Continuing Reflection on Residential Schools and Reconciliation
This December will mark nine years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its Final Report in 2015. It came out of a lengthy process of listening to the stories of survivors of Residential Schools, as well as their children and grandchildren, and others who have been deeply impacted by the schools and by the societal structures and ethos that they were born out of and operated within. As a Commission of the Canadian Government, the final report included 94 Calls to Action. Nine years later, 81 of the 94 Calls to Action remain unfulfilled.
Some of the Calls to Action were addressed specifically to the churches that had been part of running these schools and had been part of the Settlement Agreement that came from the lawsuit filed by survivors and others impacted by the legacy of the school. The Anglican Church of Canada is one of those churches. Call to Action #59 is explicitly addressed to those churches: “We call upon church parties to the Settlement Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about their church’s role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities were necessary.” A recognition that we cannot change the future and our relationship between first nations and settlers, if we do not understand the past. Listening and learning from the past is the only faithful way forward.
The Anglican Church of Canada has embraced this Call to Action, developing resources for education and encouraging dioceses, congregations and parishioners to make use of them. One example is “Mapping the Ground We Stand On,” an experiential educational exploring the history of indigenous-settler relations, governmental policies, residential schools, and the continuing legacy of that history. For those who have taken part in one of these events it is a profoundly moving experience. The Anglican Church of Canada has also created an Indigenous Ministry, which is presently led by Archbishop Chris Harper, the Indigenous Archbishop and Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples. They have also created some rich resources that are available to all.
Over the years we as a congregation have taken some steps towards learning about the history and legacy of Residential Schools. A few years ago, our study group watched and discussed the documentary, “Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts” and invited the diocesan right relations coordinator, The Rev. Leigh Kerns to speak with us as part of debriefing afterwards. We have also used the video sermon from Rev. Kerns for National Indigenous Day of Prayer. Some of us also read the book, “Five Little Indians” which fictionalised the stories of five survivors. Each learning experience is one more step in helping us to better appreciate Canadian societies, and specifically the church’s role in these horrific events. It is an ongoing process of learning, as we commit to each week as part of our territorial acknowledgement when we commit to continuing to work toward reconciliation with all indigenous people. In 2021 The National Truth and Reconciliation Day was established by the Canadian government in direct response to Call to Action #80, as an annual holiday “which seeks to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis Survivors and their families and communities and to ensure that public commemoration of their history and the legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.” (quoted from the preface to the bill amendment in the Canadian Statutes 2021). September 30th was designated as the day, coinciding with the already established Orange Shirt Day, which has as its motto, “Every Child Matters”. Congregations are encouraged to mark National Truth and Reconciliation Day, as a time to pause, remember, and recommit ourselves to the work of reconciliation. As followers of Jesus we commit to continuing to educate ourselves, to remember those who were forgotten. This is a part of fulfilling of our baptismal promise to striving for peace and justice for all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.
Resources from the Anglican Church of Canada:
Doctrine of Discovery; Stolen Land, Strong Hearts
This film is one of the responses of the Anglican Church’s Primate’s Commission on discovery reconciliation and justice. The purpose of this film is to respond to the calls to action by helping to provide education and insight into the racist foundations of many of our property and other laws still in existence to this day.
The Anglican Church of Canada – Indigenous Ally Toolkit
The Anglican Church of Canada – Reconciliation Toolkit – learn the history, resources for study and use, building relationships and practicing reconciliation
Anglican Church of Canada – Indigenous Ministries – provides links to information about the work of the National Indigenous Archbishop and The Anglican Council of Indigenous People, including the Sacred Teaching Podcast and other resources as we move toward the creation of the self-determining Anglican Indigenous Church.
Additionally, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society has some great learning resources whether you are trying to talk to your children or trying to understand this for yourself. There are a series of books about “Spirit Bear” that put these complicated issues in terms children and all of us can better understand. One of the books not in print, but available for download as a PDF is “Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action”.
Trinity Anglican Church, Bradford 