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We Are Still Here: Responsive litany

We Are Still Here is a responsive litany affirmed at Walpole Island First Nation in 2018 by the Primate’s Commission on the Doctrine of Discovery, Justice and Reconciliation. Created for congregations, study groups and community gatherings, the litany provides language for speaking truth about colonial history, honouring Indigenous resilience and praying together for healing and right relationship. Its alternating voices make it well suited for shared worship and reflective practice across the Anglican Church of Canada.

Suggested uses

  • Closing prayer for learning experiences such as the KAIROS Blanket Exercise or Alongside Hope Mapping Exercise
  • Parish or diocesan worship focused on reconciliation, treaty recognition or National Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Study groups engaging questions of truth telling, Indigenous rights and the legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery
  • Retreats, formation programs or circle gatherings exploring healing and community renewal

Key themes

  • Truth telling about colonial history
  • Healing and Indigenous resilience
  • Right relationship and reconciliation
  • Solidarity and shared prayer

Best suited for: clergy, worship leaders, reconciliation committees, educators, parish groups and communities seeking a prayerful resource that supports learning, healing and shared commitment to justice with Indigenous Peoples.

First page of responsive litany "We are still here"

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.