Page 12 - Presbyterian Connection Newspaper

Connection
JUSTICE
Learning about Canadian Indigenous Spirituality
12
PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2018
presbyterian.ca
By the Rev. Amanda Currie, Minister at First Presbyterian in Regina,
Sask. She is the past Convener of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee and currently serves on the Governing Board of the Canadian Council of Churches
The Strategic Plan of The Presbyte- rian Church in Canada encourages engagement in healing and reconcili- ation between Indigenous and non- Indigenous peoples. Active participa- tion in the work toward reconciliation is part of living our church’s 1994 Confession and our response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commis- sion’s Calls to Action.
In particular, we should note Call to Action #60 in which we are called to recognize the need to respect In- digenous spirituality in its own right. Through our church’s participation in the residential school system, we contributed to the banning of Indig- enous languages, cultural traditions and spiritual practices. We presumed to know better, and in our cultural ar- rogance tried to suppress practices whose value we were then incapable of perceiving.
The PCC’s 2015 “Statement on Aboriginal Spiritual Practices” notes that “It is not for the PCC to validate
or invalidate Aboriginal spiritualities and practices. Our church, however, is deeply respectful of these tradi- tions... [and we are] committed to walking with [Indigenous] people in seeking shared truth that will lead to restoring right relations.”
The 2018 General Assembly af- firmed the recommendation to encourage Presbyterians and con- gregations to seek to learn more about Canadian Indigenous Spiritu- ality. Such learning could take place through dialogue with Indigenous elders and communities, as well as through reading, attending public events or inviting guest speakers to share with your congregation about Indigenous culture and faith prac- tices.
The goal of learning about Indig- enous Spirituality is not for non- Indigenous Presbyterians to adopt such practices. We should be careful not to engage in cultural appropria- tion. Neither is the goal to engage in apologetics or attempt to convert an Indigenous representative who is not also a Christian.
The first goal is simply to get to know and appreciate our Indigenous neighbours in the communities in which we live throughout Canada. Another goal is to support our Indig-
enous neighbours in rediscovering and reclaiming the spiritual practices, languages and cultural traditions that our church assisted in attempting to wipe out.
Resources for learning:
Canadian Presbyterian Indig- enous leaders, teachers and clergy: Our denomination is blessed by the ministries and leadership of several Indigenous people who can be excel- lent resources for our learning. Learn about and experience how they have incorporated Indigenous spiritual practices, such as drumming, sing- ing, dancing, smudging and particu- lar prayer forms into Christian wor- ship.
Indigenous Elders in your local community: Invite a local elder to share from their own experience about the cultural and spiritual tradi- tions of their particular community. Invite them to tell some of the stories of their tradition. Be sure to check and follow local protocols when you ask an Elder to share with you. A gift of tobacco is usually in order, and there may be other protocols. If you are not sure what they are, just ask. An honorarium and travel expenses should be considered as many El- ders are giving increasing amounts of their own time.
Indigenous drummers at the Truth and Reconciliation Event in Edmonton 2014.
Churches and the Opioid Crisis
Teachers/professors of Indig- enous Studies: Check with your lo- cal universities/colleges to see if they have an Indigenous Studies program or course offerings. You may want to take a course, or simply invite a professor to offer a lecture with local churches.
Read: Collect fiction, poetry and nonfiction for your local church and encourage your local library to do the same. You may be surprised to find your local library already has many excellent resources. Here is a short list of reading material.
•The Knowledge Seeker: Em- bracing Indigenous Spirituality by Blair Stonechild
• The Reason You Walk: A Memoir by Wab Kinew
• Indian Horse by Richard Wag- amese
• Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada’s Past by Thomas King and Tantoo Cardinal
If you have other suggestions, please share them with the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee.
your community.” She challenges church members to do what they can and to consider how church facilities can be used to support families in crisis.
