In the morning, more than 150 people gathered at Minto Park where United Church minister the Rev. Theresa Burnett-Cole of Glebe-St James offered a prayer. After a land acknowledgement, those gathered were invited to follow the Indigenous participants, Palestinians and leaders from the Anglican, Lutheran, Mennonite, Antiochian Orthodox, Presbyterian and United churches as they walked up Elgin Street toward Parliament Hill.

The Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage is an international initiative that encourages people to walk the length of Gaza, about 41 kilometres, in prayerful solidarity with people there who are trapped in catastrophic conditions of war and famine. KAIROS staff reported that 150 Christian congregations have participated in Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages across Canada, collectively walking about 10,000 kilometres. Those walking to the vigil in Ottawa carried banners, kites, peace doves and photos of groups from across Canada who had participated in pilgrimages.

Vigil at Parliament Hill

When they arrived at Parliament Hill, Leah Reesor-Keller, interim executive director of KAIROS Canada, moderated the vigil.

The first speaker was Rula Odeh, chair of the board of Canadian Friends of Sabeel and a Canadian-Palestinian Christian. “Palestinian Christians have been a continuous presence in the Holy Land for over 2000 years, and we as Christians and churches cannot give up on our brothers and sisters from the cradle of Christianity,” she said. “They need us to amplify their voice in our churches and ecumenical initiatives. They need us to be there for them with bolder, stronger and faster actions.” Later in the vigil, some of her family members led the crowd in singing the hymn ’Dona Nobis Pacem,’ which Odeh explained was a favourite song of her 90-year-old Anglican father who was displaced from his home in 1948.

Bishop Andrew Asbil of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto represented the Anglican Church of Canada, reading a statement from Archbishop Linda Nicholls, who was unable to attend. ”My heart breaks with the pain of the unrelenting tragedies unfolding across the land of the Holy One as no end is yet in sight,” she wrote. “The bombardment of Gaza and the destruction of Hamas will not bring peace. The attacks on Israeli settlements will not bring peace.” She echoed what Pope Francis said in a recent meeting with Anglican archbishops. “Wars are always, always, always defeat.”

“The initial horror of the attack on Oct. 7 has been added to by the unceasing attacks on Gaza that have killed so many women and children, given licence to increased violence in the West Bank and utterly destroyed the infrastructure of Gaza. Listening to the news every morning—the rising death tool, the agony of families of hostages, the attacks on hospitals leaving little or no medical aid, the deaths of humanitarian workers, and the inability to find ways to bring humanitarian aid to those most in need leaves us in a permanent state of keening lament at human evil.”

Perhaps looking ahead to the church leaders’ meetings with government officials later that day, she added, “We must demand more from our government to do what it can to add its voice to that of international bodies for justice and peace, and to use its economic and political influence wherever possible. To do nothing is to be complicit.”

Thanking all who gathered that day, she concluded her letter: “The Anglican Church of Canada stands with all who are seeking an end to the violence, a permanent ceasefire, immediate provision of humanitarian aid, an end to all exports of arms to Israel and intermediaries, the release of all hostages, and a return to discussions that will lead to justice, recognizing the continuing need to address the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the need for peace that will lead to the thriving all who live in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.”

The Rev. Ian Ross-McDonald, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church’s Life and Mission Agency, had just returned with United Church clergy from a week of meetings with Palestinian Christians, church leaders, NGOs, United Nations agencies in the occupied territories of Palestine. “The people we met desperately want peace, and they look for ways that Palestinians and Israelis can live together in the land,” he said.

“Palestinians also told us that they feel abandoned,” he said. “After 76 years of isolation, hardship and betrayal, and the incremental loss of culture, communities, and lives, now we are witnessing the wholesale destruction, not just of the infrastructure, but of the population of Gaza, by trauma, transfer out of the area, and killing. Indiscriminate bombing, no warnings given to civilians before attacks, food and other aid is blocked from entering the area, and people are constantly forced to move…. Repeatedly, we heard that Palestinians described the ways that they are being treated as dehumanized.”

And he relayed their difficult questions. “’Where is the Church? Where is the Church’s courage and integrity?’ they asked, “Why is there little more than silence from so many of the Church’s pulpits and public platforms?”

