Conference tackles reconciliation, indigenous justice
ANCASTER, ON—At a recent day-long conference hosted by Redeemer University College, nearly 70 participants gathered to explore the tough subjects of reconciliation and indigenous justice through worship, discussion, art and storytelling.
Organized by the Christian Reformed Church in North America's reForming Relationships tour of Kisemanito Pakitinasuwin - The Creator's Sacrifice by Cree artist Ovide Bighetty, the Redeemer event took place February 9.
"What a conference like this can do is relatively modest—we're not solving the big issues," says Steve van de Hoef, justice and reconciliation mobilizer with Canadian Ministries, Christian Reformed Church in North America. "But developing an understanding, and sitting at a table or in a circle and seeking to learn from each other—relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people get built in this kind of setting, and that's key to moving forward along this journey of reconciliation."
The event included a panel discussion on land rights and land claims which included Wes Elliott of Six Nations of the Grand River, Carolyn King and Elder Garry Sault of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Lori Ransom, senior advisor on church relations at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and Ben Van Hoeve, a Hamilton, Ontario-based land developer and home builder.
Land claims hold particular relevance for Hamilton, says van de Hoef. "About 20 kilometers from Redeemer is the town of Caledonia, the site of a fairly tense dispute between aboriginal activists and others, where a development was being built on land that was claimed by Six Nations. That was in 2006 so it is still stands as a block to reconciliation in the area."
Panelists discussed their experiences and their understanding of land rights, and the importance of reconciliation for the issue.
During her keynote address, "Why Reconciliation Matters: The Church's Role," Ransom emphasized the role of the Church in overcoming division. "When it comes to the subject of healing and reconciliation between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples in Canada, the Church's role should be self-evident. At the heart of how we relate to each other should be God's call to us to love one another."
The conference came at a precipitous moment, as the Idle No More movement gains momentum across the country, spotlighting unresolved issues in indigenous justice.
Ransom sees the Idle No More movement as an "awakening" to prayer and renewed dialogue about relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians.
"What Idle No More shows is that there are a lot of issues that are important to the indigenous community that have not been taught to other Canadians," says Ransom. "This is where the Church can come in and create spaces, like the conference, where Canadians can reflect on these issues."
Steve Dykstra, community development coordinator at Redeemer, says the conference was a rich learning opportunity.
In partnership with the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario and the Aboriginal Neighbours Program, Dykstra will be leading a group of students to spend a week learning about First Nations issues in northern Ontario this February. For some of his students, reForming Relationships at Redeemer offered their first exposure to First Nations issues.
"I think it was a really important first step both for my students but also for the broader Christian community," says Dykstra. "It really felt like six hours was so short that we were just scratching the surface of learning about reconciliation, or engaging First Nations culture."
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