Serve, Work and Transform: Living into Right Relations: February 2024

Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice News from
The United Church of Canada

Food for the North

Everyone knows that their grocery bills have been going up. What may not be as well known is the impact of high inflation on prices for basic commodities in northern communities, including many First Nations. This year’s unusually warm winter is exacerbating the cost of living in the north, creating a crisis for many of these communities. They rely on winter roads—ice roads—to bring in goods more cheaply during winter months. Their only alternative is to fly-in goods which is extremely expensive. Several communities are now declaring emergencies as this year their winter roads have not been able to be built or have been available for a much shorter time than normal.

In the community of Wasagamack, for example, here are some of the costs in February 2024 of some typical grocery items:

Chicken nuggets $24.99 a box
Ground Beef log $80.79
10Kg of Sugar $53.99
2 chicken legs $14.00
2 litres of pop $15.99
24 rolls toilet paper $42.79
Baby enfalac $9.49 a can
Package of diapers $64.79

The Food for the North program, a Gifts with Vision project, helps members of these communities by providing grocery cards to families. They are distributed through United Church communities of faith located in northern Manitoba and Ontario First Nations. Donations at all times are welcome and are especially needed given the pressures faced by these communities this year.

Gathering Nations in Peace and Friendship in Atlantic Canada

In November 2023, the Atlantic Christian Training Centre (Tatamagouche Centre) hosted a four-day gathering in a form they have long been offering based on ceremony, food, talking circle sharing, deep respect, and drawing in of ancestors and the land. The idea came from one of the Mi’kmaw Clan Mothers, Cathy Martin, to reach 7 generations back and 7 generations forward. For the 56 people who attended, a key element was spending time telling and remembering the truth.

Tatamagouche created a one-hour audio tour that brings the story of the land alive in a way that stimulates reflection. While designed for use while at the property, anyone familiar with the Tatamagouche Centre may enjoy listening to it. The United Church of Canada has committed to rematriation of the Tatamagouche Centre land with Women of First Light, a charitable collective of Clan Mothers, Grandmothers, and young Indigenous women from across Wabanaki. Rematriation honours this unceded land as having always been Mi’kmaw and that it continues to be a sacred, trusted gathering place for L’nu and United Church, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other communities. The rematriation process is not an extractive form of transferring ownership. Instead, it continues a long journey of love, peace, friendship, harm repair, and solidarity, the next bold step in a beautiful journey of righting relations and opening to Indigenous stewardship.

The outgoing Executive Director of the Centre, Nanci Lee, wrote a poem that can be viewed in the recent blog post reflecting on her experience at the November gathering.

The 7 generations back, 7 generations forward gathering was supported in part by the Justice and Reconciliation Fund. The next application deadline for the Fund is March 15, 2024.

[Image credit: Lori Ransom]

Remit Response Deadline is March 31, 2024

A reminder that communities of faith are invited to register their votes for the remit process about the National Indigenous Organization. Background information may be found on the General Council website. This is an important remit in the journey of healing and reconciliation in our church. Indigenous members of the church speak to the remit in a video from the National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering. Remit votes are due March 31, 2024.

[Photo credit: The United Church of Canada]