Ross-McDonald said the people they met repeatedly asked the Church to name honestly and accurately the unvarnished reality of what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank. “Naming things as they are is difficult and uncomfortable work for the Church, but people of faith have the resources, they have the moral responsibility, and the holy vocation to do exactly that. … Palestinian Christians would have the church engage in risky truth-telling, meaningful advocacy, and prophetic action and decisions. Or as the words in the Lutheran Church at Bethlehem put it, they’re asking the churches to proclaim the gospel of liberation and to lift up a culture of life and of hope.”

After the vigil, those in attendance were invited back to St John the Evangelist for refreshments and to watch the livestream of the press conference at Parliament, which included Bishop Andrew Asbil; the Rev. Dr. J Dorcas Gordon, principal emerita of Knox College of the Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Susan Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; the Rev. Douglas Klassen, executive minister of the Mennonite Church, Canada; the Rt. Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, moderator of the United Church of Canada; and Leah Reesor-Keller of KAIROS.

View from Jewish Federation of Ottawa

When contacted by Perspective, Jodi Green, spokesperson for the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, said that the Jewish community in Ottawa also wants to see an enduring peace in the Middle East. She cautioned that any calls for action need to be bilateral and anything that “leans towards Israel having to take actions that are not bilateral from the Palestinian side as well threatens the democracy and the safety and the security of Israelis.”

Green noted that any time there is conflict in the Middle East, there is a rise in antisemitism and hate crimes locally, and there has been a dramatic spike in crimes reported since October 2023. There was a bomb threat against a Jewish day school in November. As anecdotal examples of the hate experienced by individuals, Green said someone made a swastika in the snow at her home this winter, and a Grade 7 student in her synagogue’s youth group has been regularly taunted and called a Nazi Zionist at her school. People feel very unsafe and most Jewish institutions have increased security measures this year, Green said.

Advocacy efforts

Andrea Mann, director of global relations for the Anglican Church of Canada, was among the group of church leaders from the Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran, Society of Friends, Mennonite. Presbyterian and United churches who, along with staff from Kairos Canada, met with 10 MPs (Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green), including three parliamentary secretaries and members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Their goal was to communicate the calls from the Gaza pilgrimage directly to the parliamentarians.

She reported that there was a consensus among all those they met with that steps toward a sustained ceasefire and effective humanitarian aid are urgently needed now. There was also agreement that Canada has a role to play in working “toward just peace as a middle leader among states globally and a historic supporter of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and a defender of international law and international human rights.”

The church leaders affirmed the government’s resumption and increase of funding to UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

There was an acknowledgment that the Palestinian reunification program hasn’t worked well yet and needs to be reworked if it is to be effective in helping members of Palestinian Canadians’ families come to Canada. Mann said that it is also important to note that many people in Gaza would prefer to stay in the region because they want to return to Gaza.

Church leaders also heard that the situation and experience of Palestinian Christians in Gaza, and the West Bank, and Israel are not well-known or reported in secular media, so “more information is needed about the context and needs of this very small faith minority in the midst of this situation.”

The church leaders also heard repeatedly that in the hyper-partisan situation on Parliament Hill, sustained pressure upon the government is needed to keep moving the needle. The leaders were encouraged to keep up their efforts and to remind people in their churches to go to their MPs’ offices as constituents and make their desires known for Canada’s role.

The post Walking, praying and advocating for peace in the Holy Land appeared first on Perspective.

Members of the circle were graced with an afternoon of the archbishop’s time while he was in Ottawa for a meeting of North American deans. During conversation and prayer, words of welcome and introduction in the languages of Inuktituk, Plains Cree, Cree (from northern Quebec) and Cherokee were heard around the room.

When asked about the self-determining Indigenous Church, the archbishop explained that more hard work lies ahead. After presenting the guiding documents The Covenant and Our Way of Life at General Synod in 2023, the Indigenous leadership is moving on to the development of elements of governance, policies and procedures, liturgy and prayers. He asked for our prayers as this work goes forward.

He spoke about how Indigenous people are struggling for their own identity and often feel like transients in their own lands. Treaties, lands and territories are still not being honoured and efforts to diminish Indigenous peoples are ongoing. 

He described the many challenges the Indigenous church faces within the traditional colonial church. One of the purposes of the Indigenous ministry in the Anglican Church is to be a voice for Indigenous peoples. Challenges lie in the multitude of Indigenous languages and cultures and the vast geography of Canada.

