Paths. peacemaking. for. with host peoples. by Steve Heinrichs. 3rd Edition

Transcription

1 Paths peacemaking for with host peoples by Steve Heinrichs 3rd Edition

2 "We get this but what can we do? What are the next steps? Steve Heinrichs Director of Indigenous Relations, Mennonite Church Canada Everywhere I go, I meet Canadians who are looking for ways to walk in solidarity with host peoples. They are a diverse lot: young and old, new immigrants and 4th generation settlers, budding activists and conservative Christians. Varied as they are, they often have this in common they just aren t sure what to do next. Here s an attempt to speak into that gap: a booklet of peacemaking ideas some easy, some hard, many necessary and maybe visionary. It s not perfect and it certainly isn t exhaustive. But it could spark a conversation, helping individuals and communities craft their own rooted ways of walking the paths of peace. Be certain there s no one right way to do this. Yet there are postures that will give life and allow us to journey in a good way. So as you seek to act, note the suggested attitudes and outlooks that run through this document. Ponder, hold them close, and add your own as you go along. Thank you friend, for engaging this. Courage to you and your circle as you experiment with some of the next steps. P.S. If you re able, send me an (sheinrichs@mennonitechurch.ca) and share what you have learned so that we can figure out, collectively, how to do this better. We ll update this pamphlet as we go along. Paths for Peacemaking with Host Peoples (3 rd edition) Written by: Steve Heinrichs Design and layout by Moses Falco and Ryan Roth Bartel Mennonite Church Canada 600 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4 Toll free: P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca W: Download additional copies at This material may be reproduced and adapted by Mennonite Church Canada congregations free of charge. Please add an explanatory note ( Used courtesy Mennonite Church Canada ), acknowledge if it has been adapted, and credit those who have done so. March, 2015 Printed in Canada

3 The Path of Learning and unlearning Listen to Indigenous voices; storytellers, poets and critical theorists like Glen Coulthard (Red Skins, White Masks), Leanne Simpson (Dancing on Our Turtle s Back), Taiaiake Alfred (Wasase), and Richard Wagamese (One Native Life). Ponder life, past and present, from another set of lenses. Attend to Settler voices who are walking a good path. Folks like John Ralston Saul (The Comeback), Victoria Freeman (Distant Relations), Paulette Regan (Unsettling the Settler Within), and Rudy Wiebe (Stolen Life). Re-read the Bible. Seriously. The Scriptures contain powerful stories of liberation that can help unsettle our souls and mobilize the church for justice. The shadow traditions those tales of imperialism, conquest and oppression can remind us of paths not to be taken. For helpful Indigenous guides, look to Randy Woodley (Shalom and the Community of Creation), James Treat (Native and Christian) and Tink Tinker (American Indian Liberation). For settler insights, check out Chris Budden (Following Jesus in Invaded Space), Wes Howard-Brook (Come Out My People!) and Mark Brett (Decolonizing God). Watch Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and get informed about the latest news from an Indigenous perspective. Dig into your family history and discover the ways your people have engaged both host peoples and lands in the past. Celebrate the good, lament and learn from the unhealthy, and explore ways to take responsibility for any past injustice which has benefitted you today. Be patient. As Justice Murray Sinclair has said, If it took seven generations to mess things up this bad, it ll take at least seven to mend it. Listen and listen again to Indigenous voices and their concerns. Dialogue is important, but we need to do as Christ does, and privilege the words and wisdom of the marginalized. Don t feel guilty. You didn t ask to be born into a colonial state (and church) that dispossessed Indigenous peoples for settler well-being. Feel responsible for bearing your piece of the burden. What is God calling you to? Find most of the materials referenced in this handout online or in person at CommonWord Bookstore & Resource Centre ( 1

4 Discover Indigenous humour and have a good laugh. Check out the classic movie Smoke Signals, the newish, Hank Williams First Nations, and the books by Drew Hayden Taylor (like, Only Drunks and Indians Tell the Truth). Take risks. Don t play it safe. Count the cost, take up the cross. Look for Indigenous strength, rather than deficiency. If you want to explore faults and needs, do as Jesus did, and begin with oneself and the settler problem. Native peoples are aware of the issues in their community and are working at it. We can help by working on our issues. Go deep and explore some of the critical issues: Treaties Residential schools Missing and murdered Indigenous women Indigenous spirituality/world view Indigenous Christianity Decolonization; anti-colonial theology White privilege Royal Proclamation of 1763 & The Treaty of Niagara 1764 Section 25 and 35 of Canada s Constitution United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Indigenous Law Check out Indigenous movements like Idle No More ( and settler Christian organizations like Kairos ( to learn what others are currently doing to animate awareness and to act on it. Idle No More is a recent movement, but it is tied to a long tradition. Kairos has four decades of experience wrestling with this stuff. Do The Blanket Exercise a physical, group learning tool that explores the history of colonization. It s a transformative experience, perfect for youth and adult groups. You ll need about 20+ persons to pull it off. Discover the treaty history of your particular region (or lack thereof ); both the colonial and Indigenous understandings. A great place to begin is with the Treaty Commissioners Office in your province/territory. They ve got fantastic teachers/elders whom you can invite to speak to your church/circle, and plenty of written and visual resources. 2

5 Deconstruct native stereotypes in your heart and community (check out Recognize the importance of the past. Most of us non-native folks come from a perspective that is continually looking to tomorrow. Native folks have deep memories. Get comfortable with that. Ponder how the past is sedimented in the present (Charles Taylor). Take hope in small numbers. It s rare that whole congregations will get on board with this journey (though it does happen sometimes). Invite local Indigenous elders, teachers and young people who would be willing to come to your community and share. Create a safe space for dialogue and make sure to honour their efforts with a generous gift (e.g., an art piece or craft from your tradition). Participate in a NAIITS Conference. The North American Indigenous Institute for Theological Studies is a grassroots, evangelical-indigenous gathering that creates a space for the church to think through these issues theologically and missiologically. It s not just for pastors (see Find positive stories about settler communities and churches that are learning to walk the path of solidarity, like the ones told in the DVD Two Rivers: A Native- American Reconciliation and Intotemak (a quarterly magazine). Start conversations in your congregation/community to find out what others have done in your particular city/town in years past to better relationships with host peoples. You might be surprised! Bring your circle of friends to an Indigenous place of learning. Perhaps an Elders Centre on a reservation, an urban Native Friendship Centre, or an Indigenous Governance program at the local university. For decades, faith-based activists have struggled for Indigenous justice. Be inspired from their efforts and ponder what might work today (check out, Sherry Smith s, Hippies, Indians and the Fight for Red Power; Roger Hutchinson s, Prophets, Pastors and Public Choices; and the Aboriginal Justice section of Kathleen Kern s, In Harm s Way). Put a map up on your wall with the treaty areas, or a map that doesn t have the current provincial/territorial boundaries, but traditional territories of First Nations and Inuit (for an example, see Go on a guided delegation to be with Indigenous communities, learn their histories, and discover their survivance. Check out Christian Peacemaker Teams Aboriginal Justice ( and Canadian Roots ( 3

6 Learn the basics of the local Indigenous language. You don t have to become fluent to discover a worldview that can gift your mind and transform your heart. Notes and Reflections: Focus on possibilities rather than problems. In fact, take it a step further, and dare to dream. People might dismiss you as idealistic don t let that get in your way. Dream and find other dreamers who are trying to find ways to flesh them out. Stuff will happen in those circles. Set personal and corporate goals. It ll help you move along this journey. Acknowledge mistrust. History has taught many Indigenous peoples to not trust white, non-native peoples. Too many broken promises. Accept that. Get angry! Jesus and the prophets got upset with injustice. Anger is a tool of liberating potential. Commit for the long haul. There are no quick fixes for this broken relationship. 4

7 The Path of Relationship 1) With other settlers Share books with close acquaintances that can help stir a conversation. Invite your friends to movie nights that can bring awareness and provoke action. Here are a few solid options: 8th Fire (Contemporary Indigenous issues) We Were Children or Yummo Comes Home (Residential School stories) Reel Injun (Indigenous stereotypes) Skins (a classic on inter-generational trauma) Find a community of solidarity (or a few friends nearby) that you can pray with, talk with, do a book study with and discern next steps. Organize a book club to engage the important issues; Thomas King s Inconvenient Indian, Michael Asch s On Being Here to Stay: Treaties & Aboriginal Rights in Canada or the settler-indigenous anthology, Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry would be good (it has a study guide). Share with your children/grandchildren the history of the place they live in, and what it might mean to live in Indigenous lands. There are many children s books to help with this. Good places to begin are Nicola Campbell s Shin-Chi s Canoe, Thomas King s Coyote Columbus Story, and Jordan-Fenton s Fatty Legs. If you re a teacher or student, grab some friends and explore how to create space for Indigenous knowledges and histories in the classroom. Check out Susan Dion s Braiding Histories, Sheila Cote-Meek s Colonized Classrooms, and Rauna Kuokkanen s Reshaping the University. 2) Connect with host peoples: Contemplate ways to be neighbourly with Indigenous peoples in your community or the reservation next door (not simply to serve, but to get to know and be friends with). Attend powwows and Indigenous arts/craft fairs. Go to the band office and introduce yourself. Ask if there are ways to get to know the community; if there are public functions and festivities that you would be welcome to attend. Check out the events board, and just show up. Have courage you can do this! Support and pray for Native ministries like My People International ( that have been a bridge between Indigenous cultures and Christianity for decades. 5

8 Volunteer at an Indigenous run organization. Try not to go to the Christian food shelter as your first option. Look for a place to plug in where you will rub up with Indigenous strength (though it s there in the bread line too). White suburbs are often a big deterrent to relationship with peoples of colour. Relocate your home so that you are closer to the local Indigenous community, increasing the possibility of real neighbourliness. As a friend of mine says, Would we take Christ seriously if he looked like a middle-class suburban Canadian and didn t do life in those marginal spaces? Probably not. Honour the elders. Find ways to listen to their stories and offer to help them out (e.g., a ride to the clinic or grocery store, cutting firewood, and so on). Establish a community house where Indigenous and settler peoples can live together and explore ways to be a sign and witness to just friendship in the community. Far too many Indigenous women and men are in the prison system. Become a volunteer. Seek friendship and mutual learning. Far too many Indigenous children are in the foster care system. Support Indigenous women and men who are trying hard to provide homes for these kids. Become a foster parent for Indigenous youth; a foster parent who has strong friendships with Indigenous aunties and uncles; a foster parent with a welcome place in the Indigenous community. 3) Connect with the land and other creaturely cousins : Many Indigenous communities believe humanity is just one creature in a world of creaturely relations, and our fellow creatures have something to teach and speak to us. Spend a full day, or even a weekend, outside in the rural or urban bush. Try listening as the prophet Job once said - to the creatures that surround you. Don t despair. Lift your heart to God and focus on the gifts and assets that you and your group bring to this. There s a lot of difficult stuff to work through, but you can do it. The Spirit is with us. Keep at least one eye on the present! Colonial systems and racist practices are not just a thing of the past. 6

9 Learn the origin stories of the land and Indigenous peoples in your home region. If you don t know an elder in the Indigenous community, your public library should have resources. Find out more about your bioregion, get to know its strengths, its current struggles, the species of plants and animals that are doing well or not. Decolonize your diet. Find ways to eat and drink in rhythm with the land that you live in. Not only will it help you get to know the waters, plants, and animals in your area but it might be healthier too. Notes and Reflections: Exercise self-suspicion. The history of good intentions (e.g., residential schools) should lead us to some healthy doubt about our hopes, beliefs and desired actions. Seek your healing, not just that of others. Stan McKay (Cree) says that we settlers are wounded and marked by history. Those wounds may not look the same as the colonized, but they re still there. 7

