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MONDAY, JULY 22, 2002

Pope John Paul II will canonize Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Aztec man, on July 31.

Juan Diego's name in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, means "The Eagle That Speaks." He is to be the first indigenous person to become a saint.

Some scholars question whether the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in 1531 was a true event and point to shaky forensic evidence and historical records. Other believe this criticism has anti-Indian roots.

American Indians in the United States are trying to get Kateri Tekakwitha canonized. The Mohawk woman has been beatified, a step before full sainthood.

Get the Story:
Decision To Canonize Juan Diego Not Without Doubters (The Albuquerque Journal 7/21)
Proof (or Not) of Saintly Existence (The New York Times 7/20)
Username: indianz.com, Password: indianz.com

Relevant Links:
Kateri Info - http://www.expage.com/page/stkateri
Kateri Resources - http://home.att.net/~danderson.halliwell/pages/nacr.html

Related Stories:
First Indian saint questioned (3/11)
Anti-Indian cited in saint debate (2/5)
Mexican Indian recognized as saint (12/21)
Kateri conference gets underway (8/4)
Kateri conference begins (8/2)