He sees the self-determining Indigenous Church as ‘pivotal and paramount’ and added, ‘We are at a crossroad, and we need to decolonize the way things are done in the Church.” 

As part of his many responsibilities Archbishop Chris is also connected internationally. Episcopal and Anglican bishops and clergy in other countries such as the US and Australia are contacting him to ask how the Indigenous Church got started in Canada and to ask that the Indigenous self-determining church share its experience. He will travel to Australia later this year.

The archbishop also described his involvement in the Anglican Indigenous Leadership Initiative (AILI) which is focusing on how current Indigenous leadership can raise up the next generation so that they are prepared to ‘take up the banner.’ The ALI uses a worldview to advance Te Oranga Ake, a term in Māori meaning flourishing for all peoples.

The post Archbishop Chris Harper meets with All My Relations Circle appeared first on Perspective.

Red dresses have come to symbolize this national critical issue of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and 2SLGBTQQIA (Two-spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual) people.

The symbol of the red dress originates in Métis artist Jaime Black’s art installation the REDress Project, in which red dresses of all sizes and designs hang empty on display. The artist sees the installation as “A platform for voices that are often silenced.” She explains on her website that she hopes the red dresses “draw attention to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against [Indigenous] women and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence.”

The National Arts Centre honoured the lives of MMIWG2S+ on May 5, 2021  by hanging red dresses in its lobby. https://nac-cna.ca/en/stories/story/honouring-mmiwg2s-red-dress-day

In 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, released its final report Reclaiming Power and Place. It provides contexts to help our understanding of the colonial violence against First Nations, Inuit and Métis women, girls and Two-Spirit+ people. The report contains 231 Calls for Justice for all levels of government, industry, institutions, services and all Canadians to recognize and take action to stop the violence and address root causes. Among the Calls for Justice, #15.2 calls on all Canadians to: Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.

So many cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls remain unsolved. On Sept. 5, the Most Rev. Chris Harper, National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, and the Rev. Canon Dr. Murray Still, co-chair of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP), joined leaders of three other major church denominations to visit Camp Morgan, at the Brady Landfill outside Winnipeg. These faith leaders stood in solidarity with those calling for justice and an end to the violence against Indigenous women, children, and Two-Spirit people and for the landfill to be searched for the remains of Indigenous women.

The Rev. Paul Johnson, dean of the Diocese of Rupert’s Land and part of the Anglican delegation at the landfill, spoke about the role churches should play in the process of reconciliation.” As Christians, we need to be standing in support of the oppressed, marginalized, those who are suffering, and clearly listening to folks inside the wigwam here,” Johnson said.  “There’s intense suffering related to this issue.”

May we join our hearts and minds with Indigenous peoples as they call for truth, justice and compassionate solidarity.

The post Anglicans observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation appeared first on Perspective.

The opening of walk represented the culmination of many people’s efforts, including from the parish of St. Mary Magdalene, which donated land where the trail crosses the church grounds. The Rev. Canon Kevin Flynn welcomed all those gathered.

Chief Gilbert Whiteduck of Kitigan Zibi invited everyone to walk the trail reflecting on what they, as individuals, can do to make a difference, to contribute the journey of reconciliation.

Whiteduck said he reflected on the importance of the Gatineau River as he drove to Chelsea from Kitigan Zibi that morning. This region, where the three rivers —Gatineau, Rideau and Ottawa— meet has been home to the Algonquin people for millennia. Whiteduck, who is the first Indigenous president of the Gatineau Valley Historical Society, referred to artifacts recently found near Lac Philippe that have been dated at 10,000 years old.

The crowd then followed Whiteduck for a walk on the trail, which offers views of the Gatineau hills as it winds its way through a recently developed residential neighbourhood of Chelsea.

Many members of the diocesan All My Relations Circle mingled with other Anglicans, Unitarians and Chelsea residents who also came out for the event.

Marian McGrath, one of the key organizers and a member of St. Mary Magdalene parish, expressed her gratitude for a Healing and Reconciliation Fund grant, which allowed them to pay drummer Rene Racine. “He was terrific,” she said.

