some of her neighbors spreading rumors of sorcery. To avoid persecution, she fled to a Christian native community located south of Montreal.

Legend has it that Kateri was extremely pious, placing thorns on her sleeping mat and praying for her fellow Mohawks to be converted. The Jesuit missionaries who worked in the community where Kateri lived claimed that she fasted frequently, tainted her food to make it taste less good, and burned herself at least once. The Mohawk were known for this kind of self-mortification.

Kateri was incredibly pious and was known for her staunch dedication. She was also quite unwell. Perhaps her self-denial and self-mortification did more harm than good to her health. Sadly, she fell ill and died on April 17, 1680, at the age of 24, just five years after converting to Catholicism.

She adopted St. Catherine of Siena as the source of her name, Kateri, which is Catherine in Mohawk.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012. She is revered as the patroness of ecology and the environment. Her feast day is celebrated on July 14.

Other Saints of the Day
Saint Heraclas
Saint Procopius of Sázava
Saint Cyrus of Carthage
Saint William Breteuil
Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain