When I decided to formally study history a few years ago, it was partly with the aim of discovering the mechanics of colonization, from its inception to where I sit now, part of the result of a foiled attempt at the assimilation of Indigenous people. My studies were successful, and I can trace the lineage of colonization worldwide in a number of ways. My main goal, however, was not that discovery but to help find solutions to problems. Studying history was a place to begin, so I could see the boundaries keeping us apart as God’s people and find ways to unravel the tangles in these places, through education and truth-telling, bringing us together in a good way. I wanted to find out how we as a church community could be different and evolve our truth and reconciliation landscape into one of “reconcili-action.”
My first step was to offer to create a position at my church whereby I could be part of making change. I worked together with my priest, deacon and parish council to create a new role, which we called “Indigenous cultural sensitivity leader.” The goal was, and is, to make our church a safe, welcoming and recognizable place for us, Indigenous people, to worship—while involving the local Indigenous community in the process. (Please note that I do not speak for all Indigenous people; when I say “us” or “we” I am trying to be inclusive of all who want to join in this mission.) Once there is a steady rock to stand on, the task can start with our recognizing the places where change is needed.
I found two such places:
1. Indigenous ideas are not often Indigenous-built or -implemented. I have seen and been a part of tokenism around the truth and reconciliation movement—bringing a single Indigenous person to the table to use as a symbol only, instead of inviting them to the planning board to build something together. We have a saying: “Nothing about us, without us,” and while people’s hearts may be in the right place when they try to be inclusive or express our ways in terms easier for non-Indigenous people to understand, it is actually doing us a disservice, and confusing matters even more, when they try to work on our behalf. Self-determination is what we are striving for in all arenas, from education and health care to government and spirituality. We have our own ways of knowing and doing and we are striving to gain back control over our culture in these places. That’s why it was important for us, in creating this position, to make it one that could be held only by an Indigenous person.
2. There is a lack of Indigenous representation in the Christian church. Of course there would be, given the history of church involvement in the residential school system, but that is a problem that needs to be solved from the ground up. This means making church an inclusive place, where we have equal input, especially into things that affect our community. This also means recognizing our individual communities; locality is key. Indigenous culture cannot simply be homogenized and spread across the country east to west, to the point where, by the time it gets to British Columbia, it is thin and does not resemble anything we as Indigenous people here are familiar with. Canada is filled with different First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples who share some similarities but are also distinct in their traditions, ceremony and language, so local self-determination matters.
A solution, in part, is to make our churches a place for Indigenous people to feel welcome, and part of this is for us to have an ally—somebody who deeply understands the issues at hand and will be a safe person and point of contact—in every church, trained by an Indigenous person. It’s a big goal, I know, but I feel it is the only way. My next wish is to place one Indigenous person, one who knows and practices their cultural traditions, from a local First Nation into every church, to help ensure it is a safe and welcoming place, that local protocols are met, and that they can truly be part of a new church structure, through equal participation and decision-making. Just as the Anglican church wants to teach its way, so do we want to share ours. We want to show how we praise the Creator, by respecting and serving all of creation, and striving for peace and justice. Our methods may be different but our goals are similar and I know in my heart that we can reach common ground.
This will all be the work of a lifetime, but if we could start now, maybe years down the road we will see more Indigenous faces under our roofs, and we’ll all be able to share in the worthy work we are doing—not only in individual parishes, but in the Anglican Church in Canada as a whole.
Methodist pastor and author the Rev. Gil Rendle once wrote, “A faith-based world view is not supposed to make us fit into anything. Rather it is to help us see differently, and it is to help us to bedifferent.” I hope this new position can be a conduit for that. It is worth a try. I know this position will help me always remember why I’m here at St. Clement’s: to love God, to love my neighbor and to include everyone. Indigenous Peoples used to have a gift economy—one where goods and services were exchanged without any expectation of something in return. I think that fits nicely within the realm of service and the message of Jesus. Now it’s our turn to share our gifts with you.
