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Connection
RECONCILIATION
One Congregation’s Journey toward Reconciliation
34
PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2022
presbyterian.ca
   On October 9, 2022, Armour Heights Presbyterian Church hosted a hybrid learning event led by Margaret Sault, Edu- cator and Historian for the Mississaugas.
 Antonio Siracusa and Molly Cornell.
Harris Athanasiadis, Armour Heights Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ont.
Who does the land belong to? Armour Heights Presbyterian Church is in urban Toronto. The cost of land in Toronto in dollar figures is at a premium, only sur- passed by Vancouver. Like many institutions in Canada, we have a land acknowledgement we use and update periodically, but how much do we know about the his- tory of the land and how it was acquired? How much do we know about the First Peoples named in our acknowledgements? If we don’t know very much, how can we honour such acknowledge- ments as meaningful statements rooted in some genuine under- standing?
Over a year ago, the congre-
gation organized a committee to look at how we could respond to some of these questions. Through various activities, mainly done online during the time of Covid, and through the means of vari- ous books, films and podcasts, we facilitated online gatherings to share, discuss and try to learn a little more about the true history of our broken relationship as Ca- nadians and church folk with the First Peoples of the land.
It hasn’t been easy. It has been painful, too—even threatening for some of us who have been set- tled on this land for several gen- erations. And yet, as followers of Jesus, we have embraced the truth that healing toward reconcil- iation is absolutely necessary and urgent. The ongoing announce- ments of unmarked graves re- lated to Residential Schools only makes the urgency more neces- sary.
Most recently, we were privi- leged to have a special guest lead us in a day-long workshop. Margaret Sault is a member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, a historian and, for the past 45 years, a land claims researcher and negotiator on be- half of the Mississaugas with the federal government. While much of the land now called Canada
is subject to treaties (Toronto is Treaty 13 land), and other parts are unceded lands, how much do we know about whether and how agreements between Indigenous peoples and European settlers were established and how fairly they were negotiated? How much do we know about any outstand- ing land claims that pertain to the land we inhabit and how nego- tiations (if there have been any) have been going?
I, like others present for Marga- ret Sault’s talk, was overwhelmed by the enormity and complexity of what is happening behind the scenes as various nations of First Peoples are seeking a modicum of decent compensation, control and input on how various lands that make up Canada are settled and cared for.
While various First Nations in- habited the lands around Toronto since before settlers arrived, the Mississaugas are the Treaty hold- ers with whom settlers sought to negotiate treaties for access to the land specific to Toronto. As treaty holders, however, they were also treated to the deception and greed of first the British and then Canadian governments.
The “Toronto Purchase” as it has been called, for instance, sought to acquire much of what we call Toronto today. In lan- guage unfamiliar and foreign to Indigenous leaders, a promise of payment was made for what was then a little over 2% of the value of the land. More land was taken than actually stated. The Mississaugas were to maintain their fishing and hunting rights. Not only were these promises not kept, but signatures were forged (later affixed to an unsigned doc- ument). After 1800, the growth of Euro-Canadian settlement in To-
Participants joined in person and online from all parts of Ontario.
  The Rev. Harris Athanasiadis, Irene Faiz and Wanda Fischer.
ronto made it increasingly difficult for the Mississaugas to continue to make a living, and so they re- located. Today, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation reside 125 kilometres Southwest of To- ronto. Detailed information about the history of the Mississaugas of the Credit is available online at mncfn.ca.
So what is all of Toronto now worth (if we are talking about dollar amounts)? In 2010, a little over 200 years after the Toronto Purchase of 1805, a settlement was reached between the Gov- ernment of Canada and the Mis- sissaugas for $145 million. While this may seem like a large sum, it is a smidgeon of what the land is
worth. By learning about the his- tory of the land and First Peoples, we are better able to seek new relationships of respect and repa- ration in a journey of healing and reconciliation.
We are so thankful Margaret shared her wisdom, grace and leadership on a Truth and Rec- onciliation Day weekend. We’ve already edited our land acknowl- edgement and will continue to do so as we continue to learn more about the land and its true history. We also look forward to building our relationship with the First Peo- ples of the land. So, how about you and your congregation? How are you learning about the land you live and worship on?










































































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