Indigenous Church Governance Update

[Image credit: Tony Snow]

The National Indigenous Elders Council met with members of the Real Property and Capital Plan Working Group and the Mission Support Working Group in Saskatoon in September. The Elders Council welcomed five new Elders to the table, fulfilling the first step in rebuilding the governance structure of the Indigenous church as was mandated by the National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering (NISG) held in late 2024. Together the Elders and Committee members acted as the visioning/dreaming committee which the NISG had asked be established to chart a way forward to put a new National Indigenous Council (NIC) in place to govern the Indigenous church.

The meeting was very successful. A plan has been developed to put a new National Indigenous Council in place at another NISG to be held in the summer of 2026. This month the Elders will review new Terms of Reference for the NIC which were drafted based on their discussions in September, as well as communication materials to invite members of the Indigenous church to nominate people to serve on the new NIC. We anticipate the review process will be complete and invitations to participate in the nomination process will released by the middle of November. The Indigenous church will have plenty of time in the first part of 2026 to discern who best to nominate for the new NIC.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation National Events

Moderator Heath Holding the Memorial Cloth

[Image credit: Sara Stratton]

As we marked Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, United Church young adult member Kupa Munikwa and Moderator Kimberly Heath participated in two very meaningful events hosted by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).

Kupa attended the NCTR Youth Empowerment event "The Gifts We Carry" in Halifax on September 18, observing that “both listening and sharing are essential parts of reconciliation…. My encouragement to older adults in the United Church is don't be afraid to listen, even when it's uncomfortable. Reconciliation isn't just about programs or public statements, it's about relationships rooted in truth, humility, and accountability.”

The Moderator attended the "Remembering the Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation" event on Parliament Hill, helping to carry the Memorial Cloth, which lists all the known names of children who died at residential institutions. By coincidence, she ended up carrying the names of children who died at Coqualeetza, which was operated by the United Church.

Learn more about what Kupa and the Moderator experienced in this webpost.

Addressing Spiritual Violence Against Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Ethical Guidelines and Calls to Healing

Addressing Spiritual Violence Against Indigenous Peoples in Canada Resource Cover witha picture of a blue sky and grass below

[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]

The United Church of Canada has released a new document which discusses the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) findings on spiritual violence. The TRC said that healing and reconciliation have a spiritual dimension that must be addressed by churches in partnership with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, their families and communities. Produced by an ecumenical team, the resource proposes Ethical Guidelines and Calls to Healing for churches engaged in ministry with Indigenous peoples. The document seeks to encourage, challenge, and above all support church leaders in the work of addressing both historical and contemporary spiritual violence as experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada. It includes Questions for Discussion and Reflection to facilitate conversation. The authors hope the resource will help readers understand the concept of spiritual violence, and prompt further work on this important topic. For more information about this resource, contact Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator Lori Ransom.

Please Share Orange Shirt Sunday Resources!

Orange shirt surrounded by tree branches

[Image credit: Unsplash]

How did you observe the first “official” Orange Shirt Sunday? We’d like to start building a library of resources for future years. If you have any prayers, liturgies, sermon starters or children’s time ideas, please share them with Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator Sara Stratton for consideration by our worship resource team.