Truth and reconciliation
These resources provide materials to help Anglicans, newcomers and others explore the relationship between Indigenous communities and the Church, including historical aspects, justice issues and ongoing reconciliation efforts.
Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts is a feature-length film that explores the lasting impact of the Doctrine of Discovery, a set of fifteenth-century papal rulings that declared lands outside Europe to be “empty” and Indigenous Peoples to be less than fully human. These ideas shaped the legal and moral framework of colonization and continue to influence laws, policies and relationships in Canada today.
The Covenant and Our Way of Life outlines the commitments, relationships and responsibilities that guide Sacred Circle, the self-determining Indigenous church within the Anglican Church of Canada. Rooted in the 1994 Covenant and renewed through ongoing discernment, it offers a shared vision of life in community shaped by prayer, healing, accountability and service. A recorded reading of the Covenant and a Gospel-based discipleship Bible study, based on the Seven Traditional Teachings, are also available to support engagement with the document.
The Mississauga Declaration is a foundational expression of Indigenous Anglican vision, sovereignty and renewal. Articulated during a national consultation in Toronto, it names the urgent realities facing Indigenous communities and calls the Church to support pathways toward self-determination, revitalized ministry and deeper relationships rooted in the land. The declaration reflects a collective commitment to live toward a renewed Indigenous Anglican future grounded in the Gospel, Elders’ wisdom and responsibility to coming generations.
The Pinawa Declaration was presented to the Anglican Indigenous Sacred Circle in August 2005 as a call for bold structural change in the Anglican Church of Canada. It urges the election and consecration of Indigenous bishops whose leadership reflects the teachings, ceremonies and traditions of Indigenous communities. The declaration is a significant milestone in the movement toward Indigenous self-determination within the Church.
The Anglican Healing Fund supports community-based healing initiatives led by Indigenous peoples across Canada. Since 1992 it has provided grants for projects that foster healing, resilience and cultural renewal in response to the intergenerational harms caused by residential schools and ongoing colonial structures. The fund centres Indigenous leadership and local priorities, helping communities strengthen language, identity and well-being. Individuals or parishes seeking to support this work may also make donations to the fund.
This worship resource, An Action in Solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, was developed in 2016 in response to then-Primate Fred Hiltz’s call for all parishes to publicly read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) on or near June 21, the National Indigenous Day of Prayer.
These prayers and collects support reflection, healing and shared commitment on the journey of truth and reconciliation. Rooted in Anglican tradition and shaped by the lived experience of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, they invite communities to pray with honesty, hope and a desire for renewed relationship.