10 The Path of Art, Song and Celebration 8 Seek out Indigenous poets, musicians, and artists that can inspire, challenge and renew your spirit. Here are a few examples: Poets - Rita Joe, Jeannette Armstrong, Gregory Scoffield; Musicians - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Indian City, Cheryl Bear and Jonathan Maracle (the latter two do Christian worship); Visual Artists - Ovide Bighetty, Norval Morrisseau, Susan Point and Roy Henry Vickers. Reflect on what you are learning and feeling through poetry, art, short story or song, photography or video. Share with others what you ve been experiencing to raise awareness. Do up a subversive or humorous piece of art, drama or song than can unsettle or re-indigenize your neighbourhood. Put it on public display. Radical fashion - show your support by wearing clothing that symbolizes your pride in and support of Indigenous peoples (T-shirts and hats with awareness and action messages, native jewelry, maybe even a tattoo or two). June 21st is National Aboriginal Day in Canada join an event or celebration in your community; throw a party and invite Indigenous and non-indigenous to join you. Did we mention powwow already? Spend a few days at an event, camping and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Just don t eat too many bannock hotdogs. Dream up some creative ways to share gifts and have fun together; some reserve and church communities have come together to do karaoke, games nights, pickling, B-B-Q s, spaghetti nights, and more. Celebrate your common humanity. Notes and Reflections:

11 The Path of Justice When sharing in public, identify as settler and name the treaty territory/unceded host lands you are from. Read Indigenous newspapers (like and when the mainstream media picks up a native issue that has grabbed the public s eye, courageously share what Indigenous communities and commentators are saying. You don t have to agree, but offer another view to helpfully nuance the conversation. Boldly confront racism when you see it happening. Find out what the local schools teach regarding host peoples and their/our history. Encourage them to create space for Indigenous voices and understandings. Explore the history of struggle over land in your area, and discover hopeful stories that can animate discussion and action. Put up a sign by your church identifying the treaty territory you live in and the host peoples whose lands you live on. Adjust your mailing address to include that info too! Donate money to Indigenous charities seeking cultural renewal, land reparations, and more. Are any sports teams (or corporations) in your town/city using Native lingo/imagery as branding (i.e., Indians, Blackhawks, Fighting Sioux, Braves)? Find ways to resist: visit with local Indigenous activists and learn what s been done; write a letter to local newspaper; start a petition. Lament. Though we are not responsible for what our ancestors have done, we should feel shame for that history. But more than that, we need to grieve the damage that our ancestors wrought, wittingly or unwittingly, for lament can free us to act, because [we] are no longer afraid of uncovering that pain (Victoria Freeman). Trauma is real. Take care of yourself. Colonialism impacts peoples and communities differently, but it gets us all. Check out Francoise Mathieu s, Compassion Fatigue. Give thanks and celebrate! There s a lot of heavy stuff that you re going to deal with. Look for beauty. Take time to sing, to say thanks, to ponder the good, to rest in God. Be conscious of white and class privilege. Find ways to deconstruct. See Frances Kendall s Understanding White Privilege. Go to Indigenous led rallies (e.g., Stolen Sisters and Idle No More). Spread the word and offer to help at future rallies. 9

12 Mobilize a group to get serious about understanding and undoing racism in our/your church denomination. This is often thought of as an American issue. Ask people of colour in our communities... it s right here. Receive anger, and don t take it personally. If you re white, you represent - in some fashion - the face of the colonizer. That s tough. But as one settler ally says, What I learned is...[there s] no point in saying, but that s not me, but I don t feel that way... No. I am white, and this is what my people did. This is the truth. Acknowledge complexity. Many of the issues we are dealing with are complicated. Black and white thinking doesn t always help. Be comfortable with some greys. Be willing to address the controversial. (Pack an extra shirt in case you sweat a lot like me). Scratch your head, and try again. It often isn t easy trying to figure out how to engage this stuff. You re not alone. Just keep on keeping on. Form an Indigenous-settler support group in your local high-school. Like LGBTQ persons, many Indigenous kids do not feel welcome, safe or supported at school. Settler kids don t have many places to learn how to become allies. You can create such a space. Lobby your MP and the powers that be to honour treaty obligations to Indigenous nations. Discover the Indigenous place names that have been covered up by settler maps. Explore with local Indigenous leaders the possibility of renaming the neighbourhood around you (literally, remap or remark rivers, paths and sacred places, with plaques, signs, etc). Petition bible colleges, seminaries and Christian universities to create a mandatory course on Indigenous-Settler relations, and to have at least one Indigenous professor on staff. As a community recognizing the dispossession of Indigenous peoples seek bold ways to live the good news of Jubilee! Return a piece of land to those peoples who used to live there, or find a way to share land in common, or give a portion of your property taxes to host peoples as recognition of the historical-spiritual relationship. Learn how to mobilize others into action. If you don t have a mentor, check out these fine books for help: Organizing for Social Change (Midwest Academy); Edward T. Chambers Roots for Radicals; Chris Crass s Towards Collective Liberation; and Rev. Alexia Salvatierra s Faith-Rooted Social Organizing. 10

13 Do up some creative posters and Banksy-style graffiti (Google it) and share it around town to facilitate conversation. Focus on settler issues and be positive... you re less likely to get in trouble that way. Resist resource extraction. Demographically, there are a much higher percentage of Indigenous communities concerned about climate change and acting to stop the exploitation of the environment than settler communities. Find out what the areas of resistance are in your region. Find ways to join in (see Christian Peacemaker Teams, Aboriginal Justice - and Notes and Reflections: 11

14 The Path of Worship Great news! The Creator longs for peace, reconciliation and justice more than we do, and the Spirit will help us pursue this path, with joy, gutsy determination, and laughter. So let s pray and pray again. Pray with Christian friends; and pray if invited in traditional circles. We are all in this together. Discern as a circle: What are the ways that you can create space physically, audibly, visually, financially, spiritually in your Church for Indigenous voices and their concerns? Encourage your Church to devote a sermon series and Fall/Spring Education semester on understanding Indigenous-settler relationships. Take up and read an Indigenous Christian prayer book. Joyce Carlson s The Journey (Anglican) and Patrick Twohy s Finding a Way Home (Catholic) are older resources, but great places to begin. Bring signs and symbols of our relationship with host land and peoples into the sanctuary; encourage recognition of such as part of weekly liturgy. Here s an example from my church community: ƌ ƌ Hope Mennonite finds its home in the lands of the Cree, Ojibway, Dakota, and Metis nations. We gather in Treaty lands, covenanted between Indigenous and settler peoples in We gather in our common humanity as diverse communities, with unique stories and gifts, to learn from and celebrate each other. Discover within your tradition rituals that can connect you and your community to land and host peoples. If you aren t aware of any, take a risk and create some. Memorize Scripture and Indigenous teachings (present and past) that can stir your spirit as you walk the path. For quotable forms of the latter, check out Kent Nerburn s Native American Wisdom. Translate gospel/biblical texts into today s settler-indigenous context (like Clarence Jordan s Cotton Patch Gospels, written for the Southern States segregated by racial hatred). Don t fear making mistakes. Believe that you have something to learn from Indigenous peoples. We settlers often struggle with paternalism, believing our knowledges, religions, economics and way of life superior. Confess, and do otherwise. 12

15 Put up pictures of the Native Christ in your church and home (check out the works by Ovide Bighetty, or find some of the many resources online Trinity Religious Artwork is a solid website, Persuade your church/denomination to set aside a month in the liturgical calendar to engage local relationships and justice issues. Notes and Reflections: Learn from, but don t appropriate Indigenous traditions and spiritual practices. Show respect and honour to whom they belong. Don t promise more than you can give. That creates a lot of hurt in Indigenous communities. Relax, and trust the Spirit. Sometimes this stuff is a lot easier than we imagine. Certainly, more joyful and worth it! Go for it... and go in peace. 13

16 Paths for peacemaking with host peoples by Steve Heinrichs Director of Indigenous Relations Mennonite Church Canada What can we do? More than ever before, Canadians are becoming aware of their fractured relationship with host peoples. Many are looking for ways to nurture better relationships and work for justice. We hope this booklet will spark a conversation, helping individuals and communities craft their own walks of peace. Find most of the materials referenced in this handout online or in person at CommonWord Bookstore & Resource Centre Shaftesbury Blvd Winnipeg MB R3P 0M4 Treaty One Territory Toll-free: P: F: E: office@mennonitechurch.ca W: Mennonite Church Canada uses recycled paper that contains post-consumer waste in all its printing.