"Historiae Christianae" is a book once revered and proudly displayed at a Denver seminary. However, it is now regarded as an ‘object of shame.’

According to the Rocky Mountain PBS, the book was published in 1752 and had a grotesque cover. 

Instead of being made out of cardboard or leather, the book's cover material was the tanned skin of a murdered Native American.

Questionable Gift

In 1893, the book was gifted by a Methodist minister to the Iliff School of Technology, an institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

At that time, the school was newly founded. Now, it is nationally and internationally recognized for its emphasis on peace, justice, and ethics.

For over 80 years, the book was kept and displayed in a glass case at the entrance to the school’s library.

The book cover was then described as "finer than the finest vellum," wherein the skin was praised for its smooth texture, equal to the finest parchment.

According to the journal article by professor emeritus of American Indian cultures at Iliff, George Tinker, it is ironic how a faithful and educated Methodist minister thought that the gift was appropriate for a school that is set to prepare individuals for the Christian ministry.

He then raised a series of significant questions.

'Why did the school accept the gift? Why did they choose to value it? And why did it take them so long to decide that the gift was inappropriate?'

Coming to Terms

In 1974, Iliff officials finally saw the book as an embarrassment after facing pressure from their students, who protested the display and reached out to local American Indian Movement representatives.

With this, they took the book out of the display case and removed the human skin cover.

At that time, however, they swore secrecy regarding the situation.

Decades later, they finally came to terms with its gruesome history and how its secrecy had caused harm to indigenous people.

They then held a conference that brought together indigenous voices to discuss a way forward with concerns about the book.

Apart from Iliff, other colleges, museums, and federal agencies are also coming to terms with the Native American artifacts they possess.

For example, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has returned its large collection of Native American artifacts through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Now, they only curate remains that have been given informed consent by the individual’s family, kin, or community.

Origin of the Book Cover

There are different stories about the cover’s origins.

But according to Tinker and his wife, Loring Abeyta, the cover was made of the skin of a member of the Lenape people, the original inhabitants of the northeast United States.

Iliff elaborated that a white squatter farmer killed two Lenape men for walking across his property.

One of the victims had his skin flayed, was bound as a book cover, and was regarded as a trophy or treasure.

Eventually, it wound up in the hands of a Methodist minister, who then passed the book on to Iliff.

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