Verne Gilkes is a church elder at Knox Presbyterian Church in Vankleek Hill (halfway between Ot- tawa and Montreal). A retired police officer, he is concerned about the opioid crisis and, after consulting with his minister, the Rev. James Douglas, convened a community meeting on March 27, 2018, where speakers addressed different aspects of the opioid crisis.
Read the full report on the crisis adopted to the General Assembly in the 2018 Acts and Proceedings (pp. 351–360). The report includes more background information, stories and suggestions for congregations to respond to the opioid crisis in their communities.
By Justice Ministries
In the winter of 2018, Justice Min- istries received an over ture regard- ing the opioid crisis in Canada. A response was adopted by the 2018 General Assembly.
Canada’s opioid crisis refers to the current overdose emergency caused by the use of fentanyl and other opi- oid-class drugs and has led to an un- precedented number of deaths. Some people struggling with addiction first access opioids as prescribed medi- cal treatment, others access opioids through illicit channels. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Infor- mation, Canada has the second high- est (behind the United States) rate of opioid use per capita in the world.
In 1996 Health Canada approved OxyContin (oxycodone) to relieve moderate-to-severe pain. This de- cision was a watershed moment. Purdue Pharmaceutical, maker of OxyContin, launched a marketing campaign to promote the drug and generated $31 billion USD in revenue from sales in Canada and the United States. Doctors prescribed the drug
for less severe conditions. In 2015 alone,doctorswroteenoughprescrip- tions for one in every two Canadians.
Purdue was sued by several mu- nicipal and state governments in the United States. In 2007, Purdue pled guilty to criminal and civil charges that they misled government regula- tors, physicians and patients about the harms and dangers of the drug. In 2012, Purdue removed OxyContin and replaced it with a more tamper- resistant alternative drug, OxyNEO. At the same time, provinces limited cov- erage of opioids in drug plans. When medically prescribed opioid sources were limited, the market for illicit opi- oids soared.
Justice Ministries spoke with Pres- byterians to learn how different com- munities have been impacted by the crisis, and how they are responding. These are some of those stories.
Winnipeg Inner City Missions as- sists people with drug and alcohol addiction on a daily basis. The staff and volunteers minister to low- income people, many of whom are Indigenous, and many of whom are also living with the legacy of residen-
tial schools. The Rev. Dr. Margaret Mullin, former executive director, writes: “The drug and alcohol cri- sis is a part of our daily experience. Staff and volunteers must have the adequate personal capacity to deal with any crisis as it arises. Fenta- nyl is being laced into everything it seems and more people are dying from overdosing. Our people are dy- ing out here and it is directly related to colonization and the residential school legacy. We bear witness that generational trauma is real and dev- astating.”
Claudette Young is an elder at Call- ingwood Road Presbyterian Church in Edmonton. During a family crisis nine years ago, she sought family supports for parents with children struggling with addictions. Finding no appropriate supports locally, she contacted an American group called Because I Love You (BILY) and start- ed an Edmonton chapter. Ms. Young is its executive director.
BILY is a non-profit organization that creates spaces for families in crisis to meet with, and suppor t, other families in crisis. There are no fees. Parents of
children, teens and adults of all ages who are struggling with addictions, mental health, criminal activities, etc., come to share their stories, seek com- for t, suppor t and advice from other parents in similar circumstances. Groups are mentored by parent vol- unteers who provide suppor t during, and outside weekly meetings. There is a facilitated youth group for teens and their parents. One focus of the youth program is to build self-esteem and teach interpersonal communication skills. Additionally, BILY operates a 24-hour hotline suppor ted by volun- teers. Callingwood Road PC provided funding and other support to set up a BILY group in Edmonton and contin- ues to support BILY. In response to the fentanyl crisis, Parkland County (west of Edmonton) requested a chapter of BILY for their community, which was established in May 2017.
Ms. Young notes that hundreds of Albertans have died and are continu- ing to die every day. Each of these individuals has value and worth. She encourages churches to take action: “You don’t have to have a personal connection for this to be an issue in