Whiteduck thanked those who walked. “When I see all of you taking your time on this Saturday to come out…my heart is overflowing…. You give me hope,” he said. “The Reverend rightly mentioned, [that we] cannot speak about reconciliation until you know the truth, the truth of this territory on which you live. As I was walking by, Rene and I were looking at those beautiful houses, and we were saying, “How come in our communities many of our families are living in houses that are falling apart? How come many don’t have potable water or good water? How come? What’s going on here? That gap is so large. Does anybody care? You care. You’re here for that.”

He compared work toward reconciliation to putting grains of sand on a path. “That pathway is a pathway of hope and change and reconciliation… We can’t go there with a truck. We have to bring our own grain of sand…. It’s not going to happen in our lifetime, but… I believe within two generations, we’re going to be a lot closer to it.”

All My Relations Circle member and St Thomas the Apostle parishioner Kathryn Fournier (Cree) reflected on his words. “Chief Whiteduck talked about how important it is for people, ordinary people, and not just politicians, to create change, even in small ways, in our own lives,” she said. “That is what will lead to right relations.”

Derwyn Sangster, also from St Thomas the Apostle, said, “I saw Chief Whiteduck’s point that we should be grateful to the land as an important fundamental belief – I think an Indigenous one — that is often overlooked by our society. The land, the Chief noted, provides everything we need to exist.”

Clockwise from top left: Walkers gather on the grounds of St. Mary Magdalene after exploring the trail; Marian McGrath and Chief Gilbert Whiteduck; AMR members McGrath, Marni Crossley, Debbie Grisdale and Gwynneth Evans with the sign for the trail; and Margaret Lemaire, Indigenous advisor to the bishop.

The post Walking the friendship trail in Chelsea appeared first on Perspective.

Cornerstone Housing for Women – Minwaashin Lodge Partnership

Minwaashin Lodge is an Indigenous Women’s Support Centre that provides a range of programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and children (regardless of status) who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, and who may also be suffering the effects of the residential school system. 

With currently 40 percent of Cornerstone’s Princeton Avenue’s residents identifying as Indigenous, Cornerstone has developed a partnership with Minwaashin Lodge based on open and transparent dialogue. Through that partnership, programs are offered to the Indigenous women who live at the Princeton Ave. residence and, along with assistance to the staff and residents, ensure that the residence is a place of welcome and vibrant community for all women. A grant, to flow over three years, from the Healing and Reconciliation Fund allows Cornerstone to contract the services of Minwaashin Lodge to provide professional services to assist in meeting the organizations’ mutual goals. These goals include promoting, among all staff, understanding of the unique interests, gifts, traditions and challenges faced by Indigenous women and residents and building a vibrant, diverse community where all women experience respect, safety and the conditions to thrive. 

Elizabeth, an Indigenous resident at Princeton, said “I feel safe at Princeton because my community understands the history of Indigenous people and there is a real sensitivity amongst the ladies and workers. I feel I can share who I really am which supports me in my healing journey. I am still learning about myself and am so proud of who I am and how far I’ve come.”

Mississippi Mills All My Relations (MMAMR)

The parish of St Paul’s Almonte is a partner in Mississippi Mills All My Relations which is ‘a concerned group of community members living in the area who recognize that we have a responsibility to help restore what was once a relationship of trust and friendship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in our country.’ www.mmallmyrelations.ca 

With the help of the Fund to cover interpretation costs, MMAMR was able to include and draw on the gifts of Sarina, a Deaf Indigenous member of their group. MMAMR has also been able to engage the wider Deaf community and explore more sustainable funding for interpretation.

In June, MMAMR’s online educational event titled “Treaties Are Alive” had American Sign Language interpretation and, of the almost 100 participants attending, five were Deaf. MMAMR has also connected with Indigenous representatives at Deaf Youth Canada and Canadian Association of the Deaf which has enabled LSQ (French Sign Language) interpretation as well. When the representative from Deaf Youth Canada joined MMAMR’s planning circle, offering helpful suggestions about resources for events, Sarina said, “I’m really happy we have an interpreter. Before I always felt like I was just hanging around in the background.”  

Guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, since 2016 the Fund has provided more than 25 grants to parishes and community ministries to hold KAIROS Blanket Exercises, to reach out to their Indigenous neighbours, to form relationships and partnerships, to hold educational events, among other activities. The Healing and Reconciliation Fund exists to facilitate learning and foster understanding. Its ‘proposal window’ is wide open. There are no deadlines. See www.ottawa.anglican.ca/amr for Fund details and contact AMR if you have questions. 

The post “Proud of Who I am….” appeared first on Perspective.

He went on to add “The Healing and Reconciliation [Fund] grant empowered us to partner with an Elder who helped us grow in our appreciation and respect. Participants from our parish and throughout the diocese went home with greater knowledge but also a greater desire to pursue reconciliation in our own lives and parishes.”

In addition to this memorable day of learning out on the land, the Fund has provided grants to 23 projects for a total of more than $110,00 since its beginning in 2016. Several of the projects are listed below. As described in the guidelines, the Fund is guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and require that Indigenous people be involved in the planning, organizing and implementing of the program. COVID-19 has slowed down proposal writing, but several projects approved but stalled in 2020 are slated to go ahead once circumstances permit.

Online Opportunities

In the meantime, there are a number of online opportunities that can foster learning about Indigenous history and awareness of Indigenous cultures and traditions.  Last fall, the Indigenous Relations Circle of St. James Manotick connected with an online workshop offered by the Indigenous Theatre at National Arts Centre.  With a focus on beading, workshop participants created beautiful beaded poppies. The Healing and Reconciliation Fund supported Indigenous participation in the workshop which was attended by settler and Indigenous people alike, promoting cultural awareness and dialogue. 

KAIROS, the ecumenical organization and home of the Blanket Exercise (KBE), is offering two online options—Virtual KAIROS Blanket Exercise workshops and Teaching and Sharing Circles. As the website, kairosblanketexercise.org, explains the virtual KBE workshop “honours the experiential and participatory elements of the in-person KBE, while making adjustments for a safe experience in an online environment. Hosted by experienced KBE facilitators, the online session can accommodate groups between 20 and 45 people, and is scheduled for two and a half hours.” 

The other option, Teaching and Sharing Circle interactive Zoom-based sessions, are led by Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and aim to build positive relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The sessions have focussed on topics such as ‘We are all treaty people’, ‘Métis Teachings’, the Doctrine of Discovery’, ‘Social Injustice in the Court System’, among others. There is a registration fee for the Circles and for the KBE workshops which the Fund could help cover.

KAIROS is also offering an in-person version of the KBE adhering to health and safety protocols and using an adapted script to allow for physical distancing.

Online coffee hours can be turned into learning sessions while listening to the Anglican Church of Canada’s “Sacred Teachings” podcasts produced by the Rev. Canon Ginny Doctor. The sixth and most recent series of eight episodes is entitled “Suicide: the other Pandemic – awareness and prevention.” Earlier series include ‘Wisdom of the Land’, ‘Dismantling Racism’ and ‘Stories of Hope and Light.’ Each episode is about 30 minutes in length – just the right length for a mid-morning coffee hour listening to the podcast and followed by some discussion. An honorarium for an Indigenous speaker who could help participants reflect on the podcast’s theme could be covered by a Healing and Reconciliation Fund grant.

Anytime is a good time to apply to the Fund, but planning for National Indigenous Peoples Day of Prayer coming up on Sunday June 20 or other related activities could start now. See www.ottawa.anglican.ca/amr for Fund details and contact AMR if you have questions. The proposal window is wide open.

Examples of some of the projects funded by the Healing and Reconciliation Fund since 2016:

• KAIROS Blanket Exercise (Parish of Huntley and St-Bernard-de-Clairvaux) 
• Large mural on exterior wall of church facing Bank St “Telling the Truth: A shared journey toward reconciliation, healing and hope” (Trinity, Bank St.)
• Inuit celebrations, ‘Igloo206’ and worship materials in Inuktituk (St Margaret’s, Vanier)
• The ongoing presence of an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper at Cornerstone’s Princeton Residence
• Printing of books for every household in the Shabot Obadjiwan First Nations for their Algonquin Language Recovery project in Lanark (St James, Perth)
• Indigenous Day event with Kateri Native Ministry (St Mary Magdelene, Chelsea). 

The post Fund fosters learning and reconciliation work throughout the diocese appeared first on Perspective.