Resources for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Monday, September 30th marks the fourth National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. It coincides with Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots commemoration marked by the wearing of Orange Shirts for children forced to leave their families and attend residential schools. This Sunday, we will reflect on reconciliation with the passage of Jeremiah 9:24.  

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is an important step in the reconciliation process. It provides an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to honour their survivors, their families and communities. This day also offers us an opportunity to live into the Action for Reconciliation statement that the Christian Reformed Church made at the TRC in 2015. This statement said in part, “We have been honoured to witness the expressions of truth in the TRC, and in them have seen a sacred momentum of reconciliation and hope. Because of this hope, and with the help of our Indigenous neighbours and Creator God, we are committed to turning from the systemic evils behind colonialism and living into a sacred call of unity and reconciliation.”

We have put together some further resources for your own personal reflection, which are listed below. 

“Reconciliation is not a one-time event; it is a multi-generational journey that involves all Canadians.”

Observe

• Wear an orange shirt. Beginning in 2013 as a grassroots program in Williams Lake, BC as part of a commemoration project and reunion event for survivors of St. Joseph’s Mission (SJM) Residential School. To learn more about the history behind Orange Shirt day, click here. 
• Attend a local event:
  • Skookum Surrey ceremony at Holland Park (13428 Old Yale Road) from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Friday, September 27th, hosted by the Surrey Urban Indigenous Committee. They also hold events throughout the year celebrating Indigenous Culture. 
  • On Monday, September 30, the Semiahmoo First Nation (SFN) invites the public on its 4th annual Walk for Truth and Reconciliation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles Memorial Plaza on White Rock’s east beach. This free community event includes activities and performances centered around this year’s theme: “Why Reconciliation Now?” The event will also feature keynote speaker Grand Chief Steven Point, musical performances by renowned Indigenous artists, an Indigenous artist market, and various exhibitions. A complimentary lunch will be served to all attendees, ensuring that everyone can partake in the communal spirit of the event.
  • For more local ways to observe the day in Surrey and in the Lower Mainland, click here and here.

All Canadians must take part in this process, which means that congregations need to work towards reconciling with our Aboriginal neighbours.

Learn

• For background information you can explore the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and stories of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples by checking the Canadian Heritage Truth and Reconciliation Day website.
• Learn more about the history by reading a book. The Surrey Library has put together a list of books for Orange Shirt Day. The book "21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act" is also available at our church library. The church library also put together a list of books that are available at Regent College.  
• Talk about it with your kids and grandkids Check out this parents resource, this devotional and page about Orange Shirt Day.
• Read the story of Nk’xetko (Mary Jane) and her residential school experience from the North American Indigenous Ministries (NAIM) newsletter. 
• Visit the website for the National Centre of Truth and Reconciliation. 
• Know whose land you're on and more at native-land.ca. Our church is located on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples;  the Katzie, Tsawwassen, Sto:lo, Wsanec and Kwantlen.
• Read the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
• Read the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 
• Explore the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action with your kids and grandchildren
• From 2015, when the Truth and Reconciliation Report was released, "Residential Schools are Our Story" 

May we learn from our LORD and “exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness on the Earth” as we seek pathways of reconciliation (Jeremiah 9:24).

Reflect and Engage

• Join the Hearts Exchanged Group meeting here at Fleetwood CRC this year. Hearts Exchanged is a learning and action journey designed to equip Reformed Christians to go beyond the headlines into deep work that wrestles with how our churches can become places of belonging and embrace God’s call to reconciliation with Indigenous neighbours. This 8-month cohort modeled on a transforming journey of reconciliation equips participants to build respectful, neighbourly relationships with Indigenous communities. Facilitator: Liz Tolkamp liz@crc1life.ca. Monthly (Oct 6, Oct 30, Nov 27, Jan 8, Feb 5, Mar 5, Apr 2, May 7) 7:30-9:00pm in the 1Life room. 
• Learn other ways in which the Christian Reformed Church in Canada has been working on reconciliation from coast-to-coast, including the local "Walk in the Spirit of Reconciliation" that occurs annually in Langley. Longtime Willoughby CRC member Evelyn Bouwman reflected on this years walk on the CRC's DoJustice blog. 
• Learn more about the Christian Reformed Church in Canada's efforts to work for justice and reconciliation on the Indigenous Ministries page and meet the team in this short video. 
• Listen to this 2023 podcast from the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue and Office of Social Justice.
• In addition, you are invited to listen to this 2021 podcast and 2022 podcast from previous National Days of Truth and Reconciliation. "This reflection is designed to take approximately an hour and we recommend that you take space to listen and reflect.  You will be guided through three calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with prayer and reflection prompts." You can also read some reflections on what this day and reconciliation means for a few Indigenous Christians. 
• Additionally, from the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue and Office of Social Justice:  Five ways to embody and engage reconciliation
• Listen to this playlist of songs written or performed by Indigenous artists. 

Our future, and the well-being of all our children rests with the kind of relationships we build today.

 - Chief Dr. Robert Joseph

Pray 

• Let’s pray these words from Colossians 1:20 in the FNV “Through his Son he brought together everything in the spirit-world above and on the earth below into harmony with himself, making peace through his life-blood poured out on the cross.”  Creator God, bring your harmony into our relationships.  Help us to see the areas where there is brokenness and to join your peacemaking work. (Source: Centre for Public Dialogue and Office of Social Justice)
• Another Prayer (from last year's reflection on the DoJustice page)
  Creator God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
  Life Giver
  Provider
  Mercy Shower
  Just and True
  Help us to remember we are made in Your image
  Help us to remember how we forgot this in the Indian Residential School system
  Help us to remember so that this may never happen again as the Survivors wished
  Help us to tell the Orange Shirt story of Phyliss Webstad so others can remember too
   May we always honour others as fellow image bearers of God
  May we remember our tendency to forget
  May you teach us to practice repentance for our healing and the healing of our nation
  Help us by Your Holy Spirit to not forget Your mercy this day and the days to come
   
  Amen

As our LORD has taught us, may we exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness on the Earth as we each seek out and journey down pathways of reconciliation with our Indigenous and non-Indigenous neighbours.

Donate and Support

• Our offering this week will be for NAIM: Tim and Charity Johnson. Tim and Charity desire to see Shuswap First Nations youth and young families grounded and strong in their identity and love for each other and their surrounding communities… with the knowledge and understanding of who Creator is and the love He has for all people. NAIM is a multi-cultural team that exists to glorify God through building the Church by making disciples among North American Indigenous peoples, to reach the world for Christ. NAIM is seeking to model a more respectful approach to First Nations people and their culture and desires to see even greater numbers of Native Christians in significant ministry and leadership positions. 
• Be kind and show consideration to Indigenous communities who are hurting and mourning as they reflect on their history. 
• Support a local, indigenous owned business. Visit the Indigenous BC website, for indigenous owned restaurants, accommodations and cultural experiences in British Columbia.

We as a church community need to recognize that this history is our history. It shapes who we were, who we are, and who we will become. Let us take this opportunity to shape our future for the good.