From Churches Beyond Borders: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
“Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen lands, Strong Hearts” is a film about a devastating decision, made over 500 years ago, which continues to profoundly impact Indigenous and Settler people worldwide. Pope Alexander VI ruled that the lands being discovered by European explorers at the time was “empty” land and its millions of Indigenous inhabitants were “non-human”.
Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action in 2015, with many of them referring to the Doctrine of Discovery and calling for its repudiation.
This film is one of the responses of the Anglican Church’s Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice. The purpose of this film is to respond to the calls to action by helping to provide education and insight into the racist foundations of many of our property and other laws still in existence to this day.
“Reconciliation is not about being a spectator”. Senator Murray Sinclair
Members of the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation, and Justice.
Established in 2014, the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation, and Justice serves as part of the response of the Anglican Church of Canada to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Comprised of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Anglicans, the commission is tasked with reviewing church structures and policies to identify and seek ways to eliminate vestiges of the Doctrine of Discovery; creating a plan for reconciliation to overcome intergenerational trauma caused by policies such as the residential schools; and assessing injustices in Indigenous communities to determine areas where the church can make a difference.
A feature-length documentary film and accompanying study guide produced by the Commission in response to the calls to action by helping to provide education and insight into the racist foundations of many of our property and other laws still in existence to this day.
For more information, contact Melanie Delva, staff support for this Commission.
This Commission is the Anglican Church of Canada’s response to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It will focus on three concerns:
The repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery
Reconciliation, what does it look and feel like?
Injustices in our Indigenous communities, “broken homes and lives, sexual and family violence, high recidivism and incarceration rates, high chemical abuse, loss of spiritual fulfillment, loss of cultures, languages and traditions and poor stewardship of Mother Earth.” (from the 1994 Covenant)
The Commission will:
Review and assess progress on General Synod Act 60, 2010, “Repudiate of the Doctrine of Discovery” and recommend further action to live into the Church’s commitment;
Create a theological reflection on the Doctrine of Discovery;
Review and assess existing resources already developed for the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery; answer the question: What more can the Church do to fully repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery;
Deliberate and develop strategy for the Church’s role in reconciliation, particularly in response to Justice Sinclair’s, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, question “what does reconciliation look like?”
Study the role of spirituality/lack of spirituality in the injustices found in our Indigenous communities, both rural and urban, to answer the question: “How can the Church improve the quality of life in our Indigenous communities?
Conclude its ministry and deliver a final report/recommendations to the 2019 General Synod
A range of resources are available to provide further information on the Doctrine of Discovery and the long struggle for Indigenous self-determination.
A feature-length documentary film and accompanying study guide produced by the Commission in response to the calls to action by helping to provide education and insight into the racist foundations of many of our property and other laws still in existence to this day.
Printing for distribution? Here is how to print and fold:
Litanies:
We Are Still Here: Responsive Litany
A litany developed by the Commission for use in community settings, whether in Sunday worship, diocesan or deanery meetings, study groups, or another form of gathering.
We write to you as brothers and sisters in Christ, as relatives in the Anglican Church of Canada. We are members of the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation, and Justice.
A message to the church from Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, concerning the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice.
At General Synod 2013 Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, announced his intention to form a commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice. Members of the commission were recently named and had their first meeting. What follows is an account of their time together so far written by Commission member John Bird. … Continued
A litany developed by the Primate’s Commission on the Doctrine of Discovery, Justice and Reconciliation for use in community settings, whether in Sunday worship, diocesan or deanery meetings, study groups, or another form of gathering.
via website for Indian Horse (film)
Each year, the Anglican Church of Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—Orange Shirt Day. The following resources are commended for use across the Church for worship and study.
Members of the Council of General Synod (CoGS) gathered together at the Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, Ont. and online via Zoom on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
Each year, the Anglican Church of Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—Orange Shirt Day. The following resources are commended for use across the Church for worship and study. A Statement on the Indian Residential Schools from Indigenous Survivors, Elders, and Leaders Prayer for the Children from the Remembering the Children Tour Prayers … Continued
For September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—Orange Shirt Day—the Anglican Church of Canada has produced Every Child Matters: Grace Will Lead Them Home, a video service of reflection and prayer.
This service was designed by a group of Indigenous Anglican Elders; including Archbishop Mark MacDonald, Bishop Sidney Black, the Rev Canon Laverne Jacobs, and Canon Donna G’yogwenace Bomberry. We are invited to walk with them on a journey of grief and sorrow for the hurt and injustices of the past and present. They share teachings about forgiveness and help us to understand what must be done to be able to move toward Reconciliation.
The Elders invite you to share this video with your friends, families, congregations and communities. It can be downloaded for use in a service of worship, some might use it as the Homily, or for Bible study. All will be blessed by the teachings here.
It can be viewed above, on Vimeo and YouTube, and downloaded for local use via the links below:
From Churches Beyond Borders: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America In Advent 2020, Churches Beyond Borders expressed a commitment to dismantling racism, combating white supremacy and actively seeking opportunities to engage more deeply on these important issues. In this season of Lent, we … Continued
Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have joined together to offer this Advent message.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 3:4-5
Although 2019 may seem very distant in the face of the challenges brought by 2020, there were significant milestones for the Church that year. The Doctrine of Discovery video has been widely acclaimed and shared as an educational tool in Indigenous reconciliation. Archbishop Fred Hiltz led the church into General Synod 2019 in July, during which we thanked him for his 12 years of faithful, much-loved leadership of “our beloved Church.” At the synod he offered a heartfelt apology for spiritual harm to the Indigenous peoples, another step on the path of reconciliation. We celebrated decisions that will establish a self-determining Indigenous Church within the Anglican Church of Canada. The Church elected a new primate and I began a transition into this ministry. Those are just a few steps taken in 2019! The work continues under even more challenging circumstances as COVID-19 has changed our world.
Whether through Global Relations; Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice; Faith, Worship & Ministry; Communications; Indigenous Ministries; Council of the North; Financial Management, the General Secretary or the Primate, the resources you provide to the General Synod are focused on faithfully building God’s “spiritual house” in the Anglican Church of Canada and around the world. Thank you for your part in sharing resources through your contributions to you parish or diocese and through directly supporting General Synod. Your contributions are essential!
It is a profound honour and privilege to serve as the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. We are a faithful community of God’s people serving communities in every part of this land. Thank you for building our “spiritual house” day by day through your service and sacrifices.
Although 2019 may seem very distant in the face of the challenges brought by 2020, there were significant milestones for the Church that year. The Doctrine of Discovery video has been widely acclaimed and shared as an educational tool in Indigenous reconciliation. Archbishop Fred Hiltz led the church into General Synod 2019 in July, during which we thanked him for his 12 years of faithful, much-loved leadership of “our beloved Church.” At the synod he offered a heartfelt apology for spiritual harm to the Indigenous peoples, another step on the path of reconciliation. We celebrated decisions that will establish a self-determining Indigenous Church within the Anglican Church of Canada. The Church elected a new primate and I began a transition into this ministry. Those are just a few steps taken in 2019! The work continues under even more challenging circumstances as COVID-19 has changed our world.![[signed]](https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/nicholls-sig_blue.png)