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Churches ponder next step as government discussions stall

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Published on 
August 17, 2001

Following three days of meetings in Winnipeg, the church organizations involved in ongoing talks with officials of the Office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution of Canada, released the following statement:

Speaking as Chair of the Ecumenical Working Group on Residential Schools, Archdeacon Jim Boyles, General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, said,

“The church organizations are reporting to you that there has been no significant progress in these discussions. It seems that the mandate of the officials negotiating on behalf of the Government of Canada is not broad enough to address the real problems in the way of an agreement. We will be reflecting on these matters and planning our next steps.”

Explore related topic areas: Indian Residential Schools, Indigenous Ministries

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.