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PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2021
presbyterian.ca
Connection
RECONCILIATION
Journeying to
Reconcili-action
at Grace Calgary
By Amy Dunn Moscoso, Communications Coordinator, Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary, Alta.
Early morning on Thursday, July 1, 2021, two sets of doors at the top of the steps at Grace Presbyte- rian Church in Calgary, Alta., had red paint splattered on them as an act of protest and expression of grief regarding the recent discoveries of numerous unmarked graves at the sites of former Residential Schools in Kamloops, Cowessess, Cranbrook, as well as in other places in Canada.
Grace’s ministers began sitting on the church steps and spoke to those who passed by, which led to the re- alization that Grace needed to build relationships with Indigenous people. Eight conversations were held on the front steps of Grace about truth,
healing and reconciliation from Tues- day, July 20 to Saturday, July 24. The conversations were meaningful and meaning-filled with members from Grace and the community engaging and listening to one another. Grace was grateful to Indigenous leaders Tony Snow, Gloria Snow and Ken Le- vae for their wisdom, care and pres- ence in four of the conversations.
To continue the conversation, Grace formed a Truth, Healing and Reconcili- action Committee. The committee is building plans toward truth, healing and reconciliation that will go deeper than a response to the red paint, that will last far beyond September 30, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shir t Day), and that will build meaningful relation- ships between Indigenous and non- Indigenous people.
On Sunday, Sept. 26, Grace held the congregational and community event 7 Generations: Stories and Our Lament, on the front steps. The community, congregation and wider church community were all invited to attend. To incorporate the members of Grace’s neighbourhood, the ur- ban, inner-city Beltline in Calgary, the street was blocked off. Many walking by stopped to chat and take part in the event.
Speeches, a smudge ceremony, and songs were shared by a number of people and groups, including:
• Tony Snow, Indigenous Lead at Hillhurst United Church and Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Region, United Church of Canada
• Gloria Snow, Stoney Nakoda Student Minister, studying in the Master of Divinity Program at the Vancouver School of Theol- ogy
• Shirley Shingoose Dufour, El- der, Social Worker, Residential School Survivor, Member of the National Healing and Reconcilia- tion Advisory Committee
• Kyle Logan Standingready- Snow, Traditional Stoney Na- koda Knowledge Keeper who shared music and drumming
• Mayor Naheed Nenshi
• The Grace Choir
• Ministers at Grace: the Rev.
Jake Van Pernis, the Rev. Maren McLean Persaud and the Rev. Christian Persaud
Interest in Calgary was high with three TV stations—Global TV, CTV Calgary and CBC Television—cov- ering the event. Grace is creating a series of videos from this event and will share these on YouTube in the future. Watch highlights of the event on Grace’s YouTube channel here: youtube.com/watch?v=FD985bxEdAM
Though Orange Shirt Day has passed, the journey continues. The next steps include a land acknowl- edgement, to be spoken in Worship, in meetings, and incorporated online and in documents as well as shared activities.
The Grace Quilters will be working with Gloria Snow to do beading and create ribbon skir ts—all ceremonies and activities that Indigenous people were once prevented from carrying out. Grace will be working to not only provide oppor tunities to take par t, but also to become educated on the sig- nificance of ceremonies and rituals.
On Sunday, Nov. 28, Grace held a KAIROS Blanket Exercise. The goal of the Blanket Exercise is to build under- standing about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peo- ples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, coloniza- tion and resistance.
Grace is planning a book study, in January, to be led by the Rev. John Snow, Jr., on his father’s book These Mountains Are Our Sacred Places: The Story of the Stoney People. This will be online, and all are welcome.
At this time, discussions about the red paint on the doors are being held by Grace with the congregation, community, City of Calgary, Indig- enous Elders and Indigenous art- ists—with a vision of incorporating the paint into a mural. Stay tuned!
For more information about Grace’s Truth, Healing and Reconcili-action jour- ney, please visit gracechurchcalgary .com/redpainteddoors.
Recognizing Orange Shirt Day in Uxbridge
By David Phillips, St. Andrew’s- Chalmers Presbyterian Church in Uxbridge, Ont.
As we have over the past few years, Trinity United Church, St. Paul’s An- glican Church and St. Andrew’s-Chal- mers Presbyterian Church worked to- gether for Orange Shirt Day. We were for tunate to have the Township of Uxbridge Council and staff suppor ting
our endeavour. With Covid protocols in place, we still wanted to have some form of expression from the citizens of the Township of Uxbridge on our journey to reconciliation.
Josh Musgrave led with Indige- nous singing, dancing and drumming to open the gathering. Many gathered and were very moved and deeply ap- preciative of the presentation. There was a very important land acknowl-
edgement statement made before we started our walk from the Uxbridge Arena to the township office. Along the way, our walkers in orange shirts discussed reconciliation efforts. At the township office, Pearl Gabona spoke to us about the situation in Uxbridge, and across the country, addressing issues Indigenous people
experience that have roots in the past and still shape the present. Pearl is a Métis elder and counsellor. The even- ing closed with prayer.
The singing and dancing at the start of the celebration, along with Pearl’s challenge to us, brought us another step along the journey that we need to take toward reconciliation.