written by Kurt Jensen | OSV News

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — One of the unique aspects of Native American families, said Father Maurice Henry Sands, is that not only are extended families quite large, it’s also possible to know everyone’s name.

The soft-spoken Detroit archdiocesan priest has been executive director of the Washington-based Black and Indian Mission Office since 2015. He is a member of the Ojibway, Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes, which are together known as Anishnaabe. He grew up on Walpole Island on the border between Ontario and